Jack of All Controllers

It seems that after so much backlash, they just don’t seem to get the idea. EA has yet again tried to defend loot boxes with very false claims that make no sense whatsoever. The news comes from a stream showing members of EA speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport committee of the UK Parliament, mainly referencing games like FIFA Ultimate Team.

In the broadcast, VP of legal affairs Kerry Hopkins is asked if she believes that loot boxes are unethical, to which she replies that the company does not refer to loot boxes as loot boxes per se, but rather refers to them as “surprise mechanics”, referencing surprise toys like Kinder Surprise. She then goes on to say that these mechanics are “quite ethical”. She then goes on to give the classic statement saying that loot boxes aren’t gambling, and don’t lead to gambling in EA’s opinion.

It’s nothing that should come as a surprise to anyone, but it’s still sad that they’re turning such a blind eye to what their games are doing to kids and adults prone to gambling. If you’d like to take a look at the full video, you can do so on the official UK Parliament Live video website. If you’d like to specifically hear the quotes, they happen at 15:43:15. The committee will continue to look into not only the issue of loot boxes, but also gaming as a whole.