‘No way out’: how video games use tricks from gambling to attract big spenders

seasonone@opidea.xyz to Technology@beehaw.org – 147 points –
‘No way out’: how video games use tricks from gambling to attract big spenders
theguardian.com
22

You are viewing a single comment

I've been playing Asphalt 9 recently, and I've started hitting the walls they throw in after tens of hours in which my options are to hope for lucky draws, wait for timers to reset, and watch ads, or pay.

It's a legitimate shame, because the game is actually super fun, but the horribly predatory monetization is effectively a guarantee that I'm never spending a dime out of spite and I'm gonna quit once I get all the Xbox achievements, which is what I originally gave the game a shot for.

Edit: did I mention that the only ways to get many cars are loot boxes? I can't finish certain sections of the career mode right now because I don't have required vehicles, so it's become a game of juggling the activities I can actually do at any given time.

And this is why I no longer play mobile games. Too much BS. My phone's battery life is thanking me.

Asphalt 9 rocks. If they made a version where you just paid outright for it, with no further microtransactions necessary, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.