00:00Halloween the game is getting its first major post-launch content later this month, and while there's plenty for fans
00:05of the franchise to look forward to, there's one part of this update that I think deserves some attention.
00:11Illphonic is adding a new Michael Myers skin based on his appearance in Halloween 5, and it's going to cost
00:17$10 for a mask, and honestly, I think that's outrageous.
00:21Now, I want to make something clear before we get too far into this video. The article I'm discussing here
00:27was written by somebody else, so some of the criticisms and opinions you're going to hear about the Halloween 5
00:32mask come from the writer of that article and the fans they reference, but I'm going to give you my
00:37own opinion as well.
00:38And when it comes to charging $10 for a single Michael Myers mask, I have a pretty big problem with
00:43it.
00:45Especially when we're talking about the Halloween 5 mask. Halloween the game is an asymmetrical horror game based around the
00:51Halloween franchise. Players can take on the role of Michael Myers, while other players take on the role of survivors
00:57attempting to escape him.
00:58And according to the article, the game has improved since launch through patches and balance changes. So this isn't me
01:04saying the game is bad. Actually, I like the concept. I've always thought that Friday the 13th the game was
01:11a really cool example of how you could take a horror franchise,
01:14and turn it into an asymmetrical multiplayer game. So when I first heard about Halloween the game, I understood the
01:20appeal immediately. Michael Myers is a perfect character for this kind of game.
01:25You have a killer stalking survivors, iconic locations, different versions of Michael Myers that could potentially be represented, and you
01:33have decades of Halloween material that Illphonic can pull from.
01:36So I'm glad the game is getting post-launch support. The problem is the pricing. On October 27th, Illphonic is
01:43adding two new Michael Myers skins. One is based on Michael's appearance in Halloween 2018. The other is based on
01:49Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers. And each one is going to cost $10. Now the Halloween 2018 version?
01:57I can understand that one. That movie gave Michael a look that was heavily inspired by the original while still
02:03giving him an updated appearance. It's also a version of Michael that has a lot of fans. So if somebody
02:09told me they wanted to spend $10 on the Halloween 2018 Michael skin, I might still think $10 is expensive
02:15for one skin, but at least I understand why somebody would want it.
02:19But the Halloween 5 mask? That's where I start scratching my head. The Halloween 5 mask has been criticized for
02:25years. The face looks longer, the features are more pronounced, and compared with this classic Michael Myers appearance, there's something
02:32about it that just looks off.
02:34Now I'm not saying nobody likes it. I'm sure there are Halloween 5 fans who absolutely love this version. And
02:41that's fine. If that's your favorite Michael Myers mask, then this DLC might be exactly what you've been waiting for.
02:47But for me, this makes the $10 price tag even harder to understand. $10 for one mask is already expensive.
02:54$10 for a mask that isn't even widely considered one of the fan favorite versions of Michael? That's outrageous to
03:01me.
03:02And this is where the comparison with Friday the 13th The Game becomes important. I like what they did with
03:07Friday the 13th The Game. I like the idea of taking a major horror franchise and building an asymmetrical multiplayer
03:14experience around it.
03:15So I'm not against licensed horror games doing this. In fact, I'm completely on board with the idea.
03:21But let's say Friday the 13th The Game had offered me a single Jason Voorhees skin for $10. I'd feel
03:27the exact same way. Even if it was a really good looking Jason, even if it was one of my
03:32favorite versions of the character, I'd still look at that price and think, $10 for one skin? Really?
03:39Because that's the part that bothers me. It's not specifically Michael Myers. It's not specifically Halloween 5. It's the idea
03:46that a single cosmetic is being valued at $10.
03:49And we're talking about a cosmetic. You're not getting a new game mode. You're not getting a massive expansion. You're
03:56not getting an entirely new campaign. You're getting a different appearance for a character who is already in the game.
04:02And that is where I have a hard time justifying the price.
04:05Now, there is a reason Illphonic is adding the Halloween 5 version of Michael. And this part actually makes sense.
04:13The same update is adding a free map inspired by the farm from Halloween 5.
04:18So if you're going to create a map based on Halloween 5, adding the Michael Myers design from that movie
04:23gives the update a consistent theme.
04:25I actually like that idea. And the fact that the map is free is important. I'm not going to complain
04:30about Illphonic giving players a free map. That's a good thing.
04:34The problem is that if you want Michael to actually look like the version of Michael from that movie, you're
04:39going to have to pay another $10.
04:41And that's where it starts feeling like you're being nickeled and dimed. The update isn't just adding these two Michael
04:46skins either.
04:49Illphonic is also releasing a civilian DLC pack with two new playable survivors, Michelle and Eugene.
04:54That pack will cost $10. There's also a Halloween themed costume pack for the civilian characters.
05:00That will contain 14 outfits, one for each character along with color variations. And that pack will also cost $10.
05:08Now, I think those are much easier prices to understand. Two new playable survivors for $10? At least you're getting
05:14new characters that can actually change your gameplay experience.
05:1714 outfits plus color variations for $10? Again, that's a lot more content than one skin.
05:23You can still decide whether you think it's worth buying, but at least there's more there.
05:28With the Michael skins, we're talking about one character appearance for $10. And that's a tough sell.
05:34Especially when one of those appearances is based on a mask that has been controversial among fans for years.
05:40This is also where modern gaming has changed expectations.
05:43We're living in a world where $10, $15, or even more for a cosmetic isn't particularly shocking anymore.
05:50Games have made players accustomed to paying substantial amounts of money for digital outfits.
05:55But just because something has become normal doesn't mean I have to think it's reasonable.
05:59And I don't.
06:00I think $10 for a mask is outrageous.
06:03If you're going to charge me $10 for a cosmetic, I need to feel like I'm getting something substantial.
06:08And a single mask doesn't do that for me.
06:11Especially when I can look at the Halloween franchise and immediately think of other versions of Michael that I would
06:16rather have.
06:17Give me the original 1978 Michael.
06:20Give me the 2018 Michael.
06:21Give me some of the more iconic looks from the franchise.
06:24There are plenty of versions of Michael Myers that can make for interesting additions.
06:28And if one of those became a $10 skin, I might still complain about the price.
06:33But at least I would understand why fans would be excited.
06:36The Halloween 5 mask just doesn't have that same universal appeal.
06:40And that's what makes the decision so strange.
06:43You're taking one of the most recognizable horror characters in history
06:46and putting one of his less popular appearances behind a $10 paywall.
06:51Now there's another idea from the comments on the article that I actually think would be fun.
06:56One commenter suggested adding the mask from Halloween 3, Season of the Witch, as cosmetics for the survivors.
07:02And I could absolutely see that working.
07:04Halloween 3 doesn't even feature Michael Myers,
07:07but those silver shamrock masks are one of the most recognizable pieces of imagery from the movie.
07:12Imagine having survivors running around wearing those masks while Michael Myers is chasing them.
07:17That's exactly the kind of weird Halloween fan service that could work in a game like this.
07:22And that's the advantage Illphonic has with this franchise.
07:26There is so much material to work with.
07:28You've got different Michael Myers masks.
07:30You've got different survivors.
07:32Different movies.
07:34Iconic locations.
07:35Halloween costumes.
07:37You've got characters that could potentially be brought into the game.
07:40There's a lot of potential here.
07:41And that's why I want Halloween the game to succeed.
07:44I'm not criticizing this because I want the game to fail.
07:47Quite the opposite.
07:48I like the concept of Friday the 13th the game.
07:51And I think Halloween is another franchise that makes perfect sense for this style of multiplayer.
07:56I want Illphonic to keep supporting it.
07:59I want the game to get more maps.
08:01I want more characters.
08:02I want more Michael Myers variants.
08:04I just don't want to feel like I'm paying $10 every time I want to put a different mask on
08:08him.
08:08And again if somebody looks at this DLC and says I love the Halloween 5 Michael.
08:13I'm buying it.
08:13That's completely fine.
08:15It's your money.
08:16I'm not going to tell you how to spend it.
08:18But if you're asking me whether I think $10 is a reasonable price for one Michael Myers mask.
08:23No.
08:24I think it's outrageous.
08:25And if they had done the same thing with Friday the 13th the game.
08:28And charged me $10 for a single Jason Voorhees skin.
08:32I'd have felt exactly the same way.
08:34The character being iconic doesn't automatically make the price reasonable.
08:38At some point you have to look at what you're actually purchasing.
08:41And in this case you're purchasing one cosmetic.
08:44That's it.
08:45So I'm interested to see how players react when this update launches on October 27th.
08:50The free map is a nice addition.
08:52The new survivors could be interesting.
08:54The costume pack offers significantly more cosmetics for the same price.
08:58And the Halloween 2018 Michael skin should appeal to fans of that version of the character.
09:03But that Halloween 5 mask?
09:05For $10?
09:06I'll pass.
09:08And maybe that's the real lesson here.
09:10Not every piece of DLC needs to be purchased.
09:13If you think the skin is worth $10 go for it.
09:16If you don't keep your money.
09:18Because at the end of the day the best way to tell companies what we think about DLC pricing is
09:22with our wallets.
09:23If enough people are willing to pay $10 for a single mask.
09:27Companies will continue charging $10 for a single mask.
09:30And if players decide that isn't worth the money.
09:32Maybe we'll start seeing more substantial value in these cosmetic purchases.
09:36Either way Halloween the game has an interesting future ahead of it.
09:40I just hope that future doesn't involve me paying $10 every time Michael Myers needs a new face.
09:46If you enjoyed this video give it a thumbs up.
09:49It really helps the channel.
09:50And if you're new here subscribe and ring the notification bell so you don't miss any future uploads.
09:56And if you want to support the channel directly check out my Patreon.
09:59You can join for just $1 a month and get access to exclusive weekly videos.
10:04The latest Patreon exclusive video is why is it so hard to build a new AAA studio.
10:09If that sounds interesting the link to my Patreon is in the description.
10:14Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.
10:17Game on.
