Does Anthem also have problems with loot boxes? EA wants to avoid that and promises: “We have learned!”
Star Wars Battlefront II will be remembered as the gaming scandal of 2017 due to its loot box debate. Players worldwide stood against Electronic Arts and criticized the loot boxes of the “Star Wars” game, as essential gameplay elements were tied to these loot boxes. Those who threw down real money could play and enhance their favorite character faster – all in a full-price title.
How exactly Electronic Arts plans to “do better” with Anthem remains to be seen. Many players hope that they will look to other games, such as Overwatch, which only offer cosmetic upgrades that can be earned through gameplay.
Patrick Söderlund, EA’s Chief Design Officer, stated in an interview with The Verge that they have learned. He literally said:
“As a corporation, we have taken significant steps to evaluate and understand the mechanics around monetization, loot boxes, and other things before they come to market. For upcoming games like Battlefield or Anthem, players have made it very clear that we cannot afford to make such mistakes again. And we will not.”
This should at least temporarily quell the concerns of Anthem fans. Many players had feared that Anthem would adopt the same “loot box craze” as Battlefront II.
Battlefront II has since been reworked and has received a new progression system that has been mostly positively received by players. It seems that the story may at least temporarily take a good turn.
Cortyn says: Honestly, I don’t trust EA’s words for now. I find it hard to believe that it took feedback to realize that hiding gameplay behind additional loot boxes isn’t the solution. But hey – good intentions are at least better than no intentions at all. I remain skeptical until Anthem is truly released.
Have you read why EA is said to have not killed but saved BioWare?
