Almost all of the things we've heard about the reboot of the Skate franchise so far has been really good news that fans have appreciated. For some reason, EA has decided that they now need to shake things up and have therefore decided to add something to the game that absolutely no one (zero people!) has ever asked for - Swag Bags. You know the bags with small gifts that are handed out for free at events and trade shows.
While this is usually something positive and fun, these are aren't your typical swag bags as you have to pay for them (with currency you earn in-game, although data-miners have revealed that it seems like this currency can also be bought with - you guessed it - real money). Also, each swag bag includes one of five items. You get to see the five items you can get before you buy, but only one of them will be given to you and the odds aren't revealed.
As you probably have realised by now, there is another common term for these types of swag bags - and that is loot boxes. A practice that is universally loathed and considered so predatory, as well as dangerous for minors as it resembles gambling, that some countries have outlawed them.
While Skate is a free-to-play title, we firmly understand there must be a way to earn money (developers also want a salary and servers aren't free). With this being said, we really wish EA would have opted for another solution than loot boxes. What do you think?
Thanks, Insider Gaming.