Does anyone remember the good old days when Electronic Arts (EA) actually made really cool games and didn’t try to appeal to the lowest common denominator?
Ah, but that was before EA sold out faster than Metallica (or Adrian Lamo) and adopted a gaming model more appropriate for a generation with a three minute attention span – on a good day.
Fortunately, the spirit of “classic” gaming is alive and well at Bethesda, with titles like Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Now we all know times are tough and EA has to design games that appeal to a modern mass audience. I get that, I truly do, even though I don’t necessarily like the idea.
But selling a virtual Need for Speed Car for $100? Does this not just seem slightly sleazy and obnoxious – even though Koenigsegg CCX “Elite” Edition is currently on sale for a cool $75 through December 21?
Think about it: $75-$100 is just a tad more than most popular games sell for today, with even the priciest titles weighing in at around $60 dollars or so.
Now I’m obviously not the only one who feels that EA is being somewhat ridiculous here, as Destructoid’s Jim Sterling says he can’t help but laugh at EA’s latest shenanigans as they ask users to spend obscene amounts of money for “premium elite” (virtual) vehicles.
“[Then again], EA [also] instituted a subscription fee for Tetris, and is offering rides in Theme Park for $60,” writes Sterling.
“It’s a shame, because I always thought free-to-play was an interesting model with serious potential. More fool me for not guessing the locusts would tear into it and ruin the whole thing before it ever gained serious ground.”
