In a recent interview, EA Sports president Peter Moore said” Fifa Ultimate Team is not at all gambling.” Read all the way through for the whole story.
Many games have had the system of Loot Boxes over the years. We are all accustomed to it. You get a virtual gift box contents of which can be divided bases on their rarity. And in accordance to that rarity. the percentage of actually receiving a particular item from the gift box varies. This generally also determines how valuable or invaluable the contents inside the box are going to be. As the game progresses, the supply-demand inadvertently determines the selling price of such products.
Many games have received criticism for such a thing. As it may make children addicted to gambling. You may buy a particular loot box, again and again, hoping to get that 1% most rare player card. This habit of risking for a reward over and over again very closely resembles gambling. Incidents of children maxing out credit cards of their parents who didn’t know better. They are a prime example that the basal psychology behind loot box reward schemes. And gambling reward scheme is the same.
Recently, in an interview, EA Sports president Peter Moore voiced himself. He said that he believes a gift box is a system of surprise and farthest from gambling. Since, no matter what happens, the customer is likely to have something inside. It may be the best gift in the world or just another unnecessary one. The idea revolves around the concept of delight and surprise. A sort of serendipitous moment to its players and not gambling. He reinforced his decision by stating that the success of the Fifa Ultimate Team consistently is proof that people want this kind of purchasing to continue.
International Response on Loot Boxes and legal implications.
It is in no way a new topic of discussion. Over the years multiple countries have looked to put a stop to this. Psychologists have considered Loot Boxes as the gateway to gambling. Recently in 2019, Gambling Commission, UK researched the topic. And stated that since they’re unable to monetize the contents of a loot box in various games. They will be unable to oversee it.
However, many countries have taken serious steps in this direction. Belgium and Netherlands have put regulations on the sale of loot boxes. And deemed the selling of contents of loot boxes illegal. The Dutch gaming authority banned 4 games from selling any loot boxes unreservedly based on their regulations, while 6 other companies although not in violation were still considered in abetment towards gambling addiction.
Following the example of the Netherlands and Belgium, many other EU countries such as France, Germany, Sweden, etc have taken steps towards conducting their own independent researches on the issue. However, no such action is being taken in the United States or other parts of the world.
A most recent development in this direction has been at the European Parliament. They submitted a report in July 2020 on the concern of International Market and Consumer Protection. Instead of looking at this as a gambling situation, the EU wishes to look at it as a consumer protection issue. Wherein the elements of chance need to be reduced inadvertently to ensure that the buyer’s rights are protected.
For updates on in and around the world of gaming, visit Gamestanza
Read more: EA is making a new game and it is going to be huge!
Read more: FIFA 21 server status – how to join the server?
