Kotaku reported, and later confirmed, that EA will be charging for guns in its upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company. It’s my opinion, and quite a lot of others’ opinions as well, that this is an offense against decency and a horrible idea. Obviously it’s bad for consumers; here’s why it’s bad for the company.
If I know before a game comes out that people who pay extra are going to have an advantage, then I’m not going to buy the game! It’s not enjoyable to play a multiplayer shooter when you’re at an unfair disadvantage to the other players. This means that to enjoy Battlefield: Bad Company, I’m going to have to pay for the Gold edition or the extra DLC guns, which means the game will really cost $70 or $80 rather than the $60 that’s standard for a 360/PS3 game. And hey, I can buy the Orange Box, Halo 3, or Gears of War for less (all top multiplayer shooters), or wait for another new FPS that’s at the standard price (there’s never going to be any shortage of FPSs coming out for the 360.)
So be smart, EA, and drop this idea. Well, that’s something we can’t expect; let’s hope customers just won’t buy it. I won’t.
