A Column From a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Episode 7

As I write this episode on a plane (RIP spring break 2018), I find that the most pressing and exciting piece of Star Wars information this week is that EA’s latest Star Wars video game, "Battlefront 2" (2017), received a major overhaul in both game progression and format this past week. There's also some "Solo" (2018) poster controversy to talk about.

The overhaul makes gameplay and upgrading strictly in-game and unlocks every character. This is a completely different situation compared to when the game was originally released, where the game was plagued with a difficult progression and microtransactions. One player even noted that when the game was released, players would have to play over 40 hours just to unlock Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker — a problem EA fixed early in the game's release.

This may all sound like nerd jargon, but a better explanation is that people could use real money to buy "crystals," which could buy loot boxes in the game, which have weapon and ship upgrades, in-game currency and character updates in them. Basically, a player could use real money to get to the same experience and level as someone who played hours and progressed linearly, or strictly in-game.

Loot boxes could also be bought with in-game currency, but it takes gameplay to earn the in-game credits. Microtransactions were removed from the game early on, but not without extremely negative reactions from fans, leading to EA receiving the most down-voted post in Reddit's history. Now, as EA hopes to continue to revamp the game after disappointing sales, the game may finally be attractive to players. EA did announce earlier this year that they are bringing back micro-transactions, but only for cosmetic items, not for in-game progression. This is the norm for many other games, like "Overwatch" (2016).

The overhaul is definitely the right choice, but after fans petitioned for EA’s gaming license with Lucasfilm to be revoked, I wouldn’t expect people to come flocking back to "Battlefront 2" just yet. Personally, I love the game regardless, but I have literally never hated anything with the words “Star Wars” on it. So, I may not be the best source on this. Yet I do admit that EA definitely shouldn't have tried to implement a pay-to-win system for game progression because doing so destroys the multiplayer aspect of the game for everyone who doesn't have $89 to spend on 12,000 crystals.

As for the "Solo" movie poster controversy, it isn't as big of a deal as many think. Disney removed the blasters from the film's promotional posters in Brazil, changing the characters' poses. While many were quick to claim that Disney was making a statement about gun control, ScreenRant confirmed that the posters were only used in Brazil and speculated that the change was made to showcase the film as being more family-friendly. This poor movie has had such a rough ride from changing directors to a major reshoot after three quarters of the movie had been shot. Honestly, I give "Solo" credit just for getting to theaters.

As always, email me your thoughts and questions. May the Force be with you!