Premium vs Live Service Debate
- Tom Belous (The Lanky Soldier)
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
The gaming industry faces a crossroads: prioritize community-driven, quality experiences or continue down a path of greed and short-term gains. Battlefield exemplifies these challenges, but with transparent communication, ethical monetization, and innovation, it can still reclaim its legacy. Fans and developers alike must advocate for integrity, ensuring that future games respect players' time, money, and trust.
Featuring: Tom Belous (TheLankySoldier) & Ray Edmunds
Episode 17: Premium vs Live Service Debate
Released on May 14, 2024
Length: 1 Hour & 38min
TIME STAMPS:
08:24 - Frontlines Debate
15:58 - Stadium
18:24 - Scrapped Weapons
21:12 - "Tremendous Live Service"
34:52 - Premium vs Live Service
1:22:32 - EA wants more Ads
1:30:44 - AI for Game Dev
QUOTES:
"This is language for the shareholders"
"They do not realize that, hey, we do read these reports. Hey, we do care what you say. We might we not be shareholders, but we're the ones that pay for your product"
"The industry is so fucking cancer these days with the layoffs and everything. Spreadsheets like "oh oh how many people we can fire today so our stock goes up""
"We've let them get away with so much"
HIGHLIGHTS:
Criticism of Recent Battlefield Games:
The speakers express disappointment with Battlefield 5 and 2042, noting they were not successful and criticizing the direction of the franchise, especially the focus on live service models.
Industry and Management Critique:
There's strong frustration with industry management, highlighting how decisions are driven by shareholder profits rather than quality or community needs. The speakers criticize executives like Andrew Wilson for prioritizing monetization and advertising over game quality.
Live Service Model Concerns:
The discussion emphasizes that live service games often suffer from poor execution, lack of meaningful content, and community alienation. The speakers argue that Battlefield's attempts at live service have been mishandled, with slow content updates and lack of communication.
Premium Content and Monetization:
The speakers debate the value and impact of premium passes, season passes, and DLCs. They argue that maps should always be free, and that paywalls for gameplay-affecting content are detrimental. They criticize the industry trend of locking weapons, maps, and features behind paywalls.
Comparison with Successful Games:
They compare Battlefield's approach unfavourably to games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG, which maintain free maps and cosmetics, and have successful long-term live service strategies.
Concerns About Advertising and AI:
The speakers warn about increasing in-game advertising, including banners, collabs, and AI-generated ads that could invade gameplay and NPC interactions, making the experience more intrusive and commercialized.
AI and Automation Fears:
There is concern about the use of generative AI in game development, voice acting, and in-game advertising, which could lead to job cuts, loss of artistic integrity, and a less authentic gaming experience.
Industry Criticism and Developer Sentiment:
The speakers criticize industry leaders and decision-makers for arrogance, mismanagement, and prioritizing profits over quality. They mention how some developers are forced to use AI tools for cost-cutting, which diminishes craftsmanship.
Future of Battlefield:
Optimism is limited; they hope the next Battlefield will learn from past mistakes, reintroduce destruction, and focus on core gameplay. They express skepticism about the upcoming game’s success given current trends.
DOWNLOAD: Episode 17 Transcript
Download from Google Drive
Note: Transcripts are not fully accurate, as they were not fixed for accent & grammar mistakes
