Another facet of this argument is the idea that microtransactions aren’t designed for “hardcore” players; they’re for people who want an easier experience or are having trouble beating the game. In an interview with Eurogamer, Bob Roberts had this to say on the microtransactions in SHADOW OF WAR:
"…it's there as a player choice. It's there, from my perspective, for people who are protective of their spare time and scared when a massive game comes along that they're not getting to see the full experience.”
With this in mind, consider the following: If there’s value in skipping content, or fast-tracking the player through the gameplay, then it’s probably not good gameplay. If anything, the gameplay is likely designed around these microtransactions, forcing the player to grind through boring, repetitive tasks, or spend a few bucks to get what they want immediately. Sure, this isn’t always the case, but the sheer nature of business incentivizes companies to do this. They wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t try, in some way, to urge you to buy their product. They wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t try, in some way, to urge you to buy their product.