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[EverydayBeast]

We're now many months removed from launch, is it safe to say that people wrongly used Battlefront 2 as the main cause for the micro transaction saga especially considering past Dice games have had loot boxes as well? (BF4)

 

[jadedm17]

No.

Battlefront 2 was a huge step towards pay to win and was incredibly shameful in its implementation. It deserved all the backlash it got and more. The game ran on a free to play motto while charging full price and then squeezing you for more money. Shameful.

Fortnite is a great example of how to do loot.

 

[lefty1117]

I'm convinced that EA's main screwup was not making it clear enough that all post-release DLC was going to be free, rather than splintering the community by charging for individual packs like they did the previous game, and the loot boxes were one of the ways they were going to recoup that money to continue development. Maybe like Microsoft's original vision of the XB1 - a bit TOO different to be accepted, and clumsy in execution = rejection by the customer. Interestingly though, a lot of the trends that MS foresaw (most games being bought digitally, further adoption of "games as a service" models, netflix-style sub models like EA and Xbox Access) are proving to be correct, but it's just a case where the customer base wasn't ready for it. Sort of like the Apple Newton.

 

[InterMusketeer]

I'm convinced that EA's main screwup was not making it clear enough that all post-release DLC was going to be free, rather than splintering the community by charging for individual packs like they did the previous game, and the loot boxes were one of the ways they were going to recoup that money to continue development.

Yes, that was actually pretty cool of them. It's the reason I pre-ordered the game.

Too bad the progression in the game sucks balls and the only way to improve it is to spend money. It truly got close to P2W smartphone app purchases where, out of frustration, you end up desperate enough to spend money just to be able to have fun with the game. If that's the way it's gonna be, I prefer a season pass or something.

They should've gone with cosmetic loot and nothing else. It's how Overwatch and many other games are able to generate profit. Why not EA?

 

[jadedm17]

"Why not EA?"

Jim Sterling has squashed the myth of needing loot boxes and such for profit : They're there for *more* profit. EA shortly after release and removing the system told investors it wouldn't effect their bottom line. The business model of pushing graphics and hair physics was what publishers pushed on us and now complain they can't profit on AAA games just selling them at $60.

That's another myth Jim covers as well : $60 is a shell, the real experience for most games is $90-100 to start.

 

[MilkyJoe]

Are you mental? They took the piss and deserve the flack.

 

[Petrae]

Battlefront II, for a fair amount of people, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Loot boxes had been crammed into a steadily rising number of other games, and Battlefront was already skating on thin ice after the first game was such a disappointment.

I’ll never bother with the game, personally, even when there’s an inevitable sale on it for $5 on the PlayStation Store.

 

[CloudStrife_ca]

The game itself was enjoyable, I love the heroes vs villains mode, there was alot more meat to the actual gameplay this time around, the the system used to unlock heroes/ villains/ vehicles wasnt that bad imo, the points required to do so could have been abit lower. The progression system with the loot crate system attached to it being such a part of the leveling up was a huge drain on what may have been at the very least an improved sequel to the first game. It came down to greed I think for EA is how alot of people will call this one, in the end they may have the Star Wars license pulled from them from what I've read.

 

[DryvBy]

Battlefront 2 is the worst of them as it's a pay to win scheme. Cosmetic junk isn't a big deal imo.

 

[Trimexh]

i don't know how accurate this is, but it sums up the EA vision for games

 

[Musky_Cheese]

We're now many months removed from launch, is it safe to say that people wrongly used Battlefront 2 as the main cause for the micro transaction saga especially considering past Dice games have had loot boxes as well? (BF4)

No. Tying progression for a online competitive multiplayer game that is not free to play sucks. Even if it was free to play, it would still suck.

Isn’t great that I could in theory invest 10X more time into a game as another’s player, and not have better star cards as they do... no

 

[WaterAstro]

Valve is the real culprit. Steam marketplace and CS GO are actual gambling.

It's weird that it took Battlefront for people to get angry because FIFA has been doing this for years with FUT.

 

[120v]

well it was the fulcrum where masses said "yeah... we're not doing this anymore." even if it's star wars and we can re-live our favorite battles in cutting edge graphics with friends and a cool ps4 bundle or whatever, we're not having it

you could argue your way around it being in the wrong place at the wrong time but even if it is true (which i don't necessarily think it is) there is no better sacrificial lamb

 

[CloudStrife_ca]

i don't know how accurate this is, but it sums up the EA vision for games

Great video and I didn't really look at it as whole the way it was explained with EA killing more studios and franchises than developing new ip's (aside from Titanfall) which in my opinion is one of the most underrated games out there. If the video is correct, if these loot boxes are to be regulated by the government, EA may end up in some serious financial trouble. That is if that is their only real cash flow to keep investors at bay is essentially just a short cut that allows them not to worry about actual game development and putting most of their resources into making a quick buck through loot crates jammed into each flagship series.

The only way I could see them getting around it having previously worked in a casino and being somewhat familiar with the way the regulations work, is if they own up and call loot boxes what they are... a gamble and publish the odds of whatever the government regulates is acceptable, so basically informing gamers the odds in getting that rare item per x amount of dollars spent, which acts like a health warning label on a pack of cigarettes to deem it ok. Which may turn parents off from buying these games for their kids, encourage gamers like us to stay away from loot boxes and drive huge franchises like Star Wars away from offering licences to EA. In other words they're kinda screwed if not today, definitely in the long run and it serves them right.

 

[MayauMiao]

Perhaps due to the combined popularity of Star Wars franchise, the already hatred towards Electronic Arts, gamers burned by ME:A failure, the ridiculous grinding for popular SW characters, the loot box on Battlefront II was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[Dice]

A scapegoat is not guilty of that for which it is being sacrificed.

 

[Iced Arcade]

I still think EA isn't the only one to blame, I think Disney also had a big part in it.

 

[MayauMiao]

I still think EA isn't the only one to blame, I think Disney also had a big part in it.

What about EA's Need for Speed Payback?

 

[Iced Arcade]

What about EA's Need for Speed Payback?

Didn't say entirely and lot box's were not created by BF2 lol

 

[Codes 208]

Didnt ea also fuck with wwe or one of their wrestling games regarding MTX's shortly after BF2?

As far as shitty practices go in the gaming world, its no secret EA is one of the worst. Activision as well for turning many of their good studios into CoD dev fodder. And ubisoft shit the bed awhile back their "online pass" bullshit. But ubisoft atleast got up off their ass so illl give them credit.

 

[bitbydeath]

I still think EA isn't the only one to blame, I think Disney also had a big part in it.

I don't think Disney would see any of that money so unless they hold stock in EA they wouldn't gain anything from requesting loot boxes be in the game.

 

[Iced Arcade]

I don't think Disney would see any of that money so unless they hold stock in EA they wouldn't gain anything from requesting loot boxes be in the game.

Disney owns Star Wars so I don't see why they wouldn't. Also Disney upped its take in the usual revenue share of ticket sales from the Hollywood standard 55 to 65 percent with The Last Jedi.

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/11/...-for-theaters-to-show-star-wars-the-last-jedi

 

[RuleNumber6]

We're now many months removed from launch, is it safe to say that people wrongly used Battlefront 2 as the main cause for the micro transaction saga especially considering past Dice games have had loot boxes as well? (BF4)

Nope.

 

[Croatoan]

EA did what EA does. Pushes shit to extremes and then looks the fool. Will hopefully cost them the Star Wars license in a few years.