The Division Devs Ditched Paid Level Skip Microtransaction

Ubisoft Massive, developer of upcoming multiplayer shooter The Division, considered included a paid microtransaction that would allow players to buy level up shortcuts, but decided against them.

Speaking in an interview with GameSpot, creative director Magnus Jansen was asked about previous statements indicating the paid level-skip option was in discussion.

"It was under consideration, but it never made it into the game," he replied. "So there won't be any microtransactions like that. No shortcuts."

Continuing, Jansen discussed the dissonance between the negative response microtransactions garner in online discussions and evidence that a large number of people utilise them.

"It's a super interesting idea," he said. "People will happily pay for the game, but I think the issue people have is when they feel like some content has been held back. They feel as though in previous years they would have got all the content for free.

"Even worse, some people find that certain microtransactions allow people to pay to compete. Pay-to-win, essentially. So I understand the hesitation. I don't see an issue with people paying for content, and there will of course be DLC, because there's nothing bad about creating more content after we release this huge game."

In a previous interview with GameSpot, Ubisoft Massive's managing director, David Polfeldt, said The Division's microtransactions will be "fair."

"What we're looking at, and this is still being developed, but what we're looking at is...we want to have a fair trade, fair transactions," he said. So we want to offer gamers things that they actually feel have value to them.

"What frightens me is manipulative trading, where you pretend that it's a free experience when in fact you're not being truthful because you don't intend it to be free. You're only saying that to draw people in. Your intention is to make people pay. And that's where I think there's an ethical problem with free-to-play games."

Ubisoft has confirmed a closed multiplayer beta for The Division will begin later this month. Xbox One players will get it on January 28. The beta will then be made available on PS4 and PC starting on January 29.