Fun with EA: "Micro"-Transactions, Online DRM, CEO Fired

[Skykid]

EA's office in Tokyo

That looks like Asakusa?

[BryanM]

Just found out Simcity 2013 has always online DRM. I can't think of a situation where I'd want to play the game where I also have internewt access, so, I guess they lost a sale they would have gotten from me six years from now.

[mesh control]

Top In-App Purchases

3 Ecstasy bombs$0.99

Hell yeah

[moonblood]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... e-3-report

and now they've canned Dead space

[Ruldra]

Microtransactions are why I haven't bought Dead Space 3 yet, a franchise that I absolutely love. I'm waiting until cheap second hand copies exist just to deprive EA of money.

I'm boycotting EA since they started rolling with the online passes. I never boycotted a company before, but the amount of anti-gamer shit they're putting in their games is just crazy. No way I'm supporting that.

[Mortificator]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... e-3-report

and now they've canned Dead space

It's almost like EA wants to send the message, "we're willing to shoot the series you enjoy in the head if you don't give in to our demands."

[O. Van Bruce]

Gamers should unionize and go on strike when this things happen... That way we would really be entitled to get what we want.

But that escenario is almost utopical...

[BareKnuckleRoo]

It's almost like EA wants to send the message, "we're willing to shoot the series you enjoy in the head if you don't give in to our demands."

Considering this is what they already do to their developers, it's a logical next step for Electronic Arts to start screwing over its consumers.

The pattern to these acquisitions, if not universal, is infamous: find a company that made a really popular game, acquire the company and its properties; then set the team on churning out sequel after sequel to the game in question. Sometimes, likely not by design, the staff leaves or burns out, or one of the products sells poorly; the studio is closed or subsumed.

[Jonathan Ingram]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... e-3-report

and now they've canned Dead space

Finally some good news for a change. Dead Space should never have been a series. The first game had a perfect, self-contained story that didn`t need to be continued or expanded upon.

[BIL]

Since the modern gaming industry can die screaming in a rolling bus crash for all I care, this shit just makes me LOL IRL.

[Moniker]

Nothing left to do but to pray once more to our savior Miyamoto to deliver us from evil. For thine is the Mushroom Kingdom and the Nintendo Power, amen.

[Skykid]

Nothing left to do but to pray once more to our savior Miyamoto to deliver us from evil. For thine is the Mushroom Kingdom and the Nintendo Power, amen.

And they said give unto us Nintendo, and from the darkness there will be light. And lo, videogames were again returned from the brink, and all was well.

[brokenhalo]

And they said give unto us Nintendo, and from the darkness there will be a backlit touchscreen.

fixed, but i think nintendo is still lost this generation. they aren't going to rescue us any time soon.

back on topic. i played dead space 3 for a couple hours and was thinking to myself that there wasn't a whole lot of ammo to go around compared to the other games. didn't even notice the whole micro-transaction thing, but something definitely felt wrong. i'll probably just restart my game and play a little more conservatively. wish i could give EA a bigger middle finger than that though. should have payed more attention before plunking down my pre-order.

[BryanM]

Vaguely appropriate

and the Nintendo Power, amen.

Did you get the memo? Nintendo Power died last year.

All you can do is watch AVGN talk about it on the yootoob and paw at the monitor uselessly.

[TransatlanticFoe]

I waited until they patched out the multiplayer requirement for Mass Effect 3 and gave it a less retarded ending. I wonder if by the time I've gotten round to finishing Dead Space 2 they'll have done something better with 3... or perhaps it'll get patched for the worst and I have to pay for all my ammo?

As long as it's not literally "pay or you can't win" it's not too bad. If anything, it becomes like a paid cheat system and those who don't buy into microtransactions might actually get a tougher game. The idea of difficulty these days seems to consist of cheap insta-kill enemies, surprise QTEs and obtuse, poorly balanced sections where you basically have no chance to survive first time you do it.

Withholding large portions of the game to be flogged as DLC and needlessly slapping in a multiplayer mode can take a shit slalom straight to hell, though.

[Udderdude]

As long as it's not literally "pay or you can't win" it's not too bad. If anything, it becomes like a paid cheat system and those who don't buy into microtransactions might actually get a tougher game. The idea of difficulty these days seems to consist of cheap insta-kill enemies, surprise QTEs and obtuse, poorly balanced sections where you basically have no chance to survive first time you do it.

Withholding large portions of the game to be flogged as DLC and needlessly slapping in a multiplayer mode can take a shit slalom straight to hell, though.

Yes, if done right, it's actually not too bad since if you're skilled enough, you don't need to pay extra to win. Sound familiar?

But this is EA we're talking about. They'll fuck it up somehow.

[Friendly]

But this is EA we're talking about. They'll fuck it up somehow.

They already did the moment they started. Reduced item drop frequency (especially of rare items) leads to the necessity to farm or pay to win.
They'd also like to sell you digital ammo.

And I assume you saw this: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... g-3-review

[Friendly]

Doesn't really belong here, but I don't want to start yet another thread about EA: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03 ... y-simcity/

Sever busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

[BulletMagnet]

It's almost like EA wants to send the message, "we're willing to shoot the series you enjoy in the head if you don't give in to our demands."

No "almost" about it.

EDIT: Seems the gun may have been jumped, as EA is claiming that the rumors are false.

[Friendly]

It's almost like EA wants to send the message, "we're willing to shoot the series you enjoy in the head if you don't give in to our demands."

No "almost" about it.

EDIT: Seems the gun may have been jumped, as EA is claiming that the rumors are false.

That is called "damage control", after serious backlash. Let's not forget that Dead Space 3, which is a console game, *does* have "micro"-transactions. It wasn't a rumor either, it was a direct statement by an EA manager:

We are building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way; to get to a higher level. And consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of business.

[Ruldra]

Sever busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

It's Diablo 3 all over again. Pathetic.

[Udderdude]

Sever busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

It's Diablo 3 all over again. Pathetic.

Diablo 3 was even worse, in that your single player games run on a remote game server with only you on it. It's not just used for authentication.

[Ed Oscuro]

And consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of business.

I can't believe our collective good fortune!!

What he seems to be talking about (before this) is that they've set up a framework allowing expansion of all their games.

Frankly, it's a bit of a tradeoff, because this might mean that they spend marginally more attention supporting "old" games than they have in the past (dropped from support after a year or so).

[BulletMagnet]

That is called "damage control", after serious backlash. Let's not forget that Dead Space 3, which is a console game, *does* have "micro"-transactions.

Probably shoulda worded my post clearer, but the "rumor" EA was responding to is not the micro-transaction thing, but the word that the Dead Space franchise had been suspended/killed off.

[Ruldra]

In other news, SimCity servers are down and no estimate to go back up. No one can play the game in the meantime.

Welcome to the future of gaming.

[louisg]

In other news, SimCity servers are down and no estimate to go back up. No one can play the game in the meantime.

Welcome to the future of gaming.

In other news, I just bought a DRM-free copy Jamestown off GamersGate this morning \o/

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Server busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

This is pretty much why I'm leery to buy new PC games. At least SimCity 2000 is still fun.

[Vexorg]

Doesn't really belong here, but I don't want to start yet another thread about EA: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03 ... y-simcity/

Sever busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

Someone on one of the other forums I read posted one of those that was over 3 hours tonight.

[Friendly]

This is pretty much why I'm leery to buy new PC games. At least SimCity 2000 is still fun.

[Friendly]

Doesn't really belong here, but I don't want to start yet another thread about EA: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03 ... y-simcity/

Sever busy, please wait for 30 minutes to retry to start playing a SINGLE PLAYER game.

Someone on one of the other forums I read posted one of those that was over 3 hours tonight.

You know what I just realized: That is the game.