Electronic Arts, Inc., a global corporation with offices in Redwood City, CA, (hereinafter "EA") uses online phone apps, specifically its Madden NFL Mobile franchise (hereinafter "the game"), to defraud customers through false and intentionally misleading statements about game play. This is most egregious through statements to improve one's team in order to compete better and then tuning game play to cheat the consumer after the upgrade. EA also uses tuning to alter, without advisement or consent, the published and advertised qualities of its product during game play.
EA does not publish, or make known the place of publication, its chances of winning prizes (hereinafter "CHANCES") for successful completion of it's contests of skill.
EA's CHANCES constitute a thinly-veiled form of on-line gambling, as the "earned reward" for the game of skill is merely a CHANCE that EA will give a prize. The prize sought is entirely by luck-of-the-draw and is entirely controlled by EA's electronic servers which have full access to the consumer's device. The prize distribution is neither random nor equitable. As mentioned previously, EA does not publish, in accordance with law, the chances of winning any in-game item by methods in its game.
In March 2017, EA or an agent of authority employed by EA posted a video in which EA states directly "the outcome is up to the player's ability." However this is an intentionally false and misleading claim. Should the FTC investigate, they will find EA's program coding for the game determines outcomes of contests, in effect thwarting the player's ability rather than allowing the player's ability to determine the outcome.
EA needs to be forthright and honest in its game play and statements it makes regarding game play, or EA needs to cease and desist creating, developing, and distributing all games, programs, and apps until such a time as they can operate by fair and legal standards.
