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Federal regulators have pledged to investigate a growing trend in video games, which analysts say could soon become a $ 50 billion industry, but which has drawn criticism to the game.
Senior officials at the Federal Trade Commission, the largest consumer watchdog in the United States, said on Tuesday they would take a closer look at the surprise boxes – lots of digital products offered to gamers, often paying off , which contain a random assortment of clothing and abilities in the game. or other rewards.
Senator Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Asked FTC President Joseph Simons to investigate the issue at a surveillance hearing and said he would commit to launching an investigation. The other four commissioners who testified also expressed their support.
Hassan said he is concerned that the object chests have become endemic in the gambling industry and that by encouraging gamers to spend more and more money to finance random looting, practice has shown a "close connection with the game".
"Children may be particularly likely to participate in these in-game purchases, which are often considered integral components of video games," said Hassan.
The list of games containing surprise boxes has increased in recent months and includes popular titles such as "Fortnite", "Battlegrounds" and "FIFA 18".
The FTC's impending investigation comes as decision-makers around the world tackle surprise boxes. In April, Belgian gaming officials told publishers that publishers had to remove game chests from their games to avoid criminal penalties, such as fines of more than $ 900,000 and jail time. In response, game makers such as Square Enix have removed a number of their games from the Belgian market. Other countries, such as Japan and China, have also decided to block the coffers. And Australian lawmakers held a series of hearings on the issue this year, which culminated in a report to the Australian Senate concluding that jerky chests could exacerbate "gambling disturbances" in some players.
Video game makers have defended chests in order to provide optional extra content to gamers after the release of a game. But many consumers have opposed that loot boxes be used as a monetizing tool exploiting . Last year, players rebelled when Electronic Arts announced that the highly anticipated "Star Wars: Battlefront II" title would include surprise boxes. One customer went to Reddit, complaining that it was unfair for EA to have charged $ 80 for the game, but only to ask players to pay more to access the game. one of the most iconic playable characters in the series, Darth Vader.
EA's response to the Redditor – indicating that the decision was aimed at providing players with "a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes" – quickly became the most criticized commentary of the day. 39, history of Reddit.
The professional group of the video game industry in Washington, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), said on Tuesday that the surprise boxes could enhance the players' experience.
"Contrary to assertions, chests are not money games," the association said in a statement. "They have no real value, players always get something that enhances their experience and they are quite optional.They can enhance the experience for those who choose to use them, but do not have the experience. have no impact on those who do not. "
Games classified by the Entertainment Software Rating Board now have tags that tell parents if a product has a surprise box. The ESRB is a self-regulatory body created by ESA in 1994.
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