Are my loot box/crystal purchases protected?

Ceodoc

Hi EA,
With the advent of the Belgium & Hawaii Governments stating that 'loot boxes' are gambling and the extrapolation that micro transactions involving purchasing in game chances to advance will also fall under this decision.
Can you confirm that my thousands of pounds worth of investment are safe? Will advancement by chance purchase continue?
Ta
Doc
*edited the R word out*

Migux7

Its too soon to ask that question man, it will still take some time. Even if it is successful and they advance with it legislations probably wont happen in 1-2 years

Dretzle

If any legislation against loot boxes were to affect this game, it would affect future purchases, and most likely be contained to the chance boxes like the 1299 crystal packs and the chromium packs. Your past purchases are already associated to your account and wouldn't be changed, so no refunds.

Goober1_

So ridiculous, it's not gambling.
You don't win money.
Ever seen those little Lego packs that you can't see what's inside until you open it.
I guess buying those is gambling too?

Gawejn

Wow, if Belgium declared that it is gambling(we all know that) so it is gonna be very fast in other countries in Europe too. So CG and EA will have to change this game a lot. Very good. Finally couse I really dont like this disgusting mechanics in this quite good game.

NicWester

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Ceodoc

The UK government are looking into 'Predatory' micro transactions in games aimed at children and #Disney gambling is getting traction.
The EU will have no problem taking on big corps, they did with Google and Apple recently.
At the least this will change esrb pegi etc ratings for games going forward, the gambling might be a tough sell, but we live in hope.

Ocelotchun

I have a bad feeling about this post.

Ceodoc

Ocelotchun wrote: »

I have a bad feeling about this post.

"Iv'e seen this kinda post before, it didn't scare me enough then, it does now"

DrMaggot

Most laws are not retroactive.

Mzee

Unless the forum policy has changed they don't allow accusations of 'gambling.'

Charzypants

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Actually it matters a lot. Other countries will use it as legal precedent .

Ceodoc

Mzee wrote: »

Unless the forum policy has changed they don't allow accusations of 'gambling.'

I've not accused anyone of gambling, or the promotion of it.

Shenanigans052

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Hawaii is a US state and that could easily spread to other states. What's your need to constantly be a ****?

Stevesaint74

I’m irish, so Belgian law with influence EU law which will effect me. You’re buying an unknown amount with a fixed sum... so it would be difficult to argue that it isn’t gambling.

If you buy a raffle Ticket with a ‘guaranteed prize’... top prize a car, bottom prize a pen.. that’s would be considered gambling here.

Ander

There is a front page article on CNBC right now about it.

NicWester

Shenanigans052 wrote: »

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Hawaii is a US state and that could easily spread to other states. What's your need to constantly be a ****?

You think the US will rule against a multibillion dollar corporation? Okay.

dad2my3

NicWester wrote: »

Shenanigans052 wrote: »

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Hawaii is a US state and that could easily spread to other states. What's your need to constantly be a ****?

You think the US will rule against a multibillion dollar corporation? Okay.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/20/media/att-time-warner-deal-lawsuit/index.html

Justice Department sues to block AT&T-Time Warner deal

NicWester

dad2my3 wrote: »

NicWester wrote: »

Shenanigans052 wrote: »

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Hawaii is a US state and that could easily spread to other states. What's your need to constantly be a ****?

You think the US will rule against a multibillion dollar corporation? Okay.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/20/media/att-time-warner-deal-lawsuit/index.html

Justice Department sues to block AT&T-Time Warner deal

Yeah, they said two companies can’t merge. There’s a world of difference between blocking a merger and telling a company it can’t sell something.

They’re wrong, of course, but they will do exactly two things: jack and shhhhhh....

KorbinAthens_82

It won't matter if the US even rules on this matter. If other powerful countries do then EA will more than likely have to do something about it.

kalidor

Might not even need to be a ruling on it or law against it. If enough negative press is generated about this, EA may be pressured into backtracking again. They absolutely would not want legislation passed that could hurt their business model, so they may preemptively make some changes to salvage some of it. Like little changes that appease the politicians, but don't really have a big effect on the income. Far better to do that now, than be hit with a law later that's even worse and scuttles a big part of their income for this and future games.

FierceRevan

Goober1_ wrote: »

So ridiculous, it's not gambling.
You don't win money.
Ever seen those little Lego packs that you can't see what's inside until you open it.
I guess buying those is gambling too?

Shenanigans052 wrote: »

NicWester wrote: »

Are you Belgian?

Then it doesn’t matter.

Hawaii is a US state and that could easily spread to other states. What's your need to constantly be a ****?

That's @NicWester 'a mantra. Tell everyone how incompetent they are on the forums, and how they have small hands. Could be Trumps username

FierceRevan

@NicWester

EA has lost multiple multi-million dollar lawsuits, despite your pompousness :
https://kotaku.com/jury-rules-for-original-madden-developer-in-lawsuit-aga-889185198

https://deadspin.com/judge-approves-60-million-settlement-for-ncaa-athletes-1718773585



In case you missed he Hawaii info:


https://www.geek.com/games/hawaii-investigating-ea-for-predatory-practices-in-games-like-battlefront-ii-1723701/

Shaolin_Fantastic_1

This is so funny so let's say worst case scenario they say it's gambling what happens? Nothing happens but that they just start charging straight out and it won't be cheap and they will use the guise of it the law. This is not about children gambling it's about ways in which countries can get more money from a multinational multimillion company. If Belgium or Hawaii banned loot boxes purchase tomorrow it's less money for them and would not affect the game one bit. Think recently draft kings and fantasy football New York said it was gambling stopped in New York I'm still playing a year later and they are back playing in New York. As for the att/ time warner merger that was an monopoly issue apples and oranges government will sue big corporations all the time they rarely go anywhere once the proper people are paid off. Lastly it's an investigation not a lawsuit thus no legal precedent can be set, even if it was so what it is just a tool in shaping an legal argument u still have to argue it successfully and that would be subject to a number of appeals over a number of years.

Morpheus

The cash transactions in this game always get you a fixed amount. It's the crystal spend that is random, and since crystals can be acquired for free, unlikely anything will change.

Pretty sure EAs battery of lawyers have considered this potential issue, hence the monetary sales have no gamble in them.

FierceRevan

What I hope is they start publishing the odds on the packs, like every similar transaction ( McDonald's monopoly, scratch off tickets, raffle tickets, online entries with prizes, etc etc).

Ceodoc

I would love to be charged 'straight out' as you put it. Do you think it is cheap now. Current wisdom says 8.1 shards per 'loot box' making a marquee new toon cost circa $350. At 7*, naked and Lvl 1.
Having to charge straight out forces the hidden element to be removed and the true 'value' to be clear, I think that I would be much more rational in my purchases seeing it starkly there in front of me, which would drive down sales, which drives down prices.

Ceodoc

Like I have advocated before:

A shiny new marquee toon at 7*, geared to 9-11 (there is your random element), ability materials except Zeta, 85lvl should cost $99.99. That is a huge amount of money for one single toon in a 'free to play' mobile game.
That would get my $99.99 almost all the time a new toon came out and in a fair World we would celebrate together as retailer and happy consumer.

Gawejn

Goober1_ wrote: »

So ridiculous, it's not gambling.
You don't win money.
Ever seen those little Lego packs that you can't see what's inside until you open it.
I guess buying those is gambling too?

Now in Belgium it will be treated as gambling. And for sure they use different logic than your. Logic that is based on old knowledge. Thousends of years old. First layers has to go thru university where logic is just like air for humans.

Shaolin_Fantastic_1 wrote: »

This is so funny so let's say worst case scenario they say it's gambling what happens? Nothing happens but that they just start charging straight out and it won't be cheap and they will use the guise of it the law. This is not about children gambling it's about ways in which countries can get more money from a multinational multimillion company. If Belgium or Hawaii banned loot boxes purchase tomorrow it's less money for them and would not affect the game one bit. Think recently draft kings and fantasy football New York said it was gambling stopped in New York I'm still playing a year later and they are back playing in New York. As for the att/ time warner merger that was an monopoly issue apples and oranges government will sue big corporations all the time they rarely go anywhere once the proper people are paid off. Lastly it's an investigation not a lawsuit thus no legal precedent can be set, even if it was so what it is just a tool in shaping an legal argument u still have to argue it successfully and that would be subject to a number of appeals over a number of years.

Why do you think that always humans care more about money than their children? Not everyone is crazy and most of parents are protecting children from crazyness of adults. And I can asure you that if goverment is on those cases it is like companies like EA can finaly go find themselfes in another room. There wont be any cases in courts. There will be big financial punisment if Ea or different companies wont adapt to rules. Rules where hidden gambling will be prohibited everywhere. And those su kk.er s who are using children to earn money should be in jail.