It is a Marketing dream: A new game in the popular Star Wars universe, suitable for the Christmas season and right at the Start of the new part. No wonder that publishers Dice and its development Studio Dice, while on Friday the appearing “Battlefront 2” hope for record sales. But the Fans are angry. The accusation: EA wants to pull the players tons of money out of pocket.
*** Update: EA has responded. At the end of the article, the current state ***
Because although this is also aimed at children game price title costs as a Full – depending on the Version, between 50 and 100 euros, decided EA a lot of rip-off-and gambling you will find-to use elements of free games-Apps. As in the case of “the Clash Royale” and co. you have to earn in-game loot boxes in which improvements or new weapons plug in. Also iconic characters like Darth Vader, you must buy only with in-game currency.
4528 hours to see everything
When the Fans caused a lot of Trouble. To Vader play, you would have to play alone for over 40 hours and nothing else can buy. In order to access all the game content, you have to invest incredible 4528 hours, Fans have calculated. You play every day for an hour, you’d need considerably more than twelve years.
Really angry the Fans are, because you can save the detour in the investing real money. The obvious suspicion: EA have deliberately placed high hurdles in order to create an incentive to invest more real money. Even then, the full package is practically unattainable: All 2100 dollars (approximately 1800 Euro) you would have to pay for all of the content – if one buys only the most expensive game money package for $ 100.
The Anger is not directed at the quality of the game itself, the Fans, it’s just the implementation. Actually, it shoot, as EA would have learned from the mistakes of the past “Battlefront”-part. Two years ago released the game looked great, but offered not a single Minute of the Story – although there was tell of Luke Skywalker and co. Yes, really enough. Instead, you continued fully on the by many as a bit lame, more game-felt mode. In the case of “Battlefront” there is now, finally, in addition to a campaign – but the Changes leave Fans speechless.
EA is responding, but is wrong
crisis management at EA has been able to bring little improvement. They wanted to give “the players a sense of Pride and fulfilment when you switch on important figures,” said a spokesman at Reddit. This was not good. Unlike Facebook, you can be forgiven in the case of Reddit with a Downvote is also a kind of “thumbs down” – and the EA comment is -680.000 points, the worst comment of all time rated. The runner-up manages just to -24.000. Also an attempt of a Dialogue on Reddit failed. The Community complained that only in pre-fabricated PR Statements was answered.
After all, anything moves: As a first reaction, EA changed the prices to the popular hero. Instead of 40, you need only ten hours to acquire, to a single character unlock. The players that is not enough. Finally, the fundamental Problem is that the artificial time limits are just to deal with a lot of time or real money to will not be solved, even in approaches. From the high purchase price. Whether the Boycott will have effect calls.
in Addition, a legal Problem threatens to EA. The game is implemented, loot crates, where you get money randomly generated benefits, be examined by the Belgian gambling Commission. In the boxes it could be in the view of the Commission, to gambling, because their content can affect the outcome of the game. In the worst case, Battlefront 2 threatens to ban “a” then a sale in Belgium. The US authority ESRB saw the light. Because you would get something for his money, it wouldn’t be real gambling. The Fans see it differently.
UPDATE 17. November 9:20
the night before the Release, it has pulled the ripcord. Dice announced in a Statement to remove all the payments in the game – but only provisionally. You are to be implemented after the System has been revised. Many of the Fans that is not enough. They fear that in this way, only the drop in the sales figures need to be prevented and the payments as in the past, once the critical Phase has been through after the start of sales. The Boycott calls continue.
