EA’s CFO has offered another response to the Star Wars Battlefront II loot box controversy. Speaking at today’s Nasdaq Investor Conference, Jorgunsen described the furore around the game’s microtransactions as “a learning experience.”
Battlefront II now gives bigger end-of-match bonuses.
That’s certainly an interesting way to speak about a series of decisions so ill-informed that EA have been constantly shifting their approach to the issue. Rewards have been raised, prices have been lowered, and microtransactions were temporarily turned off in the wake of significant dissatisfaction. The situation has escalated to the point where several governmental agencies are investigating claims that the game’s microtransactions constitute gambling.
Echoing comments made last week, Jorgunsen says the past few weeks have been “a great learning experience for us,” and that “we consider ourselves a learning organisation.” HE goes on to say “if we’re not learning, that means we’re failing in some way and we’re constantly trying to watch what people do and how they play and listen to them to decide what’s the best way to build great games.”
It does sound like that’s a genuine sentiment, however, as Jorgunsen says it’s not 100% confirmed that microtransactions will be re-added to the game. According to Gamespot, discussion is focused on “when or if” they will return, and if they do, exactly how that will happen.
Despite the controversy, Jorgunsen says Battlefront II is seeing “great retention,” and that updates and new content, as well as interest in The Last Jedi, will continue to drive sales throughout the holidays.