What's in a Lootbox? EA Says "Surprise Mechanics, Quite Ethical"

Updated:01:22 PM CEST Sep,05

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Gameguru Mania News - Jun,21 2019 -

What's in a Lootbox? EA Says "Surprise Mechanics, Quite Ethical" - briefly
(hx) 10:50 AM CEST - Jun,21 2019 - Post a comment / read (3)
Kerry Hopkins, EA's VP of Legal and Government affairs (and yes, apparently that's an actual position within EA) said before a UK parliament session that loot boxes in video games are surprise mechanics that aren't any different from Kinder eggs or from any other "Surprise!" factor product. AS Hopkins put it, lootboxes are also very fun and very ethical experiences in the way EA has implemented them: "We do think the way that we have implemented these kinds of mechanics - and FIFA of course is our big one, our FIFA Ultimate Team and our packs - is actually quite ethical and quite fun, quite enjoyable to people". Never mind that a government-commissioned study on the matter, "Young People and Gambling 2018 Report" claiming that 450,000 UK kids, aged between 11 and 16, bet regularly.

Hopkins explained further saying that "We do agree with the UK gambling commission, the Australian gambling commission, and many other gambling commissions that they aren't gambling, and we also disagree that there's evidence that shows it leads to gambling. Instead we think it's like many other products that people enjoy in a healthy way, and like the element of surprise." I'm sorry about the meme, but I just had to do it. But I feel tempted to circle back to the job position for VP of Legal and Government Affairs... I mean doesn't that just sound like something an evil company would have?

Ed.note: Well, my kids like getting the occasional Kinder Egg. They think the toys that come in them are nice to have (for about 10 seconds), but they mainly get them because they like the candy. They spend more time eating the candy in them then they do playing with the tiny toy that comes in them. A Kinder Egg is not the same as a loot box. Loot boxes have abysmal chances to obtain "high end" or "highly sought after" items. After someone drops X amount of money and finally gets something really good/rare, they feel awesome! They figure if they spend X amount again they'll land something else awesome.....sounds like slot machines to me. Folks sit and dump money into slot machines and eventually win big. They love that feeling so they continue to dump more money into the slot machines in hopes of getting that winning high again.

last 10 comments:

Csimbi

(11:38 AM CEST - Jun,21 2019 )

quote:
A Kinder Egg is not the same as a loot box. Loot boxes have abysmal chances to obtain "high end" or "highly sought after" items.
Yup, precisely.
Put only low value rubbish in loot boxes and it'll be the same as a Kinder Egg.
If Kinder Put high value items in a random eggs, it would also drive up sales like lottery - making it a completely different business entirely, which we call gambling.

gx-x	(02:20 PM CEST - Jun,21 2019 )
...it doesn't lead to gambling, it IS gambling. The only problem states/countries have with EA is that they don't pay gambling tax and avoid regulation. They don't "think about teh children" they think about money. So does EA.