Groups urge U.S. to probe ‘loot field’ on Electronic Arts video game

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Consumer advocates on Thursday urged U.S. regulators to analyze online game maker Electronic Arts Inc (EA.O) for what they are saying was the misleading use of a digital "loot box" that "aggressively" urges gamers to spend extra money while taking part in a well-liked soccer sport.

The groups Fairplay, Center for Digital Democracy and 13 different organizations urged the Federal Commerce Commission to probe the EA sport "FIFA: Ultimate Workforce".

In the game, gamers build a soccer group utilizing avatars of real gamers and compete towards other teams. In a letter to the FTC, the teams said the sport usually costs $50 to $100 but that the company pushed push players to spend more.

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"It entices players to purchase packs searching for particular gamers," said the letter despatched by these groups along with the Client Federation of America and Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and others.

The packs, or loot containers, are packages of digital content material generally purchased with real money that give the purchaser a possible advantage in a sport. They are often bought with digital forex, which can obscure how much is spent, they said.

"The possibilities of opening a coveted card, such as a Participant of the Year, are miniscule except a gamer spends thousands of dollars on factors or plays for thousands of hours to earn cash," the teams stated within the letter.

Digital Arts mentioned in a press release on Thursday that of the sport's millions of players, 78% have not made an in-game buy.

"Spending is all the time optionally available," an organization spokesperson mentioned in an email assertion. "We encourage using parental controls, together with spend controls, which are accessible for every major gaming platform, including EA's personal platforms."

The spokesperson also said the corporate created a dashboard so players would monitor how a lot time they performed, how many packs they opened and what purchases were made.

The FTC, which matches after firms engaged in deceptive conduct, held a workshop on loot containers in 2019. In a "staff perspective" which followed, the company famous that online game microtransactions have develop into a multibillion-dollar market.

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Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington Modifying by David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis

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