The Addictive Cost of Predatory Videogame Monetization (Jimquisition)

[hurroocane]

I know Era has fallen out of love with Jim Sterling a bit but I think this is an important one.

Initially I thought the video wouldn't have anything new to offer but there are a whole of bunch of clips from a lecture named "Let's Go Whaling" by Torulf Jernström that I had not seen before. It lays out some psychological tricks to get people to buy into IAPs and Lootboxes and I am shocked by it. It's not like I didn't know this was happening but the uncaring directness of it is.. insane. Aside from that I like that Sterling goes into detail about gambling addiction.

Since the video offers a couple real life testimonials I would like to add one:
There's one guy in my circle of friends who is insanely susceptible to addiction. At some point during the smartphone boom I noticed by chance that he started playing candy crush clone games and that he started spending a lot of money on it. I asked him, because I genuinely was curious about it, how much he spent and he didn't know. He looked it up on his bank account and he had blown through 500 € without even realizing it. He had basically spent what I would consider a year's worth of gaming budget on a day. On a candy crush clone. It was a horrifying moment.

I can't say it any other way but companies I used to love like Blizzard, Activision, Valve and so on disgust me on a deep level these days for going all in on lootboxes.

 

[TheEchosOfTheCyborg]

Still only half way through the video, holy f*** it's hard to listen to, I feel so sorry for the people in the testimonies, I thankfully haven't had this issue with video games, but had this issue with action figures and food and it's horribly painful and terrible.

Didn't know Era had fallen out on him.

Edit: Oh, wow, f*** that Torulf Jernström, it's so cringy hearing his gloats and manipulative tactics in such a smug and slimy way... Yikes... Also this video reminded me of why I've been avoiding Polygon.

 

[Numb]

These testimonies are hard to hear

 

[Vic Damone Jr.]

Who cares, I get free content and updates /s

Will watch late but people don't care about how harmful this really is and worse it will get.

 

[i-Jest]

The industry needs to do better and be better. Developers NEED unionzation, and better policy needs to be in place to change industry standard across the board.

EDIT:

This is one of Jim's best videos of the year thus far, if not the best.

 

[Deleted member 1849]

If people want to watch Torulf Jernström's talk, "Lets go whaling!", completely uninterrupted.

While it's old, I think it's completely fascinating and definitely worth looking at. Honestly, probably worth a thread by itself.

 

[Deleted member 56752]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

 

[Xaszatm]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

Click to shrink...

I mean...it's something to talk about continuously? I don't get "it's boring" is in any way a complaint here to not be serious about this issue?

 

[HMS_Pinafore]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

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Yeah, why try to change this horrible practice that is destroying lives if Boxingiscool is bored by it.

 

[Numb]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

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It's a serious issue in the gaming industry
If people didn't drum on this enough it would get sweeped under the rug

 

[Yunyo]

Thanks for reminding me OP I have to watch this later.

It's worth remembering just how dangerous these predatory practices are; it's not morally acceptable to fund games using the lottery predatory system, because of these consequences.

 

[Deleted member 1849]

Oh damn, it's hbomb doing the narration.

The testimonies are really tough to hear, but it's important people hear them.

 

[HMS_Pinafore]

Geez, that recent Polygon article Jim talked about is absolutely disgusting, pretty much comes down on "Think of the poor Billionaires!"

 

[Fisty]

Ugh disgraceful. Please keep up the good work Jim, it's important to keep pushing back on this shit

 

[Ketch]

I like Jim's videos, I agree with everything he's said here. I just wish he'd drop the v for vendetta schtick. it's stupid, doesn't add anything and actually undermines his own credibility

 

[Htown]

holy shit Polygon, what the fuck?

 

[Haze]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

Click to shrink...

And he says he's tired of talking about it but he's more tired of it continuing to be an issue and that as long as it is one, he'll keep talking about it.

 

[CrazyHal]

Jesus christ that polygon article. I think this goes without saying but fuck anyone who defends predatory microtransactions. You stupid cooperate shills.

 

[bane833]

Jim Sterling the fucking video game journalist equivalent of a bulldog that just won't let go. Good work, drag these greedy cockroaches into the light over and over again.

 

[Deleted member 10726]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

Click to shrink...

That mindset is exactly why things have gotten as bad in the industry as things are now. Though I don't always see eye-to-eye with what Jim talks about, on this topic it's good that he's continuously bringing attention to it since we can't be complacent with predatory monetization lest we want things to get even worse.

 

[Deleted member 5491]

I feel bad for victims of it but man, this whole thing is so boring because it's all he talks about

Click to shrink...

That's why we have MTX everywhere, that's why DRM is accepted, that't why games can come out in shit states and peopl STILL preorder them.
It is an ongoing problem and without people using their platform and talking about it, all this shit will become the norm.
"Oh I heard about it 3 times now, get over it. It's boring" Fuck off with that attitude

 

[Deleted member 2254]

I think there's two things that should be regulated:

1. A money cap you can put on the game. Let's say it's 150 or 200 Euros. If you spend that amount of the game, regardless of the permutations, you should be entitled to access to all paid content the game has. It's absurd some games require you hundreds (if not thousands) of Euros to see all content of.
2. The end of consumable MTXs/DLCs. Only let people buy stuff that remains like weapons, characters, maps, whatever. Allowing people to throw unlimited money for chance-based content is slot machine in digital form.

 

[Javier]

I like Jim's videos, I agree with everything he's said here. I just wish he'd drop the v for vendetta schtick. it's stupid, doesn't add anything and actually undermines his own credibility

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What's stupid is your opinion. The subject must not be abandoned as long as the industry keeps using it.

 

[bane833]

holy shit Polygon, what the fuck?

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Yeah this Polygon article really is something else. Unbelievable.

 

[Baccus]

Gaming publishers flew too close to the sun

I'm so ready to see then crash with their wings burning

 

[Kunka Kid]

I like Jim's videos, I agree with everything he's said here. I just wish he'd drop the v for vendetta schtick. it's stupid, doesn't add anything and actually undermines his own credibility

Click to shrink...

lol so true. I can't watch his videos because of it. It's embarrassing.

 

[Deleted member 1849]

What's stupid is your opinion. The subject must not be abandoned as long as the industry keeps using it.

Click to shrink...

I don't think he is wanting Jim to stop talking about this subject. Just the visual aesthetic Jim goes for.

 

[Mr Spasiba]

And he says he's tired of talking about it but he's more tired of it continuing to be an issue and that as long as it is one, he'll keep talking about it.

Click to shrink...

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

 

[thonerayman]

I wondered when Jim would talk about that article from Polygon. I actually posted on it the day it was released. I like Owen as a writer but this article floored me! And the number of people defending loot boxes in the comments section was unbelievable.

 

[Javier]

I don't think he is wanting Jim to stop talking about this subject. Just the visual aesthetic Jim goes for.

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Then....... his opinion is not stupid.... :(

 

[Amibguous Cad]

I just feel bad for all the gambling addicts that are into gaming. I'm not a gambling addict myself, but I am an alcoholic; I was told to try to cut out all places where you might drink out of your life - you know, don't go to the bars, stop hanging out with friends whose only thing you have in common is drinking, don't go into bars if you don't have to, etc. I'd be livid if I couldn't avoid my triggers without giving up my main hobby.

 

[InspectorJones]

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

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His Patreon supporters could drop support for him if they were bored with the message, but I feel the industry, by and large, is filled with such garbage now that I think Jim's crusade is more needed than ever before in light of all the detractors out there in the industry trying to gloss over the very real damage unchecked loot boxes and microtransactions can cause to those with problems. Never thought we'd reach the point where the topic is being discussed in the political sphere, but that just shows how bad things have got.

 

[BadWolf]

Keep fighting the good fight, Jim.

Fuck these greedy assholes and fuck anyone who defends them.

 

[Thewonandonly]

Man just heard the part where jerbshitom talks about telling the user there supporting a dev and being generous!! Well fuck you for saying that because that was my mindset when buying loot boxes and well fuck them for using our kindness and love of the art to fuck us.

 

[Deleted member 8005]

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

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Yeah,those ad free videos 🙄

 

[ghibli99]

Definitely one of the best videos he's ever done. I really need to pay closer attention to the games I'm playing, even if I don't buy any MTXs from them. If I don't buy them period, it might make me realize just how many games in the AAA space include them (and I play nothing on mobile outside of the occasional Super Hexagon session).

 

[Kirroyal88]

Cannot stand Jim Sterling but this video is very very important to share.

My friend who just become a father last year keeps spending his minimum wage salary on PUBG Cash to the point he could not afford to buy diapers for his kid. Gaming addiction is real and F**K those corporations who exploits it....and Polygon too wtf with that article.

 

[Deleted member 56752]

I mean...it's something to talk about continuously? I don't get "it's boring" is in any way a complaint here to not be serious about this issue?

Click to shrink...

That's my point. It's not a complaint really. It's just I personally don't find enjoyment from hearing someone who's opinions I'd love to hear on other topics, focus entirely on this one topic. I like that he switched it up here and actually spoke with victims and did more with it. But usually it's just EAAAAAA AND THE TRIPLE AYYYYYYYYYYYY INDUSTRY ARE SO BAD SO BAD SO BAD HERES A WEIRD video. So bad. I mean. I could go to an IGN comment section and end up just as informed.

He has a unique voice, can concoct incredible videos, and he has a sensational voice. I appreciate that he's talking about protecting me and other consumers. But you can produce other content too.

 

[saenima]

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

Click to shrink...

Yeah he should work for free.

Entitled git.

/s

We are talking about an industry whose biggest cashcows have been neverending franchises and formulas that are recycled over and over and over and over for decades, but Jim talking about this more than a couple of times is what sets you people off. Especially considering things actually keep getting worse, i'm pretty happy that someone won't shut the fuck up about it.

 

[Militaratus]

My heartstrings when the testimonials are played. I feel for that woman who grew up with Deus Ex, but has to abandon the series now due to the fact that it had micro transactions. I know some people want to defend it by saying that you don't have to buy it to enjoy it, but blatantly disregard that there are people that can't help but buy them.

 

[fourfourfun]

That's my point. It's not a complaint really. It's just I personally don't find enjoyment from hearing someone who's opinions I'd love to hear on other topics, focus entirely on this one topic. I like that he switched it up here and actually spoke with victims and did more with it. But usually it's just EAAAAAA AND THE TRIPLE AYYYYYYYYYYYY INDUSTRY ARE SO BAD SO BAD SO BAD HERES A WEIRD video. So bad. I mean. I could go to an IGN comment section and end up just as informed.

He has a unique voice, can concoct incredible videos, and he has a sensational voice. I appreciate that he's talking about protecting me and other consumers. But you can produce other content too.

Click to shrink...

He does. He has just been doing an initial impressions on a new game which is terrible but cannot stop playing. Forget the name.

This topic gets posted a lot because it is something that the forum likes to highlight and it the subject matter keeps generating new content.

 

[FliX]

Thanks Jim Sterling for not dropping the ball!

 

[Mars People]

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

Click to shrink...

What?
There are no ads on the Jimquisition videos. He earns nothing from them directly.
At least watch the videos before you spread bullshit.

 

[Red Liquorice]

Because "loot boxes" are becoming toxic, they're probably already looking for a replacement that isn't as sullied.

Keep the light shining on this filth Jim.

 

[oni-link]

Great video, and this is why it's impossible to take anyone who defends predatory MXTs seriously

 

[circuit]

if the Polygon article was retitled "Loot boxes are how Sony is able to afford making a ps5 with brand new shallow overhyped games" then imo over half of ResetEra would be on the side of defending it

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

I'm sure being able to make money off making the same video over and over factors into it on some level

Click to shrink...

Dude, Jim's videos aren't monetised

 

[FliX]

if the Polygon article was retitled "Loot boxes are how Sony is able to afford making a ps5 with brand new shallow overhyped games" then imo over half of ResetEra would be on the side of defending it

Click to shrink...

gtfo.

 

[oni-link]

Hbomb on narration, nice

 

[Honome]

What a great video, it really should be sticky on front page until that damn lootboxes/microtransactions cancers are banned from video-games so everyone can see exactly what the problem is. I honestly can't understand anyone that still defend those practices. Congratulations to Jimmy for his excellent work lately on this subject and i hope he keeps more coming.