Skate PS5's Unreleased Technical Test Adds Controversially Adds Microtransactions 1

The next Skate game from EA, announced eons ago and developed alongside its community, has added microtransactions to its Closed Alpha playtest.

Word comes courtesy of Insider Gaming, who were forwarded a message from developer Full Circle by a participating player.

The game, which is planned to eventually launch in a free-to-play format, will feature an in-game currency known as San Van Bucks. These will enable you to purchase a variety of cosmetic goods, including outfits, skateboards, and so on.

Full Circle said it needed to add the feature to the Closed Alpha in order to ensure players have a “positive experience” when purchasing items in the final release. It added that any feedback from participants will be “greatly appreciated”.

Those who spend money in the playtest will have their purchases reset upon release, but any San Van Bucks they own will be returned to their accounts. We’re not entirely sure why EA isn’t just giving participants a small denomination of free currency to use in the playtest, but there we go.

To be fair, this game has always been announced as a free-to-play affair, and so it needs to fund its development somehow. Microtransactions were inevitable, and as long as they’re largely optional like in Fortnite, we’re not inherently against their inclusion.

While it does also seem controversial to add them to the Closed Alpha, we guess features like this do ultimately need to get tested, and that’s the point of the playtest after all. So while it does all seem quite sinister, we suppose on further reflection it makes sense.

[source insider-gaming.com]