EA Attempts To Relabel Loot Boxes As “Surprise Mechanics”, In Comparison To Kinder Eggs

The past year has been quite the turn-around surrounding the implementation of loot boxes/pay-to-win mechanics in video games following the negative connotation that the business model has rightfully earned since being embraced by the industry years prior. Though not fully accepted in theory, many would expect them to be present with each new game that drops from AAA studios and publishers mainly.

This eventually brought attention to the eyes of law makers as the concept falls in the category of gambling which was frowned upon as children are being introduced to the activity at a younger age; Missouri Senator Josh Hawley proposed with a bill previously.

Just this week in testimony with the United Kingdom’s Digital, Culture, and Sport Committee, Electronic Arts Vice President of Legal Kerry Hopkins went to the extent to defend loot boxes as “quite ethical” this past Wednesday in response to Brenda O’Hara of the Scottish National Party.

“Well first, we don’t call them loot boxes, we look at them as surprise mechanics,” Hopkins explains. “If you go to…a store that sells a lot of toys, and you do a search for surprise toys, what you’ll find is that this is something people enjoy, they enjoy surprises.”

In continuation to his statement, Hopkins expands on the “surprise mechanics” concept of loot boxes as an element that many players see as “quite fun [and] quite enjoyable;” the randomized outcome is what players anticipate to participate with said microtransactions.

Despite Hopkins’ idea of what players think, many have been vocal with how lootboxes and their role within video games. Especially under the publisher that he represents, fans have been the primary source to rework the business model in Star Wars Battlefront II foloowing its launch in 2017.

What are your thoughts on EA backing lootboxes?

Source: PCGamesN