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Fifa Ultimate Team Gambling?

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Fifa Ultimate Team can be argued that it’s a form of gambling. To be honest, they would probably be right. You buy packs and you don’t know what’s in them, you get a bad pack, so you buy more packs. The cycle repeats itself.

It’s unregulated gambling and the Belgian Game Commission called it illegal. Now two French lawyers are looking to file two separate lawsuits against EA in France. They claim that FIFA features gambling mechanics.

A quote from 2 lawyers shows how loot boxes are perceived in Europe| Source: Kotaku

EA have allegedly referred to them as “surprise mechanics” which isn’t that what gambling is? The lawsuits are due to players who have spent over $650 on Ultimate Team. According to the clients of the lawsuits, they claim that it’s possible to spend excessive amounts of cash on the game. While not getting any decent players in return for what they’ve spent.

It can be argued that you can become addicted to opening backs and the randomness of what you get in them, combined with the fact you buy them with real money, makes it gambling.

So, is it a form of gambling? Should loot boxes style mechanics be banned?

(CNN)

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Is FIFA The Greatest Sports Video Game Ever Made?

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Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade or two, you can’t have failed to notice the domination of the FIFA franchise when it comes to soccer video games. From the lowly Nintendo 64 all the way up to the exquisite Xbox with its online gaming, FIFA has been the stalwart of sports gameplay. But is it the best ever? There have been plenty of games that have emerged in the meantime, with basketball, ice hockey, the Olympics, and tennis all making a play for the best sports video game. Even Mario has tried to muscle in on the sports video game action. So which is the best? Let’s take a look.

 

FIFA

The FIFA video games are epic. Every year the new season is released, players choose to camp outside stores to be the first to experience the enhanced ball control, less clunky graphics and momentous gameplay. With the recent explosion of online gameplay, the game has taken on a whole new dimension. While watching the replays of Ronaldinho’s free kicks was the highlight of FIFA 07, now you can click here to purchase FIFA coins, play against individuals from across the globe, and even manage your favorite teams, heading to the transfer market and perfecting your dream team. You can play in a league, you can venture to the World Cup or you can just have a kickabout. An awesome game!

 

NBA Street

For the ultimate in fun gameplay, NBA Street takes some beating. With quirky characters, a cartoon style graphic and smooth gameplay, the flexibility of this basketball game meant that you really had to learn the expert moves to get your slam dunks flowing. Three pointers were hard to come by, but if you managed to unlock Stretch, your team would be enhanced to the point where his afro could boost the morale of your team. The moves were cool, the soundtrack was epic, and you would spend your youth trying to perfect the dribble techniques in your back garden. This is an experience for those who yearn for a simpler and more straightforward fun sort of game.

 

SSX Tricky

Snowboarding had never been so cool in 2001. The winter sport phenomenon was just taking off, and salopettes were being replaced with cooler winter gear. SSX Tricky allowed you to choose your character and embark on a race or a simple trick practice course. Accruing points gave you the gameplay buzz you needed with jumps, flips and spins creating epic moves on the powder. If you enjoy bright graphics, and a simple formula for fun, SSX Tricky was your sort of game.

 

Punch Out

No sports game list would be complete without a clunky classic from Nintendo. This boxing game was ridiculously simple and a bit of a free for all hitting the A button on your NES control pad as fast as you could, but it was great family fun. The Indian boxer had a tiger as a coach, so the game wasn’t hugely politically correct. But it was of its time and a huge forerunner to the boxing games of the twenty first century.

FIFA probably has the edge over its rivals, purely for longevity if nothing else, but there are plenty of epic sports video games worthy of a replay.

 

Episode 271 Ready Player One

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Fifa 18 Nintendo Switch

Fifa 18 Nintendo Switch Version!

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Fifa 18 Nintendo Switch Version: What’s it like?!

Fifa 18 Nintendo Switch and it is very much different to the regular Fifa that you can get on the home consoles today! For one, in our experiences that it plays a lot more like an arcade game than a simulation. But is it any fun?

The answer to that question is yes! It still feels a lot like a Fifa game, even though it is not as serious as it’s home console counterparts. There are some clear differences between the two versions which we will list below:

  • No Online play with friends: As Nintendo Switch has no party/invite system built into the console itself (Mario Kart has one in built to the game using friend codes) there is no ability to play online against friends.
  • The controls are a little fiddly when played against a friend as the controllers are so small.
  • The graphics engine is different to the home console version, but it still looks very good!
  • There is ultimate team on the Nintendo Switch version but it’s missing key features like Squad Building challenges.

Verdict

Despite it’s lack of features the Fifa 18 Nintendo Switch version still has a lot to offer and if you’re playing just a 1 on 1 match against the computer or online. It is a lot of fun. However if you’re looking for a bit of depth then this game isn’t for you. Fifa 18 is built for the Nintendo Switch. By that we mean, it’s built for a quick match here and there when you’re out and about. Load up a quick game of Fifa and be on your way. That’s the way we see it anyway. Short, quick and fun, much like the Nintendo Switch itself!

 

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Fifa franchise

Fifa franchise may be changing?

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SOne of the world’s most popular gaming franchises may be changing! EA’s Fifa franchise may look completely different from 2019 onwards. In the form of subscription based gaming. According to EA Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Wilson, there will be no more annual releases in favour of continuous game updates.

According to him, consumer culture is gearing more towards digital downloads and subscribtion based models. EA’s own EA Access is a prime example. The Fifa franchise would move in an era where squad and kit updates would occur at the end of each transfer window.

“When we design a game that lives in a true streaming world, we have to think about screen size and session time” Explained Wilson. “The greatest disruptor to the consumption of entertainment media in the last five years has been the combination of streaming plus subscription” 

While, it can be said that this has been a long time coming. Since, Fifa at the end of the day only transfers and a few gameplay tweaks every year. So why not have these as simple game updates annually, whilst patching and adding bits in throughout the year?

Questions!

Most of all it boils down to how much consumers are willing to pay. How much would you pay to play EA’s Fifa franchise?

 

 

BONUS EP: Train Talk w/ KSI

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