Source: https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/13/17230874/ea-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-box-patrick-soderlund-interview Electronic Arts has promised to learn lessons and not repeat mistakes after the Star Wars Battlefront II fiasco. If that sounds familiar, it’s because EA promises this after EVERY fiasco.
In 2017, the “AAA” game industry went all-in on loot boxes – microtransactions that emulate gambling to maximize ill-gotten gains. In 2018, new games aren’t using them and old games are scrubbing them. Are they done in the mainstream business, or are companies just biding their time?
After months and months and months on the market, Monolith Productions claims it’s just started to realize the loot boxes MIGHT be undermining the gameplay. Of course, loads of people were saying this even before launch. I said it often, loudly, repetitively. I’m shocked less about the removal of the…
Source article: https://www.polygon.com/2018/2/27/17057978/esrb-loot-crate-box-in-game-purchases-label The ESRB, paying lip service to the controversy surrounding loot boxes, is going to apply an incredibly broad “in-game purchases” label to games that offer additional content for cash. So… that’ll be most of them, right?
A US Senator has urged the ESRB and ESA to look at the potential harm loot boxes pose to vulnerable customers. The industry’s guard dogs, however, continue to do nothing even as politicians close in. Doing nothing is not going to help the industry, not when there are politicians who…
Sea of Thieves won’t have loot boxes, it’ll “only” have microtransactions. Seeing people applaud that feels a little… off. Source article: https://www.pcgamesn.com/sea-of-thieves/sea-of-thieves-pets-microtransactions Music: Undertale
[UPDATE: Apparently the originally reported figures were incorrect. Battlefront II supposedly shipped 7 million, not 9 million, which is still a fuckton and obviously even more sad for poor Electronic Arts. Haha.] Electronic Arts expected Star Wars Battlefront II to have shipped ten million copies by now, and fell short…
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/
The Battlefront II train continues to ride! Check out the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/starwarsbattlefront22017/mods/142/?tab=description
Apple’s new App Store guidelines say games must now disclose the odds of acquiring items in loot boxes. While this on its own is not a massive change, it has some promising implications.
Forget Christmas, it’s Boxing Day EVERY day at Eververse!
Electronic Arts keeps digging a hole with the world’s grimiest shovel, this time blaming “canon” and “realism” on Battlefront II’s horrible loot box system. Because yes, the only alternative to RNG-based player advantages was a pink Darth Vader.
