The Addictive Cost Of Predatory Videogame Monetization (The Jimquisition)

Stephanie Sterling
4 HN recommenders · recommended in 4 months, 2019–2022
YouTube
1.3M views · 7 years ago · essay · dated

Jim Sterling's Jimquisition episode on predatory monetization in video games, such as loot boxes and microtransactions. It argues these systems are built to exploit players and includes testimonials from people who spent money they could not afford.

HN people recommend it as a good overview of how knowingly sinister microtransactions and gacha systems are, and cite its testimonials in threads on game monetization.

“This video by Jim Sterling is a good overview of how knowingly sinister microtransactions truly are”
Design ethics & dark patternsGame design
#lootboxes#microtransactions#gacha#addiction#gameindustry

5 comments from Hacker News

b
@bytehowl2022 · in “I hate what video games have become”
This video by Jim Sterling is a good overview of how knowingly sinister microtransactions truly are, with a couple narrated testimonies of people who fell for them despite not being able to afford them. ▶ this video
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p
@pdkl952021 · in “The Addictive Cost of Predatory Videogame Monetization”
Submitted the video to Hacker News.
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d
@d3nj4l2020 · in “Gamers allege EA uses dynamic difficulty adjustment so players spend more money”
It's sickening, really. Jim Sterling's video on lootboxes [1] really hammered it home for me, especially the section where he quotes from a talk by one such developer [2]. The talk is literally titled "Let's go whaling", a reference to getting people to "whale" the game by paying tons of money. Fate Grand Order, a gacha game, even lampshades it: > What’s interesting about Fate/Grand Order is that the game’s marketing features a vicious caricature of dedicated players. She’s a slobbering, lecherous, gambling-addicted little monster. > Fans love her. [From [3]] 1: ▶ this video 2: link 3: link
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C
@CraneWorm2019 · in “The Addictive Cost of Predatory Videogame Monetization (The Jimquisition)”
Submitted the video to Hacker News.
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A
@AlexandrB2021 · in “Genshin Impact made more money in its first year than any other game”
While some whales are definitely high-earning professionals who can afford it, not all of them are. I'd be curious to see research on what the split is. It's hard not to notice, however, that gacha games heavily rely on the same kind of skinner-box gambling systems as actual gambling uses with little of the regulation around payouts, transparency, and age restrictions. People who have problems with gambling, report having problems with gacha as well. See also this video of some testimonials: ▶ this video
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