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The Ethics of Mobile Gaming: Have developers gone too far? 🕹️⚖️
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There has been a steady rise in microtransactions, loot boxes, and aggressive monetisation strategies for a long time in the mobile gaming community, which leaves some questioning, have game developers gone too far in prioritising profits over player well-being?
Key Concerns:
😈 Predatory Monetisation:
Many games lure players with "free-to-play" models but then use manipulative tactics to encourage spending. Which can be effective against a lot of people, especially younger audiences who can be more susceptible.
🧠 Addiction and Mental Health:
Features like daily rewards and time-limited events can lead to addictive behaviors, particularlyin RPG games. More often than not, they require free-to-play users to spend hours a day performing daily tasks to keep up with other players who have resorted to using in-game purchases to stay ahead.
🧐 Transparency and Fair Play: Loot boxes and gacha mechanics can sometimes lack transparency. Should developers be required to disclose the odds of winning rare items to ensure fair play?
🔍Case in Point:
Gacha Games like Genshin Impact, Fate/Grand Order and Dragon Ball Legends make billions but face criticism for exploiting players’ desire to collect characters.
Loot Boxes in games like FIFA Mobile have started debates on whether they can be classed as a form of gambling.
What’s your take? Should developers be held responsible for Predatory practices? Or are these simply industry tactics that people shouldn't fall for?
Topic: Mobile Gaming Ethics, Microtransactions, Player Protection, Fair Play
Posted on 06/17/20246.4K Views
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S.B09/03/2024
siuuuuuu
Pixel Pulse Magazine09/04/2024Author
sometimes, yes
Ronaldo08/16/2024
Cómo le haces
J_Dogma_Mobile08/14/2024Liked by Author
You need to be self-aware. Don't fall into their mental traps. I love mobile games, but I'm tired of spending a large amount of time and money on them.
I started tracking my time and money spent on gachas, and after seeing the results, I forced myself to make a change.
Pixel Pulse Magazine08/20/2024Author
Hi, thanks for leaving a comment on the subject 😁.
I quite like this idea of tracking your spending down to the last penny, players should definitely use this so they don't spiral into these traps
XiriLuvsGames07/30/2024Liked by Author
I've mentioned this in a few of my game reviews, but I completely agree. The biggest problem with mobile gaming is not just the predatory marketing however; it's the lack of quality control. So many people can throw their games onto the app store, and majority of it is borderline adware with an hour-of-effort game thrown over it. Companies like Voodoo (the company you see in 90% of ads) make INSANE money off this, and it's absurd.
Pixel Pulse Magazine07/30/2024Author
An interesting input. I think that's the main difference between Android and iOS. While iOS has a lack of variety due to the vast guidelines an app must adhere to in order to appear in their store, it's because of this that the general quality is higher than Android.
While you can still see apps similar and including Voodoo products, they're not advertised as much. You are more likely to see apps that you can tell took a lot more time and care to make.
MIMOKINGS07/28/2024Liked by Author
Yeah they know how to play with the mentality players a monster cash grab like always but the responsibility is ours so we need to be careful when spending anything
Pixel Pulse Magazine07/29/2024Author
agreed 👍, self-awareness is key
Denis Puco07/25/2024
Denis puco
Sajuuk07/22/2024
We enable this by playing their games. It's as much our fault as theirs imo.
Pixel Pulse Magazine07/23/2024Author
I'm not sure you understood my point. Though I do believe in players taking responsibility for their actions. I was pointing out the Predatory tactics that make it difficult for some players to stop playing
RPGLover8807/09/2024
For your first point, I agree that these kinds of games shouldnt be played by minors. Only adults should be allowed to play gacha games. If adults decide to act like idiots and ruin themselves by spending all their money on these games, then its their fault. Everything should be done in moderation and adults know that.
For your second point, first, I would ask that you take back what you said. By that, I mean this part:
"Features like daily rewards and limited time events can lead to addictive behaviors, ESPECIALLY IN RPGs."
You make it sound like all RPGs have gambling elements in them. This statement is NOT TRUE. Only GACHA GAMES and a very small amount of RPGs have gambling elements in them.
As for the second half of your second point, if you dont want to "catch up with other players who have resorted to using in-game purchases to stay ahead", then I suggest that you 1. give up on that competitive nature of yours or 2. give up entirely on free to play games and go play paid games instead. Free to play games are called that way not because the game is entirely free, but because you can play the game right away after downloading it without having to pay a dime. If you dont want to spend money on the game but you want to be the very best right away, then Im sorry to say this, but free to play games arent for you. The devs have to make money SOMEHOW. If they dont, the game will die.
For your third point, rates/odds are ALWAYS written somewhere.
Finally, theres no need for debate. Gacha games, loot boxes and everything related to that ARE forms of gambling. Gachas are the same as slot machines in casinos. The only difference is that you dont see the characters/weapons rolling in front of your eyes for a few seconds like the cherry and "7" on slot machines. You press on the 1x or the 10x button and the character(s) or weapon(s) instantly appear on your screen.
As long as youre patient and know what moderation is, gacha games are just normal games. In most gacha games, character and weapon banners will eventually come back, so if you cant get what you want the first time, there will always be a next time. Theres no rush. Take your time and enjoy the game. Simple, right?
Pixel Pulse Magazine07/09/2024Author
I maybe should have worded it more carefully. I wasn't trying to say all RPGs have gambling features, just that they are usually the ones that feature gacha elements the most and more frequently.
I also think you have slightly misunderstood my points. I do not suffer from any if these issues but I do believe to deny their existence is quite biased. Gacha as you said is a form of gambling. Though some games feature the odds themselves it does not remove the element of chance that makes it a gacha feature. If you were to compare the psychological reaction from pulling gacha to gambling in a casino I see very little difference.
This is the point I was trying to convey in my post. That no matter what age or maturity you are gambling is still gambling, our brain reacts the same way to these interactions. Which developers naturally use as a tool for profit. In no way was this article to attack developers for trying to make a profit, but to point out that the profit has a very fine line to simply being Predatory.
MrCreepy06/21/2024Liked by Author
the Gacha BS should be classified as gambling. I dont mind paying for a skin in a free to play game, but the price should be fixed and transparent. I won't gamble to maybe get what Im paying for.
Pixel Pulse Magazine06/24/2024Author
100% agree its awful that there's soany that still don't have transparency. It would be nice if it was enforced as a requirement when gacha is added as a feature
mighty legs06/18/2024Liked by Author
why not just stop playing such game than the developers gonna loose everything and no one else will try to make the same money grab
Pixel Pulse Magazine06/18/2024Author
a good point, but for a lot of people they are roped in by the starter packs that will be 0.99, then 4.99, then up to 9.99. and by that point you have spent your real money on the game so it's harder to give up because you have spent money on it. 😅
I personally Don't have this problem, but point is there are a lot of tactics developers use to lure people into playing their game as long as possible. Which some of them have questionable ethics 🤔