Microtransactions discovered in Bad Company |
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BY Dan Haspert March 24th, 2008 |
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With an expected 6 billion dollars in sales by 2011, EA is one of the largest third-party publishers in the world. To reach this level of sales a company must know how maximize its profits. And EA seems to have that area covered pretty well.
It has been discovered, through a weapons menu in the Battlefield: Bad Company beta, that EA is continuing to maximize its profits through microtransactions. The BF Bad Company beta will feature 5 weapons that will only be found in the gold edition of the game or downloadable through XBL Marketplace/PS Store. EA has also shared with IGN that 5 more guns will be sold during a promotional period leading up to the launch of the game on June 23, but will eventually be free after the release of the game. EA clarified that the guns will not give players an unfair advantage, but instead just offer a larger variety to choose from for those who wish to buy them.
As Chris recently so elegantly put it, microtransactions piss me off, and EA has mastered the art of getting more than just the $60 they sell each game for. If it’s not microtransactions, its intrusive in-game advertising. But the question that should be asked is; if microtransactions are so universally loathed, why does EA continue to use them? They wouldn’t unless it was profitable, so maybe they are not quite so hated, as we would like to believe?
[See also: Battlefield: Bad Company gallery]
March 24th, 2008
at 11:29 pm
“But the question that should be asked is; if microtransactions are so universally loathed, why does EA continue to use them? They wouldn’t unless it was profitable, so maybe they are not quite so hated, as we would like to believe?”
That is the problem. People will buy the crap. Just to say they have something not everyone has. And that is what EA is hoping for. Me, I will never buy that stuff.
March 25th, 2008
at 12:04 am
I loved The Godfather the game. But you would have to put a gun to my head, or let me win the lottery, to get me to buy the add-ons. And any MMO’s that I may be interested in that has microtransactions, I will not play even if it does not make me pay 15 bucks a month. Its the principal of the matter.
March 25th, 2008
at 3:56 am
“But the question that should be asked is; if microtransactions are so universally loathed, why does EA continue to use them? They wouldn’t unless it was profitable, so maybe they are not quite so hated, as we would like to believe?”
If you think about it, it’s like spam mail. Obviously there are some people out there creating a profit for their unsavory practices, or they wouldn’t continue to do it.
March 25th, 2008
at 11:30 am
Well, yes and no; I think they do it solely as another source of revenue. They certainly can’t charge ‘mmo rates’ monthly, so I suppose they feel left out of that cash cow… so they find another way to charge ‘post purchase’.
I thought this was interesting:
“The BF Bad Company beta will feature 5 weapons that will only be found in the gold edition of the game or downloadable through XBL Marketplace/PS Store.”
So… if you buy the ‘uber’ edition, you get said guns anyway? That would actually be a good thing in my mind; a la carte bonus weapons… that should already be in the game. >..<
March 25th, 2008
at 3:33 pm
I suppose it must cost EA nothing to sell these guns so every dollar they make, even if its just a dollar, it pure profit.