M*S: Russian Roulette- the Dashes and the Black Market
Sept 15, 2017 18:55:38 GMT -5
bronzeknee likes this
Post by T34 on Sept 15, 2017 18:55:38 GMT -5
OK, my penny.
Yes, Pix definitely has moved toward the sleazier end of the freemium spectrum by introducing the Black Market. Anything that incorporates gambling with real money into a game is a step in the wrong direction, ethically and morally.
While it may benefit Pix financially, it exploits the weaknesses of players and imbalances the value-given-for-value-received dynamic.
Also, even though everyone keeps talking about whales - who are people with significant disposable income - I strongly suspect the majority of the Black Market spenders are people more like me. Those are people who spent more than we intended, in amounts that hurt a little, because Pix's carefully considered strategy hit us right in our weaknesses (a diagnosed compulsive personality disorder, for me).
And regardless of what bots we won, every one of us who spent on the Black Market ended up paying a good deal more than the value of the entertainment we received in return.
As someone said above, what we are buying from Pix is entertainment. The problem is, as with most mobile games, the price of that entertainment is far, far out of line with almost all other forms of digital entertainment. The Black Market makes it even more so.
For the majority of players, it took what, a minimum of $100 to get a Dash? That bot will give maybe a couple hundred hours of entertainment for the most die-hard players before they get bored with it or it becomes obsolete. Even less time for more casual players.
That same amount of money spent elsewhere would go considerably further. Nearly a year's worth of unlimited movies and TV from Netflix. More than six months of unlimited access to WoW. Two or three, or more, games on Steam with unlimited play and no in-app purchases. Personally, what I've spent on War Robots in the last 3 months would have gotten me a PS4, a new big-screen, and at least a couple games.
So, the whole point of the Black Market is to lure us into spending more and getting less, much less. That's predatory, no matter how you look at it. And no amount of Pix spin - 'we're trying not to disrupt the meta' - will change that.
But here's the real kick in the nuts, the cold bucket of reality in our faces. This is an us problem, not a them problem.
Remember the story of the frog and the scorpion? Well Pix is a scorpion, like almost any for-profit company, and we can't blame a scorpion for being a scorpion. Pix is gonna do what's in its nature, which is sting frogs for as much money as possible. And to be honest, Pix isn't the worst scorpion on the river.
The onus is on us - the frogs - to always be aware of that nature and take steps to protect ourselves.
We know what they'll try to do, and we know what our weaknesses are. Sure, those weaknesses make it hard for us sometimes, but ultimately it's our decision, our choice alone whether to carry the scorpion across the river. Remember, he never forces the frog.
So if Pix is using unscrupulous means to get your money - and they are - then you gotta sack up, grit your teeth, and not give them any. That goes for me, too, even more than most, probably. I can't complain about getting stung if I keep picking up the little firetrucker.
(By the way, got stung by an actual scorpion when I was 14. Know why? Cause I was working with a stonemason, collecting flatrock out in the woods, and didn't wear my gloves like he told me to. Wasn't the scorpion's fault then, either.)
If enough frogs refuse, Pix won't have any choice but to adapt. Otherwise, it's the one that will drown.
But what I don't agree with is putting it down to be aware player and the ownus is on the player to control spending. The simple fact is that most humans have some degree of inclination to be exploited by gambling mechanisms. That's one reason why the gambling industry in most countries is regulated and there are government funded assistance programs for people with gambling issues.
what is deplorable in regards to pixonic in this respect is that they took advantage of human weaknesses and designed/released a mechanism to exploit human weaknesses. And there are no regulations to tackle this behaviour within a game. It's predatory behaviour and questionable business practice that may be acceptable in some countries.
i would suggest you discuss the matter with apple or google and request a refund for monies spent. I would.