Electronic Arts has been implementing loot boxes into its games for some time. For those unaware of what a loot box is, it’s an aspect that has been plaguing the gaming industry for years, which gives players the option to purchase it in-game with real or virtual money and provides them with random prizes in various forms, including character cosmetics, weapons, skills, and more.
Things got so escalated that several governments ended up branding it a type of gambling since it’s never a guarantee that gamers will get what they want from the boxes, resulting in them spending even more currency on them until they acquire the item that they’ve been looking forward to.
In True Electronic Arts Fashion, the Company Breaks Rules on Loot Boxes
Where other countries like Belgium have branded loot boxes as a form of gambling and put strict regulations on this gaming aspect, the United Kingdom’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport in 2022 refused to follow suit.
However, there was an alternative solution that was provided by the UK government, as it set up a “technical working group” that comprised numerous studios, leading to eleven rules from August 2023 onwards that need to be followed by any company looking to implement this concept into their games.
One such rule required the companies to clearly advertise the fact that their games include the paid loot box approach, but according to an IT University of Copenhagen PhD who has expertise in this aspect, Leon Xiao, there were still plenty of organizations that weren’t following the guidelines.
One of these companies, to no one’s surprise, was Electronic Arts, which actually played a significant part in coming up with the rules and regulations, making its guideline-breaking practices ironic. As a response, EA blamed it on “human error,” stating that it does follow the guidelines, but this was a mistake. According to Xiao, this wasn’t something that only happened once and has taken place multiple times.
Two Other Companies Are Also Breaking the Rules, Along With EA
Two other companies that helped create the guidelines and are still breaking their own set rules are Jagex, due to its loot box practices in RuneScape, and Hutch, which appears not once but twice in the list because of its two games, F1 Clash and Rebel Racing.
Although both of these organizations have responded to the allegations as well, Xiao says that “those members are supposed to be role models, rather than rule-breakers themselves.”
With further comments by government representatives, it remains to be seen whether these guidelines will be revised in the coming months.
Do you think the UK government should follow other countries and impose strict laws on loot boxes in video games? Let us know in the comments!
