EA including microtransactions in all games

[mindcycle]

You can expect to see more microtransactions like those found in Dead Space 3. According to Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen, the company has decided to build some aspect of small convenience payments into all of its games going forward.

Presenting at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Jorgensen talked about digital sales of games and content. "The next and much bigger piece is microtransactions within games," he said. "We're building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level, to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun, whatever it might be, and consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business."

Jorgensen did note, though, that the success of the microtransaction model is very much based on the game itself. "So The Simpsons [Tapped Out], for example, is a free-to-play game, leverages, obviously, The Simpsons TV show, and you pay all along the way. Last quarter, we did over $25 million in Simpsons business alone," he said. "So there's an opportunity there, probably smaller opportunity on a per title basis than something like a FIFA or a Battlefield."

http://www.shacknews.com/article/78003/ea-including-microtransactions-in-all-games

Nothing really new here but thought i'd post it anyway in case you need yet another reason to avoid EA games..

 

[chalmers]

I don't play EA games so this doesn't affect me, but I'm not surprised. Industry is heading this way. I'll never participate though.

 

[KentState]

From what I've seen so far, it's pay to win type transactions. Seems silly to pay money so you can skip to the end and not enjoy the challenge.

 

[blastingcap]

F U EA.

Still no GOTY edition for Mass Effect 2 or 3 with all DLCs included, too. You think you can get me to pay more that way, but I have a huge Steam games backlog and won't have to touch Origin or any EA games indefinitely.

F U EA.

 

[KaOTiK]

F U EA.

Still no GOTY edition for Mass Effect 2 or 3 with all DLCs included, too. You think you can get me to pay more that way, but I have a huge Steam games backlog and won't have to touch Origin or any EA games indefinitely.

F U EA.

Yeah. They never ever put the DLC on sale. That situation is why Steam really didn't catch flack for changing their TOS that DLC for a game they sell must be sold through Steam as well, because we know if the DLC was on Steam it would go on sale at least.

 

[RockinZ28]

Ghey. Not buying another game from them, hate microtransactions.

Glad I found a cracked apk for Simpsons Tapped Out and have unlimited cash and donuts.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

"and you pay all along the way"

wow that sounds like an awesome game, sign me up!

 

[Attic]

Yep. Nother reason to hate EA. Lousy gaming company and a reflection of it's leadership.

With this new micro transaction trajectry it will lead to developers being mandated to design games that make "something" very alluring and attractive prior to payment (New Gun, In Game Currency to buy unattainable Gun if forced to use standard means of obtaining in game currency, New Area, New Clothing, anything that is built up as highly desirable) and then deliver a dud after the payment.

Games need to make money,... but micro transactions are going to make for seriously un-fun and expensive gaming environments.

I'm having nightmares of some of the games ive downloaded on iPad for free,.. only to find out that the game is engineered solely around ridiculous time sinks unless I happen to shell out real money to progress in a timely manner.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The truth is there are TONS of other things to play than catering to the things you don't like about particular games(companies). There's no reason to even worry about it. Even if every single game from this day forward came out with microtransactions..I think the majority of us can comfortably ignore them and play something else that we never got to.

 

[irishScott]

So I have even less reason to buy their games now. Sweet.

 

[Red Hawk]

I actually appreciate the microtransactions in Mass Effect 3's multiplayer; they only give you what you could eventually gain simply through playing a lot. I don't have to buy any (and have not bought any), but ostensibly BioWare has been able to push out multiplayer map/weapon/character packs for free because they are making enough money on the microtransactions. I will note that this really only works because ME3's multiplayer is not PvP, but essentially an extensive "horde mode". Landing in a game with someone who has purchased lots of reinforcement packs can only be a good thing for you (unless you really care about leaderboards) while it could be pretty infuriating if it was PvP.

 

[mindcycle]

"and you pay all along the way"

wow that sounds like an awesome game, sign me up!

Haha, my thoughts exactly.

 

[sigurros81]

They made 25 million in a quarter from The Simpsons Tap Out. I'd be basing my business model off of micro transactions as well.

 

[mindcycle]

They made 25 million in a quarter from The Simpsons Tap Out. I'd be basing my business model off of micro transactions as well.

Yeah, it's sad when these big companies come out with something that would never initially pass in a niche market, but when that niche market breaks the mainstream eats it up without any thought or conviction. The trade off is usually screwing the people who helped you get started in the first place, but such is life.. and such is greed..

I think the moral here is.. support independent game devs!

 

[DaveSimmons]

F U EA.

Still no GOTY edition for Mass Effect 2 or 3 with all DLCs included, too. You think you can get me to pay more that way, but I have a huge Steam games backlog and won't have to touch Origin or any EA games indefinitely.

F U EA.

Yep, that's why EA has $0 from me for Mass Effect 3. I have other games to play, I can wait.

 

[imaheadcase]

I never liked the idea of DLC as well. Both to me sound like a movie theater charging a ton extra for popcorn and candy when you can buy it outside the store for half price. You basically paying them for the game they failed to complete in the first place.

 

[irishScott]

Yeah, it's sad when these big companies come out with something that would never initially pass in a niche market, but when that niche market breaks the mainstream eats it up without any thought or conviction. The trade off is usually screwing the people who helped you get started in the first place, but such is life.. and such is greed..

I think the moral here is.. support independent game devs!

Honestly, with all the games I've backed on kickstarter and my limited video-gaming time I should be good on the entertainment front through 2014.

 

[Craig234]

It all boils down to whether consumers pay for these things.

I'm going to avoid micro transaction stuff mostly, because I don't like it. I like the 'buy a game, get a game' model which is why I have defended high game prices.

People scream about a $60 game but spend hundreds on free to pay.

I don't object much to a well done micro transaction, but that's not how it works. They screw and cripple a game to make it horrible unless you buy 'speedups' etc.

 

[lozina]

I could imagine the next EA game comes with a game launcher with a login screen:

Enter your routing number: ______________
Enter your account number: ______________
[x] I accept the terms of service (links to massive document which implies they will charge you for time playing and buying stuff in the game)
[Login] [Cancel]

 

[sigurros81]

Yeah, it's sad when these big companies come out with something that would never initially pass in a niche market, but when that niche market breaks the mainstream eats it up without any thought or conviction. The trade off is usually screwing the people who helped you get started in the first place, but such is life.. and such is greed..

I think the moral here is.. support independent game devs!

I'm glad to see the shift into crowd-funded games, lots of indie devs going back to old roots. While micro transactions are here to stay, it is nice that gamers have choices to choose from. Personally, the only DLCS I've ever payed for is the BF3 Premium, and I play that game so much I did not balk at the cost. Point is, if the DLC is worth the price, and I will be getting a lot more hours of entertainment from it, I won't hesitate to buy it.

 

[Cerb]

There's been a 3rd Dead Space? Wow.

I was already not paying much attention to EA. So, I doubt I'll miss out on much.

 

[you2]

In the case of dead space 3; how intrusive were the micro-transactions ? Did you actually need them (or want them) ?

 

[Maximilian]

I have nothing against microtransactions, they work in the right games/situations, league of legends, world of tanks etc. Shoehorning it into every game going is a lousy idea though. Not surprised its EA leading the way here

 

[DeadFred]

Microtransactions, the perfect reason for me to stop wasting time and money on games and gaming hardware. BF3 has become the only game I play and if it goes in this direction, Im out altogether.

 

[Anubis]

most micro trans games are not pay to win
they are pay to get some stupid outfit that does nothing for you (see hats in TF2, mounts in WoW)

paying for crap like consmetic items/skins/ dumb crap i have no issues with. let people spend their money to make their toon look like a pink bunny if they want, if it does not change gameplay so be it

GW2 is micro based as well and it works fine
PS2 as well - it may be more shifted towards pay to win but not totally. also its free to play.