It sounds like you genuinely don’t understand how the microtransaction mechanic works in Bravely Default. I am not exaggerating when I say that you don’t need it and, more importantly, that it doesn’t really help. And, in any case, the SP needed to use it comes readily from normal gameplay if you did want to use it (although I don’t know why you would–I never did, even although I had full SP all the time).

If your objection is “because there are Microtransactions”, that’s fine, but don’t confuse it with “because the Microtransactions affect game play”.

That’s cool. I had no idea that Kamiya referenced DMC dialogue in Bayonetta.

“As for Bravely… I can’t play that series due to the micro transactions.”

I envy your willpower. When devs were starting to pull this microtransaction bullshit I was all like “They won’t be getting a cent from me!“, but then once almost all of them were doing it I didn’t have much choice but to cave. There are some things that I will never stand for, but microtransactions are something I can suffer through so long as the game is playable without them. Still, if you cannot bring yourself to support games which feature microtransactions, then that is something that I 100% respect.

Here’s to hoping that this is just a valley in the gaming industry and that it’s up from here.

You can change the difficulty level of the game on the fly. There’s no need whatsoever to utilise their in-game purchases. Don’t miss out on one of the best RPGs of the past few years because of what is essentially an unfounded fear.

As for Bravely… I can’t play that series due to the micro transactions. Even if they have zero effect on the game play of the game I can’t trust that they didn’t deliberately make the game harder in hopes you would spend money to accelerate your progression. There are two parts of SE right now. The ones that make me happy (FF14 Team), and that part.

“Flock off, feather face!””

Wasn’t that Dante in DMC?

“The Bravely Second thing is very silly. The western Native American brave warrior would have been that culture’s equivalent to a knight or samurai. There’s a history of cultural degradation there, but we also understand why that was so bad. It’s not even saying all injuns look like this, or whatever the criticism may be, just recalling a cultural… Fact.”

The Tomahawk class design isn’t even overly stereotypical. They basically look like a Viera, but with a few feathers in their hair and a few lines of paint across their face. It’s all highly stylised in the Square Enix fashion.

@Cari: Even as a straight man I have no interest in jiggle physics.. NOT why I play games! But you’re right! The more that there is something for everyone, the better the medium of video games will thrive!

I’m reminded of the Shantae games, where she (and the other female characters) are scantily-clad and jiggling the whole time. I saw some reviews where that was mentioned as a trigger warning, but not really condemned. Is that because they’re pixel sprites, not realistic, or… what?

As for this Dead Or Alive thing… I don’t know, because the only video games news site with any sort of commentary I consume is, of course, Lusipurr.com; so I’m well out of the loop of actually seeing any of the SJW reactions posted anywhere, and screenshots thereof proving guilt, or hyperlinked references to wit. BUT, my first barely-informed gut-reaction is that it’s a pretty suave marketing coup on Koet Tecmo/PlayAsia’s part to brew up interest (by gamers, for gamers naturally) to brew up some interest in a …beach volleyball game… of which I have no clue how big the market has traditionally been for this series. I mean, it’s not your mom’s Wii beach volleyball, this is meant for a pretty particular audience. So, I think PlayAsia are totally correct on the text of what they said and did, but there’s someone behind that curtain looking a a graph titled “PROFIT” and thinking up ways to get there. Topical controversy marketing plan.

In the end let us remember the words of the beautiful and powerful Bayonetta:

“Flock off, feather face!”

Not sure how that’s helpful but It makes me feel better.

@Cari: These mental institution escapees have to control what everyone does and what everyone consumes regardless of the fact that it infringes in no way on the content they want to consume.

This is exactly it–it is not about morality or diversity or pluralism or tolerance in the slightest. It is about control–it has only ever been about control, it will always be about control: control over those who have not given their consent; control by those who are unfit to captain a rowboat let alone ordain the principles of a society; control in the name of the greater good, but actually for the select few. Control, control, control; nothing more, or greater, or better. It is just fascism, at the end of the day. And we have seen it before.

As for Nintendo and Square, it seems to be just business as usual.