EA believes 'surprise mechanics' and loot boxes are 'quite ethical and quite fun'

[kira setsu]

If microtransactions go, be prepared for higher priced games.

I'll gladly pay a higher price for a a complete game though,

considering how much work some devs put into games especially with the focus on graphical fidelity then I'll drop 80 or so on a new title, as long as none of this lootbox crap is near it.

seems like a fair trade for a hobby of mine imho

 

[Evernessince]

Actually, Psycros is correct. Both lootboxes and gambling release Dopamine in the brain due to the expectation of receiving a reward. Whether it's money or a rare digital item, it doesn't matter. The effect is the same.

There is no correct or incorrect here, it's a matter of where you draw the line. That said, the release of dopamine is not the single factor for something to be considered gambling, that I can say in universally incorrect. Otherwise everything from working out to eating food would qualify.

 

[hahahanoobs]

I'll gladly pay a higher price for a a complete game though,

considering how much work some devs put into games especially with the focus on graphical fidelity then I'll drop 80 or so on a new title, as long as none of this lootbox crap is near it.

seems like a fair trade for a hobby of mine imho

So would I, but higher prices won't be equal to what they would get from microtransactions...

 

[Nocturne]

They looked like complete *****s in front of the House of Commons with Epic games.

Honestly they deserve and should go broke. They should be made an example of with jailtime for corruption of minors, and illegal Gambling.

 

[kira setsu]

I'll gladly pay a higher price for a a complete game though,

considering how much work some devs put into games especially with the focus on graphical fidelity then I'll drop 80 or so on a new title, as long as none of this lootbox crap is near it.

seems like a fair trade for a hobby of mine imho

So would I, but higher prices won't be equal to what they would get from microtransactions...

and at that point I have to place the blame at gamers feet, sure EA may be evil for constantly pushing them but if you cant stop yourself from buying them then its on you at that point. they are a company and the bottom line is profit, if players are that gullible and dense then darn, I tip my hat to EA and see why they do what they do.

I either skip games that abuse microtransactions to heavily or either play them knowing that somehow I'm missing something, but I dont buy them, its not hard for me but apparently its like fighting a drug for others. this is one of those subjects where both sides are wrong, ea and other publishers for pushing these tactics and also gamers and the community for begging for top notch tech and not wanting to pay up.

but just like the ps3, a system that gave gamers everything, they balked at the price, then came the ps4, it was cheaper yet not quite right, so sony gave em the pro, in the end if someone bought both they burned hundreds, proving the old ps3 was cheap. and this is the same thing, instead of letting prices on games naturally rise they found a new tactic that'll cost more and its gamers own faults in the end.

 

[Bubbajim]

LOL at this hearing, who they think they are talking to? childrens? Not even Nintendo use those catch phrases hahahaha

To be fair, they were speaking to my country's parliament, so their knowledge of things like this is worse than that of a child.

 

[brucek]

Speaking as someone who is in favor of laws that protect children, punish fraud, and regulate gambling, I still have to give it to EA on one point: when they say their customers love them, they have the financial data to back it up.

The children are innocent no matter what. To the adults I say, if you just wouldn't have bought this crap in the first place, the publishers would have tried it once, watched it fail, and then moved on to the next thing (or stuck with selling games for cash up front like they did back when games were good.)

 

[Nocturne]

and at that point I have to place the blame at gamers feet, sure EA may be evil for constantly pushing them but if you cant stop yourself from buying them then its on you at that point. they are a company and the bottom line is profit, if players are that gullible and dense then darn, I tip my hat to EA and see why they do what they do.

I either skip games that abuse microtransactions to heavily or either play them knowing that somehow I'm missing something, but I dont buy them, its not hard for me but apparently its like fighting a drug for others. this is one of those subjects where both sides are wrong, ea and other publishers for pushing these tactics and also gamers and the community for begging for top notch tech and not wanting to pay up.

but just like the ps3, a system that gave gamers everything, they balked at the price, then came the ps4, it was cheaper yet not quite right, so sony gave em the pro, in the end if someone bought both they burned hundreds, proving the old ps3 was cheap. and this is the same thing, instead of letting prices on games naturally rise they found a new tactic that'll cost more and its gamers own faults in the end.

Not really, it's about ethics and abuse, it's a gambling mechanic and people have problems with such things and you are opening up the door to younger folks who don't understand or don't know any better.

I stopped buying EA games after Dragon Age 2 sucked so bad and was a clear money grab and to me ME2/Dead Space2 were the final days of what used to be a decent company, I'm not hating on microtransactions, Path Of Exile and Overwatch are fine they allow you to support developers through extras that don't effect gameplay but only cosmetics and utility like the specialized stash tabs in POE. Affecting gameplay however is just a dumb move.....at that point like most of EAs games the game is built around a marketing ploy not the other way around and if EA and investors lose money then it's no good for the gaming industry as a whole as investors will shy away from investing in good game companies like Larian or CdProjectRed that have respect for investors as well as their consumers.

Your whole point is backwards, and completely devoid of the actual reality. Business is not entitled to gain money ripping off consumers, Selling snakeoil is bad for capitalism as a whole to the point the government has to regulate because people seem to lack morals and ethics. They want to steal from kids fine then it's perfectly legit to steal from them enticing them to invest and ripping them off...oh wait you would be thrown in jail.

Investing and the stock market as a whole is high brow gambling, they aren't owed anything a business can fail and should fail as well as people should be held accountable for what their company does even when breaking the law.

 

[BradT]

If the "loot boxes" were totally free, I'd agree with EA. But they're not. And again, if the contents were just cosmetic, I'd also agree. But they are weapons and gear and provide those who win them an advantage over anything found in the game -- and for real world cash. That makes it a lottery since there are no guarantees that opening one box will give you anything good. And that makes it gambling.

So, nice try. Calling it something else does not change what it is and I'm sure the courts will see it that way too.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Comparing loot boxes to kinder eggs is very difficult to disagree with, and we all agree that kinder eggs are not gambling or dangerous.

Personally though I like the choice, if you don’t like lootboxes, don’t buy them. If a game makes you feel compelled to buy them to progress, then you can decide if it’s worth it. I don’t think we should be banning anything here. Let consumers vote with their wallets.

 

[Nobina]

Hey, hey! Don't call them loot boxes, they're surprise mechanics. Get with the times.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Crack Dealers believe 8-balls are nutritious.

 

[Footlong]

If microtransactions go, be prepared for higher priced games.

Not really. You do understand that the number of games sold increased over the years right?! Gaming is no longer a niche activity as it was in the 1990s, but a global hobby, maybe not so much in Africa and Latin America, but it is there. Also, the fact that games already have a way to increase revenue, expansion packs or DLC's. Loot boxes are a legal loophole that publishers found to make money with the same mechanism that made some people addicted to gambling.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Not really. You do understand that the number of games sold increased over the years right?! Gaming is no longer a niche activity as it was in the 1990s, but a global hobby, maybe not so much in Africa and Latin America, but it is there. Also, the fact that games already have a way to increase revenue, expansion packs or DLC's. Loot boxes are a legal loophole that publishers found to make money with the same mechanism that made some people addicted to gambling.

Seems you've missed the headlines about how much revenue microtransactions actually bring in for games like PUBG and Fortnite as examples. You should google asap.

 

[Footlong]

Seems you've missed the headlines about how much revenue microtransactions actually bring in for games like PUBG and Fortnite as examples. You should google asap.

No, I think you missed my point. Loot boxes are gambling with extra steps. Also, Fortnite is free to play, so loot boxes is the way Epic makes a profit. PUBG is not free to play as far as I know so loot boxes, in that case, is just quick money for them. Considering both these games appeals to a younger audience it is downright immoral what they are doing.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Seems you've missed the headlines about how much revenue microtransactions actually bring in for games like PUBG and Fortnite as examples. You should google asap.

No, I think you missed my point. Loot boxes are gambling with extra steps. Also, Fortnite is free to play, so loot boxes is the way Epic makes a profit. PUBG is not free to play as far as I know so loot boxes, in that case, is just quick money for them. Considering both these games appeals to a younger audience it is downright immoral what they are doing.

Just out of curiosity, do you think buying a kinder egg or a pack of pokemon cards is any different? And if so why and do you also think selling kinder eggs to children is immoral? Because I can’t see the difference myself.

 

[hahahanoobs]

No, I think you missed my point. Loot boxes are gambling with extra steps. Also, Fortnite is free to play, so loot boxes is the way Epic makes a profit. PUBG is not free to play as far as I know so loot boxes, in that case, is just quick money for them. Considering both these games appeals to a younger audience it is downright immoral what they are doing.

lol. Your video is from 2014 saying the model was broken and wrong....
Spoiler alert: Microtransactions are even more popular than they ever were in 2014. Why? Because they are massive money makers. Hence why we have F2P games like Apex Legends and Fortnite with microtransactions.

You can change the narrative to only include loot boxes, but I specifically mentioned microtransactions, and not all microtransactions are loot boxes. I get it, you're trying to change the world, but when done right, and this is quite common, gamers are okay with them. Games like SWBF2 and BFV are examples how to do it wrong, but that those examples aren't representitive of all games with microtransactions. If you can't control yourself to spend thousands in microtransactions for cosmetics and loot boxes, then you are a child and should not be allowed near a computer without parental supervision.

https://www.google.com/search?q=rev...0j69i57j0l4.3357j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[hahahanoobs]

Just out of curiosity, do you think buying a kinder egg or a pack of pokemon cards is any different? And if so why and do you also think selling kinder eggs to children is immoral? Because I can’t see the difference myself.

Just out of curiosity, how high do you have to be to even think the two are comparable?

 

[Shadowboxer]

Just out of curiosity, how high do you have to be to even think the two are comparable?

Don’t be deliberately obtuse. Both are items of a set value that contains a mystery item of a set value at random. If they don’t compare can you explain why so please? And I’m aware that in game
Items are virtual and kinder eggs are physical but when morality is concerned does that matter?

If you can’t see the comparison I can’t rake you seriously. It’s even mentioned in the article. There is definitely a comparison there. I’m aware it’s a very inconvenient comparison if you are trying to create the illusion that lootboxes are “immoral” like you are. And that’s why I think you’re just being ignorant.

 

[captaincranky]

"Instead of referring to loot boxes as loot boxes, they call them "surprise mechanics" and claim that they are "quite ethical and quite fun" in the eyes of many players".

I'm sure they're also "very entertaining and rewarding" as well, for EA's employees as they load the proceeds from all this "fun people are having", onto a armored truck on its way to the bank.

Which is something I've asked myself many times as I lose yet another dollar to an Atlantic City slot machine, "am I having fun yet"?

With the shallow, poorly concocted, and cavalier lies such as the whoppers EA's press team is doling out, it should be patently self evident, that all they care about is the bottom line, and their gaming customers should just go ahead and pound sand up their own "loot boxes".

KY might consider a new product release to ease the discomfort from that pounding process. How about if we tag it for what it is, "Yours and Yours Alone"

Or perhaps paraphrase Spiderman's tag line, "with great stupidity, comes great rectal discomfort"

 

[cliffordcooley]

I wonder how well game devs would like playing with these surprise mechanics.

Today you may or may not be getting your pay check. But don't be sad. We made sure if you don't get your pay check there is other surprise mechanics inside. Go ahead open and see if you will be paid today.

 

[Shadowboxer]

I wonder how well game devs would like playing with these surprise mechanics.

Today you may or may not be getting your pay check. But don't be sad. We made sure if you don't get your pay check there is other surprise mechanics inside. Go ahead open and see if you will be paid today.

That’s a terrible analogy. With a loot box you always lose. You always lose the money you pay for it and in return you get an in game item that you are not allowed to sell.

I don’t see the problem with it, it’s just like playing Pokemon go,

If however there was a chance of winning the money you invested back, or you could sell the items you win for real money then I would condemn it as then it would basically be gambling.

The equivalent for EA executives would be to offer to sell them a mystery box and tell them they definitely won’t win any money back. If they still decide to buy the mystery box then it’s their own fault and you don’t have to worry about selling that mystery box. Just like if you waste all your money on in game loot boxes it’s your fault and the developer isn’t responsible for you being an *****.

 

[cliffordcooley]

That’s a terrible analogy.

Maybe so. It was posted more of a joke though.

I don’t see the problem with it

Here lies the problem. People willing to pay thousands, just to support their bad habits. Meantime making the game nearly unplayable, for everyone else not willing to do the same. And then have the audacity to say they don't see the problem. People say that all the time when they are addicted and don't care how high the high cost.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Maybe so. It was posted more of a joke though.
Here lies the problem. People willing to pay thousands, just to support their bad habits. Meantime making the game nearly unplayable, for everyone else not willing to do the same. And then have the audacity to say they don't see the problem. People say that all the time when they are addicted and don't care how high the high cost.

I think the answer is in your own response “people are willing”. No one forces consumers to buy loot boxes. They choose to do it all by themselves. If a game developer makes more money by adding these lootboxes in you can’t blame them either as these are businesses who are just trying to make money after all.

The solution is to vote with your wallet, if others feel the same way then devs will start making games without loot boxes. I don’t buy loot boxes and I don’t play games that heavily favour people who do buy them and I find I can still play most games out there.

But the thing is if the public continues to buy lootboxes even though they have a choice, there isn’t going to be much we can do about it. We certainly can’t use legislation to force companies to stop it as any such legislation could be used to basically remove anything that has an aspect of chance in it. It would make something like buying a happy meal in McDonald’s illegal as you don’t know what toy you would get.

I guess yeah I don’t see a problem with developers selling things things that the public are happy to pay for at their leisure.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Meantime making the game nearly unplayable, for everyone else not willing to do the same.

What part of that sentence didn't make sense?