Turning Off Battlefront II Microtransactions Will Have No Impact On Earnings, EA Tells Investors

The "will they, won't they" drama surrounding the Star Wars Battlefront II microtransactions have been a wild ride, leaving many gamers feeling like they're 'in a glass case of emotion'. When EA made the announcement that they were temporarily removing all in-game purchases, hopefuls immediately rejoiced over the news. The very next day, the plans for the return of said transactions were already set in motion.

When speaking with investors, Electronic Arts assured them that removing microtransactions from Star Wars Battlefront II would have no "material impact" on the projected earnings for the title. This of course was said to calm the fires from investors that EA was "caving" into the fan pressure and that the temporary suspension would do more harm than good.

"On November 16, 2017, Electronic Arts Inc. ("EA") announced in a blog on its website at www.ea.com/news that it will turn off all in-game purchases for the Star Wars Battlefront II title until further notice. This change is not expected to have a material impact on EA's fiscal year 2018 financial guidance."

This statement was attached to the original blog post that caused the early celebration from fans. The original statement from EA was as folllows, which spurred investor concern:

"Thank you to everyone in our community for being the passionate fans that you are.

Our goal has always been to create the best possible game for all of you - devoted Star Wars fans and game players alike. We've also had an ongoing commitment to constantly listen, tune and evolve the experience as it grows. You've seen this with both the major adjustments, and polish, we have made over the past several weeks.

But as we approach the worldwide launch, it's clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We've heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we've heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn't get this right.

We hear you loud and clear, so we're turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we've made changes to the game. We'll share more details as we work through this.

We have created a game that is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Star Wars Battlefront II is three times the size of the previous game, bringing to life a brand new Star Wars story, space battles, epic new multiplayer experiences across all three Star Warseras, with more free content to come. We want you to enjoy it, so please keep your thoughts coming. And we will keep you updated on our progress."

is out now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Though the story was a fantastic addition, and incredibly well done, it unfortunately has been overshadowed by the controversy as of late. Hopefully with the implementations of in-game purchases, EA realises the true concern and keeps them purely cosmetic, versus the progression plans they have previously mentioned.