So, EA has been backpedaling and getting trounced for the last week or so, ever since someone crunched the numbers and found out that it would cost either thousands of dollars or thousands of hours to unlock everything in the game (read our coverage here). After the initial outrage, EA had this to say:
"So, we’re reducing the amount of credits needed to unlock the top heroes by 75%. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader will now be available for 15,000 credits; Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa for 10,000 credits; and Iden at 5,000 credits. Based on what we’ve seen in the trial, this amount will make earning these heroes an achievement, but one that will be accessible for all players."
You can read their entire statement here.
So that happened, and although that's... something, fans still had a lot of questions, and, as luck would have it, EA had scheduled a Reddit AMA (AMA=Ask Me Anything) in an effort to clear the air and make fans happy. They brought in an associate design director, a producer and an executive producer to answer the hundreds of questions posed by redditors, and (maybe for the first time in reddit history), the questions were polite and to the point. Of the hundreds of questions posed, EA answered about thirty , and most of the hard ones were bypassed, most damningly, the most upvoted question, "In the numbers you all have run, how many hours would it take the average user to unlock all items available at release without spending additional money?"
Yeah. No answer on that one. Basically, after the whole AMA was over, what EA said boiled down to, "Don't worry, we're gonna keep an eye on it, and we'll adjust things if we have to." Gamers were not happy with that response, mainly because the only reason they changed things in the first place, is because the entire world flipped out on them. That's like admitting you cheated on a test because the teacher caught you red-handed.
Additionally, EA pretty much raised a fake white flag; essentially rope-a-doping by "suspending" in-game purchases, but promising that they would be back after they "Listen, adjust, balance and tune" the game (read EA's entire statement here).
All in all, this is not good for anyone. It sounds to me like EA is going to wait for the hate to die down, then reactivate the in-game purchases (loot boxes, crystals, etc.) with adjusted price points.
Then again, dear friends, who is buying the game? Who is reinforcing EA's mistaken notion that this type of behavior is encouraged and ok? Everyone knows that EA has screwed us over in the past, but gamers continue support them with their wallets. Why are in-game purchases making more money than ever? Why do we continue to support companies that have proven to be greedy, money hungry jerks? If a kid screams until you give the child a cookie, how can you possibly be angry at the child when it starts screaming again, expecting a treat?
I know, I know, "But it's Battlefront! I HAD to!" I understand. I am not trying to chastise those who bought it, because games are supposed to be fun, dammit! You should purchase and play what you want, and not expect to get a knife in the back. I sincerely believe that a lot of companies really DO care about us, and want their art to be loved, while still making money for the people who create them.
And I love that we are willing to rise up and say "NO! This is crap! Screw you, we want answers and accountability!" I am proud of those who are fighting back against being exploited by a company that cares more about money than loyalty or reasonable behavior.
But I just can't get the image of a crappy, self-satisfied child, face smeared in chocolate, smiling with a cookie in their hand, you know?
Zalypa