Teams urge U.S. to probe ‘loot field’ on Digital Arts video game

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Shopper advocates on Thursday urged U.S. regulators to analyze video game maker Digital Arts Inc (EA.O) for what they are saying was the deceptive use of a digital "loot box" that "aggressively" urges gamers to spend more money whereas playing a well-liked soccer recreation.

The teams Fairplay, Middle for Digital Democracy and 13 other organizations urged the Federal Trade Commission to probe the EA sport "FIFA: Ultimate Group".

Within the recreation, gamers construct a soccer team using avatars of actual players and compete against different teams. In a letter to the FTC, the groups said the game usually prices $50 to $100 but that the corporate pushed push players to spend extra.

Register

"It entices gamers to purchase packs seeking special gamers," stated the letter despatched by these teams along with the Shopper Federation of America and Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and others.

The packs, or loot containers, are packages of digital content generally bought with real cash that give the purchaser a potential advantage in a sport. They can be purchased with digital forex, which can obscure how much is spent, they mentioned.

"The chances of opening a coveted card, equivalent to a Player of the Year, are miniscule unless a gamer spends thousands of dollars on factors or performs for hundreds of hours to earn cash," the groups stated within the letter.

Electronic Arts mentioned in a statement on Thursday that of the game's hundreds of thousands of players, 78% have not made an in-game purchase.

"Spending is always non-obligatory," a company spokesperson mentioned in an e-mail assertion. "We encourage using parental controls, together with spend controls, which are out there for every major gaming platform, including EA's personal platforms."

The spokesperson additionally stated the corporate created a dashboard so players would observe how much time they performed, how many packs they opened and what purchases were made.

The FTC, which works after firms engaged in deceptive behavior, held a workshop on loot bins in 2019. In a "employees perspective" which adopted, the agency famous that video game microtransactions have turn into a multibillion-dollar market.

Register

Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington Editing by David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Principles.