Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain has been the source of controversy over its aggressive microtransaction strategy. The FOB system, which helps facilitate the single-player campaign, is in part reliant on real money.

Playing online once you have an FOB opens you up to attacks from other players. The mechanics are similar to Clash of Clans, and you can lose soldiers and equipment if your base is successfully invaded.

Now, Konami is offering a way for you to avoid losing those hard-won resources. You just need to pay for it with MB Coins, which don’t flow quickly in-game and are largely driven by real money.

Insurance is purchased in time blocks, and protects your staff and materials from being stolen by other players. It won’t protect you if staff you kidnapped are in your brig or if soldiers get killed or extracted during an active defense that you participate in. It also won’t guard your nuclear weapons, if you have them.

In addition, Konami has added “event FOB” missions which don’t pit you against another player. These are developer-created instances that allow you to steal soldiers and resources without drawing the ire (and possible retaliation) of other MGS V fans.

Today also marks the launch of Metal Gear Online. We’ll have more on that as it becomes available to us.

[Source: Konami]

Our Take

I should be surprised at this evolution of in-game transactions in full-priced titles. I’m not, though. I’m just disappointed. There is a lot to like about Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but Konami keeps drawing attention away from the gameplay and toward business practices that are going to alienate players.