Electronic Arts has decided to defy the Belgium Gambling Commission, and will not join Activision Blizzard, Valve, or 2K Games in removing loot boxes from FIFA 18 and FIFA 19.
EA is prepared to go to court and defend its right to employ gambling mechanics in its videogames, which could set a precedent – for good or ill – in the game industry.
I hope EA stays strong and keeps their lootboxes … and then get a big fat sue by the state!
worst company
The solution is simple (or it should be), don’t buy games with this garbage in it. If I see a game that has lootboxes and microtransactions (especially “pay to win”), I stay the hell away from it. If it’s a game I have been chomping at the bit to get and it has this crap, I figure what a shame and move on. Yeah I’ll be disappointed but I refuse to support it.
What does an EA executive and sperm have in common?
They both have a one-in-million chance of becoming a human being
Yes EA please do this!!! Cause there is nothing the EU likes more than an American Corporation telling one of their member countries that they are above their law… a member country that is also the de facto capital of said EU, and is the same EU that has been fining Microsoft, Google and Apple BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
So yes, Please EA and 2K continue fighting this, it will be the end of your greed!!!
“THE LINE MUST BE DRAWN HERE!! THIS FAR!! NO FURTHER!” – Captain Jean Luc Picard.
go belgium go! finaly they use our tax money for good!
2:42 The last sentence is very important.
It says that if the government loses the lawsuit against EA, they will go as far as to change the law in a way that it’s not just interpretation, but fact that lootboxes in games are gambling.
Edit: in Belgium
What a bunch of money hungry wankers. Praying on people’s additions is just cruel. Imagine if the pharmaceutical industry made drugs that were designed to…oh wait
Belgium continues to be the first battlefield in major conflicts. First we had the breaking down of colonialism, then it was the world wars, and now its the war on corporate greed. Good on ya Belgium.
I am glad EA is challenging this, because they will lose.
_”Luck determines whether or not you receive a rare object.”_
This is actually my biggest problem with lootboxes and should probably be more of an issue for governments: Luck has nothing to do with it.
The item you get depends entirely on coding owned by the company and, if the multiplayer-rigging patent is of any indication, said coding is pretty likely to be manipulative in itself. I doubt any outside organisation is reviewing it, so they’re free to do all the rigging they want outside of existing gambling laws.
Kick their asses, Belgium.
Why cant EA just gamble itself out of existence………
Belgium: Lootboxes are gambling and should be regulated as such!
EA: Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your interpretation of the law, man.
67% of their income? That’s sickening!
EA Truly has no shame.
EA is so noble, fighting for our right to get exploited.
Next up: The Sicilian mafia fighting for their right to sell “medication”.
Single player games take a little bit of effort and EA gives up and calls them dead. Country makes something illegal and EA makes a stand because they lose money.