Consumer advocates on Thursday urged U.S. regulators to investigate video game maker Electronic Arts Inc for the misleading use of a digital "loot box" that "aggressively" urges players to spend more money while playing a popular soccer game.
Highlights
- The groups Fairplay, Center for Digital Democracy and 13 other organizations urged the Federal Trade Commission to probe the EA game “FIFA: Ultimate Team”.
- In the game, players build a soccer team using avatars of real players, and compete against other teams.
- In a letter to the FTC, the groups said the game usually costs $50 to $100 but that the company would push players to spend more while they played.
- The FTC, which goes after companies that engage in deceptive behavior, held a workshop on loot boxes in 2019.
- The groups said loot boxes are packages of digital content sometimes purchased with real money that give the purchaser a potential advantage.