Source: https://gematsu.com/2018/01/blazblue-cross-tag-battle-launches-may-31-japan-asia-june-5-north-america-adds-dlc-character-blake-belladonna With 20 playable characters at launch and a further 20 confirmed DLC characters, the latest Blazblue has Arc System Works gating off half its roster. It’s part of a growing trend in “roster-based” games where fighting and sports titles are seeing just how far they can push the…
Activision’s not the only company set to innovatively exploit its player base going forward. EA’s love of dynamic difficulty and plans for “unfair” PvP matchmaking sheds yet more light on what the “AAA” industry has planned for us.
Michael Pachter gives us an interesting launchpad here. Firstly, the suggestion that loot boxes in Anthem is simply a given. Secondly, the preemptive defense that rolls back and retcons the concept of loot boxes. Source article: http://comicbook.com/gaming/amp/2018/01/04/anthems-loot-box-system-bioware-cosmetic-items/
Forget Christmas, it’s Boxing Day EVERY day at Eververse!
The episode we all knew was coming. The Jimquisition at last smashes into the “It’s Just Cosmetic” argument with a bulldozer. Many will defend certain types of microtransaction and loot box by claiming if they sell only cosmetic DLC, it’s fine. Cosmetics “don’t affect gameplay” and therefore anything goes. This…
Curse of Osiris locks players out of content previous accessible in the base game of Destiny 2. If you don’t buy the DLC, you can’t even 100% your achievement collection anymore. Oh, and let’s look at a new Bungie job listing. Totally unrelated!
Electronic Arts apparently wants to keep me in work through the rest of the year. Here we are with EA Sports UFC 3 which, according to the beta reports, is revolving around microtransactions to an absurd degree. __ More info here: https://www.astutegaming.com/single-post/EASPORTSUFC3BETA
MUJO launched for Nintendo Switch, and despite being a mobile free-to-play game, Oink Games decided to charge ten bucks and STILL keep all the free-to-play microtransactions. A good reminder of just how scummy a lot of mobile developers can be, and have been for a long time.
Destiny 2 contained a hidden XP scaling that actively lied about the amount of experience end game users were getting. It’s now fixed, but that doesn’t erase the fact Activision Blizzard was content with it remaining until it got caught.
This is a walkback, not a U-turn, a temporary retreat, not a defeat. Also, EA really did spill the beans to its investors, huh?
A minor victory as EA runs scared following a major backlash, a disastrous Reddit AMA, and interest from various gambling commissions. But remember… in this world of constantly connected games, the goalposts are always moving, and EA’s show of remorse is but temporary.
This is so much more than a bad mobile game in premium skin. It’s also buggy, unfinished, and mediocre “AAA” garbage to boot! __
