Poll of the Day > EA removed microtransactions from Battlefront II!*

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://twitter.com/EAStarWars/status/931332890717143040

*For now, but they are going to implement them again on a later date. :P
---

just need some time for the heat to die down while they figure out how to implement grinding in a more subtle way to exploit the whales
---

Cool. I might buy it now.

The progression system actually sounds really fun to me, I just don't want to feel like I either have to spend 10 hours playing or spend $20 just to progress a bit.
---

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Well I'll be damned

so now you literally cannot speed up the process by spending $2100.

you have to play the 4000 some hours.

this is literally them making it even harder to earn stuff in game again
---

Cool, now they need to completely rework how you progress in the game.

Or make it free to play like it's designed to be
---

helIy posted...

you have to play the 4000 some hours

No you don't

green dragon posted...

helIy posted...

you have to play the 4000 some hours

No you don't

of course not, you could just not play.
---

Yeah, that was my point

Can't they just put out a download-able patch to unlock characters?
---

SusanGreenEyes posted...

Can't they just put out a download-able patch to unlock characters?

They could, but that would only fix one of the the problems with the system which is entirely built around loot boxes from the ground up. The difference in strength from a special character with no upgrades and level 3 (out of 5) upgrades is doing 1/4 health damage with your special attack and OHKOing with your special attack.

VeeVees posted...

just need some time for the heat to die down while they figure out how to implement grinding in a more subtle way to exploit the whales

Well, right now everyone earns the same amount of in game currency regardless of your performance in a match, and you can't choose what to upgrade, almost everything is determined through random chance through loot boxes. So the only grind you put in is time, and even with that time out in, there is no guarantee you can get what you want.
---

helIy posted...

so now you literally cannot speed up the process by spending $2100.

you have to play the 4000 some hours.

this is literally them making it even harder to earn stuff in game again

It seems like their tweet is saying that they are rebalancing the game to have better and more reasonable multiplayer progression with the lootbox system

I'm still on a wait and see what people say
---

not really. all they said is that there's changes coming

a very ambiguous statement

and that they'll turn on microtransactions then

it's very open ended and as it is now, just makes it take longer to actually get something in the game for people who didn't mind lootboxes.
---

I'm excited to see how they mess this up.
---

im having fun playing it microtransactions or not

I don't think people are bothered by microtransactions so much as the lootbox randomized grind. But still, holy shit.

EA is like a merchant that sells you the box of a puzzle containing only the 4 corner pieces, and then procedes to tell you that if you want to see the rest of the puzzle, you need to pay individually for each one.

In exchange, they promise you to work hard each week for a new puzzle piece, ensuring you they are hard to create and time-consuming. Each week, you pay the price for the new piece. At first, you are excited to see how they fit and what will it look like. Then some weeks pass and you start feeling like this wasn't such a thrill after all, playing with an incomplete puzzle. By the time you don't enjoy the game anymore, you're already hooked and can't stop paying the price of each piece until you can finally have all of it,

all under the promise that it will get better once it's complete. By the time the final pieces start arriving, you've already assembled the puzzle multiple times with the pieces you had. It's at this point you realize this felt very much like a scam and feel extremely stupid for trusting someone that sells you a game in pieces.
---

funkyfritter posted...

I'm excited to see how they mess this up.

---

Well I'll be a son of a gun.

Also, this twitter exchange lol


---

ReggieTheReckless posted...

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Well I'll be damned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkuDzSB4gN0
---

ReggieTheReckless posted...

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Kinda sets a bad precedent.

helIy posted...

green dragon posted...

helIy posted...

you have to play the 4000 some hours

No you don't

of course not, you could just not play.

---

My favorite part is regardless of what happens I can be sure helly will find a way to complain about it :) there is just something comforting about that.
---

So we won the battle, but not the war?
---

Oh the game is already out?

I thought it came out like next month
---

Ogurisama posted...

So we won the battle, but not the war?

pretty much
its pretty neat that we even got this far tho
---

FellWolf posted...

My favorite part is regardless of what happens I can be sure helly will find a way to complain about it :) there is just something comforting about that.

of course.

in this case, everyone is now praising ea for deactivating microtransactions despite it actually being even more detrimental and giving a completely ambiguous and opened ended promise of "change", and everyone also seems to be ignoring the fact that they straight said the microtransactions are coming back.

like this is a completely hollow apology that means nothing, and everyone is just sucking it up
---

Even on twitter a lot of people are still super salty about the game
---

They should've made custom gear sets, kind of like Destiny. Have 5 slots for cosmetic upgrades (head, arms, torso, legs, and prestige items like a cape, medals, or a sash - whatever fits within the class and faction, so you collect different pieces for each side). Either have one-time-use shaders or lock the colours/patterns and make people work towards matching sets. Every month, add new variants / styles, and away you go... People love playing dress-up, and nobody can bitch about these kinds of things because they don't matter.
---

This is still an unprecedented development. Clearly EA is feeling the pressure. All the bad financial news and gambling controversy over the past few days is pushing them to do this. We've struck a nerve, and it's working. Even this temporary suspension of microtransactions can have a huge impact on game development for years. Consumers clearly have some power over the big publishers. And this means we can't stop now, we have to keep pushing to end this shit. Keep pressuring Disney, pressure the ESRB, hell, get the parents involved. EA was trying to scam their customers, and it exploded in their face. Various European countries are investigating the game for gambling, and EA knows it's gambling. Given that, and all the lost sales they can't afford to keep the current system. I don't know what they're going to replace it with, but it's likely to be not nearly as predatory. They can't be stupid enough to try this again so soon.
---

papercup posted...

This is still an unprecedented development. Clearly EA is feeling the pressure. All the bad financial news and gambling controversy over the past few days is pushing them to do this. We've struck a nerve, and it's working. Even this temporary suspension of microtransactions can have a huge impact on game development for years. Consumers clearly have some power over the big publishers. And this means we can't stop now, we have to keep pushing to end this shit. Keep pressuring Disney, pressure the ESRB, hell, get the parents involved. EA was trying to scam their customers, and it exploded in their face. Various European countries are investigating the game for gambling, and EA knows it's gambling. Given that, and all the lost sales they can't afford to keep the current system. I don't know what they're going to replace it with, but it's likely to be not nearly as predatory. They can't be stupid enough to try this again so soon.

If you look at Disney's business practices, they are even scummier than EA, but they put much more effort into keeping a good image about it.

That said, the most important thing about Battlefront II is that you don't buy it. The micro transactions have only been disabled temporarily, if you buy the game now you're still falling into EA hands. You want long term change, don't buy their game. You didn't win because they temporarily disabled micro transactions in a fully priced AAA game entirely designed around loot boxes with horrible loot box progression that unlocks things randomly and unreasonably slowly, you win when EA doesn't make money off of their aggressive anti consumer practices and is forced to not do it anymore.
---

ReggieTheReckless posted...

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Not really. This is temporary damage control and they've said as much. Microtransactions are coming back, they're just hoping you won't cancel your pre-order so they can start them back up after it's too late to get a refund.

Duck-I-Says posted...

ReggieTheReckless posted...

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Not really. This is temporary damage control and they've said as much. Microtransactions are coming back, they're just hoping you won't cancel your pre-order so they can start them back up after it's too late to get a refund.

This, they are giving people a false victory so people will stop being angry at them and purchase their game, don't buy it, don't buy their game.
---

papercup posted...

pressure the ESRB

It'd be kind of weird to see ESRB put on the rating label,

"gambling features"

Or whatever they'd call it. Or how about!

"pay to win"

XD That'd make me laugh.
---

AllstarSniper32 posted...

papercup posted...

pressure the ESRB

It'd be kind of weird to see ESRB put on the rating label,

"gambling features"

Or whatever they'd call it. Or how about!

"pay to win"

XD That'd make me laugh.

It needs to be a thing. Adolescents are very vulnerable to addictive behaviors and the micro transaction business models are often designed in a way to give players a sense of success based on luck that affects the mind in the same way as gambling.

Players and parents should make up their own minds about what is or isn't appropriate, but personally I feel like a disclaimer that a game uses this kind of in game economy is just as important as a warning about violence or sexual content.
---

Mead posted...

It needs to be a thing. Adolescents are very vulnerable to addictive behaviors and the micro transaction business models are often designed in a way to give players a sense of success based on luck that affects the mind in the same way as gambling.

Players and parents should make up their own minds about what is or isn't appropriate, but personally I feel like a disclaimer that a game uses this kind of in game economy is just as important as a warning about violence or sexual content.

How about,

"In game purchasable economy" ???
"In game purchasable currency" ???

edit: oh I got it!!!

"Feature that aims to suck your bank account"
---

VeeVees posted...

just need some time for the heat to die down while they figure out how to implement grinding in a more subtle way to exploit the whales

This sums it up. Bargain bin game at best.
---

Mead posted...

AllstarSniper32 posted...

papercup posted...

pressure the ESRB

It'd be kind of weird to see ESRB put on the rating label,

"gambling features"

Or whatever they'd call it. Or how about!

"pay to win"

XD That'd make me laugh.

It needs to be a thing. Adolescents are very vulnerable to addictive behaviors and the micro transaction business models are often designed in a way to give players a sense of success based on luck that affects the mind in the same way as gambling.

Players and parents should make up their own minds about what is or isn't appropriate, but personally I feel like a disclaimer that a game uses this kind of in game economy is just as important as a warning about violence or sexual content.

FYI the ESRB was founded and is funded by major video game publishers like EA. That's why the ESRB has already said they won't label pay loot boxes as gambling and won't in the future.
---

DarkKirby2500 posted...

Mead posted...

AllstarSniper32 posted...

papercup posted...

pressure the ESRB

It'd be kind of weird to see ESRB put on the rating label,

"gambling features"

Or whatever they'd call it. Or how about!

"pay to win"

XD That'd make me laugh.

It needs to be a thing. Adolescents are very vulnerable to addictive behaviors and the micro transaction business models are often designed in a way to give players a sense of success based on luck that affects the mind in the same way as gambling.

Players and parents should make up their own minds about what is or isn't appropriate, but personally I feel like a disclaimer that a game uses this kind of in game economy is just as important as a warning about violence or sexual content.

FYI the ESRB was founded and is funded by major video game publishers like EA. That's why the ESRB has already said they won't label pay loot boxes as gambling and won't in the future.

They will if they think government regulation is looming. That is why the ESRB was created, to keep that from happening.
---

Mead posted...

They will if they think government regulation is looming. That is why the ESRB was created, to keep that from happening.

Doooood! If loot boxes are considered gambling, that could make it so that there would have to be more intense ID checks in place!

Imagine if everytime you loaded up a game with loot boxes in it you had to have a picture taken or a scan taken of your ID?!
---

I don't get why they caved. Clearly there is $2,000+ worth of stormtrooper color edits in there. I don't get why everyone doesn't see the value.

In all likelihood, they'd probably label it "In-Game Purchases" or something, since just about every F2P Mobile game will have "In-App Purchases" somewhere on their page on the Google Play Store, in referencing the Microtransactions.
---

funkyfritter posted...

I'm excited to see how they mess this up.

---

ReggieTheReckless posted...

Wait.... Reddit complaints actually got something accomplished and established precedence for future removal of micro transactions in games?

Well I'll be damned

I think it was more the fact that their stock price was actually dropping. The Reddit outrage was just the culmination of everyone's dissatisfaction with everything that had been learned about the game thus far. Everyone was already pissed off, and the reveal that Darth ****ing Vader was locked behind a prohibitive grind to encourage paying for him was the last straw, resulting in a backlash large enough to achieve a real media presence.
---

Bob Iger from Disney made EA turn off the microtransactions.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/star-wars-battlefront-ii-microtransactions-go-offline-until-ea-can-make-changes/
---

EA stock price down 3% overnight.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/wall-street-is-freaking-out-as-ea-caves-again-to-social-media-outrage-over-its-star-wars-game.html
---

Now if only I had any interest in the game

papercup posted...

EA stock price down 3% overnight.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/wall-street-is-freaking-out-as-ea-caves-again-to-social-media-outrage-over-its-star-wars-game.html

Jesus, this might be bigger than that Xbox One always online stuff. I don't think any meaningful changes to Battlefront can be made at this point but this should save future games.

papercup posted...

Bob Iger from Disney made EA turn off the microtransactions.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/star-wars-battlefront-ii-microtransactions-go-offline-until-ea-can-make-changes/

Holy shit that it actually reached disney
---

There is also the fact that Belgium is looking at whether or not they should be regulating loot boxes for their gambling-like nature, largely courtesy of their presence in BF2. Backing down from the idea might be an effort to lay low while those proceedings are happening in an effort to keep that particular hornet's nest from being kicked (Belgium alone won't change that much, but they could definitely end up affecting the rest of the EU, and from there other countries).

Blightzkrieg posted...

Jesus, this might be bigger than that Xbox One always online stuff. I don't think any meaningful changes to Battlefront can be made at this point but this should save future games.

Realistically, I expect them to throw them back in with minimal changes in a month or two, after they've made their launch window and Black Friday revenue and the media storm has died down. I don't think the game's ever going to bounce back from this, given that it would take a fundamental redesign of the game to make it work with a less exploitative monetization scheme, so all they can really do at this point is get as many sales as they can, then milk as much microtransaction revenue out of the players that stick around.

I also don't think this is going to do much to save the industry from these practices. The only reason EA is backing down is because they overestimated how much they could get away with. They wanted even more than they had in there, and they will continue to work toward that goal. They're just going to be more subtle about it, because they've learned that getting excited and pushing it too far hurts their bottom line. The entire industry still wants this, and so will keep pushing the envelope to get away with more and more (remember when Horse Armour was a big deal?).
---