Halo 4 the next AAA game to have microtransactions?

Halo 4 could be the next AAA game to introduce microtransactions. Executive producer Dan Ayoub told Digital Spy that the company is "looking at" how Gears of War offers bonus cosmetic items for a small fee and believes "Halo certainly has the potential for those kinds of things."

Although microtransactions are nothing new to the gaming industry, we're typically used to seeing them in more of the free-to-play space rather than blockbuster titles. Lately, though, publishers have begun to implement small micro-payments for in-game items. While somewhat controversial, it helps that these purchasable items are usually cosmetic, meaning you can't pay to win. Still, the notion that you must pay extra for something as small as a different type of armor doesn't rest easy with some gamers who feel they are being shafted out of their original $60 purchase. How Halo 4 will handle this type of system is still a mystery.

"We don't have too much to talk about in terms of our plans down that line, but it's certainly something… we've seen the fans of Gears are enjoying, and if it's something we think our community is going to enjoy, it's something we'll seriously talk about." Gears of War: Judgment allows players to purchase double XP boosts; however, experience in Gears only rewards you with prize boxes featuring new weapon camos and character skins.

"Obviously our commitment is always that we're going to make sure there's something for people to do on Halo, whether it's playlists, or new maps or new content, something like that," he explained. Other AAA games that have recently added microtransactions include Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Dead Space 3.

Are you a fan of microtransactions coming to Halo 4, or any AAA title for that matter? Let me here your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments below.

[Digital Spy]