We are currently experiencing a new era of microtransactions. The monetization strategy of Electronic Arts with Star Wars Battlefront 2 is provoking strong reactions.
The situation is dire at Electronic Arts – it is truly on fire. Over the weekend, the community of Star Wars Battlefront 2 attempted to ignite a shitstorm, called for boycotts and protests, and rallied against EA.
Fierce reactions against new cash methods
Because players have realized what this new Star Wars Battlefront 2 is really about: It’s a new era of payment models. A full-price title with progress and unlock systems typically seen only in free-to-play titles. Players are fiercely resisting and trying to make their protests visible.
Attempts by EA to quell the fire of outrage only fueled it further.
A community developer dared to send out a tweet: Those who are complaining are “armchair developers”, meaning people who discuss a job they know nothing about. The tweet received angry responses and was deleted shortly thereafter.
What EA has told investors is now becoming reality
Electronic Arts is trying to transfer its monetization models from the FIFA and Madden games to the shooter Star Wars Battlefront 2.
This was announced a long time ago; they repeatedly told the investors: We make a ton of money with booster packs in FIFA and Madden’s Ultimate Teams – we want to do the same with Battlefront and Battlefield.
The shooters are intended to be games that are played over a longer period and earn money longer than just at release.
In practice, this means for Star Wars Battlefront II that EA:
- is releasing a full-price title
- is giving out DLCs and updates for free to keep the community together
- but is introducing loot boxes that affect gameplay
- additionally, players cannot access everything from the start, but must unlock certain features through persistent play – this is intended to ensure that players stay with a title longer
Is the future of gaming being decided with Star Wars Battlefront 2?
In sports games like FIFA and Madden, such methods have become somewhat accepted. While in FIFA you can play as Cristiano Ronaldo right from the beginning, although not in every mode. In Star Wars Battlefront 2, you must unlock Darth Vader first. Fans do not like this at all.
In any case, it provokes strong reactions to transfer these systems to Star Wars Battlefront 2.
It will be interesting to see how this battle between fans and Electronic Arts develops. Many gamers feel that the gaming industry is pushing boundaries, and they are fiercely resisting it.
