According to numbers released by NPD, the impact of Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot boxes has significantly hit sales numbers.
NPD says it has been a “disappointing month for Electronic Arts” with research firm estimating sales of around 882,000 units for Star Wars Battlefront 2. It’s biggest rival Call of Duty: WWII has sold 4.4 million units, although COD had a two week headstart on sales.
Despite the lower than expected sales, analysts expect that the holiday season, and the new Last Jedi film will help sales rebound due to increased brand visibility.
Analysts seem to be in agreement that the loot box controversy has caused damage to EA’s brand although the massive drop in share prices may not be the whole picture. $3.1 billion was wiped from EA’s stock value due to the lot box controversy and other missteps.
With government bodies now looking to formulate loot box legislation in the US and Europe, EA and other publishers will be concerned about carrying on the loot box practice to such an extreme in 2018. The loot boxes are still in limbo in Star Wars Battlefront 2, players are still facing a major grind and plenty of Pay-to-Win accusations. It’s unclear if EA plan to adjust the game further.
