In the gaming industry, studios and publishers alike tend to have varying reputations, and it is not always a positive one. For EA, the major player has always been associated with money making ventures, and this latest move certainly holds true to that sentiment. While many are looking forward to the revival of Skate., no one would have expected microtransactions in its closed alpha stage.
As reported by Insider Gaming, digital currency in the form of San Van Bucks will allow players to purchase cosmetics in the game. As developers Full Circle explaines, this is to ensure that players get a “positive experience when purchasing items from the skate. store” in the future.
“To ensure we achieve these goals at Early Access we have enabled the option to purchase and use virtual currency (San Van Bucks) in our ongoing Closed Alpha playtest,” the update message sent to players read “Your feedback will be greatly appreciated in providing a great experience at Early Access launch.”
The general expecatation is that players will be testing out atual gameplay elements during the closed alpha of Skate., but testing out microtransactions and the in-game store is a whole new territory. EA has also shared that character progress may be reset once the game transitions from closed alpha to early access, and any San Van Bucks spent during this phase will be fully refunded for use when the Early Access version goes live.
It remains to be seen just how wise this move is, with public sentiment often against the inclusion of microtransactions in full game. Doing so in a closed alpha will likely cause some debate, and doesn’t help EA’s reputation, even when it also pushes consumer-friendly initatives like the Friend’s Pass system for games developed by Hazelight.
Skate. is currently scheduled for release in 2025 for consoles and PC, though an exact release window has yet to be confirmed.
