EA Calls Loot Boxes "Surprise Mechanics" and "Quite Ethical"

One of the things that’s made EA especially scummy over the past few years has been their addiction to addicting people to loot boxes. Generally, people suspect that they exploit the same mental vulnerabilities that gambling does, but while I don’t think that’s been proven definitively, it is known for sure they have a bad reputation and people just straight-up don’t like them anymore. That’s why “no loot boxes” was an easy way to get applause during this year’s E3. But EA doesn’t care about all that because they know loot boxes make bank, and it seems they’re more than willing to make fools of themselves to try to keep them in their games.

To that end, EA’s VP of legal and government affairs Kerry Hopkins recently told UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport committee that their loot boxes are actually just “surprise mechanics” and “quite ethical.”

She elaborated:

“If you go to—I don’t know what your version of Target is—a store that sells lots of toys, and you do a search for surprise toys, what you’ll find is that this is something people enjoy. They enjoy surprises. And so, it’s something that’s been part of toys for years, whether it’s Kinder Eggs, or Hatchimals, or LOL Surprise. We do think the way that we have implemented these kinds of mechanics in FIFA—[which] of course is our big one, our FIFA Ultimate Team and our packs—is actually quite ethical and quite fun. Enjoyable to people.”

And continued:

“We do agree with the UK gambling commission, the Australian gambling commission, and many other gambling commissions that they aren’t gambling, and we also disagree that there’s evidence that shows it leads to gambling. Instead we think it’s like many other products that people enjoy in a healthy way, and like the element of surprise.”

It should be no surprise that EA would fight this tooth and nail. But not surprising doesn’t mean not disappointing, and it certainly is that. For what it’s worth, an Epic Games representative was also there, who was less… infuriating.

So that’s a little something.