EA believes in microtransactions “when done right”

EA has used a recent investor briefing to assert it will continue to use microtransactions in its titles.

“We believe that live services that include optional digital monetization, when
done right, provide a very important element of choice that can extend and enhance the
experience in our games,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said. “We’re committed to continually working with our players to deliver the right experience in each of our games and live services.”

EA’s digital net bookings for live services, including microtransactions like those planned for Star Wars: Battlefront 2 alongside other add-on content like subscriptions, earned the company $787 million USD in the last quarter. That figure is an improvement of 39% compared to last year.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2‘s microtransactions were pulled at the very last minute before the game launched. EA has since rejigged the game’s progression system to account for the removal, though cosmetic microtransactions will be inserted shortly. Wilson called the situation “a learning opportunity.”

“We never intended to build an experience that could be seen as unfair or lacking clear progression, so we removed the feature that was taking away from what fans were telling us was an otherwise great game,” Wilson continued.

“We are fortunate to have such passionate players that will tell us when we get it right, and when we don’t. We’re now working hard on more updates that will meet the needs of our players, and we hope to bring these to the Battlefront II community in the months ahead.”

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is available now on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4.