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There are a lot of means that EA could bargain with its Battlefront two program. The company could announce information technology was redesigning the progression system so that early players didn't have a huge advantage over those who bought the game subsequently. It could bring its microtransaction ideas back, simply use them for cosmetic upgrades that don't affect gameplay. But being EA, it decided to double down on the worst aspects of game pattern. And at present information technology'south defending that decision, claiming that it only wanted to respect Star Wars canon. Here'southward EA's CFO, Blake Jorgensen, speaking at the 21st Credit Suisse engineering briefing:

"The i thing we're very focused on and they're extremely focused on is not violating the canon of Star Wars," Jorgensen said, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. "Information technology'southward an amazing brand that's been built over many, many years. And then if y'all did a bunch of cosmetic things, you might start to violate the canon. Darth Vader in white probably doesn't make sense, versus in black. Not to mention you probably don't desire Darth Vader in pink. No criminal offense to pink, but I don't think that's right in the canon."

That's an absurd argument that doesn't stand upward to the slightest bit of investigation. First, there were subtle differences in Vader's helmet and armor pattern across the canon Star Wars films and tv set shows. Second, in that location's at least 1 alternate catechism pattern that could work for Vader — Anakin Skywalker, later on he vicious to the Sith, but before Ben Kenobi carved him upwards like a roast. And why terminate there? You could offer a cosmetic pick for Vader to fight with the Darksaber — a weapon that nosotros know exists in catechism — rather than with his own lightsaber bract. EA's single-player storyline in Battlefront II might be canon just that doesn't mean the multiplayer friction match-ups are.

SabinevsKanan

Sabine Wren trains with Kanan Jarrus. Star Wars Rebels, Season 3

And even if Vader was off-limits for corrective changes, this scarcely applies to most of the game's other heroes. Luke, Leia, and Han all had diverse outfits and costumes across the films, and surely outfits could be designated for the other characters as well. After, Blake implies this filibuster was entirely LucasArts' fault, only that doesn't excuse the completely random, entirely loot crate-dependent advancement system EA designed.

EA Mischaracterizes the Pay-to-Win Mechanics That Wrecked Its Launch

Jorgensen, not content with shoving one human foot into his oral cavity, goes for broke. "We pulled-off on the MTX considering Disney told united states of america to the real result the consumer had was they felt information technology was a pay-to-win mechanic," he added. "The reality is: there's different types of players in games. Some people take more money than time, and some people take more time than money, and you want to ever rest those ii."

The reality, Blake, is that gamers loathe being nickeled and dimed for content that'due south been made artificially hard to earn past slashing payout rates while keeping prices high. Furthermore, players really hate beingness dropped into a battleground where the people they're playing confronting have access to powerful weapons and modifiers (Star Cards can boost your starfighter'due south damage, turning radius, and HP, and are considered more than lopsided than trooper cards). When new players are getting rolled by more experienced ones game after game, it creates a hostile atmosphere. People don't like being fed to a meat grinder with little promise of escape in the near-term.

EA is trying to arraign everyone but itself for its ain bug. It created a game economic system that explicitly favors people who spend tons of money to win, merely to merits the players are the ones in the wrong. Its game leverages exactly the same mechanisms that casinos use to go along you coming back for ane more spin of the wheel or a slot machine win. In reality, gamers don't like existence asked to pony up $sixty to $80 for a AAA game, merely to then exist asked to spend tens or even hundreds of dollars buying gear to put them on a level playing field. Battlefront Two'due south randomized loot arrangement and full reliance on loot crates didn't happen by accident. Nobody hitting a incorrect key and accidentally created it. It was a deliberate decision by a company more interested in monetizing players than providing a fun game.

Jorgensen also affirmed microtransactions are here to stay:

We're not giving up on the notion of MTX…We're learning and listening to the community in terms of how best to ringlet that out in the future, and there's more to come as we learn more. Simply I would say we're certainly not irresolute our strategy. We think the strategy of deeply engaging games, keeping the community together, and allowing people to play those games with new content coming via events over time is critical to the future of our concern. We experience like we've nailed that in the sports games, and we'll continue to endeavour and discover the best model that works in the non-sports games.

Keep on dreaming.

Characteristic prototype from YouTube via Kotaku