Here’s What You Missed In October Gaming…

Sims content creators announce they are abandoning EA’s program en masse

News of EA’s private buyout was announced about 4 weeks ago to the concern of many players of EA’s titles. Both Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Trump’s son in law’s, Jared Kushner, investment firm Affinity Partners have entered an agreement to acquire EA.

EA’s much loved franchise The Sims, have had their largest content creators such as lilsimsie, Plumbella, Vixella, James Turner and more all announce their departure from The Sims Creator Network. Their motive for leaving is over growing concerns that these new investors are unlikely to uphold the inclusive values The Sims have prided themselves over the last 25 years, especially regarding LGBT+ identities. These creators have also highlighted potential shifts in their future content to include more variety instead of such a large focus on The Sims content from now.

The Sims team have since posted a response to these concerns promising a “space where you can express your authentic self.”

While addressing these concerns is appreciated, many players feel they would like to wait and see how this buyout plays out and if this message holds up in the future of EA.

Xbox has announced a steep price increase to their game passes, leaving many gamers stumped

Microsoft has landed itself in controversy yet again this year, announcing a shocking price increase to their game pass options. This announcement comes after Microsoft had laid off over 15,000 employees this year, encouraged their remaining employees to invest in AI skilling, and their development teams at Activision Blizzard have sought unionisation to protect themselves from further changes to their employment.

These price changes have come into effect for new subscribers already, with existing subscribers prices changing 4 November. The new prices are listed below in Australian dollars:

Type	Old Price ($AUD)	New Price ($AUD)
Xbox Battle Pass Essential	10.95	12.95
Xbox Game Pass Premium	15.95	17.95
PC Game Pass	13.95	19.95
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate	22.95	35.95

Microsoft has argued that the overhaul of these tiers will allow players “more flexibility, choice, and value” , despite already offering similar services for less of the price. The Ultimate pass has copped a huge 57% increase to its price, something that has felt like a slap to the face to gamers as it is the only pass offering day one playability to new releases, with the Premium tier below only offering new releases to be played within a year from launch. Many players have already announced the cancellation of their current subscriptions, which may result in a reduced pricing of the tiers in the future.

Counter Strike 2: The Global Financial Crisis of Virtual Skins

Valve’s recent announcement has collapsed Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)’s virtual skin economy, eliminating between $2 billion and $3 billion in virtual skin value.

The gambling economy of CS:GO (now CS2) has been a source of widespread debate regarding virtual skins and gambling economics targeted towards impressionable teenagers. Despite the controversies, the market for virtual skins was undeniable, with some skins – such as rare weapons or gloves – fetching prices ranging from $20,000 to $1.5 million.

Initially, skins were obtained through a loot box system, where cases were opened by purchasing keys. The value of a skin was determined by its:

Rarity, quality (well-worn, field-tested, or factory new)
Skin pattern, whether it was ‘stat-track’ (tracks kills using that specific weapon), and
Visual appeal, all mixed with general market dynamics of supply and demand.

The rarer the weapon, with the best condition, best pattern (i.e., skin had varying patterns, making some drops extraordinarily rare and valuable), the rarer it was, thereby setting supply and significant demand.

Valve’s recent update is a functional change where players can ‘trade-up’ five StatTrak or Covert skins to obtain a higher-value item (effectively eliminating supply constrained by solely random change) and significantly degrading the value of individual skins. Individual prices for skins of rarer qualities decreased by nearly 70% within 24 hours of Valve’s announcement. Covert skins, the required material to initiate the ‘trade-up’ feature, have seen price increases of up to 2,000%.

The community reaction has been an overwhelming “eh”, with a large number of players siding with indifference against the gambling-focused aspects over the actual gameplay. Gamers with significant ‘investments’ in CS2 skins have been the most affected.

It appears unlikely that Valve’s announcement will have broader changes on gamblenomics in other industries. However, the adverse impact of the change may make the average virtual asset investor hesitant about the volatility, regardless of what they’re playing.

A FREE update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch and Switch 2 is coming soon!

Nintendo had previously confirmed that there will be no more free major updates to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it seems that this is no longer true!

Announced just overnight, Switch 2 is receiving upgrades such as a graphical update and microphone inclusion, and both Switch and Switch 2 are set to receive a big content update.

The new content will include a feature that allows Resetti to tidy your island, a new Resort Hotel run by Kapp’n and his family, new collaborations with The Legend of Zelda and much more. Watch the announcement below for more details!