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How In-app Purchases Has Destroyed The Industry

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wraith808:
10 ways Facebook changed gaming for ever

I think the fact that a lot of these ideas came from facebook flash games is what makes them as ass backwards as they are.

mwb1100:
They want to wring you dry
-wraith808 (February 04, 2014, 10:03 AM)
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That's the key - if in game purchases were truly optional perks that that made an enjoyable game more fun, or occasionally helped you past somewhere where you were blocked, that would be something I could agree to.  But when the 'free' game is essentially non-playable without having to make continual in-app purchases, it's just a bait and switch.

Unfortunately, it looks like there are enough suckers that the model will probably only get worse. I think that as far as the game companies are concerned, in-app purchases haven't destroyed the industry, they've made the industry much more profitable.

wraith808:
I don't think they're usually bait and switch...

... hmm, but an argument could be made either way.  If you're blocked and basically have to spend/waste time or wait for time to pass, is that a time sink or a bait and switch?

I know in certain games, there are what is termed 'time sinks' that basically make the game seem longer because of useless waits that are inserted.  Like in MMOs when you're crafting something and you watch an animation while a progress bar fills up... that's a time sink.  You could just as easily click the button and be done... but they want you to wait.  It's a useless pacing mechanism meant to slow people down.  So you can progress- but unless you pay, your progression is retarded.  And in the case of tiny death star, it was retarded beyond all belief.  To make the increasing amount of money to add a new level, I had to wait *days*.

Deozaan:
And here's the opposite opinion: http://sealedabstract.com/iphone/how-in-app-purchase-is-not-really-destroying-the-games-industry/-phitsc (February 04, 2014, 01:37 AM)
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The entire article's credibility is destroyed in the first two paragraphs (emphasis mine):

See, in the in-app purchase model actually predates phones. It predates video game consoles. It goes all the way back to the arcade, where millions of consumers were happy to pay a whole quarter ($0.89 in 2013 dollars) to pay for just a few minutes. The entire video games industry comes from this model. Kids these days.

But in fact, the model predates computers. I can trace it at least as far back as the Periscope mechanical arcade game from Sega in 1966 that offers to sell you ten lives for 25 cents ($1.80 in 2013 dollars).
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So which is it? Or am I just old fashioned and a quarter was changed to 12.5 cents in the past couple of decades?

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