Electronic Arts Says the Future is Freemium

[Bloodstain]

They are probably right, although it will pain me to see it happen.

 

[FalloutJack]

EA, your future is Unobtanium.

 

[cthulhuspawn82]

"one time payment" is the best option for a video game. The other business models are scams. They exist because, using that model, you can get people to pay much more for a game than they would on a one time purchase. In terms of the money an average person spends, "free" games are the most expensive ones on the market.

 

[sethisjimmy]

Once again the EA PR department proves how utterly and completely retarded they are. Great job guys!

Somebody needs to tell EA to just not ever talk to the press, as they are incapable of giving good news to the consumer.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

It's funny to me that they decided to put this out after Zynga crashed and burned, showing that the future of Freemium titles is not as strong as they seem to think it is.

Zynga stock crashes and burns.

A few days later...

"The future is Freemium!"

EA would you kindly shut your mouth? Releasing statements like this after the largest Freemium game developer has disolved into a messy train-wreck doesn't exactly spark investor confidence.

 

[Charli]

Charli says: "The future is EA keeps talking, should probably stop."

 

[sca462069]

Isn't this what demo's are supposed to be for?
You try it (The demo) and like it, So you buy the full game?

Also "It describes games that are free to download and play, but that charge for certain advanced aspects or functionality like new levels" EA do that now, except they charge you to download and play it as well, then they call the "Advanced aspects or functionality like new levels" DLC.

 

[VoidWanderer]

Trying games without paying for them...

Thought those were called 'demos'.

And EA speculating on a good future of the gaming scene?

Yeah...

 

[MortisLegio]

I cannot see this ending well for the consumers. Not with EA holding onto the "freemium" reigns.

$1 ammo clips, anyone?

No the magazine is free, the bullets however cost $1 for 4.

Ot: EA. As many have said, You're a company run by idiots. Zynga all but bottomed out like a week ago and you say this stupidity. Just... you make me...

 

[John the Gamer]

Just make it so that Star Wars: the Old Republic drops it's subscription and you can do all the retarded shit you want, EA.

Like making the same sports games year after year.

Or making a pretty terrible steam ripoff.


Oh wait.

 

[bigfatcarp93]

Oooh, EA is doing something again! THIS SHOULD PAN OUT WELL.

 

[Baldr]

I love how they spent so much money advertising that SimCity social was unlike Cityville, only to make a more friction mechanic based game that plays worse than Cityville.

 

[monkeymo4d]

People I think we may have to consider the possibility that EA is run by aliens or atleast talking cats......yea that makes more sense

 

[Flight]

Interesting timing, considering what's going on with Zynga right now. One has to wonder just how much attention EA is paying to potential consumers, especially given the flurry of bad PR that's been dogging their footsteps for awhile now.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

EA's either really dumb or some of the worst trolls around. I mean, look what happened to Zynga not even a week ago! They relied on the Freemium model, and they took a massive nosedive!

The timing is impeccable. It's almost as if EA saw Zynga's reports and said "this would be a perfect time to claim that their main business model is the future! *Trollface*"

 

[ResonanceSD]

Not sure how good Triple Town is as an example, it's not really following the traditional pay-2-win strategy that EA dumps on people =\


I bought it ages ago, so that might have changed by now, but IIRC, paying the fee would allow you unlimited turns rather than getting a certain amount of turns per hour?

 

[Rainboq]

I bet $100 most every single reply to this thread would be of a much sunnier disposition had it been Valve that said this.

Remember when Steam fist enabled gifts? Remember how many people were excited, thinking it could have been the start towards trading used games? Now remember yesterday when GameStop said they want used digital games? Everyone raged and said used digital games could never work, that it was a terrible idea and that it would ruin gaming.

This community is bias as all fuck.

Being able to buy a game and send that to a friend is a lot different than reselling something. And people don't like used games because it's less money to the devs.

OT: On the topic of people buying games they like playing: Isn't that what a demo is for?

 

[Twilight_guy]

Whooo, whoo there guys! Freemium is a good idea but lets not get carried away here. Many companies still don't even know how to properly use the concept of freemium yet. We're nowhere near ready to start thinking about its ultimate extension, modular game design. I'm excited for that day too, but its kind of like personal jetpacks, so close and yet so far away.

 

[Danzavare]

....so they want to charge us to play demos?

[sub]Protip - We can play demos for games now free of charge, true story.[/sub]

 

[Evil Smurf]

why is a squarish pedo bear the logo thing of this article?
http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/105/105188.png