"It's either this or we get nothing"

I've seen this sentiment being shared among some people and to those I'd ask, would that not put us in the same boat as the people who buy the same EA sports FIFA/Madden games every year?

The reason EA gets away with doing the bare minimum is because they understand that player choice is limited. This was made even more obvious recently by the fact that their whole FC26 marketing campaign has been "we've been listening to the fans, and we've made the changes you requested" Showcasing new features, and fixes/updates to problems that hadn't been addressed for years.

Why this sudden shift in marketing for a sports title that fans have been begging to see improve for the last 2 console generations? Has it got anything to do with the fact that sales and community interest have been on the rapid decline and now there are more licenced alternatives popping up since their partnership with FIFA ended? Is that what it took for them to push the panic button?

Skate is obviously not a yearly title. But some of the same comparisons can be made, competition is scarce, our options are to play games like session/skater XL which are still viable options but on the whole less accessible and require modding to be more enjoyable long term. And the Tony hawk/riders republic games which are still fun and more accessible but lack the depth of a skating sim.

So why would EA need to release a feature complete sequel the fans were begging for this past decade when they can just make it live service and drip feed us content we previously would have had from day one? What would it take for them to make the game that the fans asked for?

I'm not saying there is nothing to enjoy about the new skate, but I'd like us to think and ask ourselves if we should be settling for less now simply because they've promised to give us more later. It's a trend that rarely leads to success especially with EA.

Disclaimer: I don't hate people who enjoy the game 😂, I know the game isn't finished, Any criticism I have is solely towards EA (Not Full Circle) and the overall direction they have chosen for Skate eg. Live service/always online etc.