Why honoring FIFA 23's pre-purchase discounted price on Epic Games Store isn't a major loss for EA Sports

EA Sports made a significant decision regarding FIFA 23 in India following a debacle about a few weeks ago.

The incident happened at the start of pre-ordering for the Ultimate Edition of the game on the Epic Games Store. The game was available for less than ₹5 for a limited period, approximately $0.05.

EA Sports publicly accepted the mistake. However, they also informed players that no one would be robbed of a chance to play the game despite acquiring it at an incorrect price.

Since the incident occurred, some have been quite skeptical about what it could mean for the game's future. Some felt the Epic Games Store and EA Sports could refuse to uphold the purchase since it was done at the wrong price.

Interestingly, EA Sports will likely still make a profit in the long run. There is more than one way for them to do so.

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FIFA 23 Ultimate Team's microtransactions could help EA Sports recover the lost revenue

There's no denying that the Epic Store faux pas results in lost revenue for EA Sports. They could have earned a handsome buck from the sale of FIFA 23. But this mistake also opened a unique opportunity for EA Sports.

Given that players acquired the title at an unbelievable price, some will undoubtedly be new entrants to the series. One of the important areas of the edition is the goodies that come with it. These goodies are primarily associated with the Ultimate Team.

The model is known for all microtransactions' good and bad things. It's one of the prime areas for EA Sports to continuously make revenues as users invest in FIFA points to acquire the best cards.

Even for routine players of the series, some will acquire FIFA 23 for the price of a simple pen. They could now be interested in investing in FIFA points as they have avoided spending a considerable amount.

Microtransactions have become sustainable for developers and publishers as their primary source of income. EA has been a benefactor of this with FIFA 22 and Apex Legends. The former shows that microtransactions can still work even for games that cost a premium. Football's popularity and the different events in the Ultimate Team make it an exciting proponent for everyone involved.

There have been rumors about EA Sports planning to go with a free-to-play approach shortly. FIFA 23 hasn't met the same fate, but this small sample could be used as a pilot test. Alternatively, switching to a free-to-play model won't be cumbersome, given EA's expertise with Apex Legends.

Several gaming franchises have constantly been pivoting to the model of microtransactions. Premium games like Call of Duty Warzone have been free from the beginning, supported by microtransactions.

There will always be proponents and sentiments against the system of microtransactions. EA Sports has faced heat in the past from countries like The Netherlands and Belgium, which have stringent laws against loot boxes. However, the company won't have to face any such worries for the time being in India.

The unforced error has resulted in FIFA 23 getting a huge potential player base in India. With the country's recent qualification in the FIFAe Nations Cup, EA Sports can leverage all of it for their long-term benefits in more than one way.