The controversial gacha microtransaction mechanics of Mario Kart Tour are set to leave the mobile game this fall. An increasing trend of Nintendo games containing microtransactions has dismayed many fans for quite some time, with Mario Kart Tour's in particular garnering the game a lot of negative public opinion from players. This new move by Nintendo is quite unexpected, but very welcome.
Gacha mechanics are a popular form of in-game microtransactions, particularly in Japan, functioning similarly to gacha toy machines. They're essentially lootboxes, and in Mario Kart Tour they came in the form of a pipe and served to give players random new cars, characters, and gliders in exchange for rubies. While players could technically earn rubies through things like winning races, it was much more efficient to spend real-life currency on them. This Mario Kart Tour mechanic earned the ire of many players due to its random nature and the fact it often intruded upon the gameplay experience and progression.
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Mario Kart Tour has announced that its gacha-style microtransactions will come to an end this October, IGN reports. Beginning October 4, the gacha pipe will be replaced with something called the Spotlight Store. The Spotlight Store will still utilize in-game currency and microtransactions, but players will have control over the items they're purchasing instead of receiving randomized cars and characters. Mario Kart Tour will simultaneously introduce Battle Mode, which allows players to participate in balloon-based fighting in both single player and multiplayer.
While it's certain that most Mario Kart Tour players would rather the game do away with microtransactions altogether, the sad truth is that microtransactions like Mario Kart Tour's are essentially the new standard for free mobile titles. Although it's hard for many players to imagine a morally acceptable form of microtransactions, the elimination of gacha mechanics at least makes those in Mario Kart Tour less predatory. Players will no longer pour massive amounts of rubies - that they've often purchased with real money - into the game in an attempt to receive the character or vehicle they're seeking.
By taking out the element of randomness to the game's transactions and replacing the pipe with the Spotlight Store, a small element of fairness has been restored to Mario Kart Tour. Despite the persistence of microtransactions being offputting to many players, Mario Kart Tour offers elements the mainline series does not, which keep fans coming back to the game. Now Mario Kart Tour players will at least be able to save up for the specific items they desire, instead of leaving the result of their rubies to random generation.
Source: IGN