Teenager addicted to gambling asked EA to rethink its own strategy with microtransactions
A few days ago, one Reddit user shared with the world an story of how addiction to buying microtransactions almost destroyed his life. Namely, in an open letter addressed to EA DICE, also to other developers, a nineteen-year-old that carries nickname Kensgold wrote that he worked two jobs to feed his addiction and almost dropped out of high school education.
It all started five years ago when Kensgold discovered free to play title about city building where he spent hundreds of dollars just to not stay behind his friends. Over time, he began to spend on other games, for example, on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has blow more than 15 hundred dollars and in the last three years, the total sum of spent money on microtransactions amounts to 13,500 dollars.
"My problem stems from a deeper problem, my gambling addiction", said Kensgold. "That addiction is my personal disadvantage and the reason why I can not buy games that offer loot boxes. That is my way to stay out of temptation to try and open those crates".
His letter ended with warning to other players that they may not be as lucky as he then he asks developers to rethink their own strategy of forcing microtransactions:
"I would ask you to take a little time to think about my story. You build a game from the Star Wars universe. This game will be played by children. The same will learn to love the rush that will eat them when they get a good card out of the loot box. So again, please take a moment to think about what you are doing. There are no laws that will protect young people of our nation and similar to them. I was one of many who was hurt for that. Help me stop the same thing happening to the next generation, give them a chance I've never had. Say no to unregulated microtransactions. If you have no authority to do so, please find someone who has. Tell them about people like me and ask them for help".
Meanwhile, President of Take-Two Interactive, Karl Slatoff, during the Credit Suisse 2017 Technology, Media and Telecommunication Conference, spoke about the controversy surrounding the loot boxes and made it clear that the company does not consider it as gambling. Namely, the roof owner of Rockstar and 2K Games agrees with the position of ESA [Entertainment Software Association] that the loot boxes are "voluntary features in certain video games" and "can not be regulated as gambling". After all, "the players are the ones who decide whether to pay or not".
Tagged with: Electronic Arts, Gaming Industry, Gambling, Controversy, Micro Transactions
