Store Update: 1st September 2015 (North America)

Is Phantom Pain free-to-start, what's with all the microtransactions? Maybe they fired Kojima b/c he wasn't having it? Well if I were him that's what I'd be telling people.

There's some decent discounts for PS+ too.

@rjejr dude, the microtransactions are pointless and only for those who are super impatient.. There's absolutely no need to drop any extra cash after buying the game. Also he isn't leaving over that. He's leaving because he asked too many questions about their work ethics and made the age old mistake of talking about other projects other than Metal Gear.

@B3ND3R I DEMAND FACTS AND LINKS PROVING THIS!
Not really.
I am a bit excited for the upcoming Transformers Devastation, but the game just doesn't look like something worth $60 to me.

@B3ND3R - " the microtransactions are pointless and only for those who are super impatient.. There's absolutely no need to drop any extra cash after buying the game. "

Almost every game I've ever played the microtransactions are pointless but that never seems to stop people from complaining about them. And those microtransactions are for FREE games. This game is $50 or $60. And these transactions are more like MACRO than micro. You can pay as much for coins as for the game itself. Isn't that what everyone is always bashing games like Candy Crush for?

Disclaimer - I'm at level 1157 in Candy Crush, never paid a cent. Never paid a cent for any free-to-start game. I did buy the season pass for Mario Kart 8 for th enew tracks and Hyrule Warriors for he new characters and maps but I think that's it.

@rjejr
That's smart. I'll be honest, I love costume dlc, but after dropping 40 dollars on a game called Dust 514 (only to have the company stop supporting future updates on the game) I vowed to be more careful on micro-transactions. Dust 514! You broke my heart!

@Neolit Yeah it would have bene to har dto pas up 16 tracks for $12. I did wait to purchase it the day before it came out, Nintnedo was offering it about 2 months in advance, w/ some Shy Guy skins, but I dind't see the point of paying $12 2 months in a advance. Hyrule Warriors offered a lot for that $20 as well, though I think I only bought it b/c I had $15 in eShop credit from the DDP Wii U promotion, so I only paid $5. Added a lot of hours though.

@Utena-mobile Dust 514 is free to play on PS3 right? I don't have a problem w/ companies charging money to purchase stuff in a free game, they have to make money somehow - charge up front, ads, DLC - it's when $50 games offer $50 "coins" day 1 that I take notice.

@Neolit
It just sucks that, as far as online MP microtransactions are concerned, we have to pay for an online subscription to play online, have to pay to buy the game, then have to pay microtransactions to enjoy the multiplayer in a game we already bought with online we're already paying to access.

It's all becoming a bit much. I loved Dragon Age Inquisition but I didn't touch the multiplayer because you really have to spend money to get anything out of it beyond a very basic experience. And considering the game was $60 and the online sub was $50, you'd think these developers wouldn't contaminate the online portion all the while sticking their hands out.

Thankfully for me I don't play online all that much so I'm affected minimally, but still...

@Neolit
Wow, that's very insightful actually.