An EA insider has recently leaked a 54-page document out of Burnaby, B.C., which suggests that the game directs players towards a specific game mode. FIFA Ultimate Team is a mode where spending real money gives players a tremendous advantage, and has now been compared to gambling. Purchasing loot-boxes has been linked to gambling due to the similar rush you receive. “The features of a loot-box are similar to a slot machine,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the U.S. national council on Problem Gaming.
“This is our goal, we want people driven to the card pack mode,” the internal documents that were provided to the CBC read. An EA spokesperson denied an interview request and wouldn’t comment on the matter. Although you can play the game without spending a dollar extra, “you’re likely to get frustrated quite fast”, said the insider.
Clearly that temptation is no joke, with the FIFA series being EA’s biggest money maker since its initial release in 1993. Earning 1.49 billion US dollars in 2020 from loot boxes alone and close to 300 million units sold over the last 28 years.
This leads countries such as Canada and the United States to a big question, should these in-game purchases be banned? In 2018, Belgium removed the option to purchase these loot packs due to the link they had to gambling. There are multiple lawsuits underway such as the proposed class action in Vancouver, Canada.
It’s clear that EA is under a lot of pressure here, the question is whether or not they’re at fault.
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