Continuing the ongoing awareness revolution of loot boxes in all segments of society, France has become the latest country to call EA out for its problematic use of the system in Star Wars: Battlefront II, as well as the microtransaction system as a whole. In this case, it's senate member Jérôme Durain, who wrote an open letter to the country's online gambling commission to ask it to investigate loot boxes and to classify them as gambling.
Today, loot boxes seem to me to require special attention from the public authorities. Many players and specialized observers [...] question the deleterious effects of the spread of these micro-transactions in the world of video games," it reads (via Kotaku).
"I wonder about the desirability of providing consumer protection in this area. The use of loot boxes conferring cosmetic additions to the games seems well-accepted by the public. The development of so-called pay-to-win practices is more contentious, as shown by the recent controversy over the game Star Wars Battlefront 2. Quite aside from the acceptance of the practice, some observers point to a convergence of the video game world and practices specific to gambling."
He then goes on to cite ways in which other countries have dealt with the problem, including China's practice of mandating the publication of win rates, while other territories have banned loot box mechanics altogether. Mr Durain hopes that the commission will further investigate the issue and hopes it will come to some conclusion about a solution to the problem loot boxes present.
It appears as if the tide could be turning on loot boxes. If that proves to be the case, EA may end up being hated as much by its fellow publishers as it is by the public.
