10 Video Game Cash-grabs We Can't Believe They Tried
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00:00 Like any business, every gaming exec's top priority is to make money, and generally,
00:05 gamers don't mind emptying their wallet if they're getting bang for their buck.
00:08 If an open-world title keeps you enthralled for over 100 hours, you're probably fine
00:12 with paying full price.
00:14 And when a DLC gives you as much content as the main campaign, you'll have no qualms
00:17 about splashing out more cash.
00:19 However, certain games aren't coy with their intent to rob you blind.
00:24 Sometimes they don't just hide the best goodies behind a paywall, they hide half the
00:27 content.
00:28 Of course, developers and publishers need to keep the lights on, but when you bear witness
00:31 to the tactics they use to sell some of these products, it just screams cash grab.
00:36 I'm just from WhatCulture and Tier 10 video game cash grabs, we can't believe they tried.
00:41 10.
00:42 Prince of Persia Epilogue
00:44 To the disappointment of many, 2008's Prince of Persia wasn't as awe-inspiring as we'd
00:49 hoped.
00:50 But this reboot did get a lot of people talking, since it ended with a massive cliffhanger.
00:54 As the unnamed prince does battle with Ariman, Elika gives up her life to seal away the devilish
00:59 deity.
01:00 Ever the hero, the prince uses the Tree of Life's power to resurrect her.
01:04 But by undoing Elika's sacrifice, Ariman returns, blanketing the area in darkness, including
01:10 our heroic duo.
01:12 Because of this abrupt ending, gamers weren't sure what to make of it.
01:15 Was Elika's sacrifice in vain?
01:17 Did Ariman take over the world?
01:19 Are our heroes even alive?
01:20 Well the good news is, all these questions were answered, kind of, in the expansion pack
01:24 Epilogue.
01:25 The bad news is, Ubisoft expected gamers to pay for it.
01:29 Just to reiterate, gamers who'd already bought Prince of Persia had to pay more to see the
01:33 ending.
01:34 Although the DLC came equipped with new areas, combat maneuvers, and enemies, it wasn't worth
01:39 it since it's done and dusted after just a measly 90 minutes.
01:43 At least you get that ending, right?
01:45 Well, not really.
01:47 In the credits roll, Ariman is still alive and preparing to exact his revenge on the
01:51 prince.
01:52 So if you purchased Epilogue, you paid extra money to see pretty much the same non-ending.
01:56 9.
01:57 Super Mario Run
01:59 After maintaining an iron grip on the handheld market for decades, Nintendo seemed to be
02:03 the last company to release products on mobile devices, which is their central competitor.
02:08 To the surprise of everyone, Ninty joined forces with Apple in 2016 to create their
02:12 first mobile title, Super Mario Run.
02:15 Thanks to the addictive gameplay, variety of challenges, and Nintendo's charm, Run
02:20 stood out compared to the deluge of auto-runners littering the App Store.
02:24 More importantly, Super Mario Run was completely free… for the first three levels.
02:29 If you want to play the side-scroller fully, you'll need to get your credit card details
02:32 ready.
02:33 If you're not willing to pay, you'll have to settle with the demo.
02:36 But it gets worse.
02:37 Rather than spending 99p, you're expected to pay 10 pounds.
02:41 But why?
02:42 Mario is worth nearly $100 billion, they're not strapped for cash.
02:46 Also, you'd assume the gaming giant would lower the price after all these years, especially
02:50 after seeing the success of their follow-up, Mario Kart Tour, which is actually free.
02:55 But no, after six years, Run's retail price still stands.
02:59 Although the game has been successful, it feels like Nintendo shot themselves in the
03:03 foot.
03:04 Considering how many casual gamers dismissed Super Mario Run the instant they saw how much
03:08 it cost, the company would've made far more purchases if it cost far less.
03:12 8.
03:13 Sonic Origins
03:14 It's no secret the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has been widely inconsistent recently.
03:19 But after 2017's Sonic Mania put the blue furball back on the map, gamers were hoping
03:24 Sega would release a new Sonic collection, which contained the original anthology.
03:28 Because of copyright issues, this took much longer than expected, but after five long
03:33 years we got Sonic Origins, a compilation composed of the four main Sonic the Hedgehog
03:38 installments on the Genesis, as well as Sonic CD.
03:41 It also featured a boss rush mode, challenges, new animated cutscenes, and a museum.
03:46 Upon reviewing Origins' content, all anyone could think of is, "Is that it?"
03:51 There hasn't been a Sonic collection in 12 years, and this is the best Sega could
03:55 do?
03:56 Sonic Mega Collection, which released 20 years ago, contained twice as much material.
04:00 Where's Sonic Drift, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Labyrinth, Knuckles Chaotix, or the Sonic
04:04 Advance trilogy?
04:05 Sonic 3D Blast, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Collection, and Sonic Spinball came with Sega Genesis
04:11 Classics, which is available on the same platforms as Origins, so why weren't they added?
04:16 Although fans were hoping more Sonic entries would be incorporated at a later date, nothing
04:20 suggests that becoming a reality.
04:22 There's an expansion pack, but all it includes is bonus music.
04:25 Yay.
04:26 Even though it's great to revisit the classics, we shouldn't be paying £30 for five decades
04:31 old games.
04:32 7.
04:33 Fitness Boxing - Fist of the North Star As successful as the Switch has been, its
04:37 exercise repertoire has failed to match the Wii selection, most notably Wii Sports.
04:43 In 2019, Imagineer hoped to turn things around, with the punch to the rhythm title Fitness
04:47 Boxing.
04:48 Unfortunately, Fitness Boxing wasn't intense enough, impairing players' ability to work
04:53 up a sweat.
04:54 Worse still, it was branded as "uncreative" and "tedious."
04:58 Two years later, Imagineer released a sequel, which received the same harsh criticisms.
05:03 At this point, it would have been sensible for the creators to go back to the drawing
05:06 board and revise the gameplay, so the inevitable follow-up would meet the criteria.
05:11 Instead, Imagineer devised a spin-off based on the beloved manga series, Fist of the North
05:16 Star.
05:17 Since the hero, Ken'ishiro, is among the greatest fighters in all of storytelling,
05:21 this seemed like a smart move.
05:23 But because the developers didn't revise the core mechanics, this installment was plagued
05:27 with the same problems as before.
05:29 In a way, it's worse, since the source material doesn't gel with the gameplay.
05:34 Fist of the North Star is ludicrously violent, with characters being reduced to blood fountains
05:39 in every issue.
05:40 Since the game contains no gore, the Fist of the North Star motif was wasted.
05:45 If Imagineer thought gamers would fork over the money for this lazy spin-off just because
05:49 it's barely connected to a popular brand, they were sadly mistaken.
05:53 6.
05:54 Apex Legends - Season 2
05:56 When a game is expected to be a hit, it's customary for the publishers to promote the
06:00 hell out of it before launch.
06:02 So when EA Sports dropped Apex Legends with no song and dance, the gaming community was
06:06 justifiably dubious.
06:08 And yet, the free-to-play shooter received universal love on all consoles.
06:13 Except the Switch.
06:14 Don't know what happened there.
06:15 Thanks to the wonderful ping system, innovative mechanics, and awesome gunplay, Apex Legends
06:20 suitably became the apex of the battle royale subgenre.
06:23 Then Season 2 introduced the bane of modern gaming - loot boxes.
06:28 This was the worst kind of reward system, since certain items could only be obtained
06:32 through this infernal mechanic.
06:34 Because such rewards would only be available for a certain length of time, players bought
06:38 these cosmetics in a panic, worried they wouldn't get another chance.
06:41 Worst of all, one legendary called the Raven's Bite couldn't be unlocked unless you obtained
06:46 all 24 crowns, which cost the equivalent of $160.
06:51 Once you do this, you have to pay an extra $35 to actually buy the weapon.
06:56 Diehard gamers were so disgusted, many quit soon after, despite EA's best efforts to
07:00 amend the issues.
07:02 5.
07:03 Ghost Recon Breakpoint
07:04 Ghost Recon Breakpoint was massacred before release, when early access users revealed
07:08 how every item could be purchased with real money.
07:11 Now, most gamers don't mind if certain weapons and upgrades require microtransactions, but
07:16 turning this Tom Clancy adaptation into a pay-to-win game isn't fair for anyone.
07:21 As hard as it is to believe, the shooter was actually meant to have more microtransactions.
07:26 Originally, Breakpoint would've utilized time saves, much like the Assassin's Creed
07:31 franchise.
07:32 Gamers were up in arms about this, encouraging Ubisoft to remove them, saying they were included
07:36 by mistake.
07:37 Sure they were.
07:38 But to nobody's surprise, the developers inserted the time savers at a later date, hoping nobody
07:43 would notice.
07:44 And they did.
07:45 Being the devil's advocate, none of the basic weapons and attachments cost much.
07:49 Also, you can obtain these items by using in-game currency.
07:52 But due to the absurd amount of grinding required, you'll want to bypass the tedious rigmarole
07:57 by spending your hard-earned cash on the best armaments.
08:00 Unfortunately, buying guns is more complicated than you'd expect.
08:04 You have to purchase the weapons, the underbarrels, and the magazines separately.
08:09 So if you want to arm yourself with a handful of decent weapons, it'll cost you an arm
08:12 and a leg.
08:13 4.
08:14 Mass Effect Andromeda's Collector's Edition Didn't Include the Game
08:18 Since Mass Effect Andromeda was broken at launch and wasn't a particularly good game
08:22 overall, you'd think that would be enough to justify this dud being labeled a cash grab.
08:27 But this bumbled sequel committed a far more grievous sin.
08:31 When a franchise becomes hugely popular, it's not out of character for the developers to
08:34 toss out a special edition, just to bring in a little extra money.
08:38 And since Andromeda is a follow-up to Bioware's biggest IP, it wasn't shocking when it received
08:44 a Collector's Edition, packaged with a steelbook and a die-cast model of the Nomad vehicle.
08:49 And by paying a bit more, you could purchase a remote-control Nomad.
08:53 But not only did the Collector's Edition contain no in-game bonuses, it didn't include
08:57 the game.
08:58 Look, I know we shouldn't make assumptions, but if I purchased the Mass Effect Andromeda's
09:02 Collector's Edition, I would presume a copy of Mass Effect Andromeda would be in tow.
09:06 As such, many gamers spent £200 on the bundle, oblivious that they had to hand over an additional
09:12 £50 for the flipping game.
09:14 But it wasn't all bad - in EA's defence, the remote-control Nomad worked a lot more
09:17 than Andromeda did.
09:19 3.
09:20 Pepsi Man
09:21 When product placement is utilised in video games, the developers usually try to be a
09:24 bit coy about it.
09:26 Even when the product in question is directly referenced, it might only be mentioned briefly.
09:30 I mean, Darkened Sky was created purely to sell Skittles, but at least the creators had
09:35 the decency to keep the branding out of the title.
09:37 Then there's Pepsi, who didn't try to be subtle with their PlayStation platformer,
09:41 but shamelessly called Pepsi Man.
09:43 Taking control of the ridiculously named mascot, you must run through the streets and houses
09:47 to collect Pepsi cans, while dodging construction workers, billboards and Pepsi trucks.
09:53 Even the obstacles are self-promotions.
09:54 There's also one section where our colourful hero is chased by a Coca-Cola truck.
09:59 The company obviously haven't forgiven their competitor for making Pepsi and betas.
10:03 As blatant as the product placement is, Pepsi Man could get away with it if it was at least
10:07 decent.
10:08 Although the gameplay is surprisingly fun, there are only four levels, meaning you can
10:12 complete the whole shebang in half an hour.
10:15 Unsurprisingly, the PlayStation exclusive didn't sell well, since gamers saw Pepsi
10:19 Man was nothing more than a cash grab.
10:21 Honestly, it would've been weird if they didn't.
10:24 2.
10:25 Street Fighter Duel
10:26 At a glance, Crunchyroll Games' Street Fighter Duel looks like the full package.
10:30 This mobile title's got beautiful art, a terrific soundtrack, daily and weekly missions,
10:35 challenges, events, puzzles, perks, a campaign, a versus arena, a training center, and a colossal
10:41 roster filled with dozens of new and familiar faces.
10:44 But that's not all.
10:45 There are gems, cash, crystals, fragments, fighter XP, arcade coins, and break stones
10:50 to win, which can be used to unlock equipment, upgrades, and characters.
10:54 Because of this onslaught of content, you'd think that any Street Fighter fan would be
10:57 playing Duel relentlessly, hurling Hadoukens and Sonic booms 24/7.
11:02 That's why it's disappointing and deeply ironic how Street Fighter Duel falls apart when it
11:07 comes to… the street fighting.
11:09 You don't have to worry about parries, blocks, counters, combos, and special moves, since
11:13 the brawls involve no real strategy.
11:16 Since your team fight automatically, you can win without pressing a button.
11:20 Because each fight is only a few seconds long, you spend more time on the menu screen, collecting
11:25 gems and coins, than fighting.
11:27 Worse still, the game eventually gets so hard, you need to grind or rely on microtransactions
11:32 to get the best upgrades.
11:33 Not only are these methods frustrating, they're pointless.
11:37 After all, why would anyone spend money on a game that plays itself?
11:40 1.
11:41 Diablo Immortal Do you guys not have phones?
11:44 When Blizzard designer Wyatt Cheng uttered those infamous words at BlizzCon 2018 while
11:48 promoting Diablo Immortal, you could feel all interest for the mobile spin-off shrivel
11:52 away in an instant.
11:54 Now let's try really, really, really hard to break this situation down fairly.
11:58 The BlizzCon crowd were understandably disappointed, since they assumed the announcement was for
12:02 a Diablo sequel on the PC.
12:05 But does that mean Diablo Immortal was going to suck purely because it was a mobile title?
12:09 Of course not.
12:10 So was it good?
12:11 Oh, hell no.
12:12 Immortal's microtransactions are more relentless than a Terminator.
12:15 While describing this deeply flawed reward system, critics used words like "malicious,"
12:20 "manipulative," and "predatory."
12:22 If any mechanic is called "predatory," the developers should take that as a sign
12:26 they screwed up big time.
12:27 If you thought such terms were hyperbolic, it's anything but.
12:30 One YouTuber calculated it would take a decade to fully upgrade one character, without relying
12:36 on purchases.
12:37 If you wished to bypass this barbaric level of grinding, you could upgrade the character
12:41 to the max by spending $100,000.
12:44 Although Blizzard promised to deliver, gamers made it clear how disgusted they were with
12:48 the final result, giving Diablo Immortal a Metacritic user score of 0.2 out of 10, the
12:54 lowest rating any games received in the site's history.