EA Will Have Microtransactions in All Future Game Releases

[Shawn Zipay]

Go ahead, you're allowed to groan at the title. Hell, you're even allowed to mutter some things under your breath. Yes, it seems as though EA is rolling out the red carpet for microtransactions when it comes to all of their future game releases. Yes, all of them.

EA's CFO, Blake Jorgensen made these remarks at a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference recently.

"The next and much bigger piece (of the business) is microtransactions within games.

"We're building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun, whatever it might be, and consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business."(...)

"If you're doing microtransactions and you're processing credit cards for every one of those microtransactions you'll get eaten alive.

"And so Rajat's team has built an amazing backend to manage that and manage that much more profitably. We've outsourced a lot of that stuff historically; we're bringing that all in-house now."

I hope you are already enjoy paying well above the base $60 price tag to experience the "full" game, because it's not going to change any time soon.

(via Develop-online)

[CptainCrunch]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Which is why my Battlefield experience will be ending with 3.

[jimykx]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUU

[Koin-Koin]

Which is why my Battlefield experience will be ending with 3.

Almost the same here. Just been further by playing BF3 and a half (premium).

[nemes1s3000]

If Battlefield 4 does have micro transactions, then EA can effectively kiss my ass.

[5t3v0]

Wow, thats a first. the BF3 subreddit responded less hostile than TGN has. Though some say that they don't care as long as they are just cosmetic/for the lazy and don't actually do much else, which I agree with, but as always time will tell.

[CptainCrunch]

Wow, thats a first. the BF3 subreddit responded less hostile than TGN has. Though some say that they don't care as long as they are just cosmetic/for the lazy and don't actually do much else, which I agree with, but as always time will tell.

That's true with the cosmetic, but when it comes to EA transactions, they've never been that way. It was cosmetic for the Battlefield online game at first, then weapons became available.

Were also not talking something like Premium. Yes, it could be argued that Premium is no different, but it is. Its not a subscription and its not a price for every little item. It was a lump sum discount for DLC for those that would purchase it anyway.

I think the thing that gets me on the micro transaction is that there are a lot of other options and ways for a company to make money off a game and then go as far as make it per item. You have maps and DLC and skins and game modes and server fees and vehicles and weapons.

The hobby of gaming is getting too expensive.

[5t3v0]

Well they have provided kit shortcuts in the past, dating back to BC2. And as I've noticed with modern day game balancing New weapons and unlocks =/= superior guns 100% of the time (just look at all the people complaining about the M16A3 in BF3) . However, time will tell if they will make this worse, but Battlefield has already had MT's.

Edit: I would like people to note that I have always been rather optimistic about the franchise, which is probably why Rambo deleted me on Battlelog.

[K-16]

Gah! I was so shocked my jaw dropped to your damn dirty floor again! Now the lingering smell of aged cheese and pickled durians just got stronger! This is making me naseous...

Anyways, this plan makes sense given how EA has turned into Big Brother (similar to VALVe to be fair), with the ability to see what you're playing on any platform, as well as customers having the ability to communicate through any platform. What this also means is EA will be able to put out products you desire at prices you can agree with, because they know your interests based on your purchases and gaming activities (similar to a supermarket), and you will be able to conveniently purchase virtual assets on your computer, phone, tablet, or console through a single ID. Their two projects of making virtual transactions and single ID handling in-house are now coming together as one money making tactic. Investors should be pleased to hear this.

Meanwhile, Koreans are scratching their heads wondering why North America is copying what they already perfected for over a decade, but somehow also screwing up the mechanics that justify microtransactions. I imagine them thinking, "Why are League of Legends and Team Fortress 2 the only games that are getting this right? And what is microtransactions on retail priced games?" Even the Japanese are getting it wrong. Investors are pleased as punch, while we are getting increasingly less fun games because it gradually mixes too much business with pleasure. Can we please give the Koreans back their established framework so we don't cause the industry to implode again? I'm pretty sure we're creative enough to invent our own successful frameworks to make money right?.... Right?... Innovation?... RIGHT?!... No? Damn.

[Linux]

I stopped buying/playing EA products long ago, I had a feeling something of this nature was coming. I have a worst feeling that other companies that partner and do other things with EA might follow suite to the nature of the business and promises of profit and riches raining down upon them if they follow EA's suite of model.

[stilla-killa]

If BF4 is this way then like Crunch said, BF3 will be my last BF game. Everyone knows how influential EA is toward other gaming companies. It is up to us as gamers to stop this and show/tell these companies we will not put up with this micro transaction bullshit.