For years, EA Sports football simulation players have complained about alleged scripting in FIFA games. With the release of the latest offshoot FIFA 21, the developers have now been sued in the USA. Electronic Arts is accused of using scripting in their games to sell more Ultimate Team packs to unsuspecting players.
The plaintiffs allege that EA Sports uses a scripting method called Dynamic Difficult Adjustment to artificially adjust a match’s difficulty level. In the past, Electronic Arts has denied doing scripting. The system itself is not illegal, but the indictment aims at EA Sports deliberately not pointing out to its players to use such an algorithm.
That probably sounds like legal gibberish at first. And we can understand if you don’t understand all the legal disputes straight away and are perhaps confused – we didn’t study law either. But we will tell you everything there is to know about the case! What is scripting? How does this work? And what is the lawsuit really about?
What is scripting?
Scripting is a system that uses artificial intelligence to adjust a game’s difficulty based on gameplay . To put it very simply, a developer is scripting their games when they will automatically increase or decrease the difficulty based on how well the player is doing.
If that’s true, that would be a pretty sad move by the developers. Because supposedly they would deliberately increase the difficulty levels to get players to buy more loot boxes and do other microtransactions . Just this year, microtransactions have reached a new high.
Imagine you are leading 4:1 in a game and the opponent suddenly becomes much stronger while your skills diminish . This can change a game a lot and in the worst case you can even lose the match. This is how you can think of scripting .
Is there scripting in FIFA 21?
We do not know it. Therefore, we cannot say whether the current allegations are true or not. But the debate about possible game scripting has been going on for years! As early as 2012, there were discussions about alleged scripting methods from EA Sports . At the time, producer Aaron McHardy said on the FIFA Football Blog:
“I can definitely say that there is no scripting in the gameplay… We hate that kind of system!”
However, there are many instances where FIFA players notice such behavior from the AI opponents. Already more than a decade ago in FIFA 06 there were the first anomalies. Also countless videos on YouTube could possibly give a hint of scripting .
What is the lawsuit against EA Sports about?
The allegations against Electronic Arts don’t just claim that their games are scripted. EA is accused of deliberately using scripting to influence game results. This should encourage players to buy Ultimate Team packs or loot boxes . In doing so, EA Sports would be in violation of California Consumer Protection Law for false advertising and unlawful enrichment .
“However, most players are unaware that EA uses one or more artificial intelligence technologies without disclosure…such as ‘Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment’ and ‘Adaptive Difficulty’. These technologies use heuristic predictions and interventions to To dictate or even influence outcomes, thereby keeping players more busy.” (Excerpt from Zajnoc’s lawsuit against Electronic Arts in a California court)
The lawsuit was filed by three FIFA players Jason Zajnoc, Danyael Williams and Pranko Lozano. They claim that these in-game technologies lead to inferior passing, poor shots, and wildly varying pacing among players. This will set off a “self-reinforcing cycle” that drives players to spend money on FIFA 21 Ultimate Team Packs.
The lawsuit also mentions EA Sports franchises like Madden and NHL that use systems similar to FIFA 21. Earlier this year, it was widely reported that EA made almost $1 billion from microtransactions alone in the final quarter of 2019 . Various lawsuits and fines are pending against the developer over similar allegations related to microtransactions.
FIFA 22 – FUTs
What could be cooler than just relaxed gaming and doing some sofa sports on the side? In FIFA 22, the player is on the move fast, but without getting sore muscles. With the Ultimate Team Event cards, the collecting instinct is now also satisfied. However, the FUT Heroes keep creeping into my mind, so here are the best Ultimate Team Event cards that are definitely worth adding to your collection.
Heroes cards selected by EA for top qualities
Admittedly, the FUT heroes will cost quite a bit of coin, but it turns out that EA has once again brought some top-class players into the game when it comes to selection. As a collector and hunter, it’s an added attraction for FIFA gamers to now include their own favorite heroes in the portfolio and benefit from their individual skills. Both in the game and in team building, the FUTs will revolutionize the game once again.
EA SPORTS FC: FIFA GAME SERIES TO BE CONTINUED UNDER NEW NAME
Of course, the soccer simulation game series will not be discontinued completely. After FIFA 23, EA will relaunch the game under the name EA Sports FC and market it independently. Old FIFA hares should now become quite an ear, after all, the EA Sports Football Club used to be a part of the actual game for years. A lot of playing was rewarded, points could be collected and items, boosts or balls for the individual game modes could be unlocked.
In this context, there could also be a complete revolution of the classic game. There is a heated discussion in the FIFA community about whether the game, which is expected to be released in the fall of 2023, will be free-to-play. This option is said to be on the table for the game makers from EA, because: It seems that EA earns most of its money with the purchases of FIFA Points in the game mode Ultimate Team and not with the sale of the game itself.
FIFA, FIFA2022, FIFAFUTS, #FUTS