You're either minnows, dolphins or whales.

topic of the day 064 & video of the day 060

How to Microtranstactions

YongYea

I didn't plan this but this is another public service announcement for those unaware how they are targeted by the gaming company. This should shed more light on how to prevent yourself from being a target anymore

This is a microtransaction breakdown based on behavioural psychology.

Four types of players by Richard Bartle, 1996

> Achievers, enjoy progressing through games

- Socializers, enjoy interacting with other players

- Killers, enjoy engaging with others competitively

- Explorers, enjoy storyline and immersive experience

Examples of convenience-based monetization model

- limit chances (Temple Run)

- timers (Dungeon Keeper & Elder Scrolls Blades

- hamper campaign progression by level-gating main quests (Assassin's Creed: Odyssey)

- convenient and handy scrap kits (Fallout 76)

Monetization by stage

> Hook (ice breaker)

- free bits of premium currency @ free spin of loot box slot machine @ 'good deal' of in-game purchases

- purpose: slowly chipping down player psychological barrier against their better judgement

> Habit

- selling conveniences to allow faster progression

> Hobby

- selling game-enhancing consumables that can be infinitely monetized (Clash of Clans)

Gatchas aka loot boxes

> lottery

- multiple tries and expenditures for low possibility = highest monetary value for company

> Skinner Box

- reward: the high of getting rare items

-stimuli: fancy animations and sound effects (just like slot machines!)

Hot State

> focus on fast reflective form of thinking, relying on you making decisions based on impulse

Loss Aversion

> for player to be willing to take a bet, the potential gain has to be better than potential loss

> threaten players to take items they have collected away

- i.e. dying before reaching checkpoint and sell ways to circumvent that (scarcity & offer)

'Subscription'

> giving the players the sense that they have to keep playing to get the most out of the money they have already spent (sunk cost fallacy)

IKEA Effect

> if you make players work for something, they'll place more value to it subconsciously or not and have emotional attachment to it as a fruit of their labour

Anchoring

> how games set their value of an item by revealing it first, which will be the 'anchor' that people perceive other item's value

- i.e. Red Dead Online, three steps backwards and one step forward but still two steps too steep

Social Proof

> online game having their own self-contained culture and social hierarchy that put value on monetary and cosmetic items to cater to their own arbitrary standings, the height of FOMO

- i.e. Call of Duty: WW2 & Fortnite

Availability

> if the game broadcast a player getting a rare item, the item rarity does not matter since this would make them think there is a chance to get it no matter the odds

Right Amount of Choices

> how giving players fewer choices will make them less anxious of making a purchase

Whales

> whales take longer to convince to make a first time purchase that may hook them to further spendings

Core Loop Through Stores

> if purchases can be made directly from menu that tie to gameplay loop i.e. upgrade menu

... positive reinforcements and reasons...

Yeah... anyway, thank you to YongYea for highlighting it for me to discover and further warn others to not fall into these insidious traps!

Please be careful!

-x-