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It is also a bit sad that these strategies started to leak from mobile games into other platforms. Now we can find console and PC games with random "gift boxes"

It is also a bit sad that these strategies started to leak from mobile games into other platforms. Now we can find console and PC games with random "gift boxes", daily XP limits to force you to keep playing and others. Not that it should be blamed fully on mobile, it was already getting worse on itself, with cosmetic paid "DLC" that could be (and sometimes is) present on the base game files at release but exists purely for monetization purposes (Oblivion's horse armor) or exclusives limited to a certain retailer. There are several concerns with dark patterns that we have to pay attention nowadays, specially when children are exposed to these games, which did not exist in the past.

ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago
I will just drop this very old Jonathan Blow video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsT-5VSqk8I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsT-5VSqk8I which was talking about unethical games.
kmeisthax 3y ago
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.
- cma 3y ago
  Many people rented games and there were things like satellaview, a subscription gaming service, though it didn't take off.
  - kmeisthax 3y ago
    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.
- _delirium 3y ago
  Nintendo is still mostly like that, one-time up front payment for the main game, with infrequent optional expansion packs added for particularly popular games. I played Animal Crossing: New Horizons regularly for about two years of the pandemic, and there were only two possible places to buy anything: the original game purchase for $60, and one optional expansion pack released 18 months later for $25. There were also a bunch of free content updates in between that they didn’t nickel-and-dime you on.
  - thaumasiotes 3y ago
    > Nintendo is still mostly like that, one-time up front payment for the main game, with infrequent optional expansion packs added for particularly popular games. Have you seen what happened to the Pokemon games?
    - NeoTar 3y ago
      yes; it's ... similar? Pokémon Sword/Shield released Nov. 2019, a two part expansion released June/Oct 2020. Current costs of £50 for base game, £27 for expansion. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl (remakes) released Nov 2021. No DLC. £50 for base game. Pokémon Legends Arceus released Jan 2022. Free content addition in Feb. 2022. No paid DLC. £50 for base game. Pokémon Scarlet/Violet released released Nov. 2022, a two part expansion released/releasing Sept/Q4 2023. £50 for base game, £31.50 for expansion. So, a smaller gap between the base-game and expansion, but a comparable price differential. Now, if you were talking about the quality of the latest games you might have a point - Sword/Shield were OK with a weak story. DB/SP were remakes, but added little to the originals (and arguably took away some things). Arceus was great! A really interesting game. Scarlet/Violet - some good ideas, but very poor execution.
bigbacaloa 3y ago
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ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago

I will just drop this very old Jonathan Blow video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsT-5VSqk8I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsT-5VSqk8I which was talking about unethical games.

kmeisthax 3y ago

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.

cma 3y ago
Many people rented games and there were things like satellaview, a subscription gaming service, though it didn't take off.
- kmeisthax 3y ago
  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.
_delirium 3y ago
Nintendo is still mostly like that, one-time up front payment for the main game, with infrequent optional expansion packs added for particularly popular games. I played Animal Crossing: New Horizons regularly for about two years of the pandemic, and there were only two possible places to buy anything: the original game purchase for $60, and one optional expansion pack released 18 months later for $25. There were also a bunch of free content updates in between that they didn’t nickel-and-dime you on.
- thaumasiotes 3y ago
  > Nintendo is still mostly like that, one-time up front payment for the main game, with infrequent optional expansion packs added for particularly popular games. Have you seen what happened to the Pokemon games?
  - NeoTar 3y ago
    yes; it's ... similar? Pokémon Sword/Shield released Nov. 2019, a two part expansion released June/Oct 2020. Current costs of £50 for base game, £27 for expansion. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl (remakes) released Nov 2021. No DLC. £50 for base game. Pokémon Legends Arceus released Jan 2022. Free content addition in Feb. 2022. No paid DLC. £50 for base game. Pokémon Scarlet/Violet released released Nov. 2022, a two part expansion released/releasing Sept/Q4 2023. £50 for base game, £31.50 for expansion. So, a smaller gap between the base-game and expansion, but a comparable price differential. Now, if you were talking about the quality of the latest games you might have a point - Sword/Shield were OK with a weak story. DB/SP were remakes, but added little to the originals (and arguably took away some things). Arceus was great! A really interesting game. Scarlet/Violet - some good ideas, but very poor execution.

bigbacaloa 3y ago

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