When it comes to video game companies known for trying to extract as much money from its players, EA still ranks pretty high, as far as perception goes. I personally think Ubisoft and Warner Bros have become far more nefarious in their nickle and diming; riddling their full-priced, retail games with the worst sorts of microtransactions.
While EA really wants to keep its players engaged, and therefore perpetually spending their money, they don’t want consumers to feel like they’re being charged at every turn. EA’s CFO Blake Jorgensen, who’s responsible for at least 70% of today’s news stories, says that customers are growing tired of being charged for everything.
“I do think there’s a bit of consumer fatigue around feeling like they’re getting nickle and dimed all the time. And a lot of mobile games don’t allow you to have fun unless you’ve paid for it,” he said. “So we’re looking at new models of ways to try to alleviate some of that fatigue that’s going on. Some of those might come in the form of subscription-style, but some of them might simply come in different ways to play games over time so you don’t feel like you’re always getting nickel and dimed.”
Bit of a cheek, if you ask me – especially with a game like Star Wars: Battlefront being sold as half a game, with the rest of it locked behind a Season Pass, giving content in drips and drabs. That’s almost the point though; they want to keep users engaged for as long as possible, spending money in ways that have people think they’re getting great value.
“It could be a subscription, a subscription that has extra content as part of it, or a sole subscription, or it could be simply an upfront payment to a game that has extra content coming over time,” Jorgensen said. “What we want to do is give the consumer a great value for their money and keep them deeply engaged in something they love to do.”
Last Updated: November 18, 2015
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 14:35
Well you’ve already convinced suckers to pay a subscription fee to play demos and old games they otherwise wouldn’t have bought.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:47
True EA Access LOL!
kerryjonson
November 18, 2015 at 16:24
why you don’t attach with lazygamerrr If you wana get a reasonable income through laptop and if you have a reliable internet connection then you should be able to know how you make your income by laptop.this is very simple to know just vist my website
and sign up there for more details Tips here
Sageville
November 18, 2015 at 16:37
…
Jac7
November 18, 2015 at 14:37
I’m going to wait for Star Wars: Game of the Year edition with all that “extra” content to appear in the second-hand section of BT games and not buy it.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:37
Geez EA after EA story today what is going on hahah! I love EA best guys ever!!
Jac7
November 18, 2015 at 14:39
This is only part of it. You’ll need a season pass to catch up on all of EA’s bullshit.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:46
Hahaha lol!
Martin Human
November 18, 2015 at 15:06
This!
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 14:47
They are keeping the Albanians happy
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:49
……damn you!! hahaha
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 14:55
I have one for you.
Knock knock
Pariah
November 18, 2015 at 14:56
It’s a SEASON PASS!
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:57
who’s there??
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 15:14
Albanian
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:16
haha kind of saw that one coming but hey might as well bite the bullet!
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 15:16
Come now, play along.
Albanian
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:17
Albanian who?
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 15:33
Nope, that is the joke
😛
Aries
November 18, 2015 at 14:37
Why is there so much dumb s@#t coming out of Game companies this week
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:57
It seems to be dumbass week in general in the industry I mean some people bought Battlefront this week:)
Pariah
November 18, 2015 at 14:58
I’ll buy the game when its free. 😉
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:00
hahaha!
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 14:58
IKR?!?! I was one of the idiots who bought MGS V!! Man do I feel stupid…
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 14:59
I heard only good things about MGS V?? You don’t like it I am still 50/50 of getting in maybe when it’s cheap or second hand!
Francois Knoetze
November 18, 2015 at 15:07
WitWolfy has a bit of a MGSV grudge going through the articles. Starting it this week. its next on my backlog. Will let you know how it is.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:10
Thanks dude!
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:09
Get it second hand… The narrative is a mess, the missions are copy paste when you get to chapter 2, boss battles (or lack there of) are insulting and the plot holes are so MASSIVE that a 747 can fly through it.
As a hardcore MGS veteran this game is a slap in the face.
10/10 would not bang.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:11
Yeah I heard from most LG guys and writers the same thing after chapter 2 game becomes an absolute mess! When it comes to story and I also heard that the open world is quite boring and bland not much to do also the enemies all look alike and they really havent put much effort into them!
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:19
The sad thing is I remember Koji Pro bragging that time saying NO soldier looks the same in MGS V..
If you plan on playing MGS V for nothing more but capture base A, rescue prisoner C or kill general C.. Over and over and over again.
Then this is the game for you, other wise just Youtube it.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:23
It’s sad really yeah you know what’s the thing you not the only person I hear say that and the game not being in my genre will probably pass it!
Just got AC Unity for R250 on PSN the other day so when I am done with NFS looking forward to starting that:)
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:41
Hit me up for co-op action.
Nikola
November 18, 2015 at 15:43
I shall do so:)
Mistake Not...
November 18, 2015 at 14:44
Months before Battlefront comes out EA is like:
“Star Wars: Battlefront is a full game with the season pass offering additional items.”
A few days before release:
“We’re trying to find ways to keep our customers engaged (by putting the game on a slow drip).”
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 14:45
Before beta: “There’s no microtransactions!”
After beta: “Hey look, season pass!”
HvR
November 18, 2015 at 14:45
EA should be careful not push their whales to hard
https://media.giphy.com/media/rW5iiwIQs4hQ4/giphy.gif
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 14:46
daguq?
RinceThis
November 18, 2015 at 16:09
You mean how people are pushing this gif hard? lol
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 14:45
Dont care. EA have no relevance in my gaming habit. Mass Effect died with Shepard. Move on.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 14:46
But what if you need more Elfroot?
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 14:47
Thanks to The Witcher 3 I can never play Dragon Age ever again. As I said yesterday. ME3 and DA I are the only EA games that I have played in 5 years.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 14:55
ME3 was my last one. The Origin surprise was the last straw.
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 14:57
After Dead Space, Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 3… EA seized to exist.
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:00
I had a good collection on the 360, probably about 15+ games, then Ubosoft just took over for some reason. Most of the old COOOOOL games like The Saboteur, Brutal Legend, Mirrors Edge, Dead Space…
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:05
15 games… Cute 😉 But I know what you mean.
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:10
Back when games cost R499 in 2008.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 15:11
R299. Oh wait…
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:11
😉 and all off line. Not a Physical key for a 40gig download.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 15:12
I must still have had 56k dial up at home then.
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:15
I had a normal phone.
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:12
It did?? All my games costed R600. But after a while Cash converters and other pawnshops became my source for buying games.. Some pawnshops sold 360 games for like R100, I remember buying RDR for like R100 when it was 6 months old. SCORE!
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:14
We dont seem to get those bargain bins anymore. I remember finding ICO for R49. Even the second hand games in BT are almost full retail.
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:20
I agree. the Order is like R600 at certain BT games shop pre played. I was like.. Screw that, I rather download it digitally for like R400 when goes on sale again.
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:23
dafuq? It should have been R299 at full retail. Even a 5 hour movie is cheaper. But it is crazy. You buy the game for R850, then sell it to BT for R200 then they resell it at R600.
They must making lots off of the second hand games.
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 15:40
The took MGS V off my hands for like R350 Friday. I thought that was too generous of them. That game is a piece of shit.LOL
oVg
November 18, 2015 at 15:45
dam, you hate that game. lol
RinceThis
November 18, 2015 at 16:11
hahaha he does :{
WitWolfy
November 19, 2015 at 07:07
Me shortly after chapter 2 started.
RinceThis
November 18, 2015 at 16:10
spoiler! 😛
Mistake Not...
November 18, 2015 at 14:46
“EA’s CFO Blake Jorgensen … says that customers are growing tired of being charged for everything.”
I’m pretty sure EA pioneered this strategy.
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 14:47
I’ve had enough EA news for one day, STAHP!
Hammersteyn
November 18, 2015 at 14:49
Fuckoff
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
November 18, 2015 at 14:55
I’d ask where did the nasty EA touch you, but they are screwing us all
Hammersteyn
November 18, 2015 at 14:57
They’re selling us a cheeseburgers with the cheese and patty separately, but people are too retarded to realize this.
WitWolfy
November 18, 2015 at 14:53
“they don’t want consumers to feel like they’re being charged at every turn”
Like being charged full retail for an incomplete experience.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 18, 2015 at 14:56
Well they didn’t say they wouldn’t charge customers at every turn, just that they don’t want customers to feel that’s what’s happening.
Hammersteyn
November 18, 2015 at 14:58
subscriptions, I’d die laughing if they made a game with subscriptions
RinceThis
November 18, 2015 at 16:07
GITFS
HisDivineOrder
November 18, 2015 at 17:43
“We don’t want to nickel and dime you. We want to respect the player and reduce your weariness with having your wallet sucked dry.”
“Great, great. Thanks. It’s great to hearing gaming is going to get simple again.”
“Yes, yes. Btw, $60 for Battlefront.”
“Oh, okay, I guess since that’ll be it, it’ll make sense…”
“And $50 for the Battlefront Season Pass.”
“What?”
“And hey, $50 per year for EA’s Xbox One subscription to play early.”
“YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT!”
“Yes, we are. Now we KNOW how bad nickel and diming is. Before, we didn’t. Now we know. Sure, we still do it, but hey… at least you know we know.”
S.M. Archer
November 18, 2015 at 22:40
I get suckered for the season pass stuff and I hate it. It aggravates me to no end. “You literally just made me spend $60 dollars on a game, now you want me to spend another $50? Fuck, fine, yes i want the DLC stuff that comes out immediately. Here’s my money, but I’m not happy about it.”