If you play video games at any capacity, you already know what EA (Electronic Arts) is. One of the biggest and most successful video game publishers in the world, EA is known for its Battlefield series, Titanfall, and more. Despite its success, however, EA has faced large amounts of criticism and backlash from gamers all over the world. So, why do gamers seem to hate EA so much?
Well, there are a number of reasons, especially related to EA’s monetization and microtransaction systems. However, there are more controversial points regarding EA that has made it the subject of such intensive hatred. Here are a few points many gamers make to explain why they hate EA so much:
1. EA’s Monetization is Extreme
One of the main complaints against EA is its systems of monetization, especially its heavy use of microtransactions.
Microtransactions are basically in-game purchases that give players the opportunity to buy virtual items like weapons, armor, and cosmetics. However, the money used is very real. Microtransactions are often beloved by the gaming industry for their ability to create profits beyond the point-of-sale.
Although many buy into microtransactions and frequently purchase them, many gamers are wholly against the practice. Many argue that microtransactions create less motivation to finish a game when great cosmetics are locked behind paywalls.
Other times, microtransactions can create advantages for some players by providing XP boosts or the like. Some video games take microtransactions to the point where the game simply becomes impossible to play without spending money; this is referred to as pay-to-win.
Loot Boxes Suck
EA has been criticized for another microtransaction system called loot boxes. These are basically like gambling in a way.
A loot box contains random items like armor, weapons, etc… and players spend real money to unlock them. However, you have no clue what you’re going to get and you may get low-level items more than not.
Like gambling, your chances of winning big from a loot box is pretty slim. Many gamers argue that it’s an exploitive system and that players should not feel enticed to spend money as though they were at a Vegas casino.
In general, EA often enforces pretty intensive monetization practices, leading to many gamers hating the company. In fact, EA has been stereotyped for this, with many jokes saying things like: “EA be like: Pay $5 to breathe air.”
2. EA Releases Broken Games
Many companies have been suffering from this as of late, but EA has been doing it for quite some time by now. Broken, unfinished, and incomplete games get released frequently by EA.
Not too long ago, EA released Battlefield 2042, which was met with intensive criticism. It was unfinished, broken, buggy, and lacked content upon release. It also did not feature a campaign and multiplayer maps were simply too large–clearly tailored to the scrapped battle royale idea.
Players were furious at EA for releasing Battlefield 2042 in the state that it was in. EA actually acknowledged that Battlefield 2042 did not perform as they hoped, but they pinned the blame on COVID-19, which did not sit well with many players as well.
3. EA Kills its Older Games
EA has many older multiplayer titles like Titanfall, but it simply refuses to support it any further. In fact, Titanfall was pulled off of digital shelves and Titanfall 2 has been all but abandoned by the company. This has caused Titanfall 2 to be taken over by hackers, leading to large levels of disappointment among the gaming community.
Another example of an older title that simply washed out of existence is Anthem. Now, the story of Anthem’s development and release is very intensive, but Anthem was not supported enough to last. And Anthem was basically shut down with no further developments being made. Clearly, the game was killed before it could have been given any more of a chance.
Favoring Free Over the Old
Many gamers have also accused EA of favoring its new, free-to-play games over its old games that players put real money into. Games like Apex Legends have largely been the focus of Respawn Entertainment, which may be the reason why a game like Titanfall 2 has largely been abandoned.
4. EA Has Bad Customer Service
Customer service is probably one of the most important parts of any company. When you have an unhappy customer, one of the most essential things is to ensure that their needs and met and satisfied so that they keep coming back to you.
However, EA has often been critiqued for its handling and approach of customer service. Many gamers have reported that they experienced poor service, unnecessarily long wait times, unhelpful responses, and a lack of transparency from the company.
Conclusions
Although EA is a very profitable and successful company, it’s not without problems. These problems have earned it a very poor reputation among many gamers online. And although many people still buy EA games, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be new complaints in the future.
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