CENTRAL POINT is the new fortnightly column of FIFA U Team website, written by Hugo Versiani.
You will find here the most hot Ultimate Team topics but also old stuff, described in a very objective and special way.
In this first episode, ‘EA’s Penny Pinching’, the author describes the FIFA 15 Fixed prices repercussion inside the gaming community.
FIFA 15 Fixed Prices Repercussion
Since Germany’s massacre over Brazil for the 2014 World Cup something hasn’t been this commented in the world of football. The new polemical FUT 15 price ranges have awaken a mixture of fury, joy and frustration among the community with EA Sports’ decisions. Forums all over are full of highly elaborated arguments based on socioeconomic calculations about virtual football, plus tons of people’s personal testimonials on bad night’s sleeps, ruined squad plans and coin losses all the way. What I do know is that this week EA’s customer service is doing extra time with all the hassle.
Don’t even think that this will help you get Ronaldo or Messi. After many nights of insomnia and nightmares with coins, us traders are beginning the study for new techniques concerning the market with these new minimum and maximum prices. The market observation still hasn’t finished, there will be adaptations, because it’s still too soon to say that trading is over. After all many players still have got this exercise as a post modern therapy.
What about the coin sellers, will they lose their jobs? If it’s on those who are against mass market manipulation, yes. Fired, off you go! The legion of honest traders, if that’s even a thing, is happy with the changes made by EA. On the other hand, buying coins is an alternative for players who don’t have time to trade, a quick and efficient option for you to build a better competitive squad. But who’s never played against a team full of TOTS/TOTY/TOTW/TOTW players and was able to beat them easily? That’s right, excellent player cards will never beat actual training and play time.
Another topic in the highlights: is this the end of the AB’s? The use of autobidders and autobuyers is totally disloyal against the FUT fans. Trading techniques and market observation have always been extremely valuable exercises and from now on they’re even more. Or will we just have an adaptation of the market for the clients? This is all really coming to light with economics. Inflation, competitiveness, market segmentation, speculation, we’re on the way to having long distance classes for people that want to specialize on FUT. For people living in Brazil, tragically this has actually got a reflection in the socioeconomic scenario: too much in the hands of few and too little in the hands of many.
All the discussion faces towards the players market, but there are also the consumable kind of traders. Did you forget about this area? They’re the least worried ones in all this, after all they’re the least affected with the FUT 15’s market twist. Changing the rules during the tournament, is that fair? The fact is that EA dictate the regulation and in case their interests don’t meet their expectations, done, rule changed and sorry if you had something to say. EA, you penny pincher!
It just seems to me like EA gave FUT 15 an end before FUT 16 was even announced. Either if this is or isn’t a test for next year’s FIFA, EA have miserably hit the post with this attitude. Changing the regulation on the 45th minute was a total disrespect to the community.
Some alternatives are even proposed by the FUT fans concerning the new price ranges. Increasing the tournaments’ coin prizes and match rewards won’t be enough to compensate. If that’s done will they be going in the opposite direction to collecting funds with FIFA points? Yes! This isn’t going to happen easily.
The repercussion on fixed prices also reopened space for some old complaints about the game. Product improvement is the most frequent claim stamped on company reports, however without efficiency. Updates along the year don’t resolve the problems pointed out by the community. The classic example are the Web and Companion apps, they’re just like those players with an injury history who do training just fine over pre-season, then play three games and spend the rest of the season in the medical department.
Boycotting, conspiracies and manifestations… no! I see it’s time for FIFA U Team to take action!