Following from the massive backlash over loot boxes, and the complete bumbling that was the same controversy for the latest Star Wars Battlefront II, gamers just aren’t as excited about the franchise. And since the gaming industry has seemingly only gotten more lousy with microtransaction nonsense, it doesn’t feel like the situation is getting any better.
In an interview with PCGamesN, it has been revealed that the team behind the project doesn’t feel the same level of enthusiasm for the project as before being reflected in the fanbase and the wider industry. Dennis Brännvall, design director on Battlefront 2 was very candid, admitting that, “Sequels are probably still viable otherwise people wouldn’t be doing them,” he explains, “but it’s not the same hunger as it used to be.”
Talking about the shift in the industry and consumers, Brännvall stated that, “We were so used to the chain of sequels, where we do a sequel then we do a season pass for a year then move onto the next game. I think the industry has changed on that… before it was very transactional and we made the game and we signed up for 4 DLCs and then that’s it. So then you focus on getting value to players out of what they paid for and if there was a system that wasn’t working then you put a pin in that and say we will fix it in the sequel.”
The plan has apparently changed, as he also admitted that DICE is looking at some new avenues for monetizing the legendary Star Wars license. They will also continue to support the game by making changes were needed. “You’ll see us really overhauling bits that aren’t working and not be afraid of changing things, which means that your community is happier because it’s a better game overall.” he said.
A new planet and other new content is due out for the shooter as a tie-in with the release of Rise of Skywalker, but it’s very doubtful if this new batch of updates will rekindle much interest in the franchise that hasn’t already been squandered. The developer has continued to add content and release patches prior to this, but a lot of people still want nothing to do with the game. EA and DICE will have to take a long hard look at
