Assassin's Creed III supports microtransactions

Ubisoft's upcoming action game to offer $1-$20 "Erudito Credits" for Xbox 360 and PS3 that will allow players to acquire items "disregarding your current level."

Last month, Electronic Arts executive Peter Moore said microtransactions would someday be in every game. For Ubisoft, that time is now. According to product listings for the Xbox Live marketplace and PlayStation Store, Assassin's Creed III will allow gamers to purchase a range of in-game "Erudito Credits," ranging from $1 to $20.

It is not clear what the Erudito Credits will allow gamers to purchase, though a screengrab from WorthPlaying indicates the content will act as boosters of sorts, allowing players to "acquire some game items, disregarding your current level."

In addition to the Erudito Credits, Assassin's Creed III will feature a host of downloadable add-ons, beginning with a four-chapter Benedict Arnold campaign that will be made available exclusively to PlayStation 3 players.

Additionally, a $30 Assassin's Creed III season pass for all platforms includes a tyrannical George Washington single-player mission, as well as new maps and characters for the game's multiplayer component.

Assassin's Creed III is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 30. A Wii U release is slated for November 18 day-and-date with the system and a PC launch will round out the bunch on November 20. For more on Assassin's Creed III, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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Chaos_Stryker 47 pts

This is unfortunate, because Assassin's Creed III is a great game. But moves like this that are made by pure greed are very hard to get behind.

 

I had no problem paying $60 for a game that I felt was worth. However, I will NEVER give them additional money through stupid microtransactions.

oskuuu 111 pts

lol... *removes assassin's GREED III from wishlist*

kohle36 181 pts

And here I was under the impression that micro transactions were being considered as an alternative to the traditional purchase model. Should have known they'd just tack it on to existing pricing structures:

"Pay us $60 for this awesome new game. Now $30 more for the dlc. Woot! Sony just paid us for exclusive content. Well damn, we're out of ways you can pay us, so we'll just invent some in-game currency you acquire through actual monetary transactions."

So this is Ubisoft's idea of something for everyone huh? I can't wait until Guillemot blames this on piracy

matttrd 6 pts

NO no no it's heading the way of the tablet gaming market.

sideshowboots 118 pts

the worst part of all this is despite the greed, Ubisoft makes great games

mav_destroyer 493 pts

 sideshowboots Assassin's Greed III, why haven't I thought of this sooner?

hellangel_boy 73 pts

 sideshowboots Great games aren't enough, they should respect their customers who supported them at the beginning when the game wasn't as popular as now.

And I bet that if they took the place of COD as the highest selling game, the quality of their game would lower, and I think that is what they are trying to do.

-Jonce- 76 pts

20 bucks?! My mind is boggling what kind of 'item' will cost you $20. Armour for your horse I hope!

PlatinumPaladin 314 pts

I've said it before and I'm saying it again: leave it to Ubisoft to come up with ever more varied ways of getting our money. Being able to buy your way to a strong position really does not sit well with me.

toddx77 673 pts

Can't wait until next gen when the games music and voice acting become micro transactions.  "You don't need the music and voicing acting  to understand the game.  Lines of text and sound effects do the job fine" lol.

Minasodrom 30 pts

remember when cheats used to be for free?

mav_destroyer 493 pts

 Minasodrom ah I missed scribbling down cheat codes for my favorite games from game magazines

kohle36 181 pts

 Minasodrom Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A

Eat it Ubisoft

GhostOfSparta4 23 pts

I'll buy the game, but I won't pay for this extra BS.

JMcN76 87 pts

Remember when games used to sell fully finished for one price?

higherflyerJ 114 pts

 JMcN76 It's been so long now I hardly remember...

jark888 122 pts

 higherflyerJ  JMcN76 Lol ;D

eyeball2452 50 pts

Gameshark?  But, it costs money?

Sokol4ever 43 pts

This isn't right Ubisoft... I'm sure there are other gamers, like myself, who enjoy Assassins Creed series and had paid the full price to play the games.

 

What exactly is this telling us? I won't believe for a moment that it is a money issue, simple because its not. 

It's greed. 

If this happens in future and micro-transaction are going to be required to finish the game properly or the content is limited or locked because of it, you can rest assured. I won't pick it up. 

 

If this is the direction one of my favorite past times will subdue into, I will not be the part of it.  

I had been gaming since 1991 and I have little problems finding different hobby that will value my hard earned money.. 

JMcN76 87 pts

 Sokol4ever Amen, brother. Well said!

plaintomato 128 pts

Reminds me of back in the day when you couldn't find Codemasters cheats online, but there was a phone number on the jacket you could call for cheats...at $0.99/minute.

 

It was stupid then, it's stupid now. But it doesn't bother me unless it touches the multi-player, which it probably does.

acer7x 146 pts

Lost interest in this game now. Looking elsewhere for a better game. Any suggestions?

musalala 253 pts

 acer7x Dishonoured is good its stealthy and whatnot,a little on the short side if you rush it but a solid buy.

sideshowboots 118 pts

 musalala  acer7x Dishonoured is short, but it's well worth a few play throughs, very good game

mav_destroyer 493 pts

 acer7x Personally, I'm looking forward to Hitman Absolution now

baxwam 48 pts

hey Video Games is a business if this proves to be profitable there's no way form keeping them doing it again I could  only wish if gaming here dose  not become like Nixon in S Korea is like ( pay 100$ a month if you want a chance to compete) Please correct me if I am wrong  =( 

EvilShabazz 227 pts

Hooray for big studio MBA stupid ideas!  </sarcasm>

EvilShabazz 227 pts

Nothing makes me want to pirate a game more than this kind of big-studio bullshit.

toddx77 673 pts

 EvilShabazz Thats just what Ubisoft wants.  Then they can say "all people are pirating our games time to add even more DRM."

NAVSTAR86 9 pts

Well so long as I can still earn those upgrades without spending a single cent it's all good.

ZOD777 631 pts

Well, since there is no leveling system in AC SP campaigns, it seems like it is going to be a microtransaction system for MP.  I don't play AC for multi, so it doesn't conflict with my agenda toward the series.  Still, I don't really care for microtransactions period (FTP or not).  It is a more vile plague than DLC could ever wish to be.

hellangel_boy 73 pts

"acquire some game items, disregarding your current level." So he basically means that it will be P2W, great, it's becoming like greedy free MMO but it's not free because we buy the game..... Companies don't seem to care about their loyal customers these days, and they try to drag us into their bait by abusing the games we love to force us to pay more.

I'm going to buy AC3 but that's sad because they don''t seem to care about me because i pay only 60$ for their game they want me to pay much more......

lorenzoa88 23 pts

 hellangel_boy Just don't spend anymore than the $60 to buy the game.  Don't get any of the micro items or DLC.  Seriously, DLC is so unnecessary.  There are so many games to play, just move on to the next title once you beat whatever you're playing.

hellangel_boy 73 pts

 lorenzoa88 My problem, that I do what you say, I never bought a DLC till now. but I still get affected by that, because of people who keep buying DLC's unconsciously.

mlcarter815 541 pts

 lorenzoa88  hellangel_boy I just wait until I can get a complete edition for dirt cheap. I have a huge backlog of games, so a bit of a wait isn't a big deal.

sephirothsfan02 37 pts

I still remember when these companies first introduced DLC, back then it seemed harmless, many even gave it for free after a week or two and now it`s on its way to ruin the gaming industry.

Kravyn81 487 pts

I'm sorry, but isn't this what gamers wanted? Isn't this the beautiful utopia that gamers wanted to happen to this industry?

 

I find these reactions against this curious because when I spoke out against microtransactions way back in the day, I was told to: STFU!

 

Or I was told to: GET A JOB!

 

Or better yet: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO BUY IT!

 

THESE are the types of response I was told at this site, in my blogs, at other game sites, etc. that I spoke out at.

 

Now all of a sudden I see people echoing what I've been saying all along.

 

Isn't that nice? Where were you people back BEFORE this became a problem, huh? It's too late now.

mav_destroyer 493 pts

 Kravyn81 lol they're probably broke now so that's why they're complaining.

hellangel_boy 73 pts

 Kravyn81 I think microtransactions and DLC's will force us not to buy the games we love.

lorenzoa88 23 pts

 Kravyn81 I feel exactly the same, but all I got back was what you just pointed out. You vote with your dollar and gamers voted yes on DLC and now there's basically no going back because people "have to have x item." 

firehawk998 503 pts

We are already seeing this being implemented in AC 3. I predict a beautiful future where we will buy the game for $60 and then one we finish Level 1 we then must pay $10 for Level 2 . If it does happen and gets adopted almost by every company then that is the day I will quit gaming.

mav_destroyer 493 pts

 firehawk998 Hopefully it won't come to that and you don't have to quit gaming as long as there are indie developers out there.

lorenzoa88 23 pts

 firehawk998 Yeah I was saying the same thing back when all of this started.  The publishers are heading in the direction of making games episodic, which will mean consumers spending much more in the long run.  This also ties in with everyone gleefully rushing to digital only, which means consumers lose control of their property and hand that power over to the publishers too.  Without the used market to force publishers to try and be more competitive, the prices of games are only going to go up.

higherflyerJ 114 pts

AC III will probably be the last game I ever pay full price for.  The industry is now like every other in the world... disgusting.  I've got a humungous backlog that will entertain me for years.  I'm not going to buy any full priced games coming out in the future.  I'm just not interested at all anymore except for maybe one ore two games a year.  R.I.P. my 30+ year hobby.

Mr_Big_Boss 166 pts

I used to play Uncharted 3 multiplayer, I stopped playing because they implemented a microtransaction system.

 

$60 for game

$60 for DLC

$120 for microtransaction items

 

Such a greedy industry this generation of idiot gamers have created.

XxTheEvilxX 120 pts

 Mr_Big_Boss You know it's sad but true. People will pay to win. And when they do, it only encourages these companies to continue the pattern of P2W with microtransactions. I am surprised COD hasn't done it yet.

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Assassin's Creed III

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    • Publisher(s): Ubisoft
    • Genre: Action
    • Release: Oct 30, 2012 (US)
    • ESRB: M
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