Money money money

[Lacquer Head]

5 Creepy Ways Video Games Are Trying to Get You Addicted | Cracked.com

inb4 >cracked

We all pretty much know this is all the case, companies trying to figure out the best way to addict us to something legal and drain our pockets, but why not discuss it again. So just read it and let's discuss why we are screwed.

[Martin]

I read the article and the articles mentioned/linked within in. Skinner box mechanics are pretty ruthlessly employed these days - whether it be the stock MMO that as they say, makes you do the same action 100 times to gain a level or a reward, then 110, 120 and so on, or the influx of apps and mini games that force microtransactions upon you to unlock more and more of the game.

Major game development has shifted from quality to quantity I surmise. EA, Activision, even Squeenix churn out unoriginal or uninspiring titles on a regular basis. If they're not charging £45, $50 or even $109 AUD for a brand new title that has nothing really new other than the name (Modern Warfare series take a bow) then they're making Android and iOS apps that give you the shell of the title and then you get to spend $20 on five different downloadable parts at your leisure. There's going to be people out there that have Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo, that didn't mind buying it for Nintendo DS because they wanted to revisit their childhood or teen memories from the past but then felt aggrieved seeing it be released for iOS at the same price as DS. I know - I was one of them.

However, just because there seems to be a unstoppable juggernaut of sequels and glitzy rubbish spewed forth from the bigger game debs, it's not to say this is the case for everyone. The increase in independent development has been a highlight - especially as every other month seems to bring forth another bought out game company closing or being shutdown from within. The rise of NISA and the popularity and participation in Humble Bundles has been a joy to see, and whilst it might have nothing to do with combatting the stagnation of the general gaming market directly, I like to see it as somewhat of a fight back.

[Cyanist]

I don't care if the games are addictive! I expect it! What I can't stand is the stuff they throw out that utterly stinks and has no redeeming qualities. Of course, I no longer have the problem with being addicted to games because I've devised my own "addiction meter" Read on if you care.

SPOILER!!:

First, I pay attention to how I act toward others while playing said 'game'. If someone in the room asks a favor and I make an excuse such as: "Could you please shut it, I'm trying to get into Ariel's rhythm!" This is a sign that I'm too invested in the game and that I must make adjustments to my 'black-hole-of-a-hobby'
Next, every now and then I pretend someone has accidentally destroyed it, 'snapped' the disk in half, or traded it in for some less-fun game (that one actually happened). It effectively distances me from the game by informing me how much I actually valued what was supposed to be just a hobby. A game. The amount of the 'addiction meter' is determined by how much I care that it was destroyed/sold/dunked in corrosive acid.

It's terribly refreshing to realize that 'life' is still going on around me and that is infinitely more important. I mean, I won't be remembered for which games I finished, right? Sheesh.

[Dodie16]

A link to Cracked? See you all in about three hours. I love reading Cracked, and David Wong is one of the very best writers on that site.

After reading the article, it's definitely given me a whole new outlook on what kept me going with gaming as a hobby. Though I figure as long as I'm enjoying the time I'm spending on a game, I don't really mind the time sink or the money I shelled out to get it. I figure even if I buy a game at full price, I'm probably gonna get more enjoyment out of it than if I paid to go see a movie in theaters or shop for clothes and shoes I'll never wear.

[SOLDIER #819]

This is why I stop most MMORPGs mid-way, without ever getting anywhere. Pellets? Screw the lever, I'll just sleep in my cage.

Doesn't that article have some sappy moral about how we're all looking for a box to crawl into and lose ourselves in, anyway? I think it's less about companies making money and some of us being rather susceptible to the charms of a simple reward system... or punishment/challenge system.

Nowadays I can't handle games that are very long. It's less about how many dollars I'm spending for each hour of game, and more about how many dollars I'm spending for each unit of fun. Don't ask me how I count those though.