At this point, some 30 or so RPGs in, I really have to wonder how many people are actually playing all the games Kemco’s putting out there. As regular readers know, I really love RPGs, and even I’m starting to feel like we’re reaching some kind saturation point with this company. Nevertheless, we must put one foot in front of the other, because the games do at least improve over time, and you never know when something worth getting excited about will come along. Soul Of Deva ($4.99) is not quite that game, but like many other recent Kemco efforts, I feel like we’re getting very close. Given that I can make decent claim to having written more words about Kemco mobile RPGs than just about anyone on Earth, a tragic title if ever there was one, I tend to build expectations about their releases before I even start them up. Typically, I base this on the specific developer, and it rarely fails.
Well, consider me surprised on this one, and in a pleasant way. I’ve always said that of all the developers Kemco uses, the two with the most potential are EXE Create and Hit-Point. The former produces very solid efforts with enjoyable characters, and has been pushing into 3D graphics with recent titles like Illusion Of L’Phalcia ($8.99). The latter has demonstrated a consistent knack for creating fun character building systems, and has recently been playing around with all sorts of unusual concepts like Rusted Emeth ($7.99)’s golem combat. Soul Of Deva is their latest work, and rather than join their stablemate in the world of 3D, they’ve decided instead to make their 2D art look better than ever. This game is surprisingly kind of beautiful, especially in the battles. It’s an unusual turn for a developer who in the past hasn’t really paid much mind to sprucing up the visuals, but I have to say that it’s a very nice change.
I’m also pretty impressed with the battle system. It’s the usual turn-based type at its heart, but there’s an interesting twist. Your party members, and the enemy party, are placed on separate grids with eight squares each. Each character can choose to move on their turn before attacking. If you do so, you’ll take a hit to your accuracy, but enemies will have a harder time hitting you on that turn. It’s a very creative way to make use of the excess space that is all too familiar in RPG combat, and it lends the battles a sense of motion that is generally missing in this genre. They even build on the concept a bit, allowing you and your enemies to place special pieces on each other’s grids, such as bombs or blocks, that can hinder your movement or even damage you if you’re standing too close. It’s a nice way to encourage you to make use of the movement system’s ins and outs. Your battle party can have up to three members in it, with your whole group eventually consisting of five members, and anyone who doesn’t participate in battle will receive no experience points, so keep that in mind, since there are a few points where party members will temporarily leave.
The character development system is pretty flexible, allowing you to customize your characters to a reasonable extent. The key to it is the weapon each character carries, called a Soul Arm. Your characters will learn certain inherent skills as they level up, but you can add to those skills by equipping special orbs to a character’s Soul Arm. Initially, you can only equip one, but you’ll unlock the ability to equip up to four. You can also customize each Soul Arm’s parameters using Soul Points earned in battle, tweaking things like critical hit chance or magical damage. These points need to be pooled between your characters, and the more you upgrade a character in one stat, the more points it costs. You have to make decisions about whether you want to focus on a core team or spread the love around.
Between the excellent new visual style and the unique gameplay mechanics, Soul Of Deva ends up feeling fresher than most of Kemco’s fare. It’s not completely free of the things that tend to haunt their monthly releases, however. The story comes in hard and fast with the well-worn “fantasy racism" trope, making it the crux around which the entire plot revolves while, perhaps expectedly, failing to add anything new to the idea or even going past the surface even in familiar ways. The main characters are also pretty standard fare, with hero Shin filling the “jerk with a heart of gold" role, heroine Sania slotting nicely into the “magical girl with a mysterious origin" type, for example. Their interactions are also a little tiresome in how rote they are, and an overly-literal translation doesn’t do the script any favors with its awkward phrasing and dryness. I appreciate that we’re not getting out-and-out bad translations from Kemco anymore, but it would be nice if the somewhat excessive text dumps were actually interesting to read. That’s something EXE Create’s translator excels at, and I wish they would tap that person to handle other Kemco releases.
Like other Kemco RPGs, Soul Of Deva includes IAPs in the form of points you can buy to exchange for cheat items. I actually like how it’s handled in this game. You can get some points simply by playing the game, and every 30 minutes, you can play a mini-game where you can win more points or even some of the cheat items directly. None of this content is story or character-related, and it doesn’t take many cheat items to completely break the game over your knee, so the IAP feels even more unnecessary than usual. The rest of the options and play mechanics follow the usual pattern, for better or worse. Shops don’t tell you if equipment is an improvement over what your character is using, so you constantly have to dig into your menu, make note of the numbers, and talk to the shopkeeper, probably doing so several times on each shopping trip to get everyone equipped. The menus are a bit of a mess at times, and it’s not initially clear where you need to go to do certain things like equipping new gear. Controls use both a touch and virtual button-style interface, and you can switch between the two at your leisure. These are all things you are likely used to if you’ve played Hit-Point’s other recent adventures.
Unfortunately, the audio doesn’t match up to the surprising graphical overhaul. Once again, we only get about four or five different pieces of music for the entire game. At the very least, the style is pretty unusual for a fantasy RPG, with the boss music’s electric guitar rock-out being a particular highlight. There are no voices this time around, which is just as well given the middling performances turned in on Kemco’s other games. It feels like there might have been voices planned at one point, though, because clearing text boxes takes way longer than it should. It’s kind of irritating when you just want to get through all the clunky dialogue and get back to the adventuring.
That all said, if the worst things I can complain about are a somewhat clumsy interface and a generic story, we’re clearly seeing some real progress in this publisher’s output. I could nitpick at other things like the game’s odd difficulty balancing or the lack of interesting puzzles in dungeons. Instead, I’m just going to say that Soul Of Deva demonstrates a surprising amount of effort and change for a publisher that has been nearly synonymous with the opposite. If you’re in these things for the stories, you won’t be all that impressed. If you’re just looking for a good time with a JRPG that mixes things up a little without venturing too far off the beaten path, you might want to give this one a try, especially at an introductory or sale price.
I've recently vowed to never purchase an EA product again. It's a little too late for EA as far as my wallet is concerned.
I have a household of gamers and the last EA game anyone here purchased was Mass Effect 3. We have not spend money on anything from them since, vowing not to. EA has forgone the core gamer for the quick buck. There strength is to try to drill as much money out of casual gamers as possible and that's not in a good way. They have alienated the many gamers that help build them up to their company.
Unfortunately, epic titles from them seem to be a thing of the past and now blunder opportunities by infesting and riddling them with IAP. They have shown little to no interest in what players want. They have been at the forefront of pushing the envelope on Freemium and IAP models, often with negative results. They have helped change the Face of the mobile industry and it is a sad affair.
Im with you on that one. At least for mobile games that is. As for consol games, it better be a game I really, really want...
I know what you mean, but after the NHL 15 fiasco, I don't want anything to do with them.
I'm the same way. As someone who has purchased most of EA's premium titles, I have become disgusted with their business model over the last couple of years. I will never support an EA free-to-play game. They've left a bad taste in my mouth that will take a long time to get rid of.
Nba Jam was the last EA game I purchased, would love to see the rosters updated for that game.
Yes EA please update NBA Jams. Also I wish they would port FIFA Street over to iOS. I love me some FIFA Street on PS3/Xbox 360.
People vote with their wallets. It's pretty much impossible to run a campaign to change the app store as it is, but wouldn't that be nice? I'd go back to a premium-fueled marketplace any day.
When it comes to movies, everyone I talk to prefers paying a flat monthly fee -- then being able to watch everything unlimited -- instead of acquiring title after title. The entertainment store of the future may just do the same, and have the market decide which store to flock to. Pay once, play every game on the store as much as you want (with developers getting a percentage of the flat fee based on how much their game is played). It's in the hands of the app stores, really, to stop the toxic effects on game design IAP causes.
Thanks!
Might be the most beautiful thing I've read about mobile gaming in a long time. Thanks for taking the time to create this, and represent us premium, core gamers. I appreciate it a ton. They'd have gotten quite a few dollars from me this past year IF their games offered me a premium experience. Loved Dead Space, NBA Jam, and FIFA 14. If anything, you have given me my huge cathartic experience for the day. So, again, thank you.
An excellent open letter, sadly it probably won't make a difference. But It does make me happy that you're willing to tell them like it is, in a professional, polite manner.
I don't play games that have IAP, period, so EA has been off my radar completly for a very, very long time.
You and me both brother, "free to play" is NOT "free".
Those days when developers gives out free games because our support (wing commander). No longer exist, because the industry is controlled by greedy exbankers and CEOs that doesn't even PLAY games.
These days any games with the "free" icon I avoid like the plague, any games with iap I read very carefully between the lines before I buy.
Business should be making it easier for customers, but what they're doing now is actually making it harder for us.
With a full court press towards freemium titles, Electronic Arts has transformed into Electronic Assets. They may have not lost any money in doing so, but they've lost all credibility in the world of mobile gaming.
My #1 wish: stop ruining great games. (Scrabble burned me first, although it has improved slightly.)
#2: fix existing messes.
#3: start making great games again. Go for fun first, and money-funnelling second. I remember when EOA* was a gaming brand I really respected.
* When they had the cube-sphere-pyramid logo, I thought it was "EOA" and always wondered what the "O" was for. I was young...
Pretty much sums it up exactly.
The question is, will they actually listen?
I hope so.
Mainly because there is a lot of, probably every, important key point in there.
On that, another Dead Space game like the first would be super cool (as long as it's not the Dungeon Keeper payment model).
The fact that they asked will lend me towards optimism (albeit very cautiously).
Good luck with it, I'd be curious to hear if you get a response.
Yup, the fact that they pushed the Dead Space team into the Real Racing team made me super mad. I hope they start working on a game like Dead Space Mobile or ME: Infiltrator instead of shelling out more car DLC no one cares about
Nicely said, keep us updated with more reviews and gaming news. (:
Stupid NBA Jam. Was a great game till EA left it behind in the dust.
Everything EA touches, leave it's mark.
Yes and not a good mark either.
Great words for a "little" company, i think that exactly like you.
Stop freemium craps.
P.s. I love the Dr.Evil picture
Nothing is gonna change, people. Business is business and, well, it's EA.
Well said, but you should credit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. if you are gonna quote him. Like this:
"Nothing is gonna change, people"
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ironic isn't it? people did changed.
Very very well said!! Not that EA will give a crap but it's still nice to see someone be honest with them.
Well written and coldly honest. The cynic in me says EA won't be interested; that the original letter was a PR ploy to get some flashy quotes with which to stroke the investors in a PowerPoint presentation. EA is in trouble. On the one hand they see where the revenue is, on the other, they have their loyal customers who are increasingly feeling betrayed and ignored. The end result will be still more indecisive, disapointing titles which in turn will drive investment money away from gaming in general.
Again, well written Eli but, despite the good people who work there, speaking truth to a corporation is like trying to explain physics to a rock.
I would sell my grandmothers false leg to hear EAs reply to this.
A round of applause and a cold bevvy or three for everyone at the TA office that thought this was a good idea.
EA's acquisition of Chillingo has been a complete fail for non hardcore gamers.
EA doesn't need a survey to tell them what they are doing wrong. They know. If they want to change, do it already. Make high quality premium games!
Very well written. Almost brought a tear to my eye..........almost! I'm a man damnit!
EA has such a large footprint, and owns so many properties, but it seems like they take the easy way out on so many things.
Take Ultima for instance, they could have ported all Ultimas from 1-VIII at least (and probably IX too), as well as the Ultima Underworld, for not much money, and sell them to us for 4.99 a pop. If they did that I'd buy each one. Instead, they create that Ultima Quest for the Avatar IAP disaster that totally ruined the whole experience.
The Madden comparison above is another great point. Unbelievable what they've done for Madden. I still keep the old one with Peyton Hillis on the cover because that is the last "real" Madden game they put out.
I have no problem with them doing the IAP for the average Joe out there, but EA really needs to think about real gamers, and also PLEASE do something with all the properties you own!!!! (SimCity, Ultima, etc!)
Eli, 93% of the time, I just want to hang you by your skinny jeans from a flagpole. But this is by far the best thing you've written in a very, very long time. Thanks for this.
EA, if you're reading, we the core gamer, who built your company playing classic EA games like NHL '94 and NBA Live '95 on our Super Nintendos and Sega Genesis' as kids, and have supported you up until now, agree with this 100%. We feel you have abandoned our interests in favour of your own. I don't think EA as a company will even attempt to change anything to regain the confidence of the "core" gamer, but even if that's the only thing they were focused on (which it's not, at all) it would take them a very long time to do so at this point for gamers like myself.
And yeah, update NBA Jam for crying out loud.
I'm not sure where the whole Eli wears skinny jeans thing started, but he actually wears very normal jeans.
To be clear, that was a joke. Any comments pertaining to your beard however, are to be taken with absolute seriousness.
Lol to be honest, I got the idea that Eli wears skinny jeans from his review of the iPhone 6+, where he said that while his jeans weren't totally painted-on, they were definitely skinnier than your average pair, or something to that effect.
...Either way Jared, don't ruin it for us! We the TA board-posting public like to roast Eli for being a skinny jean wearin', Starbucks low fat soy latté drinkin', corporate agenda hatin', smartcar drivin', Weezer-glasses wearin', gluten-free sandwich eatin', organic free-trade coffee swillin', City and Colour listenin' hipster! (Man, I was just itching to throw "iPhone hatin'," in there, but just couldn't, for obvious reasons :D )
Very well written. Kudos.
I miss the days of titles like MoH:AA where gameplay was key and flash came second.
EA's biggest strength for me was full unadulterated games like Madden without any iap. Oh how I wish we could get a REAL Madden full season game on our iPads and I devices to play again with updated graphics and rosters and commentary. Make it 2gb and sell it for $19 and they'd make a fortune and win back some fans. Same with Fifa. Some games must NOT be spoiled because they are flagship. It's still reversible but what EA did was destroy their flagship games not realising it was those games which made them great and that to ditch them was a grave error.
Couldn't agree with you more!
Not harsh enough..
EA started going to crap in the late 90's. They put a decent game out every once and a while on console but most are crap. Their mobile games are super crap.
I've been boycotting EA products for years, and I don't plan on stopping!
Don't boycott. Just wait until they produce a game worth getting. I think the last one was Need for Speed: Most Wanted - but it might happen again.
Yeah the one back in the early 2000.
Don't forget FIFA!! They ruined the whole franchise for me and probably everyone else on the iPhone! Turning it into purely f2p and ultimate team mode only ruined the beautiful game argh! :/
EA is not even a dominant force in mobile space, they don't have any of the billion dollar titles (Clash of Clans, Puzzles and Dragons, and Candy Crush all came from different companies).
I find Puzzles and Dragons more challenging, fun and addictive than ANY premium game I downloaded and I haven't spent a dime of IAP in a year. Players who are hardcore about Clash of Clans spend as much time thinking over every detail as players of Civilization. There is nothing casual about these games once you are working on end game contents. You are completely attached to your roster and base, it is a huge emotional investment.
Touch Arcade is pushing for a model that will never be successful again. Players vote with their wallets and premium games have no place in this day and age. Downloaded GTA, XCOM etc to see what the fuss is about, deleted shortly after.
Freemium games, developers have to come up with endless number of things for you to do and the attachment is far deeper. Throw in the social and PVP aspect, the best freemium games simply hold my attention for longer. It is more challenging and incredibly satisfying when you play these games without IAP. Getting a rare drop like Red Sonia from Puzzles and Dragons is far more exciting than beating any of the premium games.
Timers, most players simply don't care about them. Either a free premium currency that all of these companies give out regularly, or just come back later. The reason mobile games are dominating most console games in revenue/profit is because it can be played in piecemeal, people don't have the luxury to play 3-5 hours at a time anymore. Timer also prevent you from burning out too quickly.
Indie games with low production value, don't even bother. Would you waste time and resources promoting amateurs with half baked products and terrible graphics.
This letter shows me the editor of Touch Arcade is completely out of touch with reality. The top grossing chart is the only thing that matters if you are running a company. The type of games Touch Arcade loves, 99 cents with 100 levels and constant content is one way street to find a real job.
If you look at what happened to gree, mobagame, and zynga, I think it's clear Eli is not out of touch with reality. While it's true you need freemium titles to make meaningful money on mobile these days, you also need solid premium (or less aggressive free) titles if you want to strengthen or maintain your ip and brand value. Those things are what makes or breaks a company long term.
Have you even read what you typed? "I enjoy this the most", "I think that" etc. So what you like sets the standard for everyone? Personally I'm not seeing the difference between these types of games and slotmachines in casinos. Simple, straightforward games with mechanics that are built to hook you in, make you commit and ultimately that feeling of commitment tricks you into spending cash on something because you are as you say: emotionally invested. Thats why these games are free. People don't even notice how invested they get and they tend to realise how pointless it is when they already spend way too much money and time on shallow games that do nothing for the industry. In my opinion (note how I don't assume my opinion is the standard) gaming should be about intellectual enrichment, through challenges and interactive stories. Then again there are books and there is literature. But as Eli points out: EA has forgotten who they have to thank for the existence of their company. They went from a gaming arcade to a casino.
The majority voted with their wallet and downloads. Touch Arcade is the minority by far.
It is every bit as difficult to stand out in freemium as it is to in premium. The best freemium games take a lot more design to manage correctly.
The whole point is that the majority doesn't care where EA comes from and where EA ends up. Anyone with half a brain can understand that what EA is doing now is a short term profit/ short term investment which will result in a longterm loss if they don't start focusing on quality instead of quantity. Investing in long term, loyal customers is essential to a company's sustainability and durability and right now EA is quickly losing their reputation as a real gaming company.. if it isn't too late already. And that's damage any company can rarely come back from.
What you are referring to is not gaming but gambling. EA, as someone said here is changing the gaming paradigm to a gambling paradigm and destroying mobile gaming. Gambling is about slot machines and taking chances with money to accumulate benefits. It is not healthy and is not true gaming. EA, cleverly has used psychological methods incorporated into attractive gaming mechanisms to addict the gamer to extract as much cash as possible. It is not about gaming at all only making you addictive which you admit you are. The majority who get addicted spend $100's on these 'gaming casinos' because that's what they are. Maybe you do not that doesn't make it wrong. Gaming, on the other hand rewards you for skills and effort not for how much money you put in like EA's and Freemium games. With true gaming you do not get rewarded for money but how good you play. The emphasis on EA is to reward you for putting money in and punish you for not a very simple and effective gambling tool. This method works on many people to create gamblers. It doesn't work with everyone but they hook enough addicts to make millions. What we want is true gaming where we progress through improving our skills, focus and efforts not by handing over money. EA has become a gaming gambling casino. There will always be a need for games for those of us who don't like or believe in gambling and there are millions of us too so they can't ignore us. That's why they are asking these questions because they know that there is a large core of us they can't penetrate and turn into gambling addicts and they want to know how they can best squeeze the most money from us as well. The answer is we want full games without iap that's all. They can have both.
'Xactly my point aswell. Electronic Arts? Where's the art of it these days? Electronic Addiction more accurate. I'm just waiting for a freemium version of Medal of Honor where you have to pay by the bullet.
This was a good letter that acknowledges the current financial reality. All I feel like I can do as a consumer is to not buy EA products and spread the word about predatory IAP practices. It is disappointing that such good IP is being gutted for a short term cash grab. I wish these whales could see that spending more for less is resulting in an overall decline of product quality.
Excellent response! I couldn't agree more! My favorite quote: " It's like being blessed with super human strength and using that strength to punch puppies. It's great that you're really strong, but with how you use that strength, it's not difficult to make an argument that things would be better if you weren't." :D
dEAd to me
Can I play too
What is your perception of EA Mobile, the company’s mobile division?
Very bad. Mostly free to play that is hurting long established brands from Madden to Dungeon keeper with the attempt to monetise without care for the impact on the user
What do you think is EA Mobile’s biggest challenge?
To restore its good name in the eyes of a public that concerns her interested in profiteering and not game develkopment. To regain the AAA reputation that EA deserves
What do you see as EA Mobile’s biggest strength?
Enough Money in the bank to start over.
What would you like to see from EA Mobile in the coming year?
Return to premium pricing. Quality IP and games such as Dead SPace being ported and sold for a fair price. Quality control so that Battlefield 3 app or dungeon keeper app no longer be produced
Superbly well written response, I cannot find a flaw or give a suggestion that would make it better. Thank you for this.
What is your perception of EA Mobile, the company’s mobile division?
Like EA itself, just a crooked greedy company that transformed and ruined all of its IP into money-extracting disappointments. EA is tarnishing and intoxicating the gaming culture.
What do you think is EA Mobile’s biggest challenge?
EA's biggest challenge is overcoming its greed for money and actually care for gamers.
What do you see as EA Mobile’s biggest strength?
Exploiting casual and non-hardcore gamers into spending tons of cash on garbage "free to play" games.
What would you like to see from EA Mobile in the coming year?
No more games. Just to see EA Mobile shut down and EA withdrawl from the mobile market entirely. Well except remain focused on Plants Vs Zombies 2. But to be realistic and optimistic, see more premium games and less exploiting free to play games.
EA Mobile has all of the right tools to become a beloved powerhouse on the AppStore: The have strong and talented development teams, they have the finances for marketing, they have the IPs that many people love, and they have shown they have the ambition to become successful.
What they lack is consumer awareness. They place monetization as the priority rather than the player experience. If you look at the super successful AAA games like Clash of Clans, you'd believe that they put the experience before the IAPs. Or even look to the successful indies such as Nimblebit. They proudly talk about how the game comes first then they monetize.
I loved the ea platforms for hockey but haven't seen a new mobile forever. The companion app for the nhl 14 was taken down and I spent a lot of time trying to trade and complete teams. They haven't brought a new one for the hockey series but do have one for soccer, football and basketball. Don't see why they cannot.
All I can say is thank God 2K has the NHL and NBA franchises. I couldn't care less about football and soccer which EA happily craps on with each freemium release.
In all honesty, eventhough 2k makes some potentially great games, they don't care much. NBA 2k13 never got updates, instead pc players got a 50€ paid upgrade called 2k14. Now alot of aspects for 2k15 are good, but the two things they were boasting about most: face scanning and the revamped mypark are terrible. Will they make their buyera wait another year before it finally gets fixed? I see alot of other gaming companies that were once great and innovative doing the same thing: Rebellion, Ubisoft. Trading striving for great gameplay for marketable visual flash for short term returns on investments and then profits. It's one of the reasons so many Indies get great success. They don't have the resources to hide all their bs beneath a mask of visual flash and marketing so they have to make do with great and memorable gameplay. In the end you don't remember how a game looked, but how it played. How it was an extension of your body and mind.
I'll take the same EA hockey game remade and with a new year slapped on it over any 2K sports game. That being said the last NHL games I bought were the two years Kane & Toews were on the cover. I'd buy EA's Tiger Golf games every other year too. Just sick of them pumping out garbage on consoles too, I hear FIFA 15 and Madden are good, I won't risk $70. I won't even touch their mobile gaming "money pits".
Thank you for being so honest, and representative of our general views here.
Back in the early days of the store, I used to stay up 'til midnight so I could download their new releases. I even did this the night before big exams! Now... I couldn't even be bothered to type 'EA' into the search bar on the App Store.
Waiting now for NBA Jam to turn into utter freemium IAP crap.... Damn you for reminding them Eli!!! In all seriousness great response.
That is a very good letter, but I would have liked for you to have specifically mentioned Real Racing 3 and it's ruthless IAP system.
HODAPP used TAKE DOWN!
EAGAMES wasn't listening!
That was a damn fine response, if I ever saw one.
The part about super human strength and puppies is brilliant. Made me laugh.
i loved EA back in the day. In college I would wait in line to pick up NCAA Football and always pick up Tiger Woods on release day. When they started making games for ios I was psyched bc being old and married my console gaming career is pretty much over, but I have plenty of time to play on my phone while the wife is watching Real Housewives of Antarctica. For awhile life was good with EA releasing quality premium titles for the most part. Now however I never even bother to see what they have in the App Store and if I hear something is coming down the pipe from them I can be 99.9% sure I'll want nothing to do with it.
The thing is: we all know that people sell games to make money, but games like "the last of us", "beyond two souls", "alien isolation".....etc... are so good that we never think about the monetary part of the equation because those games are a work of art.
ALL of EA games reeks of greed. From non-existent easter eggs to dumb down any/everything. Their greed are shown through their games and we saw it.
Like it or not, games ARE art, and how a group of people create that art speaks to us and we can more or less "feel" their work. All we feeling from EA is "we want your money, give us more".
I feel the exact same way Eli, I would do anything to go back to having games on the App Store like dead space and the mass effect game. I loved them both and they were definitely two of my favorite mobile games. I would love to see sequels to both as long as they were full on premium, but other than that I more than likely won't be getting anymore EA games.
That was quite a gentle way to put things, IMMO.
I enjoyed reading, thanks!
This letter is so on point!! I remember when I first got the iPhone and was amazed that Madden was available (Madden 11)!! I was blown away! Now I I look at the most recent version of Madden (Mobile), its like I would rather them say "Hey, pay us or don't play at all." because what they offer you isn't a game. Its a systematic tease designed strictly to get people to spend money. I mean even if you blow the cash to get the team you want (because it would take YEARS trying to grind enough to earn it) there's still not a REAL game there to be played. Its a joke of a game.
I keep giving EA a chance, but I think I'm at a point where I too am going to try my best to leave them be for a couple of releases, until I see something different and promising of a real game for a real gamer.
You sir hit the nail on the head. Honestly I'm the casual gamer who spent tons on in app purchases. I became far less likely to continue down that path as developers began exploiting it by this flow of "man how cool would this game be if you just gave me 99 cents" followed by "man it's almost cool now but I'm going to need just another 1.99 to get there."
It's a joke, and we're the losers. They bank on taking advantage of us and misleading us. That trusting nature I had disappeared, and I am surely not alone in that.
Very well written letter that communicates how we all feel. I have been in business and EA is breaking the cardinal rule here.
You see most people If asked what is the most important thing to know in business and I bet they would say "make a profit" Not true! But I bet that's how EA feels. Most important thing to know in business is to take care of your customers; profit will then become your byproduct! DAMN I hate IAP! 'Nuff said
Great letter Eli. Much respect and I totally agree.
I am going to go play The Banner Saga now...
Omg... That picture of the dog as your response made me laugh so hard!! Hilarious!
EA games is the American Devil.
I'm not sure there is a way back for ea, no matter what they do their reputation is no longer an awesome gaming company that you could expect great experiences from, it's just a money making machine that ruins games now.
I don't buy EA. Seeing an app that is published by EA is an automatic no from me. I did try a few of their offerings and have learned to stay clear. I will not load anything from EA with IAP which is the same thing as saying I will never load EA apps.
I don't buy their stuff on the PC either but that has more to do with the forcing me to have Origin. There is no way I am installing a game service from a company like EA which would harvest my family for organs if they thought they could legally make a buck doing it.
Good article only ruined by my wife talking while I was trying to read! I haven't read all the comments I have to admit, but why have they never re released some older titles? Maybe of the Playstation/N64 era and beyond.... They have so many franchises...
Everything is ruined with wait here and gems there.
I honestly find myself scrolling and scrolling through 'excuse my language' shite to find a game, that I can play when I want for as long as I want. I even check to see if it has in app purchases and I usually leave it if it has.....
Electronic Arts, one of the biggest forces in gaming need to set an example. I hope they read this article and take note, but I think it will just be a bullet point on a death by PowerPoint presentation.
Squaresoft (showing my age) or Square Enix as it is know now are just as bad, although their older games tend to get left alone.
2K on the other hand, are continuously releasing decent console quality games.... I will keep supporting them, it's the only way it will change, by voting with your wallet.
It's going to be a long time before things change, but hopefully this little community can make enough noise.
(Definitely with out a doubt the best App Store gaming site there is)
The open letter is remarkable. Doubtful it will actually make an impact. (I just picture a bunch of guys in suits smoking cigars and laughing at the letter.) The punching puppies line had me literally laughing out loud! Good luck with it. Glad to see at least the mobile portion of gaming journalism is still on our side. ;)
There something you guys forgot. EA games had 2 very successful apps (they didn't get a lot of attention on TA unfortunately): Surviving High School and Cause of Death. Both were "choose your own adventure" type of games with tons of IAPs.
They were pretty good I must say. Well, guess what? EA decided to kill the apps and will soon unplug the servers, meaning you won't be able to get the IAP episodes anymore (the apps tend to reset themselves, so any downloads are systematically erased). Nice move! Many people have wasted their money!
Nowadays, when I see a EA freemium game, what I could expect are timers crap and IAP standing in your way as the only possibility you got to go on with the game..
Take Real Racing 3 for example, IAP there are very intrusive, not to mention that timers (that no one likes..) ruined the whole experience.
To be honest, i spent something around 320€ (which is insane!!) on this game, and got still stuck on
54 % on the progress procession.
I understand they want to make money, but this is too much, you'd better buy both PS3 and GranTurismo.
What I'd like to see EA Mobile do in the coming year? Sell all of their IP to someone who cares and then go away forever.