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I'm not wholly convinced that it's actually a problem. Collectible card games pretty consistently beat out living card games in popularity. Needing to grind, co

I'm not wholly convinced that it's actually a problem. Collectible card games pretty consistently beat out living card games in popularity. Needing to grind, collect, and sometimes pay more for the things you want increases your investment in the game. I hear a lot of criticism about how these things exploit our natural desires, but isn't that sort of the point of games in general? Isn't creating an addictively fun game the goal? I sometimes feel like reducing our interactions with these things to their chemicals and base psychology ignores the human experience and the reasons we've spent so much time pursuing things that people will enjoy to the detriment of other things in their life. WoW seems like a good example. We have lots of stories of people who were unhealthily addicted to the game, but it seems like those are expected outliers for a game that could create such a passionate and invested playerbase.

xurias 7y ago
> Isn't creating an addictively fun game the goal? If you're making a GaaS, sure. I played Edith Finch twice and had infinitely more joy and fulfillment from those two playthroughs than I did playing any f2p game. I don't see how trying to make the game addictive would've made it any more enjoyable.
TeMPOraL 7y ago
> Isn't creating an addictively fun game the goal? Addictively fun, yes. That is, the addiction is supposed to come from the fun you're having. Contrast that with the games criticized in the article - they have some fun aspects as a cover, but they're optimized for pure addictiveness through psychological trickery - which, as the article notes, often involves making them less fun. The difference in the relationship between the two types of games and the player can be compared to a difference between wanting to be with someone because you love their personality and enjoy being together, vs. wanting to be with them because they're your heroin dealer.
- KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
  It's hard to argue with the results. If it was less fun then fewer people would be playing them.
  - banannaise 7y ago
    I'm necroposting, but this is aggressively missing the point. The problem described in the article is that many games advertise fun, but provide addiction. You can have tons of addicted players not really having fun, or putting in disproportionate effort relative to the fun.
AtlasBarfed 7y ago
Gambling addiction is a serious and well known societal and human psychological problem that has touched every family I've ever known in some form. To the point that gambling (used to be) strictly regulated for payouts and monitored by state gambling commissions. Either that or it was the purview of the mafia. I notice you ignore any mention of money attached to the mechanisms you think "aren't a big deal" in your comment. That strikes me as willful disregard and intellectual dissonance. Are you a FtP games dev?

xurias 7y ago

> Isn't creating an addictively fun game the goal? If you're making a GaaS, sure. I played Edith Finch twice and had infinitely more joy and fulfillment from those two playthroughs than I did playing any f2p game. I don't see how trying to make the game addictive would've made it any more enjoyable.

TeMPOraL 7y ago

> Isn't creating an addictively fun game the goal? Addictively fun, yes. That is, the addiction is supposed to come from the fun you're having. Contrast that with the games criticized in the article - they have some fun aspects as a cover, but they're optimized for pure addictiveness through psychological trickery - which, as the article notes, often involves making them less fun. The difference in the relationship between the two types of games and the player can be compared to a difference between wanting to be with someone because you love their personality and enjoy being together, vs. wanting to be with them because they're your heroin dealer.

KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
It's hard to argue with the results. If it was less fun then fewer people would be playing them.
- banannaise 7y ago
  I'm necroposting, but this is aggressively missing the point. The problem described in the article is that many games advertise fun, but provide addiction. You can have tons of addicted players not really having fun, or putting in disproportionate effort relative to the fun.

AtlasBarfed 7y ago

Gambling addiction is a serious and well known societal and human psychological problem that has touched every family I've ever known in some form. To the point that gambling (used to be) strictly regulated for payouts and monitored by state gambling commissions. Either that or it was the purview of the mafia. I notice you ignore any mention of money attached to the mechanisms you think "aren't a big deal" in your comment. That strikes me as willful disregard and intellectual dissonance. Are you a FtP games dev?