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[ExFalsoQuodlibet]

I don't think that this is that big of a deal; yeah it sucks that EA made PvZ2 into a microtransaction driven game, but at the end of the day the game is free and you don't have to pay for anything in the game.

I played the game for a couple of hours, got bored of it, then moved on to something else, no big deal. If enough people don't buy into the microtransactions, then EA will change course.

So you don't understand what the matter is, lemme explain.

Suppose you have this beautiful, nice and smart girl, graduating in physics, with a thing for collectibles: it is a pleasure to talk to her, it's the best to be her friend and, even if she's not not your loved one, she is an important person in your life. You met her by chance and you don't look for her at any moment, but it's good to hang out with her from time to time.

At a certain point a fat, dirty guy takes her and gives her piles of cash to meet some strangers and just be with them for an hour or two: nothing too lewd, at least at the beginning, but not exactly clean as well. She's so taken by her new job, due to the cash obviously, that eventually she has to weight the time she spends with you with the time she spends with strangers for cash, and eventually she decides that the cash=money equation is just more convenient.

Incidentally, her "services" go deeper and deeper, as the stack of money rises, to the point that she becomes a full fledged prostitute. And you're there, crying about the good times spent together, the fact that she's not the same anymore and she's most certainly not what she could have become without the fat bastard and his piles of cash, and the fact that, at this point, you have to spend money to hang out with her. Then, a stranger passes by, sees your crying and tells you: "come on man, you don't have to spend your money to be with her if you don't want! There are other girls around! I mean, they are not forcing the money out your pockets, right? If you really need a service from her just burn some money now and then move on!".

And you eventually do: burn some money, and move on.

 

[SneakyStephan]

There's someone defending this already, wow

 

[MarkusRJR]

I seriously hate EA. They make games I want to buy and spend money on, then they fuck it up somehow down the line with either DRM (Sim City), game breaking issues (BF4, Sims 3 on Xbox 360), in app purchases (in the case of PvZ2), or the games themselves turn out to be dog shit (despite the games being a once good IP).

I really want to buy your products EA, but you keep fucking up. The only purchases I can even consider from you now are Mirror's Edge 2 and PvZ: Garden Warfare. Please don't fuck those up too.

 

[Zeyphersan]

I'm actually sort of perversely impressed that EA had the balls to turn their F2P game, which was already criticized for leaning too close to the P2W side, even worse.

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

Damn shame. I actually thought this game looked fun as hell. Will probably steer clear.

 

[Yagharek]

Amazing. It's like they are the kings at racing to the bottom.

Was this intentional? Either way, EA are on par with zynga and King for shit companies.

 

[Sciz]

 

[Chobel]

There's someone defending this already, wow

Of course, EA are not the only ones, there are others doing this shit too™, so it's totally OK.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Wow...

Not sure how 450k coins is the best deal. You can buy 400k for just shy of £70...

 

[ScreenSplitter]

"So very many coins!"

No guess what kind of demographic they're going for there...

 

[Vilifier]

I updated this game earlier and half way through doing the new boss fight it wiped out all my plants that I had carefully placed. Thus I realised I needed to use those special powers, which I hate because they really do feel like cheating, like the op said. There is no strategy or point in playing if there is no way to win using only the plants you are given, like back in the original game.

Anyway I didn't know about the lawn mowers having to be purchased, because I closed the app before the fight ended, and haven't bothered to try it again.

All these f2p games are based around having large player bases, and how is EA going to achieve this if they keep driving away players. Find new players to replace them? Good luck with that, I certainly won't be recommending anyone play this game or dungeon keeper.

 

[nkarafo]

Depressing.

The thought that some people are actually getting these "deals".... Depressing.

 

[akira28]

Like a phoenix, EA will be reborn someday. All part of the process.

They'll go back to being a small indie game publisher. But it might take an industry apocalypse first...

 

[Eknots]

Is this fake? I couldn't imagine them using the same devil from dungeon keeper for PvZ 2

 

[wapplew]

All these f2p games are based around having large player bases, and how is EA going to achieve this if they keep driving away players. Find new players to replace them? Good luck with that, I certainly won't be recommending anyone play this game or dungeon keeper.

They are really good at it. They know how much they can milk the fans, kill the golden goose and bring in another one.

Here comes Titanfall, a game won hundreds of Game Critics E3 Awards, how can you resist that?

 

[CassSept]

Depressing.

The thought that some people are actually getting these "deals".... Depressing.

Wow...

Not sure how 450k coins is the best deal. You can buy 400k for just shy of £70...

"So very many coins!"

No guess what kind of demographic they're going for there...

Guys, it's a joke on Dungeon Keeper microtransactions scheme





...at least for now

 

[Gormless Noodle]

Are you actually surprised when there are people who would pay full price for a glorified demo?

When I am on GAF, nothing surprises me. People will still pre-order Battlefield 5

No it certainly doesn't surprise me any more at this point, it's just mindboggling (and also sort of fascinating in a way) that people keep coming back for more. I wonder how much diarrhoea it would take for people to stop wanting that little bit of corn in the centre. I guess we'll find out at some point with how aggressive EA is in trying to find that line.

 

[Sneds]

I'm grateful we'll always have the original PvZ, unsullied by EA's bullshit.

EA can update the mobile version at any point.

 

[ZehDon]

Is this real? This isn't real. Wait. Is it real?!

100,000 @ £20.99 - 1:4764
150,000 @ £27.99 - 1:5359
200.000 @ £34.99 - 1:5715
450,000 @ £92.08 - 1:4887 (listed as "Best Deal")

Surely there is a law against openly lying to your customers.

 

[Dalibor_San]

It really does sadden me that there are people that take this attitude, it really really does.

Pure apathy I can handle (doesn't effect me, so whatever), but then dismissing ohers by throwing around insults because there are people who DON'T like these"Prevailing Trends?" Prevailing Trends that are actively making games worse for the people who play them? Being completely accepting of updates that alter game features to benefit the company at the expense of yourself? That attitude is truly depressing to see.

Yes I agree it is scary where gaming is going, however people like that I just ignore, you will not change their mind, they will go back and forth with arguments why they are in the right and we in the wrong, best to ignore and move on.

 

[water_wendi]

Disgusting. i cant wait until the casual model bubble pops. i have doubts it will though.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

The Dungeon Keeper fiasco should have got more currency on here (no pun intended).

 

[Dalibor_San]

WTF!

That is straight up misleading, I mean say you get the second pack which is 150,000 for 27.99x3=83.97.

2x 200,000@34.99+100,000@20.99=90,97 for 500,000 points.

People still lap this shit up and I weep that people cant do math and see that this is just trying to ram them and take the money from their wallets.

I guess good work EA as people are certainly coming in droves as evident with dungeon keeper, I'm scared as Microtransactions are already slowly creeping in with retail console games.(Most of the Xbox One lineup, Sony with some games as well, EA with its games)

This is just the beginning when they see people are complacent they will wedge a bit further and further until you get nothing but a shell of a game and pay for the rest on top of the $60 you already payed.

At least Indies and some developers are avoiding this trend and thankfully it just so happens they are games I want to play.(The Witcher,Dark Souls etc..)


EDIT:That pic was a mockery of dungeon keeper, I nearly burst a blood vessel seeing that. However the current Dungeon Keeper pricing isn't any better and honestly a rip off with what you can actually do with those shitty gems.

 

[SkullplateMurray]

Downloaded the update but not much as changed...

I still have lawnmowers intact and the top price coin amount is still £69.99, which is technically "the best deal" if you are purely going on real money : in-game coins.

 

[>:)]

And here I thought the biggest crime EA did to this game was putting Snow Pea behind that paywall prison...

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I love Plants vs Zombies, I would love for them just to develop a version not designed around in app purchases.

I dont mind them when it is to unlock new levels but thats it.

 

[dose]

Downloaded the update but not much as changed...

I still have lawnmowers intact and the top price coin amount is still £69.99, which is technically "the best deal" if you are purely going on real money : in-game coins.

Just wait until you lose a few lawnmowers...

 

[Surfheart]

While I'm certainly mixed on this, the loss of lawnmowers is not like them locking out gameplay modes or anything.

As for the "bribes"? Companies have been doing that since social media was invented. Complaining that you need to use social media to get something you were never gonna use in the first place (or can get by simply putting up with making a post) is lame. You don't need to do it.

That's all true. The essential point is that EA have thrown this franchise into the trash with this freemium bullshit.

 

[ShadyJ]

Thanks OP

*deletes PvZ2 from iTunes*

 

[Kouriozan]

Now I'm glad I didn't re-install it at the last update.

 

[Darklord]

I thought their CEO was saying they were aware of the perception of them, and they didn't want to be on that worst company list again? It's like they said "fuck it, not only do I want to be on that worst company list, but I want to be so scummy that they make it the honorary 'EA Presents: The Worst Company in America' list" for all time.

Remember when John Riccitiello seemed awesome at the start? This guy can't even pretend to be the good guy, he just sucks.

 

[Surfheart]

It's insane.. I don't even....
I could buy 2 AAA, quality retail games for the same money as that "Best Deal"

How is it possible that shitty F2P "games" like PVZ2 or DK would be worth dropping that sort of cash on to "play"?

 

[SmokedMeat]

LOVED the original PvsZ, but I'm ready to delete PvsZ2. It's just not the same game for me.

 

[Blackage]

Pretty much why we won't get a pc version. People would modhack the shit out of the game to make it playable without the bullshit microtransactions.

 

[AkimbO_Arcana]

I don't know what to say anymore. The original PvsZ must have sold a shit ton. Personally I've bought it at least four times on different phones, computers and consoles. Isn't that enough EA?!

With all the EA news coming in this week, I can't say I would be sad to see them burn and go under. Yeah, I know people have jobs there, but fuck it. This company is ruining what I love. '83 - you can do it again.

 

[Orniletter]

There is not a single videogame company that embraces everything wrong with the industry quite like EA.

 

[Blackage]

Thry're not going anywhere. They make money off these butchered games, lots of it. -_-

 

[Xater]

WTF? This is just gross.

I mean PVZ2 was terrible before but wow.

 

[toddhunter]

And I assume this is the same roadmap they'll be following with for D.K? Although, my limited reading up on that game suggests they've gone straight to the final phase from the very beginning...

DK has been messed up from day 1. Within 10 minutes of play you are facing 4 hour timers to dig up one square of rock. It is a fundamentally broken experience.

PvZ2 on the other hand was fine in its original incarnation. It wasn't perfect, far from it. But you still got to do everything in the game and didn't have to pay a cent.

Obviously EA realised their mistake and have tried to fix it twice now. Unfortunately they have no idea what they are doing and can't just do the obvious thing which is make a good PvZ game and charge money for it.

 

[Thrakier]

It's mindboggling how they can have so many fuckups one after another.

Well, I guess inside the casual bubble it makes sense. Always have in mind that these people do not care about gaming, they care solely about making money.

 

[ElTorro]

By the way, we should follow Kyle Bosman's initiative and, from now on, call micro-transactions "Mattricks".

 

[Minsc]

I'd be sad, but there's much better TD games to occupy me these days.

I guess it is a little sad the shell of PvZ that PvZ 2 was at launch has deteriorated to the pile of garbage it is now, but now I can not feel the least bit bad about removing it off my phone.

 

[old manatee]

The big news to me is that seemingly savvy gaffers still bother to give EA's mediocre interactive experiences the time of day.

 

[Con_Smith]

The big news to me is that seemingly savvy gaffers still bother to give EA's mediocre interactive experiences the time of day.

By now you would think some around here would wise up, but it's like people get amnesia regarding the company or something.

 

[Narpas Sword0]

EA following prevailing mobile gaming trends somehow makes them even worse than before?

This is more fanboy rage than anything else.

This is a sequel to a game that launched on PC for $20.

 

[Tan]

My jaw literally dropped. So they just gated a basic element of the game in a patch!?

 

[graywolf323]

I don't remember seeing this in the update notes... which I had seen this thread before allowing the app to update

complete and utter BS EA this is ridiculous

 

[Fox Mulder]

It's funny how Activision and kotick were the devil for a few years and never came up with this kind of bullshit.

EA easily rose to the top of the mobile market before doing this stuff and released a dump truck load of games on iOS. They must have got bored.

 

[Derrick01]

One day you guys will learn to stop supporting this trash company. That means ALL of their products, not just mobile shit.

It's funny how Activision and kotick were the devil for a few years and never came up with this kind of bullshit.

It bothered me a few years ago when people thought Activision was the worst just because they whored their games every year, while EA was celebrated because they made 1 unique game while doing many of the slimy practices they're doing today in the background.

Even today you'll see someone every now and then say "remember when they were good in 08/09?". No, I don't.

 

[Tensketch]

Man, I really wanted to believe that EA was going to change when they got rid of Ricettello, stopped the online pass, announced battlefront 3 and Mirrors Edge 2 etc. But they haven't at all. Give them the worst company in American award again. They don't learn.