Gran Turismo 7 Microtransactions Cause Controversy Among Players
By Jack O'Dwyer
Some players are unhappy with Gran Turismo 7 Microtransactions.
While most if not all of the in-game content shipped with Gran Turismo 7 can be unlocked through regular gameplay—there are always times when grinding feels like the least appealing thing in the world. This is where developers tend to place in microtransactions where, for a small fee, players can buy their way through to items or content they would normally need to wait through.
Gran Turismo 7 (GT7) is one such example. However, how this latest installment has chosen to handle these transactions has some players upset.
Gran Turismo 7 Microtransactions Explained
At the time of writing, the microtransactions in-game have four tiers with each one offering an increasing amount of credits for a corresponding amount of real world currency. These are:
- 100,000 credits—$2.49
- 250,000 credits—$4.99
- 750,000 credits—$9.99
- 2,000,000 credits—$19.99
This has caused a bit of an uproar with the community has several players have come forward to acknowledge both the price difference between previous titles and the mis-match between credit packs and actual prices for vehicles.
According to VGC's Chris Scullion, "Gran Turismo Sport let players buy individual cars as microtransactions, with the vast majority of cars costing between $0.99 and $4.99 each." He notes that this isn't the case in GT7 and compares the price disparity of the Porsche 919 Hybrid 16 between games.
"A Porsche 919 Hybrid 16, which can be bought for $2.99 in Gran Turismo Sport, can only be bought for 3,000,000 credits, which would require the player to spend at least $40," he wrote.
Similar cars include the Audi R18 TDI '11, McLaren P1 GTR '16, and Aston Martin Vulcan '16.
It's also worth noting that while many cars in GT7 cost 1,000,000 credits, there is no option for that exact amount. Instead, players either need to pay around $20 for 2,000,000 credits or combine 250,000 credits with 750,000 credits for a grand total of about $15.
All of this is without even mentioning the upgrades for each vehicle.
Fans on social media were quick to add their own opinions to the reveal. One of the top complaints was that the transactions where not available when critics were handed copies for review. Some called this a "shady" or "scummy" tactic that kept them from the full breadth and width of in-game features. Others were unhappy with the transactions, entirely, citing cost and the mounting normalcy of it all.
Reddit user Blenderhead36 wrote, "I don't know that I'd consider $40 a microtransaction. That's just a straight up transaction."
"People tend to let a lot of anti-consumer stuff slide when it comes to AAA exclusives. It's pathetic, but there's a pattern." fanboy_killer wrote.
On the other side of the debate, fans argued that this was a normal part of the game that had been a part of the GT franchise since GT5. The price increase was a moot point as earning credits in the game wasn't very difficult and only required a few hours of racing.
"Boy looking through this thread you can tell who’s actually played the game and who just wants to be mad. No cars are locked behind a paywall and credits are easy to earn by playing the game," wrote allyc4t.
Ultimately, however, its up to the individual player to choose how they'd like to play the game.