Electronic Arts Says the Future is Freemium

[ShadowKirby]

To all of you hating on this right now, I hope you realize that TF2 is basically a freemium game right?

 

[Jowe]

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.

I personally trust valve to not fuck this sort of thing up, because they haven't with things like DOTA2 and TF2. The pay for stuff is optional and purely cosmetic, or it can be got in other easy ways. But knowing EA they will undoubtedly fuck this up and make you pay 200$ if you want to buy all of the content, and have next to no other way of obtaining the items in a realistic timescale, and the best ones will only be obtainable if you pay for them; ie they will continue to be money grabbing bastards.

 

[beniki]

Ahh, freemium. Because devs don't want to program AI.

Really. Make a game free, so that all your paying customers have easy targets to shoot at that might present a challenge. It's perfect.

 

[Zealous]

In other news, EA's stock continues to plummet. Board members scramble to release something to the presses to make it seem like they know what they're doing. It doesn't work. More on this story as it develops.

 

[Ghonzor]

No. Just no.
I'm rather okay with paying upfront in order to not have to pay later at inopportune times.
DLC not withstanding.
I would very likely just quit buying new games if that was the model of "the future."

*token EA hate as well*

But honestly, had a company I like said this I would still feel the same. Valve could say it and I would just assume they snapped. Frankly, what I can't wrap my head around is EA talking about giving anything away for free. It would probably just be a title screen that insults its audience until they paid money to shut it up.

 

[FoolKiller]

They already do this. Tiger Woods 13 anyone?

You can unlock all the extra content for free but at such a staggeringly slow pace that you would have to play 40 hours a week till the servers shut down in two years to have a decent chance at unlocking it.

Edit: hating the new layout. twice i've quoted the wrong content because I'm used to the quote button near the bottom of the post i just read and not at the top. Dear Escapist, please stop screwing with the format for at least a year so we can get used to it.

 

[FoolKiller]

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

No it doesn't. Aliens and cats are way to smart to fuck shit up the way EA does.

 

[hellsop]

Ironically, this comes RIGHT AFTER Microsoft announces shutting down ongoing development of MS Flight, the "freemium" flight sim game less than five months after release. I guess it didn't work out too well for them....

 

[Gormech]

While it may sound good to some in theory, consider this:

Remember all the mmorpg timesinks that claimed to be 'free' but ended up being if not pay to win, a grindfest where you could pay to level faster, or just a plain wallet-milker in general?

Lets get a decent system to fix those problems before we start getting rid of the one type of game that has some immunity to them. One time payment does have its plus sides.

 

[Recycled-awesome]

To all of you hating on this right now, I hope you realize that TF2 is basically a freemium game right?

TF2 doesn't let you buy your way to domination. No weapon is clearly superior to any other. I'm still using the stock sniper rifle. And it's level server clearing. That changes nothing in the game. TF2 purchases bascically do nothing to change the game's dynamics. In fact certain weapons are worse then others on many situations so you're wasting money. Plus the game gives you free stuff on a scheduled basis that you wold otherwise buy. Buying doesn't get you ahead in the game. Which is fundamentally different from other Freemium games. TF2's problem is that valve secure is more like valve front door open steal my stuff. The number of blatant hacks is getting out of hand. Obvious aim bots where a guy gets 30 headshots in a row without missing, wall hacks, instant übercharge hacks its all rather ridiculous. Freemium works well on tf2 as the only thing that's gets you ahead aside from cheating is skill and team work.