"Corrosive Monetization": Why current video games suck

[Tdarcos]

The following video explains a reason why games being made today suck, a practice I call "corrosive monetization." The use of various tricks of in-app purchases, premium priced special editions, loyalty programs, and other methods of manipulation, not to make the best game they can, but to extract as much money from the player as possible. The design of games is not being targeted to "how can we make the game better?" but to "how can we extract more money out of the game?"

I recommend watching this video, as it highlights a number of practices that you may not have realized were happening. How games are designed to manipulate people to spend more money on a game, even if they purchased it. It's only about 32 minutes in length.

I do not have sufficient privileges to post in-line links here, so here's the URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g16heGLKlTA

[pinback]

2022 saw the release of some of the greatest games I've ever played.

I challenge your premise.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

In my experience, DLC has been pretty easy to avoid. I don't even bother looking at mobile games - the entire platform is fucking trash. Steve Jobs hated games because he was a pretentious bitch and then managed the worst gaming platform in human history. I avoid large publisher's nonsense like EA. I have never and will never play a "Call of Duty" game.

What depresses me most about games is something that I noted elsewhere and can't find: many games have a certain art style coming from the 3D asset store world. I am much more interested in pixel graphics than another thing made from Unity that looks like everything else. Just off the top of my recent Steam playlist - Wasteland 2, Empire of Sin, Frostpunk, PUBG, Cyberpunk 2077, Predator - I am not saying they all look the same, but they just feel the same to me.

Say what one will about old games, but Outrun doesn't seem anything like Frenzy.

[Tdarcos]

2022 saw the release of some of the greatest games I've ever played.

I challenge your premise.

That video gave something like eight different reasons why today's games have been inferior. You neither explained which games are counter-examples, nor why those examples are wrong.

These reasons include:

• In-app purchases, even in games sold at full price exceeding $50
• Regular and premium editions of the game
• Different versions for different game systems
• Loyalty programs that encourage frequent return visits to the game with special awards
• Limited-time offers that encourage purchase
• Offering very generous enhancements for a low price to encourage people to provide credit card numbers to allow easy future purchases
• Grind or pay: provide a certain benefit for having performed a long-term task, like "farming for gold"or allowing someone to purchase the desired benefit
• Pricing things in the game with the game's own currency (gems, manna,etc.) which can be purchased in-game, further distancing in-game purchases from real-world cost
• "Not quite enough" in-game currency packs, like packs being sold in blocks of 45, but items are priced in multiples of 50, requiring extra packs to obtain the item
• Loot boxes where you pay for a box and what you get may or may not get a desired item. This practice has either so turned off customers they were dropped, or some countries banned them as a form of gambling

Among other issues. But let me ask you: how many of these, or the other monetization "features" listed in the video occur in those ganes you consider excellent?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

You are right that those are greedy and pathetic acts of desperation. I don't really encounter games that do that in what I look for.

[pinback]

Among other issues. But let me ask you: how many of these, or the other monetization "features" listed in the video occur in those ganes you consider excellent?

Zero. So yes, among the subset of games that suck, the current video games suck.

[Jizaboz]

I’m also in the same boat if I generally just don’t play these kind of games.. which exception to COD - Warzone. However, you actually don’t have to buy the game or anything in it to win. You just have to play the game more. A “season battle pass” requires 10$ worth of “CP” (haha yes unfortunate name) which again you can just play the game to regain that for the next pass. They sell things like custom skin packs but I never bought any except the “Blunt Force” pack because lol blunts.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Commander, have you tried talking to these games?

[Tdarcos]

Commander, have you tried talking to these games?

I'm not sure what you're asking. Which games and why?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Talking.

I'm just asking. Have you tried communicating with them? ;)

[Tdarcos]

Talking.

I'm just asking. Have you tried communicating with them? ;)

These are game companies! Anyone who's read the news knows that game companies routinely exploit people who want to get into game development. They expect to get a bonus or profit sharing if successful. They will overwork employees (like programmers), not pay people much, and once the game is finished, lay them off, so they don't have to pay them anything like profit sharing, so that they get all the money; which can be millions of dollars. Lather, rinse, repeat. There's always another fresh face to be swindled, like the way Hollywood chews and spits out pretty girls who want to get into the movies.

Given that being how they treat their employees, do you think they'll respond to someone who isn't even a customer?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Have you tried telling them that? ;*)

[RealNC]

Well, the OP has a point. Look at this shit...

DLC.png

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I will admit that the one that appears to be just for a spoiler to a car, rather than a car, is pushing it a bit.

[Tdarcos]

Well, the OP has a point. Look at this shit...

DLC.png

The BBS says I lack sufficient privileges to view your image.

[raecoffey]

I haven't played many video games in the past 5 years. I started off with Atari,Millipore, and ended between a level 80 Blood Elf rogue in WoW and COD: Black Ops on the Xbox 360. The brain damage from being unconcious for 3 days and my oxygen saturation falling so low @41% (when i had my heart attack.) I have played a few games on my phones but never for long because they all looked like money puts and you couldn't get anywhere high in the game without investing more and more money and I can't afford that on my sparse income. So I just gave up playing anything all together. Anyways that's my take.

[raecoffey]

How do I edit the stupid auto correct fuck ups on my post? Lol

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

How do I edit the stupid auto correct fuck ups on my post? Lol

You're now getting the full Jolt Country experience!!

[raecoffey]

Lol