EA Denies Steering Players Into FUT
EA responds to journalist's allegations that the company is trying to convince players to only play FUT.
Yesterday, information appeared in the media about Electronic Arts encouraging players to play FIFA Ultimate Team at the expense of other game modes. In a statement sent to Eurogamer, company representatives unequivocally denied these allegations.
CBC/Radio-Canada journalists Erica Johnson and Kimberly Ivany reportedly accessed internal EA documents, in which the company clearly stated its policy on FIFA games. The most important part of that document was said to be a point stating that the team behind the game is doing everything possible to steer players towards Ultimate Team mode. This one, as we know, includes packs - lootboxes, which can be bought with real money. The documents were revealed by an anonymous insider. He added that EA had planned the progression system in FUT in such a way that players bored with grind coins are more likely to buy packages for money.
We did not have to wait long for EA's reaction. In the aforementioned statement, they called the allegations a sensational story, which is a misinterpretation of facts. In response, Electronic Arts stresses that they do not force or encourage anyone to spend money in their games - such actions are completely optional. Moreover, according to the devs, the vast majority of players have never spent anything on microtransactions. In addition, the game has an advanced mechanism of spending control, through which we can, for example, set a limit on how much time we spend playing and how much money we can spend.
Americans point out that their main goal when creating and developing FIFA games is to provide players with new content regularly. What's more, throughout the year (a new FIFA is released every twelve months and support for the old edition ends with the release of the new one), there are in-game tasks that bring tangible rewards in the form of packs, cosmetic items and special versions of players. None of the modes within Ultimate Team require payment - players are free to choose from a variety of gameplay types, from offline matches to online clashes.
We also have to hand it to EA that in no other game mode - be it career, Pro Clubs, tournaments, seasons, or quick match - do they encourage the player to switch to FUT. Ultimate Team is just one of the tiles on the home screen, and from time to time there will be some information on the welcome page relating to what's new in FUT.
Not all of the arguments cited by EA are 100% in line with reality, though. Players have repeatedly proven that creating a dream team in FUT without paying borders on miracle and special cards available in packs for a limited time encourage to spend money on limited content.
It's hard to say who is right in this argument. It's clear that Electronic Arts makes a lot of money from Ultimate Team, and it gets the most attention when promoting the game on social media. On the other hand, it's important to remember that FIFA isn't just about FUT - there are dozens of other engaging modes available to players. It seems that EA must maintain the right balance between squeezing money out of players in FUT and taking care of other game modes that do not contain microtransactions.
