EA has decided to distance itself from the gun industry by refraining from paying license fees for using branded weapons in its games. But that doesn’t mean that it’ll stop using said guns in its upcoming titles.
EA has previously paid gun manufacturers such as McMillan Group International for the license to use their guns in games including Medal of Honor: Warfighter. But from now on, the company has decided to continue using those guns without paying any fees.
"We're telling a story and we have a point of view," EA president Frank Gibeau told Reuters. "A book doesn't pay for saying the word 'Colt,' for example."
EA is defending its decision legally by asserting its constitutional free speech right. This defense still needs to be tested in court as no gun manufacturer has ever taken a game developer to court for using branded weapons without license.
An aircraft maker has already filed a lawsuit against EA for depicting its helicopters in Battlefield series without permission. The lawsuit will go to trial in June.