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Badges and achievements definitely are a dark pattern. You can tell they are because game developers have gone so overboard on them now that you are like, oh I

Badges and achievements definitely are a dark pattern. You can tell they are because game developers have gone so overboard on them now that you are like, oh I got a badge, yes I'll claim it, no I haven't a clue what it does... The rest of the things you identify, as you say, that's just games. (I think this website is a very, very good idea)

TulliusCicero 5y ago
I think this is a case where it may be vary by personality. Some people may feel compelled to get achievements even when they don't really enjoy the experience. It feels like a dark pattern to them. Some people really enjoy the process of getting achievements, and are disappointed when they discover a new game doesn't have them. It doesn't feel like a dark pattern to them.
thaumasiotes 5y ago
> Badges and achievements definitely are a dark pattern. You can tell they are because game developers have gone so overboard on them now that you are like, oh I got a badge, yes I'll claim it, no I haven't a clue what it does... Identifying something as a dark pattern for no other reason than that it's common doesn't make any sense. I find the explanation convincing that the reason for so many achievements in games is that Steam will report completion rates for each achievement to the developer, and developers want to know things like "what percentage of players complete the tutorial?".
- unfocussed_mike 5y ago
  > Identifying something as a dark pattern for no other reason than that it's common doesn't make any sense. That's not what I am saying, but it might not be clear. What I mean is, that pattern is so common in "free to play, pay to advance" games that it is now a kind of "noise" pattern -- it has infected all games in the way that Upworthy's headline writing style ("X Will Drop Your Jaw And It Is Amazing") has infected all writing. These are dark patterns because they manipulate the reader or player into doing something irrational. The fact that these things are now so commonplace as to be self-satirising doesn't make them good patterns.

TulliusCicero 5y ago

I think this is a case where it may be vary by personality. Some people may feel compelled to get achievements even when they don't really enjoy the experience. It feels like a dark pattern to them. Some people really enjoy the process of getting achievements, and are disappointed when they discover a new game doesn't have them. It doesn't feel like a dark pattern to them.

thaumasiotes 5y ago

> Badges and achievements definitely are a dark pattern. You can tell they are because game developers have gone so overboard on them now that you are like, oh I got a badge, yes I'll claim it, no I haven't a clue what it does... Identifying something as a dark pattern for no other reason than that it's common doesn't make any sense. I find the explanation convincing that the reason for so many achievements in games is that Steam will report completion rates for each achievement to the developer, and developers want to know things like "what percentage of players complete the tutorial?".

unfocussed_mike 5y ago
> Identifying something as a dark pattern for no other reason than that it's common doesn't make any sense. That's not what I am saying, but it might not be clear. What I mean is, that pattern is so common in "free to play, pay to advance" games that it is now a kind of "noise" pattern -- it has infected all games in the way that Upworthy's headline writing style ("X Will Drop Your Jaw And It Is Amazing") has infected all writing. These are dark patterns because they manipulate the reader or player into doing something irrational. The fact that these things are now so commonplace as to be self-satirising doesn't make them good patterns.