SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Our video games are toying with us, players are complaining in a class action lawsuit against Electronic Arts.
A lawsuit filed Nov. 9 in San Francisco federal court accuses EA of using difficulty adjustment mechanisms to keep gamers more engaged and spending money. The lawsuit concerns the Madden, FIFA and NHL lines of video games.
“(W)ithout disclosing it, EA utilizes one or more artificial intelligence technologies that adjust game difficulty dynamically,” the lawsuit says. “At least some of these technologies use heuristic prediction and intervention to adaptively change the difficulty of matches, and influence or even dictate the outcomes, thereby keeping gamers more engaged.
“EA uses difficulty adjusting mechanisms because there is a direct correlation between heightened gamer engagement and in-game spending. But purchasers of EA Sports games and player packs are injured by EA’s undisclosed use…”
San Diego lawyers Jack Fitzgerald and Paul Joseph are pursuing the case, which seeks restitution for funds received by business practices deemed to be unlawful. It also wants a “corrective advertising campaign” that would announce to the world that EA deceived customers.