Since the 2017 Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot boxes have come under fire. EA fully relies on the mechanic, especially in lucrative sports titles like FIFA 19. In a hearing, EA defends the boxes as “surprise mechanics,” which are “quite ethical” and compares loot boxes to surprise eggs.
This is the situation: Electronic Arts has long relied on loot boxes in sports titles like FIFA 19 or Madden. In “Ultimate Team,” players buy boxes with a chance to randomly acquire strong players and build their teams with these cards.
The “Ultimate Team” is a science in itself with dozens of special cards based on the performance of actual players. Gamers invest significant amounts.
It caused an uproar when EA transferred a loot box system to “Star Wars Battlefront 2.” This initiated a shitstorm that became so massive that governments began to address the phenomenon.
Because if loot boxes are indeed gambling, they would need to be regulated much more strictly – as recently seen in Belgium.
Now representatives from EA (FIFA 19, Star Wars Battlefront 2) and Epic (Fortnite) have been called before a British parliamentary committee.
Who is speaking? It is Kerry Hopkins, the Vice President at EA for legal and government affairs. She had an oral hearing before a committee of the British Parliament for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
“People enjoy it”
This is what EA says: Hopkins insisted that the products in question are not loot boxes but “surprise mechanics.” She compared this mechanic to items that have been sold in stores for years, like surprise eggs.
When asked, Hopkins replied: “We believe that the way we have implemented this mechanic is quite ethical and quite fun, people enjoy this mechanic quite a lot.”
Hopkins said: “The card packs, the surprise – that is fun for people. They enjoy earning the packs, opening them, building their teams, and trading players.”
Hopkins particularly highlighted FIFA, “our FIFA Ultimate Team and the packs.”
Additionally, it states:
- At EA, they agree with the gambling committees of the UK and Australia in their assessment that this is not gambling.
- They do not agree with the idea that it could lead to gambling. The mechanic is like many others, people use it joyfully and in a healthy manner.
- EA does not agree with the idea that games are addictive. Electronic Arts is a company with a high sense of responsibility.
This is how the committee reacted: The committee focused mainly on detail questions about how the games and mechanics actually work.
According to Kotaku, committee members also attempted to establish a link between EA and real-money trading, but EA rejected this. They stated that the “bad people” committing such acts are the problem, not the loot boxes and the systems.
Epic says: Industry can do more
What did Epic say to the committee? Representatives from Epic were also called. They had long used similar loot boxes in “Fortnite: Save the World” as in EA’s games. Here Epic conceded in January 2019 and made the boxes “transparent.”
Additionally, Fortnite: Battle Royale relies on a system where items can be purchased directly and without loot boxes.
Epic stated that they are not interested in maximizing profit in the short term, but rather want to design microtransactions generously and focus on long-term income.
According to Epic, “the industry can do more.”
Fortnite was shocked by the statement from Prince Harry that Fortnite is addictive.
Both EA and Epic state they do not work with psychologists or behavioral researchers to assess the mental state of their players.
Big topic on reddit
How gamers are discussing the matter: On reddit the hearing is currently the topic of the hour. Here they say:
- The politicians asking questions are obviously not knowledgeable about the topic.
- Epic has proven to be particularly “helpful” and gave almost no information.
- Both sides emphasized that they do not track how long players spend on their games – which is generally considered “ridiculous” on reddit.
- Some reddit users find the situation rather silly and are amused by Epic’s responses – another part takes it quite seriously and believes it would be the beginning of stronger regulation.
