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+--- Thread: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread (/showthread.php?tid=167)
The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Cap'n Coconuts - 12-01-2017
Here's a fine thread for discussing Electronic Arts, Star Wars: Battlefront II, loot boxes, and other related goodies! So, where to begin?
So, not too long ago, EA released Battlefront II. The games was riddled with bugs (at least, the version Jim Sterling played) and filled to the brim with loot boxes! For those not in the know, a loot box is a microtransaction where you buy random game things with real money, and Battlefront II all but expected you to buy loads of them. You could play hours upon hours to start unlocking things, but who wants to do that?
This blew up spectacularly, causing EA to lose billions in stock value and attracting unwanted attention from government regulators. To date it seems EA is continuing to dig itself a hole by blaming canon for not having pink Darth Vader and other cosmetics as well as aggressively monetizing other games (swear warning).
So get your popcorn and join me on EA's wild ride.
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - DustinVG - 12-01-2017
(12-01-2017, 05:43 PM)Cap'n Coconuts Wrote: blaming canon for not having pink Darth Vader and other cosmetics
I have not heard this daring tale of woe
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Willsaber - 12-01-2017
A lot of people misinterpret Blake Jorgensen's comment on canon, because they don't know what the word "canon" even means. It is not synonymous with "continuity", as many pseudo-intellectuals think it is. Canon is, abstractly, the collection of ideas and pieces in a work. It is NOT the pieces which collectively form continuity. Continuity is also subjective, so arguing on that front arbitrary, which is why people responded poorly to what they think Jorgensen said.
Pink!Darth Vader, to my knowledge, has never appeared in the official canon, and is incidentally also absent from either core Star Wars continuity. Star Wars Battlefront II aims to represent the official canon by drawing in a multitude of ideas from it, but it pays little heed to continuity, because it doesn't think that is very important. By implementing Pink!Darth Vader, it would be appending to canon instead of merely reflecting it, which fundamentally contradicts the project's direction.
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Cap'n Coconuts - 12-01-2017
I'm sure pay-to-win loot boxes represent the canon even better than an alternate Darth Vader color scheme.
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Friendly Dictator - 12-01-2017
loot boxes should be illegal
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Miles - 12-06-2017
I'm usually not a fan of the idea of games getting regulated for their content, but this is a situation I feel actually calls for it.
So, bit of a development going on. Some high up people in the US are trying their hand at getting some legislative action going, and have the goal to at the very least put some pressure on the corporate entities pushing these gambleboxes to tone it down or make it more fair. At the forefront of this battle is Hawaii state representative Chris Lee, who is also a gamer himself and as such seems to be very knowledgeable on multiple angles of this subject. Also he's apparently just a cool dude to start with.
Check these out:
Video: Initial "predatory practices" call-out highlights, Business Insider article about it
Video: Note about getting some traction and saying he'll be doing some behind the scenes updates as this goes along
Video: Legislative language and general call to action
Mighty interesting development, I'd say.
RE: The EA Loot Box Drama Thread - Zero Kirby - 12-06-2017
Lootboxes are gambling. In situations where you can outright buy them, you are paying real money to bet on a randomized outcome.
Hey, if Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver removed the slot machines because that's gambling even though you can't spend real money, then lootboxes (which are basically slot machines that do not look like slot machines) should be regulated.
I don't even have a problem with lootboxes the concept because they can be done fine enough. I've played a lot of Uncharted 4, which has lootboxes, but you can also just buy whatever skins or accessories you want outright instead of gambling should you wish, but if you do go the lootbox route, you at least can't get dupes (and you can actually reasonably expect to earn enough in-game currency by actually playing the game to open some without spending money). But practices where companies are actually basically forcing you to spend on them either through making getting them naturally take much longer than is reasonable, or intentionally pairing you against people who have opened far more lootboxes in order to convince you to spend more because hey look at that guy's stuff, is disgusting. It is taking advantage of that natural human instinct of "hey that person has things I don't now I want that thing".
Adults can fight that off a lot better than children can.