Lockboxes are, of course, often seen as being inherently deceptive and unwelcome, but if you want to get really into predatory monetization, no game so firmly epitomizes this as Star Trek Online – which, readers will note, is a game I really like. There are also ways to build up cards from unwanted cards and ways to earn cards through gameplay, both of which tilt the game more toward rewarding actual play, but regardless the base model is not predatory. Furthermore, randomized card packs do actually serve a purpose in gameplay by giving you an incentive to play classes you otherwise might ignore based on getting some really good cards. While Hearthstone is a free-to-play game, it makes it clear what you can purchase (card packs) and lets you understand what your odds are for getting any given card. So let’s start by examining a game that isn’t predatory, and since we’re going to be pointing to Diablo Immortal as being predatory as hell, let’s start with another Blizzard title: Hearthstone. And it probably sounds really simple laid out like that, but just defining it without giving examples is not all that great. There’s no reason for a system to exist in the game except in service of monetization. The monetization model at its core uses some degree of deception, vagueness, or subterfuge in order to first get you engaged.A game can be considered to have predatory monetization if: There are other things that go into it, but the important point here is that how much money goes into the game isn’t part of the equation. Here’s the thing: For a game to have predatory monetization, there are really just two conditions that need to be fulfilled. So let’s really dive into what makes something predatory. And it’s worth examining that in depth because as odd as it might sound, the game that costs me an average of $145 every year is actually less predatory than the game I have, in total, spent maybe $60 on ever and that I’ve spent no money on in at least a couple of years. The downside here, however, is that I haven’t really talked much about what makes something predatory. I much prefer talking about predatory monetization because that’s a much less fuzzy term, and using it ensures that instead of debating over a win condition, you spend your time examining how the game forces you into paying money. So, if you’ve been paying attention to this column over the past few forevers, you will have no doubt noticed by this point that I’m not really a big fan of talking about pay-to-win because that’s a fuzzy term you can argue against.
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