EA To Put Micro Transactions In All of Their Games

Written by: Summer Walker (Twitter @Summer_Sal - Google+) | February 27, 2013 2:13 pm

EA To Put Micro Transactions In All of Their Games

13 Comments

And You Will Like It

“Consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business.” That’s what EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said, referring to micro transactions at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference this week. There, he made a statement saying that EA will put micro transactions into “all of our games.”

“The next and much bigger piece (of the business) is micro transactions within games. And so to the extent… 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.”

The other bit of news is that “We’ve outsourced a lot of that stuff, historically. We’re bringing that all in-house now.” It makes sense that they would have their own department to take care of what is likely a giant moneymaker.

This will affect all of their titles, which isn’t all that much of a change. Games like Star Wars: The Old Republic and The Secret World have had micro transactions for a while. Where this gets interesting is when we think about future titles. Are we going to pay sixty bucks for Tomb Raider and then be expected to buy upgrades to our weapons to be able to progress thought the game? Do these changes mean that games will go Free to Play and be funded solely by micro transactions?

Let’s hope that EA can strike a balance between nickel-and-diming players and making games a bit easier to get through. I can imagine myself being upset when getting ganked in PvP by someone with a sword they paid real money for… if that’s the only way to get said sword.

Paying extra for vanity items like hairstyles or skins is irrelevant because it doesn’t affect progression. Where micro transactions get controversial is when players can basically buy a max-level character and load it up with the best possible gear, which is only available at the game store for the low low price of $19.99! Is this really the future of gaming? Back in my day, you had to play the freakin’ game to progress, and we liked it! *grumble grumble…. Get off my lawn!

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http://www.facebook.com/jason.harrigan.92 Jason Harrigan

Maybe they should get the micro-transactions right in SWTOR before they apply it to everything.

Are you going to have to pay them a $1 to defeat every boss or maybe they let you access the final boss to beat the game for a low low price of $10? (Read that last sentance dripping with sarcasm)
http://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.langr Jeffrey K. Langr

EA cannot be trusted with micro transactions. They are too concerned with making money and not concerned enough with the quality of the experience of their gamers.

Some devs can pull it off, some cannot. EA is not one of them, any game they permit micro transactions in will become pay to win.
http://www.facebook.com/jason.jenkins.73 Jason Jenkins

kinda sad, EA is starting to belive their own propaganda
http://www.facebook.com/kevin.hawes.7 Kevin Hawes

My only worry is that they take the microtransaction to the extreme of “Paying to win”. As in, you’re only able to upgrade past a certain point by paying real money through the cash shop to obtain items that protect your item from breaking(most common now days, but I’ve seen most devs circumvent the p2w aspect of this by allowing people who buy them, can trade them and/or sell on the marketplace), or buying new skills in the cash shop, etc.

It all depends on how well their “cash shops” are and how badly it limits the free user.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1260066056 Steven Diaz

I loved gaming when it was about the work you put into the game. These days, it seems like gaming is all about mediocre stories with DLC to add content that should have been in the game. Depending on how they add them, I’ll determine my future in gaming. If they go to far, I’ll avoid every title they release, like the plague. If other companies start doing the same, I’ll just give up gaming altogether. Quite honestly, gaming has been free falling for a while, each year releasing worse titles. Bethesda seems to be one of the VERY few companies that still know how to make games.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Joseph-McCarthy/510816820 Joseph McCarthy
  
  Well, one of the arguments for microtransactions are that some people don’t have time to put several hours of work into a game due to the rest of their lives, and to give them that little boost to remain competitive with everyone else is fair to an extent as long as it is implemented well. And to criticize modern games for having mediocre stories with DLC to add content, and then praise Bethesda for how well they make games is quite the oxymoron.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Bergevin-Jr/1393526370 Jim Bergevin Jr
    
    Well said – the fact of the matter is that the age of the PKer is over, and the era of the catasser has ended. Those of us who were a part of the first gen of computer gamers and creators have realized that spending countless hours toiling away at a task in game to earn one coveted shiney is too much like real life work, so we changed the game. It’s fine that people may still enjoy that grind, but we realized that having additional options for those who do not (and those of us who finally grew up and are taking part in the Real World) is not a bad thing at all.
  - Krzysztof Kotarba
    
    “(…)some people don’t have time to put several hours of work into a game due to the rest of their lives, and to give them that little boost to remain competitive(…)”
    
    Ok so If I don’t have time to work out I should take steroids just be competitive to other people who spend more time in the gym?
http://www.facebook.com/thelethrface Steven Opie Wallace

First: This will be good if only the things you acquire are things you can get in-game without the use of real cash (DLC aside). As of right now, every game has a form of micro-transactions though so it wont be too different. I however do not “enjoy and embrace” DLC.

Second: Anyone saying “I’ll just give up gaming altogether” are lieing through their teeth. They will play the games they find fun and might not buy any of the DLC or other microtransactions but flat-out saying “I give up on gaming” will not happen and if it does…wont be for more than a month at the most and then will go back to enjoying their hobby after they cool off, just like after a bad argument with your significant other.
http://www.facebook.com/james.lange.71 James Lange

One one side I’m ok with it: Micro transactions to let people with busy lives complete games faster for a price, On the otherhand I hate it because who is the judge when it becomes to much? I mean they have to balance the game around something, some games have currency or skillpoints w/e That balance is a extremely hard to hit just right too. EA Imho is creeping very close to the edge of what could be a very bad time in gaming.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Bergevin-Jr/1393526370 Jim Bergevin Jr

I have always been one to want to have more options in games than less. For me, having items or similar things that allow progression or affect actual gameplay only available in a RMT store is crossing the line. However, I am fine with it so long as the other two base options are also available to get said item – normal gameplay and in-game auction house. As long as I have the choice to buy the Level 50 “Uber-Sword of Slaying” in the RMT store once my character reaches level 50, or get it via grinding when I reach 50, or buy it from another player who listed it in the auction house when my toon is 50, then it’s fine with me.
http://twitter.com/arsenicspritzer ArsenicSpritzer

It’s not just P2W that’s a danger, but developers stripping everything that could constitute a cosmetic change, out of the game, then throwing it in the store with a cash price on it. Of course, we would still pay full price for what’s left of the game.

It used to be that developers would give away stuff for free, or at least make an effort to cram as much content into their games as possible, in order to entice consumers to it and keep them there. Somewhere along the line, they managed to convince us that they have been doing us a favor all this time, and we gamers (i.e.suckers), believe them. That gives them license to take what used to be part of the paid box and put a premium cash price on it.

Some companies can be trusted with this model, but EA is not one of them. They are the worst exploiters this industry has ever produced and they will continue to be that, so long as gamers continue to support them. But like I said, we’re suckers. EA has nothing to worry about.
Krzysztof Kotarba

greed everywhere… EA is sucking life of every company they own, making them slaves to retarded ideas do get as much cash as it is possible. They don’t care at all about industry they just want more and more.

F them.

EA To Put Micro Transactions In All of Their Games

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