The world of video games is facing a legal firestorm. Multiple lawsuits allege that popular titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty employ manipulative design elements to create addictive experiences, particularly harmful to young players. But in a recent coordinated response, major developers like Microsoft, Sony, and Epic Games are pushing back, arguing their creations […]
You know, I went into this article kind of on the side of the game publishers, but this argumentation just had me rolling:
major developers like Microsoft, Sony, and Epic Games are pushing back, arguing their creations are protected forms of artistic expression, not addictive products.
Their CEOs do nothing but respond to stakeholders all year long, but now all of a sudden, they put on their beret hats and go excusez-moi, this is artistique.
These loot boxes are merely a highly artistic statement on the uncertainties in life and a run away capalitalistic society! We are as shocked as anyone that people have got addicted and lost thousands of dollars to our uhhhhh art, yeah.
The big issue to me is that the pricing of digital items is completely unrelated to the cost of creation. And it targets children who don’t know better.
It’s well known that Epic and Blizzard hired psychologists specifically to make their games more addictive. I would be very surprised to find out that Microsoft and Sony didn’t.
You know, I went into this article kind of on the side of the game publishers, but this argumentation just had me rolling:
Their CEOs do nothing but respond to stakeholders all year long, but now all of a sudden, they put on their beret hats and go excusez-moi, this is artistique.
These loot boxes are merely a highly artistic statement on the uncertainties in life and a run away capalitalistic society! We are as shocked as anyone that people have got addicted and lost thousands of dollars to our uhhhhh art, yeah.
The big issue to me is that the pricing of digital items is completely unrelated to the cost of creation. And it targets children who don’t know better.
“Officer, this meth I’m making is just artistic cooking! It’s not MY fault it’s addictive”
Just tell all your customers that it’s “for entertainment purposes only.”
“The loot boxes are an… evocative display of the perils of hmmm… taxation, so they need to cost 9.99 for… uhhh… reasons.”
It’s well known that Epic and Blizzard hired psychologists specifically to make their games more addictive. I would be very surprised to find out that Microsoft and Sony didn’t.
The white paper about creating addictive games that I read years ago while addicted to wow was written by someone at Microsoft.