{"id":241674,"date":"2021-05-04T13:34:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T10:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/"},"modified":"2021-05-04T13:34:22","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T10:34:22","slug":"loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"#Loot boxes in games are enticing, but they don\u2019t actually manipulate you into spending"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4168e83755b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4168e83755b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/#How_do_game_companies_use_data\" >How do game companies use data?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/#Whats_the_data_on_the_data\" >What\u2019s the data on the data?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/#Are_you_being_manipulated\" >Are you being manipulated?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/#Are_there_solutions\" >Are there solutions?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending\/#Looking_after_children\" >Looking after children<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Loot boxes in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s are enticing, but they don\u2019t actually manipulate you into spending<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>The ABC\u2019s latest Four Corners <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-05-03\/video-games-you-play-are-using-sneaky-tactics-four-corners\/100098826\">report<\/a> is an investigation into how video games are \u201cdeliberately designed to get people hooked\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It describes the use of gambling-like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/linkinghub.elsevier.com\/retrieve\/pii\/S0306460318315077\">\u201cloot boxes\u201d in games<\/a>, the hotly debated <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29529886\/\">notion of video game addiction<\/a> and, to a lesser extent, the \u201cpredatory techniques\u201d of using user data and AI to increase spending in freemium games (free to play games which are monetized through in-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> transactions and advertising).<\/p>\n<p>The process of monetizing and collecting data through video games does require scrutiny, as it can be problematic for some users. But in working out what the harms are, we shouldn\u2019t lose sight of the fact video games are enjoyable and valuable for the vast majority.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"The Four Corner\u2019s program asks, \u2018are you being played?\u2019 Image via via ABC 4 Corners program\" width=\"754\" height=\"424\" class=\"lazyreplaced\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398506\/original\/file-20210503-17-1ddo3hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fgaming%2F2021%2F05%2F04%2Fstudy-loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Four Corner\u2019s program asks, \u2018are you being played?\u2019 Image via via ABC 4 Corners program\" data-title=\"Share The Four Corner\u2019s program asks, \u2018are you being played?\u2019 Image via via ABC 4 Corners program on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Four Corner\u2019s program asks, \u2018are you being played?\u2019 Image via via ABC 4 Corners program on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The Four Corner\u2019s program asks, \u2018are you being played?\u2019 Image via via ABC 4 Corners program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_game_companies_use_data\"><\/span>How do game companies use data?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Video game production is increasingly supported by collecting large amounts of player data. Game developers use this data to optimize game design and, perhaps more commonly, how games are monetized.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, data about players\u2019 actions and gaming experiences have been collected through quality assurance testing, or by game developers trawling through online forums. This has changed with the rise of data mining and analysis, referred to as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Game-Analytics-Maximizing-Value-Player\/dp\/1447147685\">telemetry<\/a>, or more commonly as \u201cdata analytics\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Such approaches were once limited to large \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.g2a.com\/news\/features\/best-aaa-games\/\">Triple A<\/a>\u201d companies such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gdcvault.com\/play\/1014406\/The-Data-Cracker-Building-a\">EA<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> gaming giants like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gamasutra.com\/blogs\/BenWeber\/20201026\/372498\/The_Zynga_Analytics_Platform_in_2020.php\">Zynga<\/a>. Only the biggest game designers could afford in-house software engineers to create these systems, and data analysts to use them.<\/p>\n<p>Today data analytics are relatively cheap, accessible tools aimed at both <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cmr.berkeley.edu\/2020\/05\/62-3-werder\/\">big<\/a> and small <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1527476419851086\">independent<\/a> developers. Data analytics suites are a core feature of game development <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/unity.com\/features\/analytics\">software<\/a>, are offered by tech giants such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/aws.amazon.com\/gametech\/\">Amazon<\/a> and are also sold by standalone analytics providers such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gameanalytics.com\/\">GameAnalytics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Analytics might involve simple data such as the number of downloads, or may provide more complex insights, such as in-game behavior, playing time and frequency of play.<\/p>\n<p>The shift to freemium play, encouraged by smartphone platforms, has made it particularly important to collect data on in-app purchasing. This could include players\u2019 geographic location, their device and operating system and their spending habits.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, this can help game developers to determine which players are more likely to spend money while playing, and how to optimize the placement of in-game ads \u2014 a major source of revenue in freemium games.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"\" width=\"754\" height=\"593\" class=\"lazyreplaced\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=472&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=472&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=472&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=593&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=593&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/398504\/original\/file-20210503-13-u7ps59.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=593&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fgaming%2F2021%2F05%2F04%2Fstudy-loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: GameAnalytics interface tracking a game\u2019s new users over time.\" data-title=\"Share GameAnalytics interface tracking a game\u2019s new users over time. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share GameAnalytics interface tracking a game\u2019s new users over time. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>GameAnalytics interface tracking a game\u2019s new users over time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The software <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameofwhales.com\/\">Game of Whales<\/a> \u2014\u00a0named after the industry\u2019s practice of calling big spenders \u201cwhales\u201d \u2014\u00a0claims to use AI to track players\u2019 behaviour in real-time and interact with them in a way that maximises \u201clifetime value\u201d, which is the total amount of revenue a player will generate while playing a game.<\/p>\n<p>These tools are framed as allowing both large and smaller developers to create conditions which increase player spending. For example, they might minimize ads and encourage increased playing time for a high-value \u201cwhale\u201d, while providing more ads for users who are unlikely to make in-app purchases.<\/p>\n<p>This is the subset of the gaming industry that frames itself as being able to \u201ccontrol\u201d players through data analytics.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_data_on_the_data\"><\/span>What\u2019s the data on the data?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>However, while analytics companies would suggest their products <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gameanalytics.com\/blog\/shooting-for-the-stars-how-the-devs-behind-crossy-road-and-shooty-skies-became-mobile-masters\/\">work as promised<\/a>, we lack scholarly evidence that data capture allows video game companies to control our minds or our wallets.<\/p>\n<p>As critics of Harvard Professor Shoshana Zuboff\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com.au\/Age-Surveillance-Capitalism-Future-Frontier\/dp\/1610395697\">surveillance capitalism<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2019\/oct\/04\/shoshana-zuboff-surveillance-capitalism-assault-human-automomy-digital-privacy\">theory<\/a> would argue, just because game companies collect our data, that doesn\u2019t mean they can automatically control how we behave. Data does not rob us of our agency, writes Virginia Tech\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sts-news.medium.com\/youre-doing-it-wrong-notes-on-criticism-and-technology-hype-18b08b4307e5\">Lee Vinsel<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>[\u2026] it seems that Mark Zuckerberg can\u2019t sell me fucking socks, let alone purposefully\/significantly change my politics or self-concept.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Research on how developers use data analytics reflects this ambivalence. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cmr.berkeley.edu\/2020\/05\/62-3-werder\/\">One study<\/a> of French video game company Ubisoft, and its use of data, suggests data collection \u201caugments\u201d (or enhances) products, rather than necessarily manipulating users into continued spending via microtransactions.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_you_being_manipulated\"><\/span>Are you being manipulated?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The recent Four Corners report frames the gaming industry as a largely manipulative one. It attacks the industry\u2019s calculated pricing strategies, which can affect how we value in-game purchases.<\/p>\n<p>But these same strategies are also widely used in the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bettermarketing.pub\/4-pricing-strategies-restaurants-use-to-make-you-spend-more-money-1ab5a1a86c29\">restaurant industry<\/a>. Even supermarkets are designed so <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencetimes.com\/articles\/27561\/20201002\/supermarkets-manipulate-people.htm\">customers spend as much time as possible<\/a> inside.<\/p>\n<p>Push notifications that encourage play and consumption have a real-world equivalent, too, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foodbabe.com\/the-behind-the-scenes-marketing-tricks\/\">scent machines at Disneyland<\/a> used to boost cotton candy and caramel apple sales.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, we don\u2019t think of these subtle techniques as completely robbing us of our agency. So why does the gaming industry draw so much criticism?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_solutions\"><\/span>Are there solutions?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many of the mobile and freemium games discussed in the Four Corners report are designed for children who do need greater protection since, according to some psychologists, they don\u2019t \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/viewdoc\/download?doi=10.1.1.459.1736&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf\">comprehend commercial messages in the same way as more mature audiences<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In part, concerns about spending in games can be attributed to parents and non-players misunderstanding how virtual goods can actually have real value for players.<\/p>\n<p>A virtual outfit can still help someone express their identity. A helpful strategy could be for parents to discuss with their kids what it means to spend real money on virtual goods and why they want to.<\/p>\n<p>Although, the way some games target whales to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gamasutra.com\/view\/feature\/195806\/chasing_the_whale_examining_the_.php?print=1\">encourage unlimited spending<\/a> is a source of genuine concern. When it comes to monetizing responsibly, game platforms and developers both have a role to play.<\/p>\n<p>The solution may be to introduce spending limits, which research has found helps gamblers avoid <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11469-018-9892-x\">problem gambling<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Looking_after_children\"><\/span>Looking after children<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important not to conflate issues with how game companies encourage in-game spending with gaming addiction, about which there is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/akjournals.com\/view\/journals\/2006\/6\/3\/article-p267.xml\">significant disagreement among scholars<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-05-03\/video-games-you-play-are-using-sneaky-tactics-four-corners\/100098826\">Speaking to<\/a> the Four Corners team, one psychiatrist frames gameplay through language such as \u201cdetox\u201d and \u201crelapse\u201d. This approach, which critics refer to as a form of \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2016-08154-001\">concept creep<\/a>\u201d, can result in children\u2019s play being unnecessarily pathologized.<\/p>\n<p>In <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1329878X20921568?journalCode=miad\">our research<\/a>, we found reason to be concerned by how this type of discourse can negatively affect children with healthy digital play habits, by stigmatizing their play, causing parent-child conflict and devaluing concern about drug and alcohol addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Children have the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org.uk\/what-we-do\/un-convention-child-rights\/#:%7E:text=The%20Convention%20has%2054%20articles,can%20enjoy%20all%20their%20rights.\">right to play<\/a> and this <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/childrens-rights.digital\/fokus\/index.cfm\/topic.274\">extends to the digital world<\/a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/160182\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"lazyreplaced\" srcset=\"\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>This article by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/ben-egliston-428110\">Ben Egliston<\/a>, Postdoctoral research fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/queensland-university-of-technology-847\">Queensland University of Technology<\/a>; <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jane-mavoa-308124\">Jane Mavoa<\/a>, PhD candidate researching children\u2019s play in digital games, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/the-university-of-melbourne-722\">The University of Melbourne<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/marcus-carter-231027\">Marcus Carter<\/a>, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, SOAR Fellow., <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-sydney-841\">University of Sydney<\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/sure-video-games-want-to-get-you-hooked-on-spending-but-theres-no-evidence-they-can-manipulate-you-160182\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/study-loot-boxes-in-games-are-enticing-but-they-dont-actually-manipulate-you-into-spending-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Loot boxes in games are enticing, but they don\u2019t actually manipulate you into spending&#8221; The ABC\u2019s latest Four Corners report is an investigation into how video games are \u201cdeliberately designed to get people hooked\u201d. It describes the use of gambling-like \u201cloot boxes\u201d in games, the hotly debated notion of video game addiction and, to a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Mobile-game-loot-box-PUBG-hed.jpg&signature=bbf588ea7acfed191aee2eddc8081b6b","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}