YouTube user RighteousOnix may have discovered a pretty serious issue within FIFA Ultimate Team, specifically when regarding the chemistry within the game. In a video uploaded this past weekend, Onix breaks down how chemistry could be artificially raising and lowering skill levels with no rhyme or reason by using the dribbling attribute as an example.
This could prove the feeling many gamers have of the game artificially limiting performance without any real rhyme or reason despite higher chemistry ratings within the game.
Whether this is a bug or a deliberate balancing move -- EA should comment on it considering Ultimate Team brings in over half a billion dollars a year in revenue. That's simply a lot of money people at throwing at these modes.
"What we've found:
Just to give a really quick run-down of what has been discovered, in lay-mans terms:
1) In FIFA Ultimate team you open packs to gain access to cards which represent players in the game. You can also buy these cards from other users.
2) When you build your team, by playing cards in particular positions, and with particular set-ups, you can increase their chemistry attribute. Having a high chemistry attribute on a player will give them boosted stats, having a low chemistry will nerf their stats. These chemistry stats boosts are huge for how your team plays.
3) It turns out that for a large chunk of the most expensive cards in the game, FIFA has not been attributing the stats boost to the cards afforded by their chemistry. Meaning that they feel sluggish, slow and clumsy in comparison to other, cheaper cards in the game which have been given the chemistry stats boost.
4) This means that users have been spending vast amounts of in-game and real life money, sometimes hundreds even thousands of dollars/pounds, to obtain player cards which are NOT what they seem and are in fact heavily nerfed."
So in layman's terms, some higher rated cards are not getting boosted like lower rated cards -- resulting in the more expensive cards performing worse in a relative sense than lower rated cards due to some sort of artificial handicapping or bug.
The issue is, of course, these higher rated cards are sold at a premium by EA but play by a different set of rules vs. day-1 cards which actively limits their performance. We'll update this post if EA posts any response to the controversy, either directly to us or in any other official manner.
UPDATE (6-29): EA is looking into it and sent an official response (via GamesRadar)
Quote:
“Thanks to the FUT community for raising awareness of a potential fitness and chemistry inconsistency in some FUT items. After hearing this, our teams were in over the weekend and continue to thoroughly investigate the information. We will keep you informed with updates from the investigation. Our commitment to a fun, fair and secure experience in FIFA is ongoing, and as a community your feedback helps us achieve that goal. A special thanks for your continuous efforts across all channels.”
Our development teams have continued to investigate the reports of potential chemistry and fitness inconsistencies within FIFA Ultimate Team in FIFA 16, and we want to provide you with an update.
Our work has shown that there appear to be some differences in how fitness and chemistry apply to some FUT items. The differences appear to be the same for all FUT fans, but only applying to some FUT items, so we’re making some changes to ensure the attributes are being applied consistently across all items in the game.
To do that, we’re working on a title update for FIFA 16 on PC, Xbox and PlayStation platforms, and will be deploying it as soon as possible. We’ll continue to keep you updated on timing.
We appreciate the help from the FUT community and ongoing dialogue across channels like YouTube, the forums, and r/FIFA. We hear you and your interest in better understanding how FUT works, and as we move towards the launch of FIFA 17, we will be sharing more about the deeper mechanics of Ultimate Team.
We’ll be in touch again when we know the target date for the upcoming FIFA 16 update. Thank you.
Imo, I never found the game mode fair. I wont get into any talk about why I do or dont play it, but I've never liked the chemistry model in this game, not for regular fifa and especially not for FUT.
One thing I found was, I would play a guy online who has a seriously buffed team. I had a couple stars, maybe a few guys that are recognizable to those of us that watch a lot of soccer, but my team was pretty hurting.
With the same goalie in career mode, the guy would make great stops, and play as a normal keeper. That same keeper as my keeper in FUT, and guys are scoring on me from half just because they have bumped up chemistry and hes shooting with some Spanish star.
It never made sense to me, and made the mode ridiculous.
I cant for the life of me understand how anyone has enjoyed playing this mode online. Played five games last year it was truly awful. I played the original FIFA. FUT is awful online and off. If you enjoy it, that's your choice, but it kind of makes me laugh to see the level people went to figure out something wasn't quite right with this mode.
I would believe the unintentional angle. Just like I believe the AI in career mode functions the way it does because no one really knows how it works anymore, and not because every year they wilfully perform maintenance on the code and decide to keep things as is.
I don't feel sorry for them either. Especially to all these people giving EA an extra 500 million dollars to play a game that you already paid for or paying extra for special editions just so you can create your "Ultimate Team" for pretty much just for bragging rights.
I still fondly remember the day I launched fifa and it prompted me to play the "most popular fifa game mode". I had no idea wtf the mode was about even after spending a good 10 minutes in it, and I probably still don't. Checked the thread for entertainment purposes, and because we may get a glimpse into how this mode affects gameplay and those playing other game modes that actually make sense.
I get the chemistry aspect of FUT. I mean, I get the premise of trying to have certain levels of difficulty within the game and to try to keep people from sticking up on awesome players, but I don't get that I could have someone rated high and all of a sudden they don't perform well because the player next to them is from another league/country.
Total disclosure here, I played FUT all day Saturday. That's the first time I ever really dove into it. I actually liked it. Well, I liked the premise of it, the chemistry thing drove me crazy. A friend of my wife brought her 12 year old son over (he plays it) and since I only had one controller, we took turns playing halves and he taught me about it. It was fun, we had a blast. Then after he left, I played a game and it wasn't as fun.
It could be something I would play here and there, but I would never pay actual money to purchase things in that mode. It was fun to work up and earn coins to get better players and stuff like that, but absolutely no way would I use real currency.
Still Manager Mode til I die. And sometimes Player Career Mode.
Lol. Sorry, but this is hilarious. Don't feel sorry for them at all.
Yeah same. I never understood putting $ into a game past the initial $60 purchase (or even purchasing at $60). The game mode screamed cash grab from its inception. People need to wise up. It's also been 4 days since the news broke out and no official statement from EA, probably warming up the PR angle lol
I play FUT offline casually, but have never spent an actual dime and never will. Honestly, I don't blame EA for turning UT into a half-a-billion dollar industry, I blame those with a serious lack of impulse control who think that dropping several thousand dollars on virtual playing cards with an annual expiration date is acceptable (the cards don't actually expire but are basically worthless once the next version of FIFA is released). And you can't tell me all of these UT players have wads of disposable income, I've talked to many who admit they haven't but are hooked anyway.
I don't think anyone envisioned this scenario when UT launched, I certainly didn't. Impulse gaming and the point-and-click market have created a UT monster and I'm sure EA are only to glad to stoke the fires and reap the benefits.
Anyway, the chemistry aspect is sort of a fun "game within the game", as the premise is to build an "ultimate team" and team chemistry goes a long way towards that. But to me FIFA is just a video game, if chemistry is broke then fix it. Beyond the initial game cost, I have no investment.
Very mature comments. " Good for them" Lets be happy for EA for ripping off customers just because you don't like a game mode? Millions enjoy it and consider it the best online h2h experience because you are building a team in your vison to compete with unlike playing the regular mode where its nothing but Real, Barca, and Bayern
Very mature comments. " Good for them" Lets be happy for EA for ripping off customers just because you don't like a game mode? Millions enjoy it and consider it the best online h2h experience because you are building a team in your vison to compete with unlike playing the regular mode where its nothing but Real, Barca, and Bayern
This + concerning yourself how other people spend their income, disposable or not. I hate this mode so much I'm glad people are essentially being scammed or lied to is a sad mentality to have.
You guys realize you're buying the game from this company too right? Maybe it was an oversight or an accident, but either way it's bad. 500 million dollars were spent by people on ultimate team alone and they still don't get it right. Get back to complaining about how all the development time is going to ultimate team though and that's why career mode is trash.
This + concerning yourself how other people spend their income, disposable or not. I hate this mode so much I'm glad people are essentially being scammed or lied to is a sad mentality to have.
You guys realize you're buying the game from this company too right? Maybe it was an oversight or an accident, but either way it's bad. 500 million dollars were spent by people on ultimate team alone and they still don't get it right. Get back to complaining about how all the development time is going to ultimate team though and that's why career mode is trash.
Eh, I pay $50-$60 for an offline experience that is rarely touched/updated post-release. UT is updated constantly. Anyone investing hundreds or thousands of dollars on VC for UT should know the risks. Hell, the first few times you buy packs and get nothing of value should be an instant wakeup. If you go past that point it's all on you. These types of games glitch and screw people over every year.
Eh, I pay $50-$60 for an offline experience that is rarely touched/updated post-release. UT is updated constantly. Anyone investing hundreds or thousands of dollars on VC for UT should know the risks. Hell, the first few times you buy packs and get nothing of value should be an instant wakeup. If you go past that point it's all on you. These types of games glitch and screw people over every year.
Updates to FUT are minimal outside releasing team of the week and they've been able to put special cards into the game less than an hour after a match ends so I'm not sure how much work that is for them. They update the ratings which they also do for offline.
You might feel like you're being screwed over every year and that's whatever but your anger at other players for that is ridiculous. If it's true you're being screwed over, you're being screwed over by EA the company that just screwed over a large portion of its players (probably by accident) and you thought it was hilarious then. How does that work?
As for how much money people spend, it's none of anyone's business but that person. If someone spends $100-200 and gets 40-50 hours of entertainment out of it that's their business. I'm sure everyone appreciates your concern for their bank accounts but it's not needed. How is this any different than having a hobby like collecting cards, shoes, stamps, coins, etc.? I spent $10 at release and ended up playing around 400 games this year, which in my opinion was absolutely worth it.
You don't like it and that's fine, but being condescending about it at every opportunity is unnecessary.
Also, this particular glitch has a huge effect on UT. Most of the players in the game can be bought by people who play casually now. The upgraded cards aren't worth it because of the chemistry glitch and had everyone known that there would be no incentive to buy packs. This isn't one of the risks of buying packs.
Our development teams have continued to investigate the reports of potential chemistry and fitness inconsistencies within FIFA Ultimate Team in FIFA 16, and we want to provide you with an update.
Our work has shown that there appear to be some differences in how fitness and chemistry apply to some FUT items. The differences appear to be the same for all FUT fans, but only applying to some FUT items, so we’re making some changes to ensure the attributes are being applied consistently across all items in the game.
To do that, we’re working on a title update for FIFA 16 on PC, Xbox and PlayStation platforms, and will be deploying it as soon as possible. We’ll continue to keep you updated on timing.
We appreciate the help from the FUT community and ongoing dialogue across channels like YouTube, the forums, and r/FIFA. We hear you and your interest in better understanding how FUT works, and as we move towards the launch of FIFA 17, we will be sharing more about the deeper mechanics of Ultimate Team.
We’ll be in touch again when we know the target date for the upcoming FIFA 16 update. Thank you.
Love how FUT would get a patch this late in the calendar with all seasons over, Copa over, and EUROs almost finished.. If you point out any other problems in career mode it is always too late in the year and wait for FIFA17 as the devs are busy working on next years title. Just a joke they would still leave a bunch of errors from other modes yet FUT one comes up and they are all over it. Great job EA in treating FUT players better than club , pro or career mode players our $60 not worth the same??
Love how FUT would get a patch this late in the calendar with all seasons over, Copa over, and EUROs almost finished.. If you point out any other problems in career mode it is always too late in the year and wait for FIFA17 as the devs are busy working on next years title. Just a joke they would still leave a bunch of errors from other modes yet FUT one comes up and they are all over it. Great job EA in treating FUT players better than club , pro or career mode players our $60 not worth the same??
Nope, because as offline players we pay $60. A FUT player pays $60+whatever they spend on FUT. It's an ongoing revenue stream for them and this whole debacle puts that in jeopardy. No sane business would ignore this, regardless of where they are in their development cycle.
05:07 PM - June 27, 2016 by RaychelSnr
Working...