Here's Something The Division Won't Have (Which Is A Good Thing)

It’s nice to see at least one AAA developer put their foot down against some of the more crooked practices of our modern industry. Gamers who played the beta for Ubisoft’s The Division noticed something called “Phoenix Credits,” and assumed those were representations of in-game currency that could only be obtained by swapping them with real currency, a practice some lower game makers we shall not mention make frequent use of.
Today community manager Natchai Stappers as asked on Twitter what Phoenix Credits were. “A lot of people are worried it’s microtransaction currency and can be used to purchase end game gear => P2W,” said the concerned fan.
Stappers immediately said, “There will be no microtransactions, and definitely no P2W.” Can’t get clearer than that. But if Phoenix Credits aren’t microtransactions, then what are they? Ubisoft says they’re not ready to give out those details yet.
While it’s confirmed Ubisoft will not be putting P2W mechanics in The Division, they DID flirt with the idea earlier in development. In the summer of 2014 managing director David Polfeldt said,  “Some things require time in the game and some people don’t want to invest time; they want the shortcut. So we’re looking at those types of trades.” However, last month creative director Magnus Jansen mentioned any plans for F2W had been abandoned. “It was under consideration, but it never made it into the game,” he said. “So there won’t be any microtransactions like that. No shortcuts.”
Unlike real life, The Division should remain a world where you cannot pay to make yourself better than someone else. The game comes out March 8.