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BBC: Star Wars Battlefront II game faces further backlash

Typhares

Typhares

Member
Fbh said:
I don't think that a good game that has microtransactions should instantly get only 4/10 scores. But it's clearly taking a hit.
Click to expand...

To be fair it's not just because of that in most reviews.

Here are the pros and cons from a french review (gamekult), they are usually quite tough on games with 5/10 meaning the game is average, only a handful of games a year get 9/10 for being exceptional games.

PROS

Campaign scenario for Star Wars fans
Some gameplay improvements (weapons and ships)
Beautiful vistas at time
Awesome sound design
Arcade mode as practice

CONS

Solo gameplay boring
Grind
Menus UI
Star Cards
P2W
Action hard to read a lot of time
Spawn and squad system
Level design
Game modes mostly uninteresting
Hitboxes
Netcode
No server browsers.

So for them the p2w aspect probably brought the game down from a 5 to a 4.
 
R

Red Comet

Member
This will be the first game that I skip solely because of microtranasactions, because I’m sold on everything else about the game actually. Well done, EA.
 
S

Sidon

Member
DICE, EA and Disney can go fuck themselves. I hope this industry burns into the ground, it sure deserves a big crash.
 
Fuz

Fuz

Banned
Tif1tbu.png
 
Dude Abides

Dude Abides

Banned
Games garbo anyway, gouging or no gouging. Looks good, plays like shit. Maybe the team should have put more effort into gameplay and less into complicated gambling schemes.
 
D

DenogginizerOS

BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
The turning off of the ability to buy crystals with real money is the right thing to do and given DICE’s history, I have hope they will find a balance to all of this and work to make Battlefront 2 a better game. Now, BF2 will launch with free DLC (no season pass!) and a huge Star Wars universe to play in along with a single player game (a rarity for a DICE game). Looking forward to checking it out tonight!!
 
B

Burn0ut

Neo Member
Bansai said:
And you can sell/trade the cards?

Not really sure what was the point of that question.
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If you buy a game digitally you also can’t trade it right? Being able to trade something doesn’t seem to be a consideration weather something is gambling. Developers can also make in-game items tradable if they want too.

You buy a loot crate and you will at least get something.
You buy a pack of cards and you will get something too.

Is there a fundamental difference that will not hold up in court?
 
geordiemp

geordiemp

Member
I dont and wont play any multiplayer game where you can buy an advantage in a fight, or buy the chance for an advantage.

No thanks. Dont care how its dressed up, a turd is a turd.

I have only so much game time I dont need that annoyance and frustration in my leisure time.

Destiny is acceptable.

COD WWII is accetable at the moment, but acti tend to land the bombs 2 months from release so they will probably fuck it up as well.
 
Peroroncino

Peroroncino

Member
Burn0ut said:
If you buy a game digitally you also can't trade it right? Being able to trade something doesn't seem to be a consideration weather something is gambling. Developers can also make in-game items tradable if they want too.

You buy a loot crate and you will at least get something.
You buy a pack of cards and you will get something too.

Is there a fundamental difference that will not hold up in court?
Click to expand...

That still doesn't change the fact that one thing is tangible and exchangable and the other thing isn't. Developers can indeed implement some sort of a trade system, but they didn't and probably won't since that would cut into publishers' bottom line.

As for the digital game argument, you know exactly what you're getting from the get go, you don't buy a cat in the bag, and if by some chance you don't like it, you have a refund option on most platforms, so this is a dumb comparison.
 
Teran

Teran

Member
I remember in the 2000s when the western regulators kicked up a fuss about Pokémon's game corners because they "encouraged gambling", and forced them to be removed if Game Freak wanted to keep the acceptable for children rating.

Now we've had actual fucking gambling for years and LOL WHO CARES let the kids go wild. It's honestly about time a fuss was raised and things were done.
 
mhayze

mhayze

Member
Whatever happened to the ESEA applying industry standards to behaviors and ratings so that the government did not need to step in with regulation?
 
S

Steroyd

Member
Burn0ut said:
What is the difference with buying real packs of cards in a real store?
Click to expand...

The odds are displayed at the back of the card pack, there is a limited amount according to how many cards they manufacture. Companies can't change the odds on a dime when something is widely considered over powered or heavily sought after by changing a digit on some master server without being obligated to tell anyone.

As we've seen with EA Dice and Battlefront before the game even launched they changed the credits required for the hero characters, and turned off Microtransactions overnight lord knows what other parameters they could change that we don't see.
 
lefty1117

lefty1117

Gold Member
Loot boxes are kinda fun, just keep the real world money out of it and then tweak the credit earn rate to a better balance.
 
Nikana

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
lefty1117 said:
Loot boxes are kinda fun, just keep the real world money out of it and then tweak the credit earn rate to a better balance.
Click to expand...

I actually wouldn't hate the loot boxes as much in this game if the credit earning was much higher. It's such a drip feed of credits.
 
P

Paladin CL

Member
Nikana said:
I actually wouldn't hate the loot boxes as much in this game if the credit earning was much higher. It's such a drip feed of credits.
Click to expand...

In Forza they are fun, the economy is quite balanced now with the VIP and the Auction house. I would never spend real money in them. Until Forza 7 they were quite good with microtransaction, they were there but you pretty much didn't need them. Forza 7 has reach the same point.
 
K

Kid Ying

Member
The backlash is turning into lost sales of the game. It sold 60% less in UK and sold only 1/3 of the original game in Japan.
 
Koala Driving a Ferrari

Koala Driving a Ferrari

Member
Steroyd said:
The odds are displayed at the back of the card pack, there is a limited amount according to how many cards they manufacture. Companies can't change the odds on a dime when something is widely considered over powered or heavily sought after by changing a digit on some master server without being obligated to tell anyone.

As we've seen with EA Dice and Battlefront before the game even launched they changed the credits required for the hero characters, and turned off Microtransactions overnight lord knows what other parameters they could change that we don't see.
Click to expand...

This is a good point. The lack of transparency is a gigantic issue.
 
GametimeUK

GametimeUK

Member
I'm in no way trying to play devils advocate, but are sticker packs or card packs like Pokemon etc consider gambling? Or the amount of toys that are released in blind bags these days? They all prey on people with addictive personalities and children.
 
C

Composer

Member
GametimeUK said:
I'm in no way trying to play devils advocate, but are sticker packs or card packs like Pokemon etc consider gambling? Or the amount of toys that are released in blind bags these days? They all prey on people with addictive personalities and children.
Click to expand...

I agree but you're about to get a ton of 'Moving The Goalpost' fallacy replies.
 
lefty1117

lefty1117

Gold Member
So play the game. They've disabled buying crystals. They are receiving NO extra money from the loot boxes. The reaction here is getting a bit out of hand, they've disabled the crystals and they had announced months ago that all DLC for the game, maps etc., will be free so that the community isn't divided like it was with the last game. They are not evil incarnate, but they did not handle the PR around this situation very well, considering it was brought up in beta. Should have headed it off then.
 
G

gt86

Member
lefty1117 said:
So play the game. They've disabled buying crystals. They are receiving NO extra money from the loot boxes. The reaction here is getting a bit out of hand, they've disabled the crystals and they had announced months ago that all DLC for the game, maps etc., will be free so that the community isn't divided like it was with the last game. They are not evil incarnate, but they did not handle the PR around this situation very well, considering it was brought up in beta. Should have headed it off then.
Click to expand...

Yea people are off their rockers these days, I understand the uproar, but shit eventually these companies are going to say the hell with it and then people will be bitching about no new games when they were the reason. It costs well over $60 for a 1 day pass at most theme parks. I get more than my $ worth from games.
 
Krappadizzle

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
SonicSleuth said:
I'm new here, but as a lifelong Star Wars and gaming fan... who the hell cares? The opinions of a bunch of angry nerds and/or gaming "journalists" will impact my enjoyment exactly zero percent.

Lootboxes are nobody's favorite thing, but many, many gamers have used some element of them in the past. I remember the first time I jumped into the fray, buying an unlock of draft class reports in EA's college football game on the 360 for a buck or two. I weighed the options - eight hours of dull grinding vs. a buck or two - and went to the dark side.

Again... who cares? It's a game that looks and sounds fantastic, with a ton of content, and I'll play forty hours of multiplayer without even thinking about it, because it's *fun*. If I'm not good enough to win against lootboxers, so what? I'm not good enough to beat elite players, anyhow. I'll take my small victories and enjoy the game.

Star Wars is an incredibly costly license. EA is making a game that is an absolute audio/video spectacle and is also fun as hell... and cost a lot of money to produce. I hope they make a profit. I'll just be enjoying seeing some of my favorite characters and settings brought to life in a way that isn't embarrassing.
Click to expand...

So your argument boils down to " doesn't bother me, why bother you? No true scottsmans blah blah blah?"
 
ShirAhava

ShirAhava

Plays with kids toys, in the adult gaming world
Fbh said:
Not sure they are giving it a pass now.
Most reviews are saying that in many ways it's much better than the first game, but it's still getting similar scores mostly because of microtransactions .

I don't think that a good game that has microtransactions should instantly get only 4/10 scores. But it's clearly taking a hit.
Click to expand...

Microtransactions aside this game (the core gameplay) is MUCH worst than the first game....IMO

When Its all said and done I hope people don't remember this game as a 'good game' weighed down by Microtransactions scandal

Microtransactions aren't even in the top 5 of the things wrong with this game.

The first game was an 8 out of 10 that lacked content

this game is a 6 out of 10 AT BEST
 
Crew 511A

Crew 511A

Member
lefty1117 said:
So play the game. They've disabled buying crystals. They are receiving NO extra money from the loot boxes. The reaction here is getting a bit out of hand, they've disabled the crystals and they had announced months ago that all DLC for the game, maps etc., will be free so that the community isn't divided like it was with the last game. They are not evil incarnate, but they did not handle the PR around this situation very well, considering it was brought up in beta. Should have headed it off then.
Click to expand...

They've disabled buying crystals...FOR NOW. I imagine sometime in January, they will come out and say they've "solved the problem",and are turning them back on.
 
B

Bigmac1910

Member
gt86 said:
Yea people are off their rockers these days, I understand the uproar, but shit eventually these companies are going to say the hell with it and then people will be bitching about no new games when they were the reason. It costs well over $60 for a 1 day pass at most theme parks. I get more than my $ worth from games.
Click to expand...

What on earth are you talking about? There are too many games coming out as it is, most people wouldn't miss it. EA created a pay to win game, most people don't like it, so people are voting with their wallets. No need to defend bad business practices.
 
S

Stormblessed

Member
GametimeUK said:
I'm in no way trying to play devils advocate, but are sticker packs or card packs like Pokemon etc consider gambling? Or the amount of toys that are released in blind bags these days? They all prey on people with addictive personalities and children.
Click to expand...

I don't get how people struggle with this: these are physical items that have trade and resale value, use outside of their intended setting, with set odds and without being built to operate in the same way as slot machines (did you think all the flash and ceremony of opening loot boxes was accidental?). The comparison is disingenuous.
 
GametimeUK

GametimeUK

Member
Stormblessed said:
I don't get how people struggle with this: these are physical items that have trade and resale value, use outside of their intended setting, with set odds and without being built to operate in the same way as slot machines (did you think all the flash and ceremony of opening loot boxes was accidental?). The comparison is disingenuous.
Click to expand...

You say that these loot boxes are gambling because they don't have anything physical attached to it. I think that's a weird point to make when you then go and compare it to physical slot machines. Are you saying it's only gambling if you don't get physical items? If so, you are wrong. That would mean slot machines aren't gambling by your definition. You may think it makes the situation more malicious etc and you can debate that point, but I don't think that is why you can define it as gambling.

And if you think these toy companies and card packs etc aren't benefiting off the same type of manipulation then I don't know what to tell you. They prey on that addictive personality.
 
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