Over the last couple of months, several big gaming publishers, namely Valve, Blizzard and 2K Games, have all given up a substantial amount of income in online transactions from both Belgian and Dutch players. This comes as a result of a loot box ban issued by the Kansspelcommissie (gaming commission) that decrees all forms of online gambling must be removed from video games.
From the outset of the commission’s ruling, they have been very clear on the severity of the punishment if major publishers did not comply with the mandate. The punishment could include both a severe fine, and actual time behind bars for members of the company. According to NAG online who received correspondence with the commission, the fine could be as much as 10% of the company’s total gross annual profit.
Well, according to nieuwsblad.be, EA seems willing to risk this punishment as they have refused to remove certain loot box options and virtual surprise boxes in both FIFA 18 and FIFA 19. This refusal seems to come directly from CEO Andrew Wilson who states that the aforementioned loot box options do not constitute gambling. He argues that players know exactly how much loot they are getting, before comparing it to the Panini football stickers that some enthusiasts collect and trade.
A member of the commission, Peter Naessens, however, is not convinced, and will proceed to meet EA before a formal court hearing. Again, the commission’s opinion is still that loot boxes are legally regarded as gambling since an unregulated player base is not given certainty on which rare items will be received from the box. From here, the final outcome will be decided by a judge.
You can find the original story here.
Pieter hails all the way from the tip of southern Africa and suffers from serious PC technophilia. Therapists say it is incurable. Now he has to remind himself constantly that gaming doesn’t count as a religion even if DRM is the devil. Thankfully, writing reviews sometimes helps with the worst symptoms.
EA is a criminal confirmed.
After countless years of treating their consumers like criminals they’re finally seeing the same happen to them.
I have my doubts as to whether these sh*tbags at EA would go as far as actually risking jail time for their lootbox BS, I suspect they have some kind of contact in the Belgian government willing to do them some favors.
FUT without packs is a joke.
damn even the ea defense force drones are malfunctioning trying to white knight ea on this one.
if you love to hate EA,do it but FUT without packs is a joke!I played FUT FIFA 18 near 1000h without spend any real money and I have team with Overall +92…
FUT isn’t Pay to win at all,If you have high rating team and be in lower divisions,I can bet you no matter if your team is high rating or not.
Most players don’t bother with PVP in UT due to being unbalanced (according to reports on the EA Community).
Myself don’t bother with UT at all, I buy FIFA for My Career, so this doesn’t affect me at all (not to mention I’m not from Belgium).
Fact is regardless of what the commission thinks, they’ll need evidence to take the matter to court (and win), the time this will take to solve in Court, EA will be releasing FIFA 20 by then.
This may ruin the commission plans to threaten Publishers if EA wins the case (which quite honestly has a high chance).
PS: Regardless of the outcome, this won’t affect you unless you live in Belgium.
EA getting heavily fined and some heads might get behind bars?
Where the hell is my popcorn?!?!
Good news, I’d love to see Andrew Wilson behind bars.
Behind bars not sure but would be very nice if court decide to go forth with the ban and other countries follow up (thinking about USA, CANADA, MEXICO,CHINA) etc. Let’s get thoses boxes OUT OF OUR HOMES 🙂
If consumers refuse to reward companies selling them by buying their games, then loot boxes will disappear.
Do you really want government telling you what you can and cannot do?
I am not a lootbox buyer but manu are. While this is considered a plague by many gamers, others enjoy it and by the same fact they are breaking the game for everyone. No i do not want the government to tell me what i can and cannot do but there’s a need. Just like there’s a need for laws against using cellphone during driving.
People are just plain dumb sometimes.
I understand what you’re saying — and it’s tempting to agree — but what makes a politician better qualified to decide how you should live than you are? And if you give to other men the power to determine who is “just plain dumb,” then what’s to prevent them from deciding one day that you are?
Freedom is dangerous, but it’s better than servitude.
I like what you said. The problem in gaming right now is that publishers are milking their customers and the majority of them are pissed about it. By milking i mean bad practices like splittig the game in parts just so they can see more dlcs, including loot boxes (form of lottery), using season passes to cover their fees and make even more profit. All of that is part of Capitalism which is « fine » and seems to work because it’s still there so « you » changing you habits won’t change a thing (personnal though). In the case of the argument (loot boxes) i strongly believe that someone should ban them out of principle. Sometimes, you needthe government to step in and TELL YOU « you are stupid, less us help you ». Granted it might not happen too often but still…
Sometimes, you needthe government to step in and TELL YOU
Do you consider corrupt and narcissistic politicians wiser and more moral than yourself? Do you need a nanny state to tell you what to think, what to do, how to live? What harm can come from giving dictators total and complete power over the lives of their fellow citizens?
You might wish to live in submission to a tyrant; do you have the right to impose those chains on others?
EA from the most hated to criminal…GREAT!!!
Belgium is not their biggest market so the “gamble” may be worth it.
The world we live in, where a company can openly and arrogantly stand up for criminal action, without repercussion.
It’s impossible for me to hate EA more than I do. I wouldn’t shed a tear if Wilson was hit by a train, that’s the level of despise I have for them. This just makes me hope he gets sandwiched between two head on trains instead.
F*** Wilson, and f*** EA.
welcome to a post national globalist future where multinational billion worth companies can override the decisions of your government, get used to it.
You haven’t lived in America then.
EA is just proving beyond a shadow of a doubt how arrogant they really are. They are openly breaking the law in Belgium. It doesn’t matter whether or not any other country’s government views loot boxes as illegal gambling. It is, in fact, a crime in Belgium what they are doing and that’s all there is to it.
If they want to fight it out in court because they don’t believe loot boxes are gambling then fine. The way to do that is to comply with the law there, remove the loot boxes and then proceed to fight it out in court. Openly defying their law is just arrogant. I hope that EA gets slapped hard with fines for their contemptible behavior. They really, really need to get slapped down.
When it comes to EA making money, they will drop all their supposed principles and beliefs to make money.
“EA CHALLENGE EVERYTHING” The fans, the consumers, the media, the government, MAKE MONEY… JUST MAKE MORE MONEY…. DESTROY EVERY FRANCHISE TO MAKE MONEY….SQUIZEEEEE EVERY PENNY FROM THE MONEBAGS…ehmmm CONSUMERS, I MEANT CONSUMERS.
Dont back down ea, keep being greedy and the worst company in America.
Finally I understand why they use that slogan
Why I’m the only one thing EA will win hope I’m wrong but man money buy everything
Cannot tell if you had a stroke or you’re trolling
😀
Think about it, what’s the worst they can do to EA? give them a few million euros fine?
EA knows too well the “Belgian” govt will probably agree to a b?r?i?b?e? solution between the two parties
Perfect news, I will never forgive what EA did to viceral and bioware studios
and C&C… never forgave, never forget.
And Maxis.
EA is a criminal confirmed.
I hate when some companies make me think ”maybe socialism is not that bad…”
Damn you EA!
Criterion Games, once great racing dev studio was toned down to co-developing driving parts in Battlefront 3 first and now to developing battle royale in BF5.