Re: The Iron Crown Event: Just a predatory monetisation tactic?

@Anlbrd I certainly hear what you're saying. Many people share your view on the matter and it is a valid point to make. As yes, there are a lot of members of the game's community who expect everything to be served up to them on a golden platter at no additional cost.
However you have to bare in mind that majority of the outrage witnessed here doesn't come from people demanding these extras be free, but rather more easily accessible.

Ask yourself this...
Who is more deserving of special rewards for investing their time into Apex Legends?
Those who grind the challenges and play and support the game despite the controversy?
Or those with deep wallets and a penchant to spend the first chance they get?

Players just want to feel like they're being appreciated for the time and money they put into the game. But can that appreciation be sufficient when currently all it is, is randomised loot boxes that denies the player of choice when trying to obtain the things they like unless they keep spending?

@dtOddity92 My point would be that no one ***deserves*** anything in the game, honestly. If EA want to capitalise on whales and provide millions of us with a free game because people with more money are willing to pay more money - then complaining at not getting that content seems a bit daft to me.

Other people paying a lot more means the vast majority get a better product whilst not paying anything. In that regard this business model benefits the majority of people with little to no money to spend on games.

One issue might be how much EA are preying on people with gambling addictions and that they're not subject to the same restrictions as gambling websites etc, but barely anyone complaining about the prices of these products is doing it in a humanitarian "EA need to be more responsible" tone.

I'm SERIOUSLY dubious about begging the gubment anywhere to come in with their heavy boots and start putting restrictions on the business practises of games developers/publishers. What we're more likely to see than a reduction in this sort of practise is an INCREASE of it, post-regulation, and lots of new and exciting hoops to jump through like ID verification and needing to see a "please gamble sensibly" advert that we can't skip or mute every 3 games.

@TheRealJayDee1 I like the skins too. A lot of people do and I haven't seen a single person outright tell another player to not buy them. If you like something then buy it, you're perfectly entitled to do so and make decisions regardless of what others think.
It's nice to see you and so many other people being more conscious of how they invest their money into this event, if at all. I hope you can put the money you save to better and more beneficial use can fund this greed machine.

But after all... EA don't want to keep their customers happy. They want to keep them invested.

For example, I was discussing the troubles surrounding Anthem with an employee of EA. We both played it and both found the game to be virtually unplayable, like so many others. I went to this person and said, "How could I file an actual complaint to EA to tell them I'm not happy with the product?" (as they were involved in community support for the company)
They replied, "you basically can't".
Why?
Well according to them, whenever someone complains, the developers have to specifically take the time to look into the issues raised, which is good I thought. But in reality? It is overall considered to be a waste of resources to EA. Why take the time to look into one problem after another when you can refine the ways you get returning profits through the content they churn out?

That's why things like Anthem are still massively flawed.
They didn't pull people from its production team because they did a bad job or that they want to improve the quality of upcoming IPs like Dragon Age 4.
Noooooo... They are employed solely to make said upcoming IPs a functional financial success.

@Anlbrd I really love this response. It certainly is an interesting take on the aspect of whether or not anyone actually does deserve to be rewarded at all.

It is true that complaining may seem unproductive, but when you consider those who do complain and criticise don't necessarily know how to go about it in a way that'll truly endorse change, what else can be expected when a community such as this experiences what they believe to be a problem?

The abundant use of aggressive tones, as you rightly say, isn't the correct approach to take in most cases.
From what I've seen on Reddit over the last few days alone, humanitarianism is certainly something sorely missing.
I for one have been called all manner of foul things by users just for saying I dislike what's happening.
But when sites and forums like this and reddit are seemingly the only vessels in which players can attempt to get their voices heard, is this situation not even further flawed when the consumer cannot access a proper procedure in which to combat something they feel is unethical?

Like with oh so many saying, "well we need to get the government to sort this out and punish EA because they're villains", it greater emphasises the trouble in the gaming industry where the consumer is only able to put their hope in greater powers to bring about change with the ultimate realisation being that the consumer's say on the matter is drowned out by how the products they criticise are marketed.
"Loot boxes are just surprise mechanics and they're totally ethical, people shouldn't have the right to complain".

Sure, EA would no doubt squeeze through every hole they can find to make money, but would said increase of monetisation schemes be all that bad?
Sounds hypocritical I know, but hear me out... If legislations were in place, would that not give the consumer greater semblance of control over how their money is invested. They may have to jump through extra hoops, but at least then a player who feels cheated or coerced into something they're not happy with can better find a platform in which to support their case.
Yes, some players of these games have issues with mental health that manifest in gambling addictions, but right now if you buy a game from some place like the Xbox Live Marketplace it specifically states that any and all transactions are non-refundable.
Nowhere at this point in time can someone with a gambling addiction, who let's say has purchased 100 lots of premium currency for a given game, claim their money back due to the fact they did it by choice.
Through pushing for better industry standards people like this would feel less pressure if they knew things that are done impulsively thanks to their disorders, can in some form or another combat the system which denies them the right to challenge their situation.

I remember attempting to file an official complaint about Anthem once. I literally couldn't play it due to all the in-game issues that wouldn't allow a single successful session.
When speaking with a representative of Anthems support team, I was told that they can't let the players file official complaints as they have to file them under bug reports instead.
This was because the company wasn't allowed to admit the flaws in their product.
I mentioned in a recent comment I made on another player's post on the matter that EA aren't looking to keep customers happy, just invested.
Anthem's production team weren't pulled from the project because they did bad work, they were simply moved to the next project to help ensure it's a financial success.

So although people do seem daft for complaining about frills cosmetic items for a free to play game, you can't deny that there's a greater issue to be explored here.

@dtOddity92 I just wanted to stop by and say you are doing an amazing job with your responses in the way you reply back to others and pretty much sticking to the point. I've enjoyed reading everything you've posted so far as it is thoughtful and brings interesting points.

+XP all around.

@Sarsicool This is a great comment that in all honestly probably encapsulates what the side of the community who care about cosmetics, truly wants to see changed.

So many players feel upset not at the fact premium items are premium, but that there's no absolute guarantee they can get what they want.

The first legendary cosmetic I got was for the Mozambique.
You can imagine my disappointment.
After that I spend money on Apex packs in the hopes I could get a legendary Mirage skin. Did I?
No... And still haven't to this day.

I'm pretty sure every player has experienced some form of disappointment from the randomised nature of the premium content. So this is why people should voice their dissatisfaction. Not to hate on the company, but simply request greater accessibility to the content they actually want to play for.

@dtOddity92 Mate you're great with the replies-- let's keep this thread alive as long as we can.
I was also vocal here back when cheating was rampant on PC and I'm glad that was resolved over time (not totally, but there's definitely improvement incrementally) which got me back to APEX in time for season 2. I know I couldn't personally thank the people responsible for it but we do our part by playing the game and supporting it financially.
I'm sure there are some white hats listening to our complaints here and these don't fall into deaf ears. Would love to know your other ideas to voice out these concerns!
Back to the topic at hand... I mean if they released 1-2 $200 skins I wouldn't mind even if these were the ones I truly liked, I might even consider buying them. The whole marketing got me hyped especially when they tweeted the Wraith skin; in my mind formed the thought that hey I'm gonna buy that or at least grind for it if needed. But then when I read up on the event and boom typical hype bust.
But if you're a rational bloke and see that you have a 4% chance (out of 24) to roll the one cosmetic you like but if you dont you get 2x the chance to roll MUSIC (i mean who even thought this was "deal") or the hemlock skin (no offense to people who rock the hemlock but it's just not my cup of tea)-- it's just a bad trade off.
This game is great, sure it's still rough around the edges with all the bugs and optimization issues but it's still young. Played a ton of FPS (from CS, CSGO, OW, R6siege, PUBG, then here) and it's the first time I actually come to post in forums because this game has great potential longterm. I just don't want the publishers to eff it up because of bad business practices. We get it you need to make money, but don't be scammy going about it. There were a ton of ways to make this better.

@Sarsicool First off, thank you for the words of encouragement. I don't often make the effort to specifically voice my opinion on matters such as this, so it's pleasant to see it's being received as respectably as it can be when it is merely posted on a forum on the internet.

Secondly in reference to you asking what other methods we can utilise to voice concerns on the subject? Well that I cannot be to sure on to be perfectly honest with you.
Forums like this one are specifically set up to provide a company's demographic a way in which to interact with them.
So we could arguably already be in the best place.
The key thing to bare in mind however is that it's not necessarily where we voice our opinions but how we tone them.

Fun fact: Did you know the loudest word ever shouted is "quiet"?
Not that this is deeply philosophical or anything, but how we as consumers conduct ourselves when trying to get our voices heard is of paramount importance.
A company will not indulge those who aggressively demand change, but will certainly consider the words of those who respectfully assert their concerns.
Heading to a place like reddit to call something like this monetisation effort something that can only be described with the use of foul language, will never make an impact or inspire change.

Like you say, someone, somewhere in EA must be aware of this controversy. Since raising these point myself and seeing hundreds of others do so since the latest update I have also noticed media companies picking up on and reporting it too.

It is debatable however if the negative air around this event will ultimately benefit Respawn and EA. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Take Rockstar games for instance. They intentionally funded journalists to write negative reviews for GTA V and in doing so made arguably the most successful game ever published in the last 10 years.

I guess what I'm now trying to say is, we have to encourage the right kinds of feedback to a company about their product, be it video games, supermarkets or whatever else.

You are also right in saying the community wouldn't likely mind some things being higher prices compared to usual.
However they rightly have to be justified expenses.
Keeping it related to Respawn and EA, we can easily compare Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends to expose big differences in marketing strategies.

In Titanfall 2 micro transactions can consist of just a few dollars ($5 - 10). For those few dollars players would receive not just one, but a whole selection of character cosmetics. With emphasis being on the option to select said cosmetics.
When compared to Apex Legends however, the micro transactions are questionably extortionate in the fact that players are having to spend more for less and what they have no real control over.
And so grows the controversy as to the player base being divided on why the prices are what they are.

Whether this is all truly a form of bad business practises is like glass coffins.
Remains to be seen.
After all I am only questioning if this monetisation effort is unethical or non-consumer friendly. Not outright saying that it is.
In the mean time though I think everyone can certainly appreciate the effort the developers have been putting into this content.
The Iron Crown event may be polarising to most but you cannot deny, Respawn and EA have demonstrated a commitment to delivering the content the entire community have been asking for, be it new cosmetics, new game modes of core gameplay improvements. Which is especially positive when you consider the game is free to play and only been out a few months.
Look at anthem... It launched around the same time and has ultimately gone nowhere compared to Apex Legends, despite having greater levels funding.

@iBlockHead Being quite an apathetic person I don't often indulge in favouritism. Yet I feel I might do so here. So thank you for your encouragement.

Though it is literally just me talking on a forum. I'm not looking to incite revolution amongst the community. Nor am I looking to be proven right or prove others wrong in any way. I'm just here to say "Hey, I think this. What do you think?"

Though my only concern after reading your comment is... You've read everything?
Oh dear. My friend you could be doing something so much more productive with your time.
That said, I am appreciative that someone has taken an interest in the points I've raised.
Again, thank you.

@dtOddity92 I work IT support, LOOOADS of down time and these forums keep me entertained. I really enjoy Apex and what it has brought and therefor I am here to support any great ideas or points people bring here.

We all know this "event" is great and all with the addition of solos but that isn't to say everything that was brought was great. The shop/loot system they have going on during these next two weeks is pretty low on EA's part and we all need to bring that to light.

Sure other say "free game, something has to come with a price" but pricing such items insanely high, even if they're only cosmetics, is not fair to the community.

If we allow this, they will only continue this bad practice down the road which might end up killing Apex and I don't want to see such an amazing game with so much potential die off.

@Sarrgeras The reason as to why I am using a newly created account is simply down to the fact I have been experiencing issues with my main account. Every time I log in with it, I get told I can't access it. This new account was only made as a means to contact EA for support on the matter.
Of which hasn't yet been cleared up.

As for spamming this topic, I don't see how merely having a discussion with other members and replying to each person's responses constitutes spam?

Yes you could argue that it is because I posted my main speculation over the new event in both the Feedback and General Discussion threads, but I did so only out of interest to see what people's thoughts were on the matter.
I don't post on forums like this all that much so I wasn't sure where the correct place to post it was.

I hope this reassures you that I am not simply farming for upvotes.
Though you're perfectly entitled to have your own feelings on the matter.

@MandatoryIDtag I totally agree with you.
Whenever I discuss my opinion on matters like this I strictly stay in the role of true neutral. I value the opinion of people on both sides of this controversy. Sure I sound like I'm vilifying EA in my original post but the reality of it is, I am only questioning if that is indeed the case.
You are right though, for many players EA's conduct of business isn't exactly what you would call consumer friendly, that's why I feel we should discuss it more.
Like with this thread, though I never expected my simple post would end up featured at the top of the feedback subform with that flame icon thing on it.

On a side note though: I'd argue otherwise regarding the regular apex packs and whether their drops are rigged or not. I could create a whole other post to argue otherwise based on the fact that I have put money into buying packs before only to find they limit rewards to crafting materials after opening so many.
All I wanted was a legendary mirage skin. So every time I got crafting material from a pack I would immediately buy a common or rare skin for him thinking it would increase my chances for the legendary I craved. Turns out though, the loot pool doesn't become less diluted from this. After a while I noticed every pack I opened would only ever drop a character quip and two sets of crafting material. EVERY TIME. You'd think after unlocking almost all of the common and rare cosmetics you'd receive epics... but sadly that isn't the case.
I guess this disguised nature around the loot in this game is was prompted me to make this main post.

@iBlockHead Well I'm glad you're entertained.

EA is a multi billion dollar industry leader. They simply must do whoever they can to keep their shareholders happy. Even if it means using questionable methods. This is legal and that's very difficult to change.
But what can change is how they approach their consumers. This can only be done if those consumers express a clear and undeniable aversion to the methods they currently employ. The problem is that a whole lot of people just simply do not know about them.

It's like with mental health issues, bullying or even promoting body positivity. The more people talk about such things the more awareness there is. Then with greater awareness there's a great chance we will see change for the better as time goes by.

If the prices are as you say, truly insane then of course they should (from an socio-ethical standpoint) be adjusted to be considered fairer.
However if these prices aren't all that insane, then they should at least be justified to a better extent.

@Sarrgeras I think your assumption is rather humorous, thank you for that. But at risk of disappointing you, no. No, I do not, have not or will ever work for EA. Though I did apply once a few years ago, ya know... when they weren't the most money hungry corrupt entity of the gaming industry like they are today.
So let me clarify. I am not justifying or condoning EA and all the unethical trash they're peddling their consumers, but I will try to remain as unbiased as I can when discussing what they do because I, like oh so many others, are only in a position to speculate on the matters the concern us.

I'm not looking to calm things down. If you or anyone else wants to scream and curse and be outraged then by all means do that as much as you want.
When the words "Do you guys not have phones?" were uttered, people booed it immediately. Yes that provides the devs an instant understanding the people aren't happy with their product, but it's also just noise. How are the developer meant to improve their product when they can't hear what people actually want through all of that noise?

So what I do encourage is voicing concerns in a respectful manner.
If people want things to change then their screaming and booing won't help.
If people are angry they have every right to be, but nothing will come of it if they don't channel it in the right way.

I could've wrote a post where I just typed out "screw EA" over and over again, but what would that accomplish? The post would either get deleted or forgotten after zero comments or upvotes or I'd get banned.
By doing what we're doing in this thread and an many others like it, we are able to at least have a chance for what we say to get noticed by the makers of the games we love. They're much more likely to hear player criticisms out if those players aren't telling them to die every five minutes.