Couple years back I joined a paid accelerator program to write a mobile game under the wings of some company. My eyes were opened after having a fun time creating my game when the time came to publishing and tweaking. My mentors from the company explained to me the _requirements_ for it to succeed. Basically every change from that point was about manipulation. In order for the game to be high on the charts it needs to meet very specific metrics so subsequently the game was dumbed down so as much people can "have fun" as possible, levels were tweaked to control exactly how much time people spend on their "sessions". Mechanisms were introduced to limit how fast the game can be played and for how long (without paying). Certain tresholds were introduced where difficulty would be unfairly raised in order to create frustration and at the calculated times fake "promotions" of in-game purchases were supposed to be introduced. Updating the game exactly after getting a positive google review with game rating option - click 5 stars to get a reward and be forwarded to game page to post a review ; or click less than 5 stars and just have the pop-up closed without forwarding.
Even thogh my game wasn't a simple clicking and getting rewarded and I put a lot of work into making it fun, challenging, dynamic and generally _mine_ I was sucked into the same situation as everyone else on the mobile games market. My game lost all the appeal to me and I couldn't keep it up. Creating another exploitation machine takes all the fun out of gamedev.
The casino in your pocket
141–150 of 265 posts
Re: The casino in your pocket
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think the time has come when android and ios should make a special versions of their online shops for children and teenagers and simply ban those types of games from those shops. IMHO this shouldn't [have to] be any of Apple or Google's business. It's a parent's responsibility to parent their child, not some conglomerate's.
Do you think that it should be legal, or illegal, for people to sell drugs to teenagers? Genuine question.
Genuine answer! You've made me reconsider quite a lot, actually. Intuitively I'd say yes, it should be legal to do that. But then, I would consider that a violation of property, because really, a child is unlikely to understand the consequences of a herion addiction. But then I suppose nobody addicted to herion really understands the consequences of addiction, or they wouldn't buy herion.
Which almost makes me reconsider my entire political standpoint. So thanks! I can't answer your question, but I assure you, you have me thinking.
Re: The casino in your pocket
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple Arcade allows these types of games and removes all monetization like this. The games are still kinda predatory in their frustrations, however there’s no coin to spend. You just randomly get items and that’s it.
So I tried Bloons TD6 on apple arcade, a game which has very heavy monetization strategies, thinking ok, maybe the apple arcade version is finally playable without spending money - and no, they literally just removed the in-game store but haven't adjusted the curves it takes you to earn anything so if you want to unlock anything prepare for a VERY long grind.
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Re: The casino in your pocket
#144> In a casino, any rational adult expects this. Whoa, no way we don't. I do expect that while the game has a house edge in a casino, if something seems random (roll of dice, draw of cards) then it's random in the way it seems, e.g. that there's a 1 in 6 chance of rolling a 6. I'm pretty sure that's regulated in most places. That online casinos and casino-like games rampantly cheat is another matter, I do expect that…
It is regulated. If it looks like a die in a game of chance then it is a fair die. If it looks like a deck of cards, it is a fair deck of cards. This is written into the gambling laws of each regulated gaming jurisdiction. And like most regulations, these rules exist precisely because someone tried exactly this scheme at some point. And the regulators saw it and said "Oh hell no" and made a rule. As the saying goes,…
Does it apply to video slot machines as well? Is there some leeway?
Re: The casino in your pocket
#145It has been fascinating and demoralizing to watch monetization roll out. To younger generations like my brother, they don't know any different, it's just part if gaming for them. But at least something like aesthetic loot crates are a sideshow to the actual game. Some games are good at keeping the separate and you can understand that it's just how they choose to fund the game. When the whole game is just a loot crate…
You’re talking about mobile games. I have to kids, 4 and 6, and the only games we’ve introduced them to are 1) board games and 2) Nintendo Switch games. This largely avoids the problem (for now!)
Same.
The thing with content is that it costs money to produce, and so you (generally) have to pay money to get it.
I know some parents who have super strict "screen time" rules but let their kids watch (during the allotted time) any random dumb youtube show, or play those shitty iPad games. Those parents are not tech savvy, and they assume that all digital experiences are shit.
In contrast I pay lots of money for Nintendo first-party games because I know (I play them too!) that they are engaging digital experiences with good screenwriting. I pay recurring subscription to streaming services and apps because real storytelling for children DOES exist on devices with screens!
Re: The casino in your pocket
#146If it’s at all comforting, I remember these sort of mechanisms deployed in Neopets (was it Neopoints?) a couple decades ago when I was a teenager.
I remember going on some crazy feats in the chase of neopet points.
Perhaps it wasn’t as damaging because it was limited to a computer and not literally in our pockets.
Re: The casino in your pocket
#147It has been fascinating and demoralizing to watch monetization roll out. To younger generations like my brother, they don't know any different, it's just part if gaming for them. But at least something like aesthetic loot crates are a sideshow to the actual game. Some games are good at keeping the separate and you can understand that it's just how they choose to fund the game. When the whole game is just a loot crate…
> It has been fascinating and demoralizing to watch monetization roll out. To younger generations like my brother, they don't know any different, it's just part if gaming for them. A step worse too: they are being trained that being bombarded with adverts is acceptable. Genuinely heard (couldn't avoid hearing, the voices were fairly loud) on a train the other week a dad explaining to his charge how he should “watch t…
No, you're right to be horrified, and I'm the mom of a three year old who will look for things to take apart if left to his own devices.
Current screen policy: only "his" laptop, only videos I've picked out for him (currently, he's into Alphablocks and Numberblocks), laptop gets closed and put up for the rest of the day the instant he whines about having to stop watching for whatever reason.
Re: The casino in your pocket
#148This is pretty screwed up, because it kind of trains your brain to be a gambling brain. To crave the instant gratification, the high of risk taking etc. I think the time has come when android and ios should make a special versions of their online shops for children and teenagers and simply ban those types of games from those shops. This will at least prevent children from having their brains rewired. Of course this w…
> I think the time has come when android and ios should make a special versions of their online shops for children and teenagers and simply ban those types of games from those shops. IMHO this shouldn't [have to] be any of Apple or Google's business. It's a parent's responsibility to parent their child, not some conglomerate's.
Children become the people I have to share society with. If their education drops bellow a certain level I'll be affected.
It might sounds like a 19th century preacher talking, but it's in everyone's interest that your fellow citizens aren't tempted into vices. It really makes for a shitty society when everyone is gambling and addicted to brain altering substances.
Re: The casino in your pocket
#149This reminds me of the claw machines you see in malls. They look like something you can be good at - place the claw more accurately, choose a toy placed at a cleaner angle - but what they actually do internally is randomly give you a (say) 10% chance, if you hit it you will grab the toy (unless you're REALLY far from one), if not you won't. The illusion is there, but the profit is stable and guaranteed.
Is there a source for that? Has anyone ever reverse engineered the code driving one of these machines? Would be interesting to read about it.
Re: The casino in your pocket
#150That was a pretty good read. Makes me realize how lucky we are that some games existed before in app purchases. Could you imagine playing chess and paying for an upgraded queen?
On the other hand the most popular way to play shogi online is an app called Shogi Wars, which has the most explicit pay-to-win mechanic I've ever seen: there's a button you can press to have an AI play out your next few moves for you, and you can pay money to buy additional chances to press the button.
Shogi doesn't have any other sites as modern and polished as Lichess or Chess.com (except for a Lichess port (lishogi.org) which has failed to gain traction), so I think there was a vacuum that allowed something like this to become popular. If people were still playing chess only on old clunky websites then maybe Zynga would break into the market with a hot new chess app that requires Facebook login.