Yes.
People who spend 10s of thousands of dollars on micro transactions do need help.
Said help probably needs to come at a government level banning things that were designed in a computer lab to be digital Crack.
Comment on Diablo 4's new mount costs more than the actual game
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 8 months ago
Every time this comes up (which is too often) I’m like “Who is buying this?” How can we make them stop? Do they need help?
ericbomb@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Carighan@lemmy.world 8 months ago
It’s such a shame that the OW1 discussion about loot boxes went nowhere in regards to giving ingame gambling the same legal framework as IRL gambling.
Rubanski@lemm.ee 8 months ago
Also kind of crazy that loot boxes were far less predatory than the current ow2 system is. It was very possible to never buy boxes and get everything. Nowadays? No chance
Carighan@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Well, I’m of two minds about that.
To a healthy person, the current system is pricier and more aggressive. Things are constantly being shoved in your face, but they’re all purchase-only, and 20€/skin is just absurd.
But, I disagree that it’s more predatory. To a vulnerable person, the new system doesn’t elicit an addictive response, which loot boxes due to their gambling nature do.
Contend6248@feddit.de 8 months ago
I mean, they also freed me from my painfrom wanting to play that game, onoy with their shitty update, so i have to thank Blizzard.
TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world 8 months ago
It was possible to get everything but lets not overlook the inherently manipulative framing of either paying or making the game a second job, which cultivates a sunk cost mindset, which might once again make the player pay out of FOMO.
There are reasonable amounts of grind that can make games fun for some people, but the length of grind and the limited timeframes for obtaining items are all geared to feed into the same monetization cycle. All of that artificially, because it’s not like any digital game has to clear their storeroom and shelves to make space for new collectibles.
Game companies have been very sly about how they use physical real world metaphors to create justifications for their manipulative systems. Lootboxes too, because you can’t guess what’s in a closed pack… except the game keeps perfect track of what is available, what you have and what you don’t have. The only reason why anyone would get repeated lootbox items, is to lead them on and get them to waste money.
olafurp@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Anything that costs money to use with a randomised result should be considered gambling.
GoodEye8@lemm.ee 8 months ago
Yes, it’s high time we shut down the kinder surprise gambling dens.
bcron@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Might be the people that play only one game. I used to play WoW and then Diablo III exclusively like it was a full time job, and wound up in social bubbles with people who were equally invested. I never spent money on cosmetics or in-game items or anything but at that point it’d be pretty easy to rationalize since it’s something someone is spending 20-80 hours a week playing.
Back in WoW we used to sell one slot on our Algalon raid (hardmode only raid boss) and pay for our Ventrilo and website with that lol
excitingburp@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Grubby is a good example of someone who was recently reformed. In one of his early Dota 2 videos (some time last year), he admitted that he didn’t know that games outside of Blizzard had gotten so good - he actually only played Blizzard games and nothing else. It’s been pretty wholesome watching someone learn the wider gaming world.
EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 8 months ago
I find it bizarre that someone would ever pigeonhole themselves into one developer. I don’t even know who makes games half the time. There’s only one that I have blocked on Steam.
ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml 8 months ago
Whales, idk if we can make them stop, often times yes they need help
EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 months ago
People with poor fiscal responsibility skills, such as children, people with ADHD, and people with mental health issues like depression.
They literally hire psychologists to make this stuff as enticing as possible by pushing the right buttons in your brain.
Etterra@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Don’t forget the people with more money than sense. Whales are what keep the microtransaction mechanic alive and well.
EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 months ago
Except the whale narrative is largely a false narrative created by the game industry to avoid saying that the money comes from kids and gambling addicts.
Those people with more money than sense do exist and they make up a portion of the mtx money, but the vast majority is from people who probably can’t afford to make purchases like that (but do anyways because their brain can’t say no).
The industry has been honing these skinner box techniques for decades now - it’s what they used to get people to pay a monthly subscription for an mmo they only play when they log in to do their dailies.
Cheskaz@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Jesus. I’m extremely ashamed that I’ve never question the whale narrative before…
Thank you!
TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world 8 months ago
The term whale even came from actual casino gambling originally, so that definitely doesn’t help the moral purity of their business.