It is probably a battle between ongoing (server) costs, and development costs/future earnings (new BF).
Seems a little strange, since EA are obviously targeting current/past players with the new BF, as well as new players.
Customer loyalty is far more important in this era of video games, than it was say 10 years ago. Then, a company could disrespect the player base knowing that they would flock back to the next 'big thing'.
Not anymore. I will be interested to see how many current/past players pre-order or buy day 1. My guess - significantly fewer that any previous games.
@Lancelot_du_Lac wrote:It is probably a battle between ongoing (server) costs, and development costs/future earnings (new BF).
Seems a little strange, since EA are obviously targeting current/past players with the new BF, as well as new players.
Customer loyalty is far more important in this era of video games, than it was say 10 years ago. Then, a company could disrespect the player base knowing that they would flock back to the next 'big thing'.
Not anymore. I will be interested to see how many current/past players pre-order or buy day 1. My guess - significantly fewer that any previous games.
I would argue that loyalty is far more important, the old guard like myself is a shrinking population. When BF1942 came out I was 25 years old, single and just had my first real job and living space providing me with means and space to game a lot. Most people of my generation who were gaming as well in that time have now moved on as life got in the way. Carreers, family's etc. Same for me but I kept gaming as my hobby, and stuck with the BF franchise.
But EA doesn't care for me as a customer anymore, because I'm not the type of customer that spends money on cosmetics and stuff which is their main earnings model. Instead new customers enter the market constantly by kids getting old enough to catch an interest in gaming and perhaps FPS. That's the target audience! Are these people interested in classic Battlefield? NO! They want Fortnite, CoD type of games, which is why EA is constantly trying to get a share of that pie.
Pre-orders from current/past player will indeed be significantly lower. Do they care? Probably not.
