After Killing Battlefront II By Its Microtransaction Models, Will EA Repeat The Same With Anthem?

In October 2017, Activision revealed that they were working on a new matchmaking system between players to encourage microtransactions. So far, this system has not yet been implemented in the game. But here, Activision is no longer the only publisher to want to get rid of the balanced matchmaking system between players. This publisher, none other than Electronic Arts (EA), is now looking for a new system to make money, that barely just got out of the media storm triggered by the implementation of loot boxes unbalancing Star Wars Battlefront II. The publisher has already implemented in its titles a Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA).

This system has been spotted by the YouTuber YongYea, and this technique makes it easier or harder to play any games. EA claims that this optimization of the difficulty will maximize player engagement and reduce the likelihood of progression. In addition, since the system was put in place, the publisher has seen a 9% increase in player involvement, while having a neutral impact on monetization.

There is nothing wrong with having an adjusted difficulty in real time if it remains an honest system for everyone. But what if such a mechanism was implanted in titles such as Dark Souls or Nioh? These games would lose almost all of its charm. In addition, some players are suspecting some bugs in the EA titles that would be linked to this new system, including FIFA, many players claimed that the game was deliberately upping the difficulty in the past. Difficult to prove it without access to the source code.

But here it is, EA also wants to finish with the balanced matchmaking system in multiplayer games. EA’s in-house research led to a system called Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM). Still, according to the American giant, they have managed to prove, according to a theoretical model, that it would increase, once again, the involvement of players.

For the moment, this system of unbalanced games has not yet been implemented into EA games, but nothing states that it will not be implemented in the upcoming releases like Anthem.

Did the American giant learn nothing from the Battlefront II scandal? Will EA repeat the same mistake with Anthem after killing Battlefront II by its microtransaction models? Let us know about your opinions in the comments below.