Battlefield Play4Free replaces premium items, enrages players

Ah digital distribution, how you have complicated our traditional expectations of ownership. See in the real world, when you buy something, it's yours. You can do with it whatever you please, play with it, sell it, commit violent pre-meditated murder with it, whatever! Sony isn't going to come into your house while you sleep and say "Hey! This PlayStation is too awesome, we need to make it less awesome!" That's just not how things are done.

Anyhow, it seems Electronic Arts has some rather progressive ideas about the possibilities digital content offers, namely the ability to simply take people's money for content, then alter it later, something which has Battlefield Free4Play players crying foul. As a free to play game, Battlefield relies entirely on the sale of premium digital content, including what were termed "Veteran" weapon attachments. These popular items gave a variety of boosts to the in-game firearms, and counted themselves among some of the most popular pieces of premium content. Problem is that EA failed to properly balance the items, giving an overwhelming advantage to anyone using them.

Reasonable Solution: Tweak the balance of Veteran items from Battlefield Play4Free

"Drama Bomb" Solution: Refuse to refund money to those unsatisfied with the changes

If EA didn't anticipate the firestorm of backlash that has errupted among their players, then they haven't got a brain in their heads. Not only have they offended their player base, but they've also undermined the integrity of their own premium content, establishing that any digital item purchased may someday be nerfed. These players were sold an item with specific stats, and to change those stats down the line means they're no longer getting what they paid for. We're all for balancing multiplayer, but this is ridiculous.