Comment on Old gamers don't understand what mobile gaming has become

rikudou@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

• atomicpoet@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  People used to say the same thing about games when we were kids. Remember that?

  I remember plenty if moral panic about video games while growing up.

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  • sparky@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    yes, but mobile games now are literally casinos, with research going into making them as addictive as possible to maximise in app purchase and advertisement revenue

    source: worked in ad tech for several years, specifically in the mobile gaming industry and cost/ad optimisation. a job I regret ever taking and which feels very scummy in retrospect.

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    • cybervseas@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Specifically worth pointing out the research and refinement of the skinner boxes in mobile games today is a continuous and ongoing process, with revenue also being continuous and ongoing. Any games and moral panic of 80s to 2000s were about products that didn’t change after release and were one-time only purchases.

      Modern mobile games vs. shareware are incomparable in terms of harm they could do, real or perceived.

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    • atomicpoet@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      I have literally played mobile games for decades and have never spent a dime on micro-transactions.

      Meanwhile, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on full length games for PC and console. Sometimes handheld and mobile too.

      So I got to wonder, why are all of you unable to just buy a mobile game outright?

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      • MotoAsh@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Because they all come with microtransaction stores, including sevwral of the ones you’re spwcifically lauding, ya numpty.

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      • rikudou@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Ah, the classic “world hunger is a myth, I have eaten today.”

        I’m not saying there are not the rare gems in mobile games (just bought Don’t Starve on Android last month!), but like 99% of games for mobile are just s money making scheme using dark patterns to influence your brain to give them money.

        And congrats on not spending on micro transactions! You do realize the world doesn’t revolve around how your perceive things, right? If young people are exposed to micro transactions like that, it alters their brains and not in a good way. And that’s science, there really isn’t much you can argue with.

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  • sylveon@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    It’s absolutely not the same thing. I used to play a lot as a kid (still do) and I have no problem with today’s kids doing the same. But I want them to be able to enjoy games without constantly being manipulated into spending as much money as possible.

    And it’s not just about kids either, I think these predatory tactics affect adults too.

    It’s not a moral panic, the problem is capitalism.

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