EA did not intend to “create a slot machine” in Battlefront 2

“I think as with any creative form where you run a large team, such as in games or film, you have to realise that not everything you do will be successful. Every developer on the planet can attest to that,” Söderlund says. 

“When things don’t go as you thought they would, you have to be very humble towards what happened, take an honest approach with yourself and with the result, and try to do better next time. This was an example of change that didn’t work. There’s no getting away from the fact that we made some decisions that I think in hindsight we shouldn’t have made. Neither the developer nor [EA] intended to create a slot machine or take money from people, though that was the perception.”

In case you’d forgotten, here’s how Battlefront 2’s progression and microtransactions systems used to work. In abstract: Star Cards gave vital in-game buffs, particularly when upgraded by way of duplicate copies, and had been accessible in loot crates that might be purchased with actual cash. 

This tied real-money funds very carefully to gameplay benefits, resulting in a now-infamous backlash  that has overspilled the boundaries of the video games media. Battlefront 2’s microtransactions have since returned to the sport in a way more palatable type. They are actually among the most beneficiant in gaming, however the injury has undoubtedly been achieved.

The full interview is over at The Guardian and nicely price a learn. Söderlund additionally discusses trendy video games growth and its many challenges, relating EA’s exceptionally beneficiant ‘Originals’ indie label.