'Star Wars: Battlefront II' Loot Boxes Tagged as 'Predatory' by US State Representative
It seems the controversy surrounding "Star Wars: Battlefront II" will not go away anytime soon.
According to a report by Gamespot, U.S. politicians representing Hawaii condemned the loot boxes featured in the video game, calling it a "predatory practice." Hawaii state representative Chris Lee said in a press conference that he will take necessary steps to help "ensure future protections for kids, youth, and everyone [else]."
The representative said that the game "is a Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money. It's a trap." Moreover, he stressed that the issue needs to be resolved quickly for the benefit of kids who do not have a full grasp of what gambling means.
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"This is something we need to address to ensure that particularly kids who are underage, who are not psychologically and emotionally mature enough to gamble--which is why gambling is prohibited under [the age of] 21--are protected from being trapped into these cycles which have compelled many folks to spend thousands of dollars in gaming fees online," explained Lee.
Furthermore, Lee also said that legislation for video games involving the sale of loot boxes is being considered not only in Hawaii but also in other states in the country. "We're looking at legislation this coming year which could prohibit sale of these games to folks who are underage in order to protect these families, as well as prohibiting different kinds of mechanisms in those games," the representative went on to say.
He added that it is about time that different states looked closely into the matter before the issue becomes normalized in upcoming games.
Last week, a spokesperson from Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars franchise, is supporting game developer EA's decision to take down the microtransactions or in-game purchases in "Battlefront II." The Lucasfilm representative told The Washington Post that the franchise has "always been about the fans" who come first, regardless of any Star Wars experience.
The rep noted that the welfare of the fans is the main reason why they are supporting EA's move to temporarily scrap the in-game purchases.
