The Belgian government has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into FIFA developer EA over a potential breach of gambling laws active in the country.
Earlier this year, the country's Gaming Commission declared that loot boxes present in Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and EA's FIFA 18 would be examined under Belgian gambling laws. Described as an "illegal game of chance" by the Commission, the loot boxes could be deemed illegal for failing to ensure that minors aren't subjected to gambling, with the unknown nature of the loot boxes' rewards being to blame.
The news comes from Belgium publication Metro, which states that the Gaming Commission follows the belief that "players do not know exactly what the [loot box] contains when they make a purchase", with a player's happiness being determined by "whether or not you receive a rare object".
In response to this, a handful of developers decided to remove all loot box options from their games in the country, with the likes of Blizzard and 2K Games playing things safe. EA has opted to ignore these warnings, however, resulting in this criminal investigation. The company's CEO, Andrew Wilson, disagrees with the view that FIFA contains any form of gambling, stating that "players always receive a specified number of items in each pack" and that it doesn't "provide or authorise any way to cash out or sell items or virtual currency for real money".
According to Metro's report, the case is now the subject of a criminal investigation by the Brussels public prosecutor's office. If it decides to prosecute, the case will go to court. Naturally, legal proceedings such as this can evolve and take place over large periods of time, so it may be some time before we hear of any results. Interestingly, FIFA 19 is still expected to include loot boxes, although all odds for potential items will be disclosed.
As ever, feel free to share your thoughts on this one with us in the comments section below.
[source nl.metrotime.be, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 102
Oh boy this is gonna be good!
Best bring out my Belgian flag and beer.
YEY! DOWN WITH LOOT BOXES!!!
But using the wording above, surely the old Panini Football Stickers or Kinder Eggs would be illegal in Belgium, as you don't know exactly what you are going to get.
Btw, what is Loot boxes ?
I still newbie about that word.
Of course, if there's one thing EA is willing to defend, it's allowing young children to participate in online gambling
You do you, EA. Maybe you'll go under quicker that way (wishful thinking).
The most woeful thing about EA to me is that they have the rights to make Star Wars games. Pretty much ensures we'll never get another good Star Wars game. Aside from that, they haven't released a single thing in the past decade or more that even interests me. I remember when they made some killer Medal of Honor and James Bond games. Gone are those days...
Honestly Disney and EA getting the rights to Star Wars... that's like the unholy duo of entertainment media. Granted I loved Rogue One and parts of Rebels, but I'm not crazy about episode VII, and I hated episode VIII. Didn't even bother with Solo, and I probably won't bother with episode IX.
Same as I said on pushsquare:
You know what’s stupid? That the netherlands and belgium see it as gambling but other countries won’t because there is no physical value to your prizes. Should’t it be seen as worse than gambling because you actually get nothing out of it?
I think loot boxes suck and shouldn’t be in any games, but not because they’re akin to gambling.
Belgium is killing it right now with this.
I say the rest of the European countries should join forces with Belgium as soon as possible. Loot boxes should be out of video games.
I wish other countries would follow Belgium and put up a stand against lootboxes, IAP's etc - I hope EA gets its cummupence for being so greedy
Sock it to 'em! /Nixon
To show my ignorance of this issue, can someone help me understand what differentiates a video game ‘loot box’ from a blind bag toy or a pack of TCG cards? I don’t think I get it, because I’m not aware of the latter products being under fire. Is it just a digital/physical difference, disclosure, what?
@darkswabber
Perhaps most absurd of all is you are gambling for a chance of an enjoyable experience.
In the Video game world there are 2 companies that need to be sued into the planes of oblivion EA and Konami ! F*** them both :3
@Anti-Matter it's like the Toad houses in Super Mario Bros. 3 but you need to pay with real money.
@Frendo I’d love to see them stripped of their FIFA and Star Wars licence !!
@RupeeClock to make it worse, it’s not even a genuine enjoyment, it’s fabricated. Most people that fall into the trap are children and people that don’t game in general and just like 1 specific game.
@Hobbesyall
Hey !
I still playing Dance Dance Revolution A Arcade at my local game arcade.
That game is made by BEMANI, published by Konami.
No Konami = No DDR !
And about EA, No EA = No The Sims franchises.
When are they investigating all of the mobile industry 😂
@Hobbesyall People like you are the reason why the gaming gone soo low. Have you forgotten the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Anyone who wishes ill on others are a disgrace to the gaming community!
@Anti-Matter it’s paying a rather big sum of money to get a change to get a small in game item that could be rare but also could be sh*t. Wether it’s rare or not is determined by the seller, not the actual rarity. In a lot of cases it also makes you better than other players and in most cases you can get stuff you already have.
I'm done with EA.
@darkswabber
Ow....
Basically loot boxes = Gambling at Casino.
@LaytonPuzzle27 after the way EA keeps treating FIFA and the way they treat Star Wars anyone with some sense would want them to go out of scene ! Konami is a disgrace the way they used MGS and Castlevania is a testament to the amount of respect they have for their fans ! Both of those companies are shamefull and should close ASAP
@HobbitGamer one thing has actual rarity, is resellable and can be hold in your hands. The other is fabricated rarity even though ever item has an infinite suply, isn’t resellable and is digital.
@Anti-Matter yes except in a casino you have change to earn your money back or multiply it. With loot boxes you can’t even do that, it’s worthless junk.
@Anti-Matter
Inquire about Star Wars Battlefront 2 and its reception, you'll have a good idea of the problem with it.
@Hobbesyall Wishing ill on others is wrong! I don't like what EA and Konami are doing but I don't wish anyone to go under. If you can't follow the Golden Rule then don't call yourself gamer.
@LaytonPuzzle27 Would like to refer u to kantian ethics “May all ur action be desirable to be applied by all who surround you” they need to go under cause the last thing I want is their actions to be universal ! Ever so sorry for disturbing ur “golden Rule” :3
@Hobbesyall
Okay, listen.
I know both EA & Konami are well known with their infamous policy.
But, i really LOVE one of their game.
I really ADDICTED with Dance Dance Revolution series from Konami (10 / 10).
I'm so CRAZY with The Sims series from EA (9 / 10).
By hoping both EA & Konami disappeared forever = No DDR & No The Sims games for me & other gamers !
Imagine if other countries were to follow Belgium's example...
@Frendo Right? All they did with it was a Battle Field reskin and a bunch of mobile releases (I'll never forget how they made part of their E3 conference of all things). They also killed Visceral in the process of doing diddly-squat great with that SW license.
EA continues to be the elephant graveyard of promising development studios, going back to Westwood Studios. What they did to C&C is ....... just wrong, very, very wrong. Offensive, is what is.
@darkswabber Ok, that’s what I figured the only difference is. So a loot box is just like the packs in Mass Effect 3, yeah? What made this such a huge deal recently, is it a more common practice? And are the digital items only available in a loot box?
When EA was "Challenge Everything" and not "Money Everything"
@HobbitGamer best way to explain it is by explaining shadow of war and SW battlefront 2. They both deleted the lootboxes and the games became unplayable because the games weren’t made to be played normally, they were made to pump hundreds of dollars/euros in. They had to rebalance the whole games.
It’s also a big deal because every AAA developer does it with the exception of nintendo and sony who seem to be strongly against it.
@Anti-Matter If nintendo ever undergoes this practices, it needs to close aswell and I always loved them! I Rather never see another Zelda game that see one with lootboxes and totally broken
I hate lootboxes as much as the next guy and would be the last person to defend them but.... what about sticker packs? what about tcg packs? kinder surprise eggs? you don't know what's inside them either yet minors are the target market
@Anti-Matter see it this way, DDR and the sims will both be sold to a company that will make the games even better. So you’ll get your ever better versions of your favourite games.
Aren’t you stronly against everything that’s evil? Don’t make EA and konami blind you because your 2 favourite games are made by them.
@Hobbesyall Your rude behavior disgusting me. Who would you feel if people treat you the same as EA and Konami?
@Aozz101x
The Sims 4 doesn't have that slogan (EA Games, Challenge Everything) anymore.
Just Maxis logo , The Sims Green crystal and More expensive DLC stuffs + Expansion Packs.
Ohh EA
@HobbitGamer @SonOfVon Well, those cards are stupid too, but there's a few differences. They're physical objects, they have some form of intrinsic value. You can trade them, give them away, or even sell them. You can't do any of that with loot boxes.
You don't need to pay $60 for the privilege to buy packs of cards either. Collecting the cards in itself is the game in a way. With loot boxes they are specifically made to take advantage of the people playing the video game, something they may have invested a lot of time in. That's why you find that a lot of video games with loot boxes tend to be very grindy, there has to be an incentive to buy the gambling boxes. Developers purposely make their games less fun to play as a result, because they want you to buy your way through the boring, grindy parts of the game. By definition they're predatory, and in ways more ''dangerous'' than those card packs you mention.
Plus, one could argue that it is a lot easier to spend money on digital products these days. It's usually just one or two clicks away. I think that some measure to prevent minors from getting addicted to buying loot boxes should be in place. Heck, there's even YouTube channels dedicated to opening loot boxes, just the loot boxes! And they're getting millions of views.
Of course, this doesn't only apply to young children, but also people with an existing gambling addiction are very easy to fall prey to these practices. I have friends who regret spending dozens on those FIFA loot boxes, it's hard to miss the big picture if you're just spending a few bucks here and there. Until you realise that you haven't really bought anything of intrinsic value at all.
@LaytonPuzzle27 I would never treat a costumer the way both those companies treat theirs! Let’s cease this conversation then ! Different POV that’s all! All the best
Its sad to see what EA has become... I miss the old EA back in the 4th-6th console era of gaming.
@Octane “You don't need to pay $60 for the privilege to buy packs of cards either.“
I hear that a lot and agree, if FIFA, call of duty, nba 2k etc all were free to play games or eveb free to start games I think over half of the people complaining would stop. And it’s not something they wouldn’t be able to do, they lose more money by removing MCT and loot boxes than by making all those games F2P even with the yearly iterations.
@Octane I see what you're saying and agree for the most part, but in the example of tcgs, the main object is the playing the game and in order to play and get a broader experience, people are encouraged to buy cards. I remember collecting panini football stickers where you would end up with a bunch of duplicates no matter what. you don't know what you're buying at the end of the day
@darkswabber
Well....
Actually, Konami made the way to get Secret songs on DDR A Arcade became more complicated.
I admitted some or most DDR A songs are NOT as good as DDR X2 / X3 / 2013 / 2014. DDR nowadays is pretty different compared when it was 20 years ago, still lead by Naoki Maeda as Song Director & DDR artist. I felt since Naoki Maeda left from Konami, DDR was become downhill for some reason.
About The Sims 4, actually if i have to admit, The Sims 4 was NOT as good as The Sims 3. I can say The Sims 4 = The Sims 2 HD + Traits from The Sims 3.
I don't know how to say if The Sims series & DDR series taken over by another publisher. If there are some Healthy publishers, i would like The Sims series published by 505 Games / Team17, DDR & All BEMANI games published by SquareEnix / Capcom since Naoki Maeda is working at Capcom after left from Konami.
@subpopz couldn’t agreed more! An Example needs to be made ! Sue them into oblivion :3
I have a better name for those Loot Boxes they should be called Pandora Boxes!
@darkswabber In ways yes, because that would remove the entry barrier of paying for it. So it ends up as one of those ''you get to choose what you pay for it'' games. However, that doesn't mean that the gambling issue disappears, and I fear that it won't be good for the enjoyment of the game. If people aren't paying up front, I can assure you they're going to be more aggressive with the loot boxes. So whilst I'm sure it would satisfy some people, I don't think it's a great solution.
@SonOfVon Well, true, but you can still sell those cards, or trade them. I'm not saying the practice of selling random packs of cards is totally fine, it's definitely a grey area. I just don't think whataboutism is the way to go. Pointing out other bad practices doesn't make what you're doing less bad.
@Octane
But, Nintendo has ever did with Random Amiibo card from Series pack.
What was that practical called ?
To all those who compare lootboxes to trading cards and stickers:
Trading cards and stickers have two purposes: Collecting them and Trading them with other collectors.
In videogames with lootboxes the companies never add an online service into the game where players can trade loot box prizes with other players. And so, you should not compare loot boxes to trading cards.
Also, loot boxes are never the sole purpose of a game that has them. They're just an extension, an artificial way to make money when all that is inside a loot box could be unlocked and given out for free to good players that deserve them. Just like it used to be, and what made gaming so great for so many of us.
@Anti-Matter Those are similar to the random card packs. I'm not a big fan of selling stuff like that, because the randomised aspect is always designed in such a way that you need to spend more than you actually need in order to get what you want. But at least you can sell them on their own, or trade them.
@HobbitGamer nothing unless you count some recent blindbag versions including a small "window" to peek through (which facilitates getting what you want at the cost of the very definition of "blindbag" XD). Otherwise, TCGs/CCGs, blindbags, sticker albums, Kinder eggs and their numerous followers have all done the lootbox thing - with children as THE intended target market - for years before video games even grew themselves an internet connection.
But since SWB2 case didn't teach anyone anything, you can see fans cheering for politicians jumping on the seemingly hot bandwagon. Never mind that politics is one of the [relatively few] things worse than fans and that no kind of governmental "gaming commission" can be expected to give half a damn about gamers or customers or players or whatnot. Part spiteful naivety, part Enemy Mine trope.
@SKTTR as far as I've observed, most if not all games process gacha stuff as tradeable content within the user's own digital experience, by converting duplicates to some kind of relevant resource or leaving it to the player's discretion for sale/enhancement/crafting fuel. Also, I've already said many times that we aren't quite in a position to act nostalgic about "old times" versus the modern practices our own choices and mentalities as customers have a hand in creating the climate for.
@Octane "whataboutism" is not about excusing something, it's about pointing out the context and revealing the hypocrisy and/or futility factors that stem from it. Everyone knows the civil and straightforward way to counter the spread of lootboxes and other such practices, but since we're talking fans, it has been made recurrently clear that this way is not a seriously considered option.
@JamesR @Anti-MatterThat's not completely true. Lootboxes are digital boxes with digital items in them, which can be purchased with real or in-game money.
I'm from the Netherlands and the sad thing about these lootboxes is that the government is more looking into lootbox addiction than gamers being ripped of by publishers who publish an almost finished game filled with microtransactions, such as DLC and lootboxes.
there are in particular 2 issues with lootboxes that can make them illegal.
first of all, the value of the contents is random.
you may get a rare item that would cost a lot of money otherwise(if it's even available for direct purchase), or you might get something common(like a grey skin for your black gun).
this is where child-oriented blind products differ, their contents is usually consistent in value.
a kinder egg for example always contains chocolate, and 1 cheap toy.
a trading card game booster always contains a set number of rare cards(usually 1), a set number of uncommon cards, and a set number of common cards.
while aftermarket value may differ, the retail value of the content of a child-oriented blind product is always the same.
next up is resale, which is the biggest reason the Netherlands had issues with lootboxes.
this doesn't apply to all lootbox games, but some of them allow trading the contents for real money.
this, combined with the previous issue, means you may be able to sell your $5 lootbox contents for $50 or for only $0.50.
allowing lootbox content to have real and random monetary value makes it gambling.
the consistent retail value of child-oriented blind products means there's no gambling aspect.
@thedicemaster @Octane Thanks, those were probably the best ways to bring me up to speed on the issue.
With those things in mind, wouldn't EA just need to disclose odds and ensure the loot items can't be sold, in order to avoid some legality hurdle?
Not that I agree or disagree with the practice, just seems like something overblown in terms of governmental reaction if there's a more expedient solution.
@Saego hmm... That's an interesting point regarding whether or not (and indeed why) government/regulators will step in. I think many gamers want loot boxes gone and see them as pure monetisation that often go hand-in-hand with grind barriers that push many towards them. I can understand (but don't agree) why a government may choose to leave this to the "free market" (i.e. Don't like them, don't buy the game).
I think framing the argument as whether they are technically gambling, pushed to children, are addictive, etc... kind of misses the point. I have never seen a game enhanced by loot boxes.
@Saego speaking about our government. With the exception of that one kassa episode and that one statement from the kansspellen autoriteit it has been really quiet on the lootbox front.
Heck yea
Nice!
@Octane This is more out of curiosity but what's your opinion on Steam cards? They don't actually have a physical form but can be bought, sold and traded for money?
@StephanDLW Ah a fellow Belgian here, where are you from?
God Bless Belgium.
@Ernest_The_Crab I'm not familiar with those, care to elaborate? Is it some kind of collectible card game on Steam?
GO BELGIUM!
boooooooooh EA!
@Bunkerneath Actually, these wouldn't be illegal in Belgium, because for each sticker/toy there are the same number available. So the chance you get a certain sticker or toy is the same across the board.
In lootboxes there are objects that are rarer than others, which makes it more like gambling. That's why they are illegal, while Kinder Suprise and sticker packs aren't.
Kortrijk, West-Flanders
@HobbitGamer that would be enough for the Netherlands.
Belgium might still have an issue with the difference in value/rarity between "rewards".
@JamesR I really like the way Overwatch has done lootboxes. The gameplay is really good, and the microtransactions can all be purchased without spending real money. It also gives the player enough in game currency to buy skins / lootboxes. Those are all cosmetics too, so the lootboxes won't 'sabotage' the gameplay.
@darkswabber After the statement from Kansspelautoriteit. games as Dota 2 and NBA 2K adjusted their lootbox systems as wanted by the Dutch law. Valve stated that they weren't doing anything wrong, and that the Dutch government is to blame, which was quite a remarkable statement.
That's the latest about lootboxes from Kansspelautoriteit in the Netherlands, I think. I've heard something about PEGI, where they will put a symbol on the back of the cover which indicates that a game has lootboxes. But that's not only for the Netherlands, it's throughout Europe.
VC and loot boxes are both wrong.
VC should only be allowed if you are unable to buy it with real currency.
Down with both!
Loot boxes are obviously gambling.
@Giygas_95 its just more profitable to use minimal effort, mtx, and copy/paste then it is to put in effort, love, and new idea's.
@Hobbesyall I sorry for my comments I' m just sick and tired of seeing hateful comments about EA and Komai. I don't blame you for hating. The best solution of stopping companies of doing bad products/practices is by speaking with you wallet. That is the best way of ending these horrible loot boxes system.
Not sure if I want government stepping in on video games
@Giygas_95
My thoughts exactly.
I’ve all but given up with another KOTOR.
And after they shut down 1313 and the other single player Star Wars game which was in development, I fear we are only going to get more multiplayer loot box kinda games. 😑
I agree with you thoughts on the new films, especially episode 8. Although I do have to say, I kinda enjoyed Solo even though I went in wanting to really hate it. Granted it isn’t even close to the original trilogy, but it was massively tarnished by ep 8 in my opinion.
The real issue is virtual currency even more than lootboxes. While lootboxes are pure gambling, virtual currency is a core problem, converting real money at at an actual conversion rate into a game's actual economy in which the operating organization determines the value, supply, demand and overall economics is something that warrants a deeper look. More specifically if they aim to operate in actual currency (which they are if they're assigning a monetary value to their currency), they should not all laws that apply to legal currency apply including taxation, regulation, etc? Currencies and manipulation of currencies are a big deal. These companies have set up their own currency to be manipulated without actually being subject to public control. Charging for products, real or virtual, is not the same thing as running "virtual" economies, which are not virtual if there's an actual exchange rate to other currencies.
Also, to everyone saying "you're not buying something of intrinsic value when you buy loot boxes".....didn't you already know that when you initially purchased an EA game?
@SonOfVon I think the difference is with a pack of cards, what you get may well be duplicates or something without value to your use case, but you're paying the same price for a pack of cards. Each pack contains 5 cards. The actual real monetary value of 5 pieces of double sided printed paperboard inside a mylar wrapper is the same in every case. I.E. you're exchanging money for the real world value of 5 pieces of printed cardboard, and that's what you get in every pack. You own that cardboard. You may not like what was printed on it but the actual value of the item is still the same. With look boxes you bought absolutely nothing but a chance for access to something that has no value otherwise. Similarly real gambling gives you only a chance for something. Only in real gambling if you actually win you get real money to spend. In lootboxes if you win you get a stupid shirt texture in a video game until it expires.
@Octane C'mon Sevens! Baby needs a new stroller!
@Ryu_Niiyama ordinarily I'd agree with you 100% but when it comes to loot boxes/gambling/vcurrency, I think that's one of those few places where governments actually do have priority to intervene. They shouldn't be involved in the games, but rather the monetization. Even in the US the constitution delineates 10 things, and only 10 things the federal government is to be responsible for while all other things fall to state jurisdiction. And while our delightful government seems to believe their mandate is to manage 10,000 things rather than 10, one of the actual 10 is regulating interstate commerce. EA setting up their own currency and banana republic economy definitely falls into the realm of problematic barriers in interstate commerce. George Pullman would be proud! Meanwhile lootboxes are just pure all-in gambling. I'd almost accept it if it were its own end, but if EA can sell chances in loot boxes, then the online casinos should no longer require age verification and be subject to gaming laws.
@Turrican280 I may still give Solo a chance on Blu Ray at some point since I've heard it's pretty good, but VIII is the whole reason I didn't go see it. I've also heard Solo has a pretty neat cameo appearance in it so that's a point in its favor. I'm guessing here, but I think IX will end up being the best (or at least better than VIII) of the new trilogy. It's not rebooting the franchise so people won't expect it to be as familiar, meaning it can maybe try more original material, and it's going to more than likely focus on the new characters more so it won't be held back by expectations of the old characters having a big part in the movie. That said, it's JJ Abrams on this one, and since he directed VII I'm not expecting IX to be highly original. Johnson put Abrams in a really tough spot for this one with how he ended VIII as well...
@Octane They're more like cards that only drop from games (and are unique depending on the game) and they can be used to craft cosmetic items that only work for your Steam account. Crafting also gives exp for "leveling" your account for certain features such as an increased friend list capacity and gallery features for your profile (the gallery features are locked behind this).
They're like digital hockey cards that are used to unlock certain features for your Steam account like background pictures, to use galleries and expanding your friend maximum. The mass majority of cards are also only available from buying and playing a game (with certain backgrounds and other cosmetics locked behind certain games).
You can buy cards, backgrounds and the like on the marketplace as well. For the most part they all originate from someone purchasing the required game, playing it and trading for missing cards to craft the additional items (it's pretty much guaranteed you will not have the right number of cards as the maximum drops are usually lower than the amount required to craft for an item).
@Giygas_95
I think it helped me going in with low expectations for Solo after Last Jedi, so was pleasantly surprised when it was pretty enjoyable. Granted we didn’t need a Solo flick.
I don’t blame you not going to see it, VIII was very disappointing for me.
Yes, I feel Abrams is gonna be fighting an uphill battle, especially with the fans to get people back on board.
What were your reasons for not enjoying VIII?
@Turrican280 Hoo boy, here we go...
-Starting right off with a "your mom" joke
-Admiral purple hair
-Rose. She felt entirely unnecessary. I feel terrible about the harassment her actress has received though. Nothing about the movie was her fault, in fact the acting itself was fine.
-The entire Canto Bight sequence (pretty much everything about it).
Benicio Del Toro's character. Why was he just sitting there in that cell if he could escape at any time? This character just turned out to be a real waste of a good actor.
-Luke. Why was he so afraid of the darkness in Kylo when he was so hopeful about there being good in Vader? And he seriously sat on that planet basically pouting for thirty years? It would make sense if he were just trying to keep the Jedi Order from going extinct...
-Rey and Kylo vs the guards is pretty cool to look at, but if you look a little closer it's a pretty sloppily executed scene (guards not following through, weapons disappearing from their hands, etc...)
-The last part with Luke. Why did he just...poof? Was that projection technique that exhausting?
-The fact that the movie pretty much writes itself into a corner by the end.
-Rey being so good at everything without ever really earning it (now she can lift a ton of boulders without any training? AND beat Luke in a duel? Luke may not have had much training on screen, but at least there was a fairly big time gap between V and VI...).
-Flying Leia. Weeeeeeee...
I could go into more detail, but I'm on a phone so it takes a while to type all this.
@LaytonPuzzle27 The best way of stopping the practice is not by voting with your wallet - the whole reason this is appearing in the courts is because gambling, and gambling like activities, are designed to be psychologically addictive. They're designed with the explicit purpose of trying to remove the aspect of choice from the consumer. That's why the practice is illegal in the first place.
Applying the 'golden rule' here is like saying a student who cheats on an exam should not fail because 'you would want someone to pass you anyway even if you cheated.'
@Giygas_95
You just summed up all my thoughts completely.
I tried conveying these points to my friends who enjoyed VIII but they just don’t get it.
It just felt like a really bad marvel copy and paste Star Wars (And I like Marvel films).
Yes!!! The mumma joke at the beginning was just so so so out of place in a Star Wars film. Marvel humour shoehorned in.
I think the two bits that annoyed me the most which you covered; were the fact Luke was completely out of character. Even Mark Hamill said he was not his Luke Skywalker.
And Rey being so overpowered without the film showing you how she got these powers. It just felt like she didn’t earn them like you said. And don’t get me wrong I like Rey as a chracter.
I don’t think it’s a bad movie, I just think it is a bad Star Wars movie.
@Turrican280 On the other hand, I went with some friends to see Infinity War despite having only seen Captain America: The First Avenger before that, and I loved it. It got me into Marvel in the first place. I've been watching all the movies in chronological order, and I'm watching Spiderman Homecoming as we speak.
Financial drawbacks for companies involved or not, this type of practice was always going to come under fire at some point, and who better to be in the limelight than EA, the kings of microtransactions? Companies need a kick in the pants every now and then to keep them in line.
Games get harsher ratings for containing simulated depictions of gambling, but when games contain gambling with actual currency, classification boards don't even bat an eyelid.
It's disgusting and hypocritical. Any game that contains real-world gambling should be given an adult (i.e. 18+) rating by default or otherwise banned altogether. That would surely deter publishers from indulging in such practices.
@Giygas_95
I love the Marvel movies. I only just watch Spiderman homecoming a month ago and still yet to see Black Panther or Dr. Strange.
Have you seen the first Iron man yet? Probably my favorite, just in front of Guardians of the galaxy Vol. 1.
@Anti-Matter i know that they don't use that slogan anymore. im pointing out their shady business with their recent games. which was why i said "Money Everything".
the only games i'll ever buy from this company is Sims and Maybe Anthem, Battlefield V. but, let's see if EA will stick with there words on no more Loot Boxes for BFV, or any of their games from them.
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-5-has-no-loot-boxes/1100-6459238/
@Turrican280 @Turrican280 Yeah, I've watched them all up to Spiderman Homecoming in chronological order, and I just have Ragnarok and Infinity War after that. Black Panther was okay, Dr. Strange was great. My favorite so far along with Winter Soldier and Civil War.
EA should just give players what's "in the game" there and then. Loot boxes are just about turning players into payers with little more to it.
Hopefully Unravel and its sequel are signs pointing towards a brighter future for the company's return to form, with more heart going into the games, but said signs happen to be outnumbered.
@LaytonPuzzle27 You're equating monopolistic juggernauts that get away with criminal and socially destructive practices with people who are celebrating that governments are finally beginning to show responsibility and standing up against a morally incomprehensible and ethically indefensible form of greed.
If you're a religious person, as I am, I'm sorry to say that you're misguided. If I was behaving like EA, which is a multi-national conglomerate and not a person BTW, it would be a gift to have people berating me for doing something abhorrent, and I hope to God I would listen.
@Giygas_95 That's a shame, since "Solo" is really good, plus "Clone Wars" is coming back, and "Resistance" looks promising. You're really missing out just because of a rehash movie (that's still really good on its own merits) and its somewhat disappointing sequel. After all, the somewhat disappointing Ep. I & II were followed up by the sublime Ep. III.
As for the games, yeah we could certainly be in better hands there. The biggest issue is that they're barely doing anything with the license! We got "Battlefront 2," which is a decent but not great game with a cool story, but they've given us practically nothing since then, not even any announcements of upcoming Star Wars games!
@LemonSlice I am not defending anyone who does bad things like EA. I'm sorry that my previous comments made me look like I'm misguided would you forgive me. I simply just glad that Belgium is exposing the horrible EA's lootboxes practices.
@Anti-Matter Those popular licenses aren't going anywhere even if their current rights holders go under. The rights for those franchises would just be bought up by other companies, who are likely to do a better job with them anyway. It's only the niche licenses held by those companies that you'd really have to worry about.
@Giygas_95 Actually, "Black Panther" comes after "Homecoming" and "Ragnarok," and after "Infinity War" comes "Ant-man and the Wasp."
Also, don't forget about the for the most part excellent TV shows in the MCU such as the various Defenders shows on Netflix, "Agent Carter," and "Agents of SHIELD" (where the first half season contains merely decent establishment episodes, but then it gets REALLY good after that and nevers drops off in quality afterwards). Just don't bother with "Inhumans," though.
@BulbasaurusRex I have the TV shows. I'm going by this chronology.
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/feature/a825774/marvel-cinematic-universe-in-chronological-order/
It seems like some of the later movies' places in the timeline are still a but disputed based on different lists I've looked at. Are you sure Wasp comes after Infinity War? I haven't seen Wasp, but it seems like it'd be hard to have the light tone of that movie after well...you know.
Also I don't get how there's so much stuff between Ragnarok and Infinity War. Ragnarok ends right as Infinity War begins. I guess a lot of stuff happens simultaneously.
EA is currently being hammered on all sides.
Fun to watch. It looks like fan boycott for Battlefield 5 is growing too.
@LaytonPuzzle27 No worries I was overly aggressive aswell !
From what I have heard it is forbidden now in Belgium. Great news!!
I think this can only be a good thing. If EA have their golden goose taken away from them they'll no longer be able to treat all the other IP and studio they purchase like disposable items.
Everything outside of FIFA has basically been a bloodbath of EA closing studios and killing of IPs yet they come up with record profits every year soley because of FIFA's lootboxes/ultimate team.
@BulbasaurusRex
"It's only the niche licenses held by those companies that you'd really have to worry about."
What do you mean The Sims & Dance Dance Revolution are Niche ??
Both of them are Really Popular, even on Sims Social there was a parody of DDR X Arcade machine named Prank Prank Humiliation.
@Giygas_95 Well, that's the order that the movies came out. "Infinity War" does ideed start at the end of "Thor: Ragnarok," but "Black Panther" was released in between the two movies. It doesn't really matter in that case, though.
However, while "Ant-man and the Wasp" takes place before "Infinity War," you need to see "Infinity War" first in order to make sense of the mid and post credits scenes in AatW. To say anymore would spoil them.
@Anti-Matter Yes, I already said they were among the big licenses that you won't have to worry about if EA and Konami go under. In the unlikely event that happens, someone will buy up those licenses and continue making new games in those series.
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