Should predatory Pay to Win games be regulated like gambling?

Turkey · July 29, 2015, 04:24:50 PM

http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1762-5-reasons-i-lost-249000-iphone-game.html

You can read the Cracked article about Game of War, but the tl;dr is that many people are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on pay-to-win, Skinner Box-esque games that are outwardly predatory, relying on addiction to the game to bring in revenue. This is very similar to gambling, except the player has no chance to win money or recoup losses. Obviously it's entirely the player's choice (or is it?), but there's a strong component of addiction that leads people to spend beyond their means on a completely trivial game whose purpose isn't to deliver enjoyment, but to wring its customers dry until they suffer extreme monetary loss to the point of no recovery. The article talks about fairly common examples of higher-level players losing thousands of dollars in assets in a single attack, forcing players to spend money to protect their forces (bought with real money) each day they choose not to play, at progressively high prices. The game essentially forces you to buy more and more, lest you lose all that you currently have in it (I avoid saying 'all that you've put into it' because troops, which cost actual dollars, can easily be lost and there is no way to regain them).

So I'm all for people taking account of their action, but this type of model seems highly predatory and unethical. What are your thoughts on the title premise, that games such as this ought to be regulated similarly to gambling to prevent, or at least reduce, the amount of abusive practices they can exhibit?

More Than Mortal · July 29, 2015, 04:29:21 PM

My intellectual priors tell me it should be regulated by gambling.

My personal priors make me angry that people are stupid enough to fall for it.

challengerX · July 29, 2015, 05:05:49 PM

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Epsira · July 29, 2015, 05:32:37 PM

It's an effective way to make money apparently, and that's noteworthy. I'm uncertain how the mechanics work to keep people invested and addicted, and I think it's something gamers should understand, because success breeds imitation. The affects of addiction in video games should be taken more seriously as potential threats to fiscal responsibility. If that threat is assessed and minimized by legal action, gamers should be part of the process.
This in particular caught my attention, though

Quote

I... came across a guy who must have spent at least 7,000 Euros. He wasn't around to defend himself, so we attacked. We wiped out about 2,500 Euros. Two-and-a-half grand, gone in five minutes.

I know you can't get your money back after making a transaction an receiving the in-game assets, but I legitimately wonder if that gives anyone empathetic pause and raises moral questions about what they're playing and who's benefiting from it.
If it does then the nature of that addiction has interesting social ramifications.

Mordo · July 29, 2015, 06:08:09 PM

You're an idiot if you actually entertain the prospect of pay to win games in the first place.

Deleted · July 29, 2015, 07:52:51 PM

Absolutely. Those games are absolute cancer.

Good on Nintendo for giving a cap on hom much you are allowed to spend at all

Statefarm · July 29, 2015, 10:51:40 PM

CS:GO cases

Aka gambling simulator

A lot of games are jumping on the pay to win train. Even worse IMO are the games with the side deals to give RNG loot. Super addictive...

BaconShelf · July 30, 2015, 01:34:25 AM

Yes, please.

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Mattie G Indahouse · July 30, 2015, 06:34:28 PM

When it comes down to buying things with real money there definitely should be a limit and a Email conformation. For the limit instead of being able to drain your checking account or max out your credit car there should be a $200 limit every week. That way if a kid gets a hold of their parents card they can't drain it or ma it out in one day. For the Email conformation when ever you use real money it should first send you an Email with a link to the purchase. That way it's harder for kids to buy shit.

big sponge · July 30, 2015, 08:16:14 PM

IIRC South Park actually had a good episode on freemuim games.

I certainly wouldn't be opposed to government imposed regulations on freemuim titles.