An Austrian courtroom has dominated that FIFA‘s in-game Ultimate Team (FUT) packs are a type of “illegal gambling” and has ordered PlayStation producer Sony to repay £299 (€338).
As reported by Games Wirtschaft (by way of VGC), Austria’s district courtroom of Hermagor has issued a verdict for a lawsuit that Viennese regulation agency Salburghas filed in opposition to Sony and FIFA developer Electronic Arts.
In their present kind, the courtroom has claimed FIFA‘s Ultimate Team packs ought to be categorised as “gambling games that require a license” as a result of their worth can fluctuate with every buy.
As a end result, Sony should refund £299.35 in purchases. However, the corporate is but to touch upon the ruling and nonetheless has room to attraction. EpicGames News has reached out to Sony for an announcement.
As Gamesindustry.biz has defined, Sony was concerned within the lawsuit as a result of the FUT packs had been purchased by the corporate’s PlayStation Store.
In latest years, FUT packs in FIFA have been subjected to rising scrutiny from watchdogs and authorities our bodies.
In June 2022, a report authored by the Norwegian Consumer Council alleged that EA has been “targeting loot boxes and manipulative practices at kids” and makes use of “layers of virtual currencies to mask or distort real-world monetary costs.”
In November, analysis from Newcastle and Loughborough universities claimed loot containers trigger “financial and emotional harm to children.”
This yr, the European Parliament voted to crack down on loot containers within the video games trade. A report condemning the follow was formally adopted by the European Parliament in January, which referred to as on recreation builders to finish “manipulative game design that can lead to gaming addiction, isolation and cyber-harassment.”
By adopting the report, the European Parliament additionally demanded “greater transparency from video games developers on the probabilities in loot box mechanisms.”
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