EA has been the subject of some intense hatred over the years, but the company has now managed to achieve the seemingly impossible... uniting the whole internet against it. The result is that everybody hates EA, and it's all because of EA's attitude to Star Wars: Battlefront II players.
Star Wars: Battlefront II is the follow-up to the 2015 original. That first game was criticized for the lack of a single-player campaign, and the need to buy DLC to unlock most of the multiplayer modes and maps. And somehow EA has managed to make things worse with Battlefront II.
EA Wants You to Buy, Buy, Buy
Battlefront II is technically an improvement over the original. It looks phenomenal, plays brilliantly, and has a single-player campaign worth completing. The DLC is also being given away for free, meaning everyone can play all the maps, with no extra money having changed hands.
Unfortunately, EA still wants to make extra money beyond the $60 gamers cough up to own the game in the first place. Hence the inclusion of microtransactions designed to encourage you to spend money on extra items which can, as it turns out, help you succeed at the game.
Even the iconic Star Wars characters, such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, are locked down until you either play long enough to unlock them, or purchase crystals to speed up the process. It's a convoluted system designed to keep you playing or spending money, or preferably both.
One Redditor worked out how long it would take to unlock these characters, figuring out each one takes 40 hours of playing time. And EA's response, which claims the intent is to "provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment" is the most downvoted comment ever on Reddit.
Stop Buying Games Full of Microtransactions
Gamers are used to getting ripped off. However, these latest moves adding microtransactions to full-price titles is a step too far. Release games for free and then charge for extras all you want, but don't expect gamers to pay money for an incomplete game and then pay more money later.
Gamers are sick of being taken advantage of in this way, and many are cancelling their Star Wars: Battlefront II pre-orders as a direct result of EA's attitude to their core customers. The only way to stop these money-grabbing tactics in the future is by refusing to buy affected games.
Did you play the original Star Wars: Battlefront? Did you enjoy the experience? What do you think of the way EA has implemented progression in Battlefront II? Does the company deserve the hatred it's currently getting online? Please let us know in the comments below!