Developers Take Aim At EA Over Star Wars Battlefront 2 Controversy

Developers in the gaming industry are jumping in on the chance to stick it to EA over their controversial multiplayer systems in Star Wars Battlefront 2.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Dang even though your games are no better but the more ppl the better

[thekhurg]

You can't be talking about Blizzard. Their games are incredible, and the ones that have loot crates are loot crates done right.

[Darkwatchman]

No they’re not because they still have ridiculous RNG and duplicates. Uncharted 4, while the furthest from the best implementation of loot boxes with its slow grind and acquisition of game currency at the very least does not allow duplicates to artificially lengthen the grind even further. Every time you open a chest, you are guaranteed to unlock something new. A far cry from blizzard’s overly ecstatic duplicates in Overwatch for example.

[DragonKnight]

There are no such things as loot crates done correctly because they play on people's psychology. They are designed to be enticing and Blizzard is the reason loot boxes became as popular as they are. Because of their "loot crates done right" they showed the rest of the industry just how many whales there are, and Star Wars Battlefront 2 is the result. So no, Blizzard is not off the hook for this.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Paying for the game then paying for luck based loot boxes isn't "done right".
an example of done right is DOTA2, free game, treasures only have cosmetics and once you get one set, you can't get that set again until after you have unlocked all the sets from that one treasure. Not only that but you can buy individual sets from players.

Blizzard is only doing it right with hearthstone.

[Darkwatchman]

ADHD? Right. That’s why I okay walking simulators and deep and involved rpg’s. Because I TOTALLY need instant gratification
/sarcasm

[ABBAJESUS]

Yeah, i agree. Overwatch lootboxes are just for skins, emotes etc. Not affecting gameplay. You don't have to buy them to be better in the game and the money from loot boxes keep the game alive for years. If there would not be lootboxes there would be dlc or monthly subscription, even both like in wow.

[datriax]

Parents dropped you as a baby huh? My sympathies, truly.

[Weeblordbad]

@Datriax
Hey, I can do it too.

"Your parents never paid much attention to you, eh Datriax? I'd say you have my sympathies, but you seem like a pretty terrible person to be around."

No one in Overwatch has a gun to your head to buy Crates, I bought a few at launch and that was the end of that. I really don't need Olympic skins, or Halloween Skins or any of that crap. Overwatch is fine, the crates supports new content that gets released for free in the case of Cosmetic crates vs Season Passes or Segmenting DLC into separate playlists I'll take Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege over that each and every time.

Don't buy Battlefront 2, Don't buy Shadow of War, Don't buy Forza 7 and leave each publisher and dev a tweet that the reason you didn't is because of their implementation of MT's. They'll get the point, to bag on every implementation of crates is showing a pretty extreme level of mob mentality.

[Mr_Writer85]

@theKhurg
"Their games are incredible, and the ones that have loot crates are loot crates done right."

That would be not having them in at all.

But yes Blizzard are by far the lesser of two evils.

[GameBoyColor]

anything with dups is wrong.

[C-H-E-F]

@thekhurg

whew, someones on the juice.

[strayanalog]

Special thanks to all the studios sounding off on this matter, and vocal gamers who didn't go low with death threats.‎

[andrewsquall]

Death threats? Over EA games I'm not buying regardless of how terrible the online functions attached to its online focused modes are? Never going to happen.

[TankCrossing]

The best part of it is that Star Wars is such a high profile IP that the industry at large (and beyond) are actually taking notice of the complaints now.

[strayanalog]

You bring up a great point! Hey, maybe when this Battlefront fiasco is over EA, ironically, would have done something good in the industry.

[rainslacker]

Sadly, this will just blow over by next week, and then people will complain again at the next game that does it and nothing will change. Some publishers keep finding new ways to squeeze money out of the consumer in ways that their vocal consumers don't like. But the vocal consumers just don't make up enough people to actually change anything compared to the overall customer base. Particularly for a game like Star Wars.

Even with those half a million downvotes on reddit, it won't likely change much in the bigger picture.

[UltraNova]

Rain at least half of them, the redit downvoters, will buy the game by the end of the month. Can I prove it? No. Can you in all honesty deny it, No.

[TankCrossing]

I'm sure BF2 will sell a huge amount, but that doesn't mean the level of negative feedback will be forgotten. Most games don't have the Star Wars IP or the huge development and marketing budget to survive such negative sentiment.

You've also got the likes of Disney taking notice now, because it matters to them how their IP is handled.

I'm not saying we've defeated the lootbox demon, but shining a light on it is good.

Edit: http://n4g.com/news/2123388...
^^ The more of this, the better

[OG_TK_Cole]

Took the words right out of my mouth

[cyguration]

The death threats were a hoax. Kotaku (of all people) confirmed that the dev claiming to have received the death threats didn't even work for EA.

[Christopher]

Easy to laugh it off, but let's not forget http://www.gamesindustry.bi...

[Imalwaysright]

When 2 wrongs make a right.

[TankCrossing]

Not to mention Blizzard run WoW, where they sell the game, expansions, subscriptions, items in a digital store, myriad "services", and (in a roundabout way) in-game currency.

Stones in glass houses.

[toddybad]

At least the game is free though. I'd rather just pay for all games up front but at least free to play titles are up front about things.

[Parasyte]

@toddybad

WoW is only free up to level 20. After that you actually have to buy and subscribe to keep playing.

[datriax]

Indeed. Blizzard is an equal sized cancer to EA. Why they get a pass? I dunno.

Possibly cause they provide easy hentai depicted characters? Very likely, given the degree of s**t-for-brains morons that defend them.

[Relientk77]

Glad everyone is taking shots at EA, it's what they get

[slavish0]

Sad thing is people will still buy their products just like Activision with cod 😔

[TheVetOfGaming]

A lot will, but I think a good amount won't. I certainly won't.

[rpvenom]

guys.. let us put aside our console differences and call a truce to stand together and fight this one evil.. Microtransactions.. #consoletruce #gamersagainstMTs #donotbuyEAgames

[Ittoittosai]

The more gamers and devs that fight back the better. The industry needs some push back on this crap or its going to cause a crash..

[DevilishSix]

Exactly what I have been thinking. Both EA and Activision have grown to large for this industry and its going to crash because of their actions. Maybe when it crashes we will be rid of those two cancers.

[AnubisG]

Yes!!! They should be shamed. Money hungry disgusting a*holes and they even have the skin on their face to try and spin and explain why these loot boxes are good and necessary. Ohh poor poor developers and EA. Did you only make 500 million dollars this year so far....or 900million? I feel so bad for you guys.....yet here I am who can't afford health coverage. My heart is bleeding for you EA and developers. /s

[Imalwaysright]

4.85 billion in revenue without fifa, this game and the holiday's season. They *sniff sniff must be starving. https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[AnubisG]

4.85 billion???????😡 how much money does a CEO need in order to be statisfied? Is there an amount? I don't feel bad for developers nor do I feel bad for publishers. They make a killing and here we are, strugling to buy games and pay bills and they cry to us. Ohhhhh the bad words I would write right now but won't because children read this too...😠😠ԅ 44;

[ABBAJESUS]

Ea is stock company so, every year they want to make more 💰 if they dont stock price will drop.

[Usperg]

This is priceless!!!!

Can't wait to see what comes next!

[USMC_POLICE]

Aside from battlefront they also destroyed need for speed with loot boxes.

[The 10th Rider]

And let's not forget they killed of Criterion who made some of the only recent, good Need For Speed games. Heck, they were even working on what looked like a fun, original new game when EA gutted them. To me, that right there was the death knoll for Need For Speed.

RIP Visceral and Criterion.

[Perjoss]

If only it was just Visceral and Criterion, look it up and see how many games development teams they have swallowed and then destroyed.

[Dragonscale]

Don't forget Burnout, there'll never be another :( EA have killed so many great studios and franchises. Respawn will probably go the same way sadly.

[titans9999]

and they also killed off one of my favorite franchises Mercenaries..i loved that game(s) mercenaries 2 as well...

[USMC_POLICE]

Agreed!!!!! Man the first game was fantastic!

[MetroidFREAK21]

This is awesome

[DragonKnight]

Blizzard have no room to talk on this issue. They are the very reason loot boxes became popular and they should stay out of this conversation or else we can play a game of "Let's spot the hypocrisy."

[XStation4pio_Pro]

A point to remember here. The actual developers - men and women sitting on the box long hours actually building these games - are not the ones responsible for the policies and MT inclusion. They are just following orders made by business development and product design teams. Meaning: if your boss tells you to jump, you ask how high or start looking for a new job. People should really think about that while they are slinging death threats to actual developers with no thought. What a f***ed up time we live in.

[BlackTar187]

Yea it's sad how f'ed up people get.

Social media is a cancer to unstable people.

[Phoenix76]

Not wanting to start a flame war with console users, but this did remind me of the "this is how you trade games on playstation" video

[Chaosdreams]

LOL.

Good times.

[Rude-ro]

Forgetting cod is their cash cow. home of timed content, reskinned yearly games, overpriced dlc, and loot crates that held back op weapons per dlc.
Sounds classy. :/

[opinionated]

Good, get it all out now. Before the game launches and they forget about all of this because they are swimming in simoleans.

[PlayableGamez-]

[25 N4G Coins to unlock this comment]

[cellfluid]

I won't be buying this game. So I'm in the clear of the madness.

[ABBAJESUS]

Skin loot boxes are okay, pay2win not.

[Dante101]

Well that escalated quickly

[TheVetOfGaming]

Hopefully this will start a snowball effect, and push publishers away from fleecing the gamers who already spend a good amount of money on their products. I really hope EA suffer financially from this; they deserve to.

[datriax]

The irony of Blizzard having the gall to call them out on this garbage. F**k off Blizzard.

[General Shrooms]

Starcraft 2 is full of micro transactions

[SolidDuck]

Who cares. I played a couple hours of it with ea access. Not very good anyway.

[bigmalky]

Without trying to be a fanboy dick, please remember that this is the definition of Games as a Service, the same ideal for gaming that Microsoft is focusing on. If you support Microsoft, just be prepared for things like this in the future.

[ClanPsi1]

Hahahaha, Blizzard? Wow. They have loot-boxes in Overwatch, which is a PAID GAME. What a bunch of c**ts.

[DarXyde]

Rich, coming from Activision-Blizzard.

[Felsager]

Thanks for all the studios and the media who are supporting the players against the decease of loot boxes, micro transactions and pay walls.

[medman]

People really need to stop buying this type of garbage. Time to teach some of these developers/publishers a brutal lesson.

[blacktiger]

Loot crates belongs to free to play. Other than that it's a disaster to video games. Imagine loot crates in movies. Oh god lol

[SirBradders]

Pay for loot box... Open box... Out pops legendary shackles and epic spanking paddle for Mr Grey... Poor Ana.

[mayberry]

Guerilla Games with Killzone does it right..but they don't get the love..

[Ben12]

Please just get rid of loot crates forever. I hate what the gaming industrie is turning into.

[stinkytofus]

League of legends pay to play style nothing wrong with it

[cfc83]

Blizzard need to sort their hit detection out. If people were in a blizzard glass house, you'd be able to hit the person inside the house, without breaking the glass.

[Diffraction_Fos]

Mockery from Activision-Blizzard over the anti-consumer policies of other publishers? HA. That's rich.