Project Spark to drop microtransactions, will sustain itself somehow

Microsoft Studios' free-to-play game creator and sandbox simulator, Project Spark, is getting rid of its microtransactions, making all of its premium content free.


Skybox Labs and Team Dakota's Project Spark hasn't become as big as Microsoft Studios had been hoping. Project Spark is kind of like a digital canvas that lets you create all kinds of custom content from scratch, including games and movies. You can use the controller and Kinect to build/animate models and to record audio, where your imagination (and patience) is what is needed the most to create new content. Despite the publicity it got from being used to make one of Linkin Park's music videos and the inclusion of Conker's Big Reunion,which was set 10 years after Bad Fur Day, it looks like Project Spark hasn't really caught on as Microsoft intended.


Destructoid reports that Project Spark will add in a new set of DLC with 200+ new assets. Afterwards, they're going to "pivot from producing DLC and active feature development to encouraging more user-generated content and opening the Project Spark experience." Unfortunately, this means you won't be getting any other big add-ons like Conker's Big Reunion or anything like that.


All of Project Spark's premium DLC will be free. If you paid for any of Project Spark's premium content after July 28, 2015 or bought the retail disc version of Project Spark, you should be getting Microsoft Store credit automatically refunded to you within the next couple months. Early adopters unforunately aren't getting any kind of refund. Given the game is F2P and microtransactions were used to cover the costs of development and maintaining Project Spark, it's not sure how they'll keep the servers running and the game updated without any premium content.Free is free.

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