NBA 2K18 MyPlayer VC Microtransactions Tweaked After Fan Backlash

NBA 2K18 ’s publishers at 2K Sports are in hot water over the game’s allegedly excessive use of microtransactions in its MyCareer mode. While not much has changed since Tuesday's launch, at least one concession has been made: haircuts, coloring and facial hair are now just 100 VC, as opposed to peaking at 1,500 VC. 2K Digital Marketing Director Ronnie Singh announced the change via a tweet Tuesday evening.

While it’s a lot cheaper to restyle your MyPlayer, there are still some obvious points of contention that remain. It’s still not possible to see what hairstyles look like on players before purchasing them, and hairstyles must be purchased each time you swap to them, even if you’ve paid once before. In other words, haircut pricing is better, but still not ideal.

This maneuver is probably the quickest possible response 2K could muster after what’s been a fairly tumultuous first 24 hours for the game. Issues with gameplay are taking a backseat to a microtransaction model many fans feel is too aggressive. MyCareer gives players 6,000 VC to spend, and that essentially only adds two points to your created baller’s overall rating. It takes about 4,000 VC to have any serious impact, and an average game only nets about 500 VC for an OK performance. As if that wasn’t bad enough, key customization items, like tattoos and shoes, mandate a minimum player level that’s significantly above where you start.

The main point being driven home here is that the current VC system of NBA 2K18 feels predatory in the eyes of those who love the franchise most. In particular, the series’ longtime supporters at Operation Sports even expressed frustration with 2K’s decisions. “Any excitement I had for MyTeam and MyCareer, especially with the neighborhood, has been reduced big time,” said writer Brandon Kosal in an editorial on the subject. His colleagues added that 2K has “crossed a line” and “jumped the shark” if it expects the public will fall in line with these policies.

With so many different VC-laden hooks throughout MyCareer, however, this doesn’t seem like it’d be something 2K can fix overnight. We’d be remiss if we didn’t point out some possible evidence for more price reductions to come, though. Singh did add that his team “wants to make sure it’s realistic going forward.” We can only hope that “it” refers to the entire purchase model 2K18 has adopted.

What’s so particularly interesting about the case of NBA 2K18 is that it’s not the only recent example of publishers alienating fans with microtransactions. Just last week Destiny 2’s publishers at Activision faced similar backlash over the game’s consumable, piecemeal shader options. The big question that remains in both cases, of course, is if widespread dissatisfaction will actually prompt lasting change for games in the years to come.

NBA 2K18 is available now on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch and PC.

What do you think of the new hairstyle prices? Are NBA 2K18’s microtransactions out of control? Tell us in the comments section!