Video game giant EA is directing players to loot box option in popular soccer game, insider says -

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‘There’s really nothing we can do about it’

More data, need for transparency: researcher

A game insider told CBC’s Go Public that video game giant Electronic Arts is tricking FIFA 21 players into buying bonus-filled ‘loot boxes’, which have been sued over alleged links to it. games of chance. 2:14

A gaming insider says an internal company document proves video game giant Electronic Arts is trying to lead players into a type of game that encourages them to spend more money and has been criticized for possible links to the game. The leaked 54-page document comes from the company’s sports division in Burnaby, British Columbia, where a team works on EA’s hugely profitable FIFA football games. This appears to be a presentation, featuring many slides with bullet points, about the release of FIFA 21 and was shared internally. It discusses a game mode that allows players to purchase “boxes to loot” in the game to improve the game or increase their chances of winning, for example by adding a better player to their team. He says the mode that allows loot box purchases, called FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), is the “cornerstone” of the game. “We do everything we can to drive players there,” a chip near reads. from the top of the document. View EA Documents Got a story? Contact Erica and the Go Public team Another page in the presentation refers to “content teasers” that will “generate excitement and train players into FUT from other modes” under a bullet point titled “All paths lead to FUT”. But players never know what they will get when they buy a loot box. Critics say the randomness — coupled with the bells and whistles that go off when a box opens in the game — makes them addictive and akin to gambling. A game insider told CBC’s Go Public that the giant video game company Electronic Arts was directing FIFA 21 players to ‘loot boxes’, which have been the subject of lawsuits over alleged links to gambling. (CBC) “The characteristics of a loot box are s similar to those of a slot machine,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the US National Council on Problem Gambling. “Nothing is more appealing – and in some people, addictive – to the brain than an intermittent reward and variable.” Indeed, message boards and forums are awash with people who admit they’re trying to break free from loot box addiction and experts such as Whyte say they’re hearing more and more about players problematic people who spend savings and even go into debt to experience opening a loot box.All over the world, countries are wondering if loot boxes are gambling and should be banned, as Belgium did in 2018. Several pending lawsuits – including a proposed class action in Vancouver – allege EA violates gambling laws. this backdrop that the insider claims compelled him to leak the document. He says he and other people he knows who work on video games don’t feel good about projects that include loot boxes. CBC News has agreed not to identify him because he says he fears professional repercussions. “There’s really nothing we can do about it because at the end of the day [the] company is trying to make money and keep investors happy.” EA unveils its FIFA 16 game ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles on June 15, 2015. (Kevork Djansezian/Reuters) An EA spokesperson declined an interview request and did not comment the document, which, noted, was “marked privileged and confidential” except to say that she is “seen without context” and that interpretations of what she says “are misinformed.” When asked to clarify, he did not answer . “All EA games can be played without spending on in-game items, and the majority of gamers don’t spend,” Charlie Fortescue said in a statement. Loot boxes aren’t illegal in Canada or the United States, and many game and app companies offer similar incentives – allowing players to spend money on options and add-ons that improve the game. game and are profitable for businesses. And EA makes a lot of money from loot boxes. Based on annual reports, the California-based multinational corporation earned US$1.49 billion in 2020 from loot boxes from its sports titles alone, nearly triple the $587 million generated in 2015, according to Niko Partners, a company specializing in the analysis of the video game market. Loot boxes, also known as “card packs,” can be purchased with real money or “coins” earned in-game. But insider says there’s pressure to cough up cash real. “You can play…without spending a dollar,” he says. “But you will learn that it takes a long time to earn coins and you will quickly get frustrated.” EA says all of its games can be played without spending on in-game items, but Ultimate Team modes are some of the most popular. (CBC) Loot box modes are optional. He provided another, slightly shorter internal EA document that refers to earned in-game currency as “grinding currency.” “Grinding” in video games is slang for doing the same monotonous task over and over again to the point that it’s no longer fun,” the insider said. “It seems like [EA games] are designed to be boring , to be a grind and to encourage people of all ages to spend money on packs of cards.” He says the company has always emphasized that the Ultimate Team mode is optional and players don’t have to use real money for loot boxes. So he says he’s shocked to see the giant of the game. “The industry admits it’s doing everything it can to guide players through this mode. “For years…they’ve been able to act with a layer of plausible deniability,” the insider said.” Yet in their internal docs they say, ‘That’s our goal. We want people to be pushed into map pack mode.'” Fortescue said the mode was still popular with gamers EA, whose headquarters in Redwood City, Calif., earned US$1.49 billion in 2020 from loot boxes from its sports titles alone, according to Niko Partners, a firm specializing in video game market analysis.(Paul Sakuma/The Canadian Press) “Modes like Ultimate Team, which have been part of our FIFA games for over a decade, are some of the most popular gaming experiences in the world,” the EA spokesperson said. Tens of millions of players, he said, “from all parts of the world love the experience.” Asked why EA refers to virtual currency as “grinding currency”, Fortescue replied only, “‘Grinding currency’ is not a term that we typically use.” Fortescue said the decision Belgium is unique and that gaming regulators in multiple jurisdictions have found that loot boxes do not constitute gaming if they are confined within the game and cannot be cashed in. “We ensure that all activity related to EA games are designed to stay in-game, and we are actively monitoring and taking action against anyone who attempts to violate these rules.” Player describes loot box “rush” Jonathan Pen iket, 22, says he knows the loot box draw all too well. He is a self-proclaimed former loot box addict living in York, England. “I started using decks of cards as a way to cope at a time when I felt so unhappy in my life as a whole, when so many difficult things were happening,” he said. “I could basically buy some happiness.” He spent more than $5,000 – money his family had given him for his future – before getting help. Peniket says he, too, finds EA’s leaks disturbing. “FIFA players have thought this has been their strategy for a long time, but it’s still shocking to see a document coming out of EA spelling it out in writing,” he said. “They’re driving everyone to the casino, basically.” WATCH | Gamer talks about the lure of card packs: Former loot box addict Jonathan Peniket talks about how much he’s spent on FIFA games. 3:49 EA has publicly denied that any facet of its video games constitutes gambling. EA prefers to describe loot boxes as using “surprise mechanics” – saying they’re similar to the fun of opening a Kinder Surprise egg. Fortescue said all EA games can be played without spending on in-game items, and the majority of players don’t spend. “We take great care and responsibility to ensure that our games and experiences are appropriate for their audience, and that any pursuits in games are entirely optional,” he said. He also said that EA does not encourage young gamers to spend on games.” We also actively encourage parents to use the family controls available on major game consoles, which allow parents or guardians to manage the type of content to which their children are allowed access, whether or not their children can upgrade to games, how much they can spend and how long they can play,” Fortescue said. The broader internal document states that targeted in-game messages “will direct players to [FIFA Ultimate Team] from other modes.” The insider says this caught his attention in part because players who have already paid around $80 for the game will receive messages encouraging them to switch to a mode in which they potentially shell out more money. He says pushing players towards the mode that offers loot boxes goes against EA’s claim that players can choose which mode to play. int in the company,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder to defend what is obviously unregulated play.” More data and transparency needed: Researcher David Zendle, a gaming researcher and professor of computer science at Britain’s York University, says some jurisdictions have declared loot boxes not gambling because that their gambling laws have not been updated for decades. Zendle is one of the world’s leading loot box researchers. He has conducted several studies involving thousands of participants who play video games. “Every time we look for it, we find the same relationship,” he said. “People who spend a lot on loot boxes tend to have high levels of gambling problems.” WATCH | Researcher frustrated with lack of data: Researcher David Zendle explains why he’s frustrated with big game companies. 1:14 What the research doesn’t tell him is whether problem players are attracted to loot boxes or whether loot boxes create problem players. Ze ndle says that to figure this out, he and other researchers need video game giants to be more transparent about the data they collect. “Who are they [the best players]?” Zendle asked. “How much are they spending? These are the fundamental questions that we can’t answer because the industry doesn’t share this data.” While governments, regulators and courts determine how to handle loot boxes, the insider says he doesn’t think they should be eliminated entirely. “I think you just need to stamp out the monetization of it, allow players to earn in-game coins and let them spend those coins on card packs,” he said. “Don’t let anyone open their wallet on this thing.” Submit Your Story Ideas Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and hold the powers to account. If you have a story in the public interest, or are an insider with information, contact [email protected] with your name, contact information and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to go public. Follow @CBCGoPublic on Twitter. Read more stories from Go Public.

The leaked 54-page document comes from the company’s sports division in Burnaby, British Columbia, where a team works on EA’s hugely profitable FIFA football games. It appears to be a presentation, featuring many slides with bullet points, about the release of FIFA 21 and has been shared internally.

It deals with a game mode that allows players to purchase in-game “loot boxes” to improve gameplay or increase their chances of winning, such as adding a better player to their team.

He says the mode that allows loot box purchases, called FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), is the “cornerstone” of the game.

“We’re doing everything we can to get players there,” reads a bullet point near the top of the document.

Another page in the presentation refers to “content teasers” that will “generate excitement and attract players to FUT from other modes” under a bullet point titled “All Roads Lead to FUT.”

But players never know what they will get when they buy a loot box. Reviewers say the randomness – coupled with the bells and whistles that go off when a box opens in the game – makes them addictive and akin to gambling.

A game insider told CBC’s Go Public that video game giant Electronic Arts is directing FIFA 21 players to ‘loot boxes’, which have been the subject of legal action over alleged links to it. games of chance. (CBC)

“The features of a loot box are similar to those of a slot machine,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the US National Council on Problem Gambling. “Nothing is more appealing – and in some people, addictive – to the brain than an intermittent, variable reward.”

Indeed, message boards and online forums are awash with people who admit they are trying to break free from loot box addiction and experts such as Whyte say they are hearing more and more about problem gamblers. who spend savings and even go into debt to experience it. the top of opening a loot box.

Countries around the world are debating whether loot boxes constitute gambling and should be banned, as Belgium did in 2018. Several ongoing lawsuits — including a proposed class action lawsuit in Vancouver — allege that EA is in violation of gambling laws.

‘There’s really nothing we can do about it’

It was this backdrop that the insider says compelled him to leak the document. He says he and other people he knows who work on video games don’t feel good about projects that include loot boxes. CBC News has agreed not to identify him because he says he fears professional repercussions.

“There’s really nothing we can do about it because at the end of the day [the] company is trying to make money and keep investors happy.”

EA unveils its FIFA 16 game ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles on June 15, 2015. (Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Reuters)

An EA spokesperson declined an interview request and did not comment on the document, which it noted was “marked privileged and confidential,” except to say it is “seen without context” and that interpretations of what he says “are misinformed.” When asked to clarify, he did not respond.

“All EA games can be played without spending on in-game items, and the majority of gamers don’t spend,” Charlie Fortescue said in a statement.

Loot boxes aren’t illegal in Canada or the United States, and many game and app companies offer similar incentives – allowing players to spend money on options and add-ons that improve the game. game and are profitable for businesses.

And EA makes a lot of money from loot boxes.

Based on annual reports, the California-based multinational earned US$1.49 billion in 2020 from loot boxes from its sports titles alone, nearly triple the $587 million earned in 2015, according to Niko Partners. , a company specializing in the analysis of the video game market.

Loot boxes, also known as “card packs,” can be purchased with real money or “coins” earned in-game. But insider says there’s pressure to cough up cash real.

“You can play…without spending a dollar,” he says. “But you will learn that it takes a long time to earn coins and you will quickly get frustrated.”

EA says all of its games can be played without spending on in-game items, but Ultimate Team modes are some of the most popular. (CBC)

Loot box modes are optional

Les modes de boîte à butin sont facultatifs

He provided another, slightly shorter, internal EA document that refers to earned in-game currency as “grinding currency.”

“Grinding” in video games is slang for doing the same monotonous task over and over again to the point that it’s no longer fun,” the insider said. “It seems like [EA games] are designed to be boring , to be a grind and to encourage people of all ages to spend money on decks of cards.”

He says the company has always emphasized that the Ultimate Team mode is optional and players don’t have to use real money for loot boxes. He therefore said he was shocked to see the industry giant admitting that it is doing everything it can to guide players in this mode.

“For years…they’ve been able to act with a layer of plausible deniability,” the insider said. “Yet in their internal documents they say, ‘That’s our goal. We want people to be taken to map pack mode. “”

Fortescue said the mode was still popular with gamers.

EA, headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., earned US$1.49 billion in 2020 from loot boxes from its sports titles alone, according to Niko Partners, a firm specializing in gaming market analysis. video. (Paul Sakuma/The Canadian Press)

“Modes like Ultimate Team, which have been part of our FIFA games for over a decade, are some of the most popular gaming experiences in the world,” the EA spokesperson said.

Tens of millions of gamers, he said, “from all parts of the world are loving the experience.”

Asked why EA refers to virtual currency as ‘grinding currency’, Fortescue answered only, “’grinding currency’ is not a term we typically use.

Fortescue said the Belgian decision is unique and that gaming regulators in multiple jurisdictions have found that loot boxes do not constitute gambling if they are confined to the game and cannot be cashed out.

“We ensure that all activity related to EA games is designed to stay in-game, and we actively monitor and take action against anyone who attempts to violate these rules.”

Player describes box ‘rush’

Jonathan Peniket, 22, says he knows the loot box draw all too well. He is a self-proclaimed former loot box addict living in York, England.

“I started using decks of cards as a way to cope at a time when I felt so unhappy in my life as a whole, when so many difficult things were happening,” he said. “I could basically buy some happiness.”

He spent more than $5,000 – money his family had given him for his future – before getting help.

Peniket says he, too, finds EA’s leaks disturbing.

“FIFA players have thought this has been their strategy for a long time, but it’s still shocking to see an EA document spelling it out in writing,” he said. “They drive everyone to the casino, basically.

WATCH | The player talks about the appeal of card packs:

Former loot box addict Jonathan Peniket shares how much he spent on FIFA games. 3:49

EA has publicly denied that any facet of its video games constitute gambling. EA prefers to describe loot boxes as using “surprise mechanics” – saying they’re similar to the fun of opening a Kinder Surprise egg.

Fortescue said all EA games can be played without spending on in-game items, and the majority of players don’t spend.

“We take great care and responsibility to ensure that our games and experiences are relevant to their audience, and that any in-game purchases are completely optional,” he said.

He also said that EA does not encourage young gamers to spend on games.

“We are also actively encouraging parents to use the family controls available on major game consoles, which allow parents or guardians to manage the type of content their children are allowed to access, whether or not their children can spend on games. , how much they can spend and how long they can play,” Fortescue said.

The larger internal document states that targeted in-game messages “will direct players to [FIFA Ultimate Team] from other modes.”

The insider says this caught his attention in part because players who have already paid around $80 for the game will receive messages encouraging them to switch to a mode where they could potentially shell out more money.

He says pushing players towards the mode that offers loot boxes goes against EA’s claim that players can choose which mode to play.

“I don’t know why anyone would ever put this in print in the business,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder to defend what is obviously unregulated play.”

More data, need for transparency: researcher

David Zendle, a gaming researcher and professor of computer science at the University of York in the UK, says some jurisdictions have declared loot boxes not gambling because their gambling laws haven’t been updated for decades.

Zendle is one of the world’s leading loot box researchers. He has conducted several studies involving thousands of participants who play video games.

“Every time we look for it, we find the same relationship,” he said. “People who spend a lot on loot boxes tend to have high levels of gambling problems.”

WATCH | Researcher frustrated with lack of data:

Researcher David Zendle explains why he’s frustrated with big game companies. 1:14

What the research doesn’t tell him is whether problem players are attracted to loot boxes or whether loot boxes create problem players. Zendle says that to figure this out, he and other researchers need gaming giants to be more transparent about the data they collect.

“Who are they [the top players]?” Zendle asked. “How much are they spending? These are the fundamental questions that we cannot answer because the industry does not share this data.”

While governments, regulators and courts determine how to deal with loot boxes, the insider says he doesn’t think they should be eliminated altogether.

“I think you just need to stamp out the monetization of it, allow players to earn in-game coins, and then let them spend those coins on card packs,” he said.

“Don’t let anyone open their wallet on this stuff.”

Submit your story ideas

Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web.

We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and hold the powers to account.

If you have a story in the public interest, or are an insider with information, contact [email protected] with your name, contact information and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to go public.

Follow @CBCGoPublic on Twitter.