EA's Monetary Strategy Under Fire- Time for Change?

[Toupal]

Quote: Originally Posted by mykelmosinee

I think this has raised a LOT more attention than EA thought it would....the negative reactions aren't going away as everyone thought they would. More and more people are looking into the "gambling" that loot boxes are providing, and just the overall ethics of pay to win loot boxes. EA can say what they want, and try to downplay the **** storm of negativity this all created, but this is far from over. They've put themselves under a microscope with their greed and unethical practices, and their investors have noticed. Stocks have dropped, and several reports have said this is costing them through a substantial drop in sales as well as future sales. Personally, I'm glad to see that...they needed to be checked, as they were out of control. It's pretty clear to me their continued plan of action was to continue putting out mediocre games, with little if any innovation, using skeleton crews, and using loot boxes (which cost them next to nothing to develop). Just sit back and watch the idiotic gamers throw their cash into the coffers. Sickening. Now, I understand that their entire reason for existing is to make money...anybody with a 4th grade education knows that. But there is a limit, and a huge difference between making a profit and fleecing the public. Anyway....they took it too far, and they've been called out on it. All eyes are on them, and this calls into question their entire lineup of games...they had best be very very careful what they do and say now. This is more serious than they're letting on. Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk

Not to mention that they get exclusive lisence with things people hold dear such as the NFL and Star Wars leaving those fans with no other option to play games.

If it werent for the names and brands tied to EA’s games, no one would reward these eggheads with their money.

[JayhawkerStL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Toupal

Not to mention that they get exclusive lisence with things people hold dear such as the NFL and Star Wars leaving those fans with no other option to play games. If it werent for the names and brands tied to EA’s games, no one would reward these eggheads with their money.

Seriously?

[Toupal]

Quote: Originally Posted by JayhawkerStL

Seriously?

What is your excuse for EA this time....?

[CM Hooe]

I'm cutting this line of conversation off right now.

If this thread is going to stay open, we're going to veer away from IP license talk - that discussion has literally been beaten to death ten million times, we don't need to and aren't going to rehash it - and steer back towards discussion of how EA's games (and other AAAs' games) are monetizing and the real-world implications.

Thanks.

[CM Hooe]

EA Sports UFC 3 Beta apparently has loot box problems as well.

This loot box culture is going to get worse before it gets better.

[Toupal]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

EA Sports UFC 3 Beta apparently has loot box problems as well. This loot box culture is going to get worse before it gets better.

This is why people have such an issue with EA.

They release a statement saying they handle Star Wars poorly, yet they are going just as hard with their sports titles hoping no one will notice?

[Brightline]

I really don't think this is a problem in Madden at all. MUT is a standalone mode, every other mode is completely available at purchase.

I suspect the issue here is that people here feel (and in my opinion rightfully so) that EA has neglected CFM, the preferred mode here, in favor of MUT. Somehow complaining about the ethics of MUT will help CFM get more attention?

[JayhawkerStL]

Yes, that is the agenda. What's sad is, EA's response to the CFM issue has been to assure everyone that they are looking for wats to monetize it. I do think that ship has sailed after all of this.

The question is, does EA decide to invest in the mode or not. I'm still guessing no because I don't think it has hampered sales, at all.

And as Brightline pointed out, UT has been largely kept separate from the base game. There was a year in which you could earn some HUT gold from playing regular mode games in NHL. There was no benefit in the base modes, as it was just used to draw more players over.

Interestingly, it was these guys' darling NBA 2K that forced franchise mode users to earn (or buy) VC to do things like change playbooks and many other essential functions in their franchise mode a few years ago. Look for that stuff to be transferred to DLC, maybe.

I will admit, that EA has a lot less to stand on. They can complain about how expensive licensing is, but are paying an extra fee to restrict commotion. 2K can make the same complaint, but it carries more weight.

Licensing is no longer an affordable aspect to sports games, it seems. It's probably what tanked EA golf games, as the licensing or courses have skyrocketed.