EA Is Encouraging Families To Set Up Parental Controls This Summer

"Be sure you know how to stop our evil practices, and keep your kids safe, because we're doubling down on being money grabbing predators!"

@Jayenkai pretty sure companies are unironically interested in more responsible parenting on the consumer side. There have been many precedents of parents getting refunds after their kids' three-digit dollar sprees in mobile gachas like Gameloft's ponyquarium. It's not much fun grabbing money from people who, more often than not, have no legal authority to spend this money at all; adult fanheads with a stable income and lack of self-control make up the bulk of IAP profits anyway.

@nhSnork Aaah, but if they didn't put in all that stuff, in the first place, they wouldn't have to teach parents how to block their nefarious ways.
It's pure evil, I tell ya!!

@Jayenkai except those kinds of games make an insane amount of money, and like it or not, there are adults who want to have them. So best to educate parents on how to keep their kids out of those gaming casinos.

@Jayenkai if they didn't put in all that stuff, they wouldn't be earning the aforesaid bulk either, and that's a bit of a dealbreaker, especially when your own eye-watering CEO salary depends in no small part on what profit figures you can keep feeding the investors and shareholders. Capitalism desu.

@Jayenkai Yeah if a 3+ game like FIFA or EAFC contains features that isn't safe for children to use then it shouldn't be rated like that.

Really all of EA's lootbox games and any game with IAPs with no limit or maybe even just above £100 total should be an automatic 18+. The ability to inflict real financial harm is more real danger than anything the ratings boards class as 18+

Image is everything. Instead of creating a hump for parents to navigate, why not simply cease with the predatory business strategies?

Sony in the US have a 'Back to School' sale. Hahaha. Bonkers.

EA said like that on Nintendo Switch ?
Kinda suspicious... 🧐

@GrailUK wtf really‽ Share the link!

@Agent_P
https://gameranx.com/updates/id/472555/article/playstation-sale-kicks-off-for-those-returning-back-to-school/

There are other places and seen some of the ads lol. Yeah, back to school sale. Incredible.

Hmm EA care so much about family and children safety the pretty much abandoned the Nintendo “for Kids” Switch in favour of other platforms where guns, killing, drugs are common place. At a guess a prerequisite from the EA legal department to make people thing the responsibility of the $1000 in app purchases are the parents fault.

@GrailUK Toys R Us did a Back to School gaming sale in 1996 its how I got my Sega Saturn. Companies have been doing this for decades it’s nothing new parents bribe kids into getting good grades with new games or systems. In 96 I was an honors student. In 98 I got a PS1 & N64 and was a high honors student.

@Dr_Lugae I have been saying for years that gaming companies needed regulating better, and don't even start me on under 18+ games that allow chat.

Jenas has obviously leaked dry the sports washing money, so now he made a sideway shift to EA.

@MeatSauce It's pretty unscrupulous lol. I mean, wouldn't it be better to have a sale nearer an opportune time it can be seen as a reward and not a bribe lol? I dunno, regardless, it doesn't quite scan to me.

EA was the Consumerist's worst company in the world for two years in a row, earning two golden poos. They cancelled origin accounts after 2 years, effectively deleting peoples games if they didn't log onto their website, and used another more popular platform like steam. The Sims 4 with all DLC costs £1,000.33 / $1,094.33 / €1,094.33. Let's not forget when they defended those criminal gambling loot boxes, where you can't even buy the DLC as "surprise mechanics". Maybe they need to consider their own irresponsible business practices. Parents should know that EA are not to be trusted with the attention of their kids.

I think Nintendo is quite responsible with parental controls. There are a few games that are not safe for kids, so it is good to filter them out. I am also glad Nintendo makes voice chat with strangers difficult, I know it is an unpopular opinion but every game becomes R rated when you hear the things people say online.

Shutup EA, last I remember you had no games on Switch.

This is just PR nonsense. The next generation of young gamers will have parents born in the 1980s, which means they are parents that will know a lot more about gaming than all previous generations.

And guess what? We're the generation of parents that will be raising a middle finger to microtransactions. They can try this PR nonsense all they want... reality is, this business model will die a slow and painful death over the coming decade.

Although this could be just a liability shield for in-game DLC in upcoming EA Sports titles, I have to wonder if at next month's annual September Nintendo Direct, they plan on announcing something with a higher ESRB rating. Recently, the long-time rumors of both Batman Arkham and Red Dead Redemption have proven true. So perhaps it's almost time for the long-rumored Switch port of Mass Effect Legendary Edition to finally come out of the woodwork. Of course there's also one other title I could see them releasing, given the success of It Takes Two, that being A Way Out. But I think Mass Effect is more likely.

You're not my supervisor, Jerlame.

Bring on the green blood.