Publisher Electronic Arts has responded to a recent call from British legislators to regulate loot boxes.
Recently, the British Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee released a report calling for the regulation of loot boxes and Electronic Arts is not satisfied with the committee’s findings.
In a statement released to FandomWire, an EA spokesperson stated the following: “We have reviewed and are closely considering the findings of the DCMS Committee report. While we don’t agree with all of the conclusions and recommendations in the report, we do take our responsibilities to players of all ages very seriously.
“We have an ongoing commitment to player safety and well-being whenever they are playing our games or engaging in our communities. We will continue to look at how we can contribute to productive research and solutions for the topics raised in this report, and we look forward to continuing our ongoing dialogue with the UK government.” the spokesperson continued.
FandomWire has reached out to other video game publishers such as Activision, Nintendo, and PEGI for their thoughts on the committee’s report. Ubisoft, Epic Games, and 2K Games have declined to comment.
Electronic Arts was previously invited to testify before the committee to answer their questions about whether their loot box system is gambling and preys on youth. They ultimately could not give an answer that would impress the committee beyond the claim that they are “quite fun” and “quite ethical.” They were also referred to as “surprise mechanics” and likened to Kinder eggs and other games aimed at children.
The recent discussion about whether loot boxes are considered gambling started in 2017 after EA launched the beta for Star Wars: Battlefront II. The game came under for its egregious micro transaction system, which hindered progression. The publisher later revised the model prior to Battlefront II‘s launch. They would later remove paid loot boxes in the months following launch.
The backlash against the game’s mechanics caught the eye of international governments such as Belgium and the Netherlands, who quickly passed regulations against loot boxes. This forced EA and other publishers to modify or completely remove titles that they release in those countries. The United States has also considered regulating loot boxes following a investigative workshop hosted by the Federal Trade Commission and a bill proposed by Republican US Senator Josh Hawley. Hawley’s bill has gained bipartisan support from Senate Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey.
Whether the United Kingdom and the United States will write regulations for loot boxes remains to be seen, but it is clear that they are giving it serious thought.
What do you think of this news? Do you think loot boxes will be regulated in the US and UK? Let us know in the comments below!
