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The casino in your pocket

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Re: The casino in your pocket

#161

Post by doctorhandshake »

kikokikokiko wrote: post #157
doctorhandshake wrote: post #136

This article employs a common tautological use of ‘algorithm’ I see more often than I’d like. It explains that there is an underlying method to something, explains how the method works, then further clarifies by explaining that it’s an algorithm, with a link to the Wikipedia entry for the word. It’s framed almost as a reveal, as though the rest of the article hadn’t already explained the same thing in other words. Th…

"Another comment, more on-topic: it may surprise some to learn that the ‘crane’ or ‘claw’ games in arcades and rest stops are also games of chance, not games of skill. They are programmed with the value of their prizes, the cost to play, and the operating margin the operator would like to have. The machine handles the decision of who wins, when." It wouldn't surprise me a little bit if it was true, since it's almost…

I’m sure there are some ‘dumb’ machines out there but on p8 you can see the basics of how a ‘smart’ machine works [pdf]: https://www.betson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/E-Claw-Ser...

Re: The casino in your pocket

#163

Post by iFreilicht »

lacrimacida wrote: post #159
MandieD wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Wait, your 3 year old has a laptop already?

Not the person you replied to and don't have kids yet, but with the current state of TV, I'd much rather let my child watch their entertainment on an old laptop (or tablet or whatever) that I control rather than a TV.

They can more easily watch with headphones, they can even watch in private if they're introverted, and I'd feel a lot better knowing they won't switch channels without my knowledge or watch adverts for stupid plastic trash.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#164

Post by MPSimmons »

a13o wrote: post #152

Having worked in the f2p games industry for a decade, nothing is as you perceive. Your entire reward stream is scheduled down to the coin, in spreadsheets written by people like me. I know how much you have today and how much you will have tomorrow. Any reward presentation, assume there is a loot table behind it. You see 4 cards on the screen, but there may as well be 1 big slot lever; cuz no matter where you tap you…

Is the pity counter stored on the server?

Re: The casino in your pocket

#165

Post by eru »

edanm wrote: post #151
kyteland wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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,…

> Casino game developer and mathematician That sounds like a kind of incredible job description to me, what does it mean exactly to be a casino game developer?

Sounds about as exciting as being an actuary. Or probably less so.

I'd rather be a mathematician making boardgames or cardgames, because they are allowed to have strategy. Casino games are by and large really dumb.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#166

Post by empath-nirvana »

a13o wrote: post #152

Having worked in the f2p games industry for a decade, nothing is as you perceive. Your entire reward stream is scheduled down to the coin, in spreadsheets written by people like me. I know how much you have today and how much you will have tomorrow. Any reward presentation, assume there is a loot table behind it. You see 4 cards on the screen, but there may as well be 1 big slot lever; cuz no matter where you tap you…

I know at least for Hearthstone, they are fairly transparent about the odds for pulling various cards and even have a pity trigger that gives you the rarest cards if you haven't gotten one in a while (all of this is documented), so it is possible to have a relatively successful F2P game that doesn't lie to the players about this stuff.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#167

Post by bigfishrunning »

lacrimacida wrote: post #159
MandieD wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Wait, your 3 year old has a laptop already?

It's a strange world. My school district gave my kindergartner (5) a laptop.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#168

Post by flir »

kikokikokiko wrote: post #157
doctorhandshake wrote: post #136

This article employs a common tautological use of ‘algorithm’ I see more often than I’d like. It explains that there is an underlying method to something, explains how the method works, then further clarifies by explaining that it’s an algorithm, with a link to the Wikipedia entry for the word. It’s framed almost as a reveal, as though the rest of the article hadn’t already explained the same thing in other words. Th…

"Another comment, more on-topic: it may surprise some to learn that the ‘crane’ or ‘claw’ games in arcades and rest stops are also games of chance, not games of skill. They are programmed with the value of their prizes, the cost to play, and the operating margin the operator would like to have. The machine handles the decision of who wins, when." It wouldn't surprise me a little bit if it was true, since it's almost…

The claw strength is controlled in software. You can set the percentage of time it's actually strong enough to grip, and even the percentage of time it will lose its grip on an object it's already picked up.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#169

Post by kmeisthax »

cma wrote: post #21
kmeisthax wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Console and (non-MMO) PC gaming up until the 360 and PS3 was an unusual time of transparent and straightforward monetization. Just pay once and you own the game forever. If you go further back in time, you have arcades, which exposed children of yesteryear to the same tricks mobile is doing today.

Many people rented games and there were things like satellaview, a subscription gaming service, though it didn't take off.

Game rentals were a way to save money on things you weren't going to play as much, not a way for the developer to squeeze more money out of you. Remember: Nintendo fought tooth and nail to try and ban game rentals in both Japan and the US.

Re: The casino in your pocket

#170

Post by dannyw »

artursapek wrote: post #154
a13o wrote: post #152

Having worked in the f2p games industry for a decade, nothing is as you perceive. Your entire reward stream is scheduled down to the coin, in spreadsheets written by people like me. I know how much you have today and how much you will have tomorrow. Any reward presentation, assume there is a loot table behind it. You see 4 cards on the screen, but there may as well be 1 big slot lever; cuz no matter where you tap you…

Do you ever regret working on this kind of software?

I played F2P games for a number of years and spent probably thousands of dollars on one. I don't regret it. I made a lot of friends, one of whom I still hang out in real life, learned leadership skills, and it was a pleasurable pasttime.

I don't think it should be demonised.

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