Could it be because it doesn’t have the “breadth” of bigger EA games? And what does that even mean? Back in June, EA explained that their starfighter sim Star Wars: Squadrons would have zero microtransactions, which was surprising, since the game is supposed to have a lot of different cosmetics for pilots.
Also surprising? The $40 price tag, which is significantly lower than other Star Wars games they’re putting out like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or even other non-Star Wars games like the new FIFA or Madden games, all of which sell for around $60.
EA said it’s very specifically focused on the ‘fantasy’ of dogfighting in X-Wings and TIE Fighters, so it’s a bit cheaper than usual.
Electronic Arts chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen explained in the quarter financial call that Squadrons will be more focused than other EA games.
“Games all have different scales, and most of our games right now have huge scale. We designed this game to really focus on what we heard from consumers, which is one of their greatest fantasies, and that’s to be able to fly an X-Wing fighter or TIE Fighter, and be in a dogfight. And so it doesn’t have the breadth of some of our games, but it’s still an incredible game. And so that’s why we chose to price it at a slightly lower level—and to also allow access to as many people as possible who had that Star Wars fantasy,” Jorgensen explained.
lectronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson noted that the company has games “across the spectrum of pricing,” from free-to-play to premium-priced deluxe editions and subscription services, and that price points are set based on the “motivations and expectations” of players.
They believe Squadrons will be a deep and immersive game and say that $40 sounds right for what they want to be a wholly self-contained experience.
Are you ready? Squadrons is set to release on October 2nd on Steam and Origin.
