Of course they’re different.

Did anybody ask her if EA had done analyses to determine how to maximize the value of the, uh, surprise mechanics? How to get people to buy more, and the buying patterns of what I'm guessing they call whales? Because I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they almost definitely have studied how to make them more…

Darn it. I've resisted creating an account to post here for years... but this comment was too good to pass. Take your stat my friend. As soon as I figure out how.

I think that difference (loot boxes being digital) is key in understanding the issue. When someone buys baseball cards for instance, or Hatchimals, or Kinder Surprise, even if randomness is an element to consider, they’re getting something tangible that belongs to them. They can collect those things. These things have…

Exactly why drug lords don’t want others to mess with their income flow.

Buying and selling loot box goodies via outside real-money services is against the ToS for exactly one reason: the game operator won’t be getting in on the action if you sell stuff that way, and they hate that.

Yes, EA is indeed responsible for a lot. 

Agreed.  If only 100 people in the world smoked cigarettes, we probably wouldn’t have the regulations on tobacco that we have today, but that wouldn’t mean one could make the argument “there’s no regulations against cigarettes, therefore cigarettes are not a bad thing”.   Loot boxes have just reached the tipping point…

“This isn’t crack, your honor. They’re fun boulders, and they’re something that have been a part of life for years, whether they’re fish scales or pebbles or snowballs. It’s really a common part of life.”

Except physical things like baseball cards have actual monetary value once opened. They can be freely resold or you can physically keep them forever. Loot boxes cant. They are linked to a specific game and are generally completely useless once something new comes along. They also have 0 monetary value once opened, as…

The scale of the issue is one difference. Kids aren't buying Hatchimals themselves at the same level they are buying loot-boxes.

Why are they making such a point to say that the loot boxes “are fun and enjoyable for people”? It’s not like that was ever part of this legal discussion. When I was in court for *allegedly* selling crack to 12 year olds I wasn’t all “but you know your honor, the kids really enjoy crack, it makes em feel good.”

Why can people not understand the difference between physical and digital? Is the concept so hard to grasp. When you buy a physical item, you own it. It’s yours to do with what you will. Digital items are “licensed”, you don’t own them, you cannot do what you want with them. They hold no post purchase value.

Baseball cards post odds of getting types of cards on the box or pack. I don’t play FIFA but is it possible to purchase individual player cards, via EA or an open market? Because you can also do that with collectible sports cards. Also, if Topps stops supporting/creating a type of card, the cards I purchased don’t…

“When the point of the opening question is about what it means for you to give the game consent”

And my point is games CANNOT give consent because they HAVE no consent. That’s like asking why the moon is banana.

No, I pretty much do. I think it’s because I’m probably a bit older than you so the gender profile thing isn’t something I grew up with. (Hint: I’m older than Spider-Man).

I did. I object to the title and first two paragraphs. And somehow my comment keeps getting deleted and I don’t know why.

Those paragraphs you quoted don’t make any point though, they just ask inane questions.

I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. It’s a game, you play how you want one way, finish it, then play a completely different way to see what happens. It’s done all the time with almost any game previously.