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Ryse: Son of Rome to feature microtransactions

Xbox One-exclusive game to include real-money purchases for multiplayer mode; producer compares option to Mass Effect and FIFA Ultimate Team.

987 Comments

Crytek-developed Xbox One-exclusive Ryse: Son of Rome will feature microtransactions in its multiplayer mode to help speed up player progression, VideoGamer.com has reported.

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Compared to the experience in EA's FIFA Ultimate Team, or Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode, the system will allow users to progress organically by playing; fast-track upgrades by making in-game, real-world purchases; or combine the two to offset the shortfall of in-game currency.

"When we talk about the progression system for multiplayer, it's armour based," the game’s producer told the website during a Gamescom demonstration.

"The way that you get armour is very similar to how you get it in like Mass Effect or FIFA. You only earn gold while playing multiplayer [and] you use that gold to buy booster packs. Those booster packs contain random sets of loot. The different tiers of loot that you get--whether you buy bronze, silver, or gold packs--determine whether you get rare or common items.

"One of the things that we did a little different is that you can buy them with in-game currency and real-world currency. The difference is that if you're close, we also have small microtransactions."

"Say, for instance, a gold pack costs 15,000 gold, [and] you've only got 12,500, you can actually buy the difference and only spend a little bit to make it go to a gold pack. So we offer some variety there."

The gameworld is reportedly being created to allow players to prioritise their upgrade path, be it for more gold, or experience.

"We were very good about designing stages as you play multiplayer, so the stats can change whether you're focusing on grinding for money, grinding for experience, or whether you're playing with a new player or an old player. There's a lot of ways to change and customise your gear," they said.

Published by Microsoft, third-person action game Ryse: Son of Rome has been confirmed as a launch title for the system. The Xbox One goes on sale this November.

UPDATE: Some additional details on how the player progression system will work in tandem with microtransactions, courtesy of Xbox PR:

"The progression system in 'Ryse: Son of Rome’s' cooperative multiplayer experience offers players the freedom to customize their gladiator with a wide range of armor customization options and upgrades which are accessible across five tiers. Players must advance through each tier by earning experience through gameplay before being eligible to acquire ‘booster packs,’ which contain in-game upgrades. Once players have reached a new tier, they may either purchase ‘booster packs’ using in-game Gold earned through battle, real-world currency or a mix of both, and then must continue to play to advance to the next tier (there is no way to ‘buy’ your way to the next tier). Players who purchase ‘booster packs’ with real-world currency will only receive a minor boost in how quickly they acquire the items they’ve earned compared to those who only use in-game Gold."

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WTA2k5

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You should be able to pay a dollar to bypass each of the game's quicktime events. You can take that one for free, Crytek.

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FAIL_RETURNETH

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@WTA2k5

I don't know if it's just the gladiator mode, but they have eliminated the button prompts (if the new trailer is any indication).

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jmeyer2039

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@WTA2k5 Then it would be a $60 game wherein you spend $1,000 to watch a bunch of Romans fight.

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HowlPendragon

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Edited By HowlPendragon

@jmeyer2039 SOLD!

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WolfGrey

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Well i already thought of this game as not so great and all vids for it were pretty awful. Gameplay looks god awful.

Now you pull this....jeez bargain bin doesn't even begin to explain my feelings on the matter.

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HowlPendragon

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UPDATE: Kinect will be required to swipe the pop-up ads away during gameplay.

Achievement of 500 points available to those who complete the game without closing them out.

23 • 
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Superzone

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@HowlPendragon What's sad is that this might not even be a joke. I'm legitimately going to go google this right now because it just wouldn't surprise me if it were true.

8 • 
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Jacen22

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Edited By Jacen22

This game reminds me of Shadow Of Rome for the PS2. Man that was a great game, so much gore in the arena, has the Spartacus feel and it was done well and not too over the top.

But Ryse on the other hand looks like a chain of repetitive quick-time events that you button mash like God Of War, but they took it to an insane lvl like every enemy you kill I saw in gameplay was a QTE. Not interested in it.

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Xristophoros

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This game is gonna tank... cliche, over used setting with repetitive action and littered with QTE... When a developer says that 60% of the gaming experience is the graphics, it is hard to trust them with my money. The mentality over at Crytek is backwards to say the least. Sure, this game will be a good demo to show off the graphical capabilities of the X1, but nothing more than that.

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chaos-commander

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@Xristophoros It will be like buying an expensive movie

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Swoopalz

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@Xristophoros The setting is hardly over-used, but otherwise I agree with every point you made.

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SkytheWiz1

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This looks like an absolutely amazing thing to not spend money on.

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deactivated-60510cd00304f

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This kind of shit doesn't even anger me anymore, its just disappointing. Unfortunately, It has become an industry standard, and Crytek's a business... so if they can con morons out of more money then good for them. If anyone is to blame it's the morons who spend all the money for these microtransactions, and unfortunately they don't have a clue about the value of money. I'm still gonna get this game cause it looks awesome, but I'm NOT going to pay to speed up player progression!

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chaos-commander

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Edited By chaos-commander

that's funny "Say, for instance, a gold pack costs 15,000 gold, [and] you've only got 12,500 you can actually buy the difference and only spend a little bit to make it go to a Gold Pack. So we offer some variety there."

you could just play some more and feel like you accomplished something or just buy your way to the top.

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Superzone

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Edited By Superzone

Oh hell yeah. I love paying extra money for things like this. Back in the day, you had to actually play the game and meet requirements to unlock this stuff! Lol, how stupid must that have been?? I mean, PLAYING the game to unlock stuff? Man, I love that we just have to fork over some cash for that stuff these days! So much less work!

*end sarcasm


Seriously, f*** this game and everyone who made this decision.

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matticles

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Sounds like the Auction Houses in D3. Want something? Well you can buy it with gold or real money. What's that? You don't have enough gold? Well, here you go, just some small micro-transaction purchase and you can quickly get the balance of what you need.

Good idea, cause we all know the gaming community JUST LOVES that stuff.

The best part? The transactions revolve around the multiplayer mode and "speeding up your progression" - have fun with this one guys, I'm avoiding it like the plague.

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WantYouBad

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@matticles http://goingloudstudios.com/games/dlc-quest/

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denhoffi

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They really don't want us to buy that game do they?

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chaos-commander

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@Diegoctba You earned it

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vnj4x

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i don't know about you folks, but personally this is the only next gen game that isn't appealing to me at all.

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mattman127

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This is almost as funny as Bethesda thinking I'm going to pay $15 a month to play ESO

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WantYouBad

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Edited By WantYouBad

Well, **** this game. Sony scores an extra point.

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jmeyer2039

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@WantYouBad Not really. I prefer PlayStation, myself, but it seems to me that even Xbox fans largely acknowledge this game as shit even before this news.

2 • 
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WantYouBad

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@jmeyer2039 @WantYouBad It's a shame to see the once great gaming industry turning into this.

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WantYouBad

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Edited By WantYouBad

@jmeyer2039 @WantYouBad It will continue to grow until it is the norm, because gamers will make it. Like crack addicts, they don't care how much they get fucked as long as they get that next fix, that next great game, they'll gladly bend over and accept it.

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jmeyer2039

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@WantYouBad @jmeyer2039 It's definitely a trend I don't want to see evolve. We have accepted microtransactions in free-to-play games, and we have accepted DLC for the most part. But we can't keep buying into this kind of thing or it really will get out of control. Fortunately, Ryse is not one of the more major releases that people are looking forward to playing.

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tjkraz

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Edited By tjkraz

@jmeyer2039 @WantYouBad Agree.

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Swoopalz

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Wow. First the massive amount of QTE's, then the HORRIBLE, broken demo, and now this. Ryse just keeps getting worse. Wonder what they'll do next.

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Oogazi

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This game seriously doesn't have the sufficient hype to announce something like this and not expect any public backlash. Sometimes I wonder what the people at marketing are thinking. They reveal support for micro-transaction as if they thought gamers would enjoy these types of announcements

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nait2k4

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Please enter your credit card details to Press X to decapitate your enemy.

30 • 
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Renunciation

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@nait2k4 Ryse seeks to become the first game in history to use credit card entry as a QTE.


27 • 
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matticles

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@Renunciation

You've got 3 seconds to put in your CC's 3-digit security code or you'll fail this event, lol!

22 • 
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Renunciation

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@matticles @Renunciation DUDE I ENTERED MY SECURITY CODE IN TIME BUT I DIDNT DECAPITATE THOSE THREE SOLDIERS IN A ROW WTF.

That's just fun. : )

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outlawoftorn

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why are there in-game purchases for a game that is not free?

22 • 
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Superzone

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@outlawoftorn Welcome to the modern day gaming industry, where the only thing that matters is the cash in your wallet.

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WantYouBad

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@outlawoftorn Because Capitalism is great.

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arqe

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@outlawoftorn Are you new in gaming industry ?

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Master_cheat001

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If this game ever in PC, 1$ is the price I will buy *cough* Dead Space 3 *cough*

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