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How slot machines are designed to be addictive

theguardian.com

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Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#41

Post by badminton1 »

jnordwick wrote: post #19
badminton1 wrote: post #12

Many gambling games exploit a cognitive bias known as the gambler's fallacy (e.g: the fallacy that playing more will increase your odds of winning). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambler%27s_fallacy

With modern slot machines, isn't this actually true though? I thought one of the benefits of computerized slots was to be able to control the pay outs better.

There are usually regulations on what is the maximum the machine can retain. It's not truly pseudorandom but rather weighted pseudorandomness.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#42

Post by taneq »

Buttes wrote: post #38
scrame wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you think "stickiness" or "user engagement" are measuring. Same metrics that ran Farmville, and the same metrics putting lootboxes in games now.

Preaching to the choir

(In the hope that a correction is actually helpful) it's 'preaching to the choir'.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#43

Post by paulsutter »

joezydeco wrote: post #37
sirclueless wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the title, but the main innovation was using a random number generator to choose from among more positions than symbols that the physical wheel possesses, thus allowing different odds for different symbols. The interesting bit comes from claim 8 and 9: > a random number generator for selecting one number from a plurality of numbers each representing one of said different angular rotational positions, said plur…

You have to remember this was invented in 1982. Using RNGs, stepper motors, and mapped tables was certainly enough for a patent in that era.

I used to program in 1982 and these things were completely obvious at that time. However, you can patent almost anything, both then and today. Patents are more of a process than a science.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#45

Post by DelTaco »

byron_fast wrote: post #18

It may be this stuff is true for current slot machines, but it isn't immediately obvious if you try one. In fact, current slot machines are an incoherent mess. When I played recently, I couldn't tell whether I had a near-miss or even a win until credits counted upward. I couldn't feel any excitement because I didn't know what was going on. It would have taken me several hundred dollars worth of play to even understan…

Yeah I had the same problem, so I created my own slot machine. However it's only on Android so I can't pull a real lever :(

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.TImMendez.... if you're interested, made in Unity.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#46

Post by froindt »

Hasz wrote: post #17

I recently read an excellent book about this subject exactly -- Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, by Natasha Dow Schüll. It has research from every angle -- former addicts, the casinos, current addicts, game programmers, game manufacturers, anyone who has a hand in the industry. It's incredibly comprehensive, and definitely worth a look, if a bit long.

She also did an interview for Adam Ruins Everything for people looking for a shorter time commitment than a book.

http://www.maximumfun.org/adam-ruins-everything/professor-na...

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#47

Post by stubish »

Buttes wrote: post #15

In 10 years: How Facebook is designed to be addictive

Or perhaps how Facebook succeeded, because it happened to be more addictive than its competitors. Evolutionary mechanisms will ensure that the most successful social network is the most addictive one.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#48

Post by flukus »

byron_fast wrote: post #18

It may be this stuff is true for current slot machines, but it isn't immediately obvious if you try one. In fact, current slot machines are an incoherent mess. When I played recently, I couldn't tell whether I had a near-miss or even a win until credits counted upward. I couldn't feel any excitement because I didn't know what was going on. It would have taken me several hundred dollars worth of play to even understan…

I think it's designed this way, they want you becoming reliant on things like sound effects, interactive featurettes and flashy graphics to know how well you've gone. Once you're accustomed to this you can then be manipulated, they can give you some fancy noises and start a featurette, then when you win nothing you think you were just unlucky that time, but the next time you get free spins...

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#49

Post by stubish »

The article only briefly mentions other games. While Hacker News readers may not be that familiar with slot machines, a higher portion will certainly be familiar with 'grind' in various computer games, which is essentially the same thing using many similar tricks, and a mechanism to extend play time; most noticeable on MMOs when they get hundreds or thousands of play time out of a customer, when the equivalent budget single player game would get 20.
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