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Game developer changes rules on unlocking Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker after massive backlash

EA received the least popular comment in Reddit history.

PastedImage-92188 Luke Skywalker in the latest Star Wars video game. DICE DICE

GAMES GIANT EA has changed the rules around unlocking Star Wars characters after a massive online backlash.

Star Wars Battlefront II launches this week, but players have been angered during trials that heroes from the franchise such as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker would require extra money or massive time investments to unlock.

Players earn credits in the game, either by spending money or playing games, which they can redeem for extra content. However, it was pointed out to EA on Reddit that consumers would spend €70 on the game and not have key characters.

An EA rep responded by saying the company wanted “to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes”.

This comment received over 679,000 downvotes, making it the least popular comment in Reddit history. The previous record was 24,000.

A message from John Wasilczyk, Executive Producer at Dice, who made the game, says that the company will make a change to unlocking heroes.

“There’s been a lot of discussion around the amount of in-game credits (and time) it takes to unlock some of our heroes, especially Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Unlocking a hero is a great accomplishment in the game, something we want players to have fun earning. We used data from the beta to help set those levels, but it’s clear that more changes were needed.

“So, we’re reducing the amount of credits needed to unlock the top heroes by 75%. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader will now be available for 15,000 credits; Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa for 10,000 credits; and Iden at 5,000 credits.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the trial, this amount will make earning these heroes an achievement, but one that will be accessible for all players.”

The system, known as microtransactions, is common across modern video gaming. Under the system users are directed to spend extra money on games they have already bought. This enables them to unlock better content for online gaming. It will be added to the newest Call of Duty game next week.

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38 Comments
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    Mute Gareth Stewart
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:54 PM

    Bit of advice for the parents. If you’re buying these games online for your kids, don’t save your credit card details on the console. Companies like EA have made it very easy and rely on kids frivolously purchasing these upgrades with their parents saved credit card details.

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    Mute Stonerpug
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    Nov 15th 2017, 2:36 AM

    @Gareth Stewart: sounds like your kid has rinsed you of a few games mate

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    Mute Ranty McCrank
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:45 PM

    DICE of the amazing Battlefield series sold their soul to corporate EA. Games were always about the €45 mark but then jumped to €70 with €20 expansion packs. EA – It’s about the profit.

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    Mute Inanimate Carbon Rod
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:07 PM

    @Ranty McCrank: sounds like a good company to buy shares in so

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    Mute Stephen Browner
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:25 PM

    Might be wrong but I think their shares dropped today due to above backlash

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    Mute EdmundOrlando
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:41 PM

    @Ranty McCrank: dont ever pay €70 for a game. Wait for Black Friday and pick them up for €40-45 on Amazon etc… shop around… always…

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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:33 PM

    @EdmundOrlando: PSN have great flash sales. They dont advertise them. They just appear randomly. I’m sure other platforms have similar sales too.

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    Mute Luke Victory
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    Nov 15th 2017, 12:58 AM

    @Ranty McCrank: 50e for season pass on call of duty.

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:57 PM

    The People Strike Back

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    Mute Red hurley
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:32 PM

    @Ken Pepper: if only we did it more often and with more people

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    Mute Cian Rynne
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:29 PM

    You wouldn’t pay full price for a book and then expect to have to pay more to unlock the final chapters.
    But the games industry do this all the time, it’s the consumers that are to blame, if people stop buying the games, they will have to stop trying to squeeze people for all their money with in game purchases.
    Boycott and EA will change its tune very quickly

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    Mute Tadhg Foley
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    Nov 15th 2017, 11:00 AM

    @Cian Rynne: EA will continue to do this. FIFA alone will keep them afloat. Try getting nearly every football fan to stop buying FIFA and all the Ultimate team packs.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:02 PM

    The journal stealing stories from reddit

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:14 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: Yeah this only appeared on Reddit…sure.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:49 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: a person saw something thry thought was worth sharing. Turned out, they had a platform to do so. So they did. That is essentially what journalism is.

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    Mute Andy K
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:56 PM

    Battlefront is a terrible game. Which is sad as the old versions were great.

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:22 PM

    The whole DLC scam reminds me of that old Popeye gag about Bluto selling hamburgers with optional extras of ‘bread’ and ‘meat’.

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:19 PM

    An article better left to the Daily Edge, but I am glad it’s getting some press. Microtransactions, loot boxes, season passes and the like are ruining the modern game industry. Players are getting treated like milking machines, that the €60+ price tag for the game as is just isn’t enough for the big name developers. The big blockbuster games just aren’t fun anymore with all of the BS surrounding the meat of the game.

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    Mute Grumpyoldtroll
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:42 PM

    Like those stupid packs on FIFA. You spend €70 on the game for the kids and EA want you to spend more money for players. Chi-ching!

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    Mute Emilio Butler
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:12 PM

    @Grumpyoldtroll: Chi-ching was the founder, a very noble and respected Chinese man.

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    Mute Colin O Leary
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:44 PM

    Disney should take the rights to Star Wars back from EA they are the worst publisher in the industry utter greed

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    Mute El Sparko
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:29 PM

    @Colin O Leary: they’re well matched with Disney so.

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:56 PM

    Get out in the fresh air yis dopes

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    Mute name cannot be blank
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:04 PM

    @Ken Pepper:
    at 10 at night in The winter?

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    Mute Rowan Murphy
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:39 PM

    I got a Steam voucher for Christmas last year. I downloaded GTA 5 and Doom for half the price they were asking for those exact games in GAME.

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    Mute Shane Murphy
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:51 PM

    Slooooooow news day

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    Mute JJ
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:27 PM

    First world problems.

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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:35 PM

    @David Mc Nally: These morons don’t understand that.

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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:05 PM

    @JJ: well they’re hardly likely to complain about a lack of fresh drinking water and tsetse flies if they live in the 1st World!

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    Mute Ciaran Fairley
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:57 PM

    EA are a bunch of thieves!!!!! It’s not the first time they’ve tried stuff like this.

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    Mute Ian Fitzpatrick
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:33 PM

    Get a beard

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    Mute Ian Fitzpatrick
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:31 PM

    Zzzzzzzzzz

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Nov 17th 2017, 2:45 PM

    .

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