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IMHO all these free to play MOBA games designed like a crack and feel like TNG episode[0]. Think about what these companies hypothetically could do with data t

IMHO all these free to play MOBA games designed like a crack and feel like TNG episode[0]. Think about what these companies hypothetically could do with data they have on players, combined with access to voice from voice chat they can generate psychological profiles, and easily manipulate people mood by generating different loot or putting certain kinds of people in team together, you could run entire social experiments with 15min iteration time. (typical match length, while thousands matches happen in the parallel) I am not saying they do that. But from personal experience in these games I feel that matchmaking is somewhat resembles Conditioning[1] in the way that they put you in teams, 5x losing, 1x winning, reinforcing your addiction to game. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement#Operant_conditioning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement#Operant_conditio...

nightowl_games 6y ago
As someone who has worked on a game with loot boxes and analytics and all that, you are definitely underestimating the cost of doing that. Only the mega companies in the world could do that, and they aren't in gaming. The reality is is that the whales are basically subsidizing the 99% free players. It's sad, but free to play and wealth inequality has created this system. The game developers are trying to enable rich people to part with the cash that they are comfortable spending on leisure. It has a nasty side effect of baiting people who can't afford it to spend too much.
- Avshalom 6y ago
  The game developers are trying to enable people to part with the cash. That's it. Baiting people in to spending too much (which means people can't afford it, that's why it's too much) is the intended effect. It's a couple centuries to late to be pretending that it's just some tragic oopsie
  - nightowl_games 6y ago
    It's like this because if you put a price on the box then no one buys it, and on Android it gets heavily pirated (100:1 pirates to purchasers). I have been trying my whole career to maintain artistic dignity in mobile gaming, but you gotta realise why and how this has happened. Apple arcade is trying to help.

nightowl_games 6y ago

As someone who has worked on a game with loot boxes and analytics and all that, you are definitely underestimating the cost of doing that. Only the mega companies in the world could do that, and they aren't in gaming. The reality is is that the whales are basically subsidizing the 99% free players. It's sad, but free to play and wealth inequality has created this system. The game developers are trying to enable rich people to part with the cash that they are comfortable spending on leisure. It has a nasty side effect of baiting people who can't afford it to spend too much.

Avshalom 6y ago
The game developers are trying to enable people to part with the cash. That's it. Baiting people in to spending too much (which means people can't afford it, that's why it's too much) is the intended effect. It's a couple centuries to late to be pretending that it's just some tragic oopsie
- nightowl_games 6y ago
  It's like this because if you put a price on the box then no one buys it, and on Android it gets heavily pirated (100:1 pirates to purchasers). I have been trying my whole career to maintain artistic dignity in mobile gaming, but you gotta realise why and how this has happened. Apple arcade is trying to help.