Dutch judge rules that EA should be fined €500k every week until it removes FIFA loot boxes

[Kane99]

Source of article VGC

This is a big step into the right direction in the fight to end loot boxes. EA will be forced to pay €500k every week until they remove loot boxes in FIFA. I sure hope this pushes other countries to ban this shit. I don't care if a game has loot boxes, as long as those loot boxes aren't pushed in some gambling scheme. Make lootboxes something you can achieve by playing the game or by using in game credit you get from playing the game. Because when you put in an option to buy a loot box, no one knows what you're getting. Sure you're expected to gain rare items, but really, is it worth it? 

Anyway, do you think EA will be forced to remove Loot boxes? I can see them removing them for the new game, and then sneakily putting it in later in their newer games. I bet you, they will try to add them back in later on. 

[Shagger]

I hate to be pessimistic because this brilliant, but it's also not enough. Not even close. If EA is making €500,001 or more from lootboxes in FIFA in Holland they just pay the fine and keep going. Don't get come wrong I love this as it's an attempt to hit EA whare it hurts, but in final quarter of 2019, EA made $1 billion from microtransactions alone. That's worldwide and obviously not all from FIFA, but the point is €500,000 a week is barley a dent. Besides, all EA will do is remove them from that on one country. What @Kane99 said is true, we need more than one nation to do this to really get EA to take notice. Another solution would for FIFA fans to wake up stop buying this crap.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Shagger

[skyfire]

I wonder if they stop doing this in that country and move to another and operate from there? I know a lot of banned chinese apps and gamesa re finding this workaround. 

[killamch89]

Moderator Edit: A topic was already created in connection to this story, so the topics have been merged.

 

A Dutch Court has issues 10m Euro fine on EA for breaking gambling laws. I not sure about you guys but this has been a long time coming. Hopefully, this is a catalyst for other countries to take action against these greedy gaming countries. What do you think of this news?

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Shagger

[skyfire]

Sounds like fair game against EA. And I hope those communists who are siding with EA right now should understand the laws instead of playing empathy card. 

It's really painful how EA is looting by using kids and the deluded gamers support. 

[Kane99]

On 10/30/2020 at 2:50 PM, skyfire said:

I wonder if they stop doing this in that country and move to another and operate from there? I know a lot of banned chinese apps and gamesa re finding this workaround. 

Well this is only to do with one country or area, but, they could easily continue lootboxes in other countries that have not yet banned them/fined them for it. Eventually once more countries take notice and start to push EA more, we'll see less and less lootboxes. 

[skyfire]

11 hours ago, Kane99 said:

Well this is only to do with one country or area, but, they could easily continue lootboxes in other countries that have not yet banned them/fined them for it. Eventually once more countries take notice and start to push EA more, we'll see less and less lootboxes. 

Well asian nations are also picking up against gambling, loot boxes and the EAs method of the handling of those things. which I know is pathtically deceptive for gamers.

[killamch89]

18 hours ago, skyfire said:

Well asian nations are also picking up against gambling, loot boxes and the EAs method of the handling of those things. which I know is pathtically deceptive for gamers.

It essentially exploits the naivety of parents and the gullibility of children which is unethical to say the least...

[killamch89]

On 11/1/2020 at 5:04 PM, Kane99 said:

Well this is only to do with one country or area, but, they could easily continue lootboxes in other countries that have not yet banned them/fined them for it. Eventually once more countries take notice and start to push EA more, we'll see less and less lootboxes. 

Personally, it shouldn't stop with just EA either. Ubisoft, Bethesda, Activision, 2k Games should suffer the same consequences as well for their anti consumer practices.

[skyfire]

On 11/3/2020 at 9:08 AM, killamch89 said:

It essentially exploits the naivety of parents and the gullibility of children which is unethical to say the least...

Yes in fact they are making use of the "gambling" laws in their favor of the games... which  not all nations will agree. 

[killamch89]

11 hours ago, skyfire said:

Yes in fact they are making use of the "gambling" laws in their favor of the games... which  not all nations will agree. 

I agree that there should be laws specifically enacted to deal with greedy gaming publishers because this is a huge problem and it continues to get worse.