Social THE Social Thread 2.0

[Shroob]

Honestly, when it comes down to it, micro transactions have got to go, even the OG one in the form of Magic booster packs. It’s a predatory practice that deliberately plays on the idea that you “might” get something good, when the chances of you actually getting something good are 0.000001%.


Course, that kinda destroys the main appeal of my hobby, but idrc when I mainly buy singles anyway. I don’t think it would be that hard to adapt to it anyway: just sell entire sets of cards instead of packs, like how Deckbuilders Toolkits used to be.

The simplest answer

Don't open packs
Buy singles


I've never gotten the appeal of opening packs, I'd rather guarantee the card I want when trying to build a deck.

 

[Deleted member]

Half the fun in card games is opening the lootboxes to see what fancy cardboard pictures you get.

Sure, but that’s only half of the equation.

I mean, yeah, it would suck if my fancy cardboard packs disappeared, but that doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the game(s) I play to the point that I drop them. Half the fun is actually using the cards, too. Buying singles is 100% the way to go for me.

 

[MooMew64]

Wouldn't be so bad if the court case caused microtransactions to be banned in the USA. Although that would mean most free games that support them (like Fortnite) would move to an annual subscription model.

I'mma be honest.

The reason these games moved on from that model is because it doesn't bring in nearly as much money, and isn't nearly as sustainable.

As much as people complain about MTs, they fuel a lotta content that games get nowadays.

TBH I'm actually hoping Splatoon 3 adopts a season pass model. It's the only way to get a game to get more content: It doesn't come for free.

 

[Deleted member]

I've never gotten the appeal of opening packs, I'd rather guarantee the card I want when trying to build a deck.

In the days before I got a bank account, I opened packs hoping to get the right cards I need, but nowadays I only open one or two in a blue moon and never hoping to get something specific.

If you’re hoping to get a specific card from a pack, you’ve already fallen into their trap, so to speak.

 

[Shroob]

A lot of games just use the info already stored on the phone without any verification needed. It's extremely easy for kids to spend hundreds, if not throusands of dollars on microtransactions without their parents knowing until they look at their account. Sure, monitor the kids, but you can't do that 24/7 365, that is extremely unrealistic.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very much against this kinda stuff in kids games.


But if mom/dad just let little Tim run wild on the play store and download like "Hyper Cute Anime Waifu Game XXX" and blow their money on gacha, why the **** aren't parents supposed to be held accountable here?



It's kinda like my whole stance on what happened with YouTube kids. Yeah, YouTube burdens a LOT of the blame for what happened, but like, do parents just give their kids phones and let them do whatever the **** they want? When I got my first computer, my mom checked my history every night to make sure I wasn't looking up porn.

 

[Pokelego999]

In the days before I got a bank account, I opened packs hoping to get the right cards I need, but nowadays I only open one or two in a blue moon and never hoping to get something specific.

If you’re hoping to get a specific card from a pack, you’ve already fallen into their trap, so to speak.

Lucky enough for me, I buy a Pokemon Card Pack once in a blue moon and always get a GX or whatever out of them.


****'s too complicated now. I remember when it was simple "Get the EXs and you is a victory".

 

[Dutch Raikuna]

So though I'd go back to the Wise Wolf for pfp. Been rewatching Spice and Wolf again and reading the spin-off novels about the main character's kids so thought it is time.

And to also add while I'm here but finished Mass Effect 1 and about half-way through 2. So here are too photos I took. Wademan94 Lamperouge Noipoi and whoever. Behold!

Second one is like "we interrupt this game to bring you.........Xenoblade Chronicles?".
That is all.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Sure, but that’s only half of the equation.

I mean, yeah, it would suck if my fancy cardboard packs disappeared, but that doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the game(s) I play to the point that I drop them. Half the fun is actually using the cards, too. Buying singles is 100% the way to go for me.

Ive only ever bought one single in my entire life, and that was only because i bought SO MANY PACKS without this specific card that i just gave up lol

 

[MooMew64]

It's kinda like my whole stance on what happened with YouTube kids. Yeah, YouTube burdens a LOT of the blame for what happened, but like, do parents just give their kids phones and let them do whatever the **** they want? When I got my first computer, my mom checked my history every night to make sure I wasn't looking up porn.

Unfortunately, yeah. Especially in the States, a lot of parents hardly even actually parent anymore: Lil' Timmy and Susie are raised by the funny screen their parents put in front of them.

Then they throw a fit when that inevitably leads to disaster and blame the creators of the product for their own lack of care for their own child.

 

[Shroob]

Now "Blame Canada' is just playing in my head on loop.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[Pokelego999]

Don't get me wrong, I'm very much against this kinda stuff in kids games.


But if mom/dad just let little Tim run wild on the play store and download like "Hyper Cute Anime Waifu Game XXX" and blow their money on gacha, why the **** aren't parents supposed to be held accountable here?



It's kinda like my whole stance on what happened with YouTube kids. Yeah, YouTube burdens a LOT of the blame for what happened, but like, do parents just give their kids phones and let them do whatever the **** they want? When I got my first computer, my mom checked my history every night to make sure I wasn't looking up porn.

My parents were horrified when they heard of the lack of supervision my friends described. Probably had the strictest parents in my class by that point. I'm not very familiar with goody two shoes parents, mine were more the tough love kind :/

 

[Dutch Raikuna]

Unfortunately, yeah. Especially in the States, a lot of parents hardly even actually parent anymore: Lil' Timmy and Susie are raised by the funny screen their parents put in front of them.

Then they throw a fit when that inevitably leads to disaster and blame the creators of the product for their own lack of care for their own child.

Pretty much the same where I am and with the added bonus of them thrown out into the streets and expected to not come in until like 9pm. Feels like all the **** parents force that sort of choice to their kids. Stay inside and watch a screen or go outside and risk doing stupid crap, like I don't know holding a rope across a main road for example or trying to set fire to a park.

 

[TheMightyP]

Don't get me wrong, I'm very much against this kinda stuff in kids games.


But if mom/dad just let little Tim run wild on the play store and download like "Hyper Cute Anime Waifu Game XXX" and blow their money on gacha, why the **** aren't parents supposed to be held accountable here?



It's kinda like my whole stance on what happened with YouTube kids. Yeah, YouTube burdens a LOT of the blame for what happened, but like, do parents just give their kids phones and let them do whatever the **** they want? When I got my first computer, my mom checked my history every night to make sure I wasn't looking up porn.

You're failing to realize that kids are crafty rebels. They can and will do things when parents aren't looking, even if that means breaking into their phone and playing anime waifu gacha 129373. You can parent all you want, but **** like this will happen.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Unfortunately, yeah. Especially in the States, a lot of parents hardly even actually parent anymore: Lil' Timmy and Susie are raised by the funny screen their parents put in front of them.

Then they throw a fit when that inevitably leads to disaster and blame the creators of the product for their own lack of care for their own child.

People really shouldnt be giving their kids phones and tablets at such young ages. Ive seen 3 year olds playing on these things.

 

[MooMew64]

On the topic of subscription services...

I don't hate them, but man do I prefer seasonal models more. That way, I pay one time, get access to whatever content the game's gonna have for like, three or so months, and then can choose if I wanna buy the next one.

Legit, only reason I haven't played FFXV yet is because they make you buy expansions and also an expensive subscription service? Game looks dope as heck but yikes chief.

 

[Pokelego999]

People really shouldnt be giving their kids phones and tablets at such young ages. Ive seen 3 year olds playing on these things.

I didn't get mine to sixth grade, but that was solely for safety reasons. I was no joke, only kid in my grade without one prior to that. My parents didn't want me having one too young.

 

[Shroob]

You're failing to realize that kids are crafty rebels. They can and will do things when parents aren't looking, even if that means breaking into their phone and playing anime waifu gacha 129373. You can parent all you want, but **** like this will happen.

So like, if I did this once, back in my day, my mom would have just taken my phone away and not allowed me to have one, period, sometimes for months at a time. She once got rid of my Gamecube because I misbehaved, like, it was gone, and if I wanted another, I had to save up to buy one myself.


Maybe I'm just from a different time so I have an older mindset here.


Granted, I'm also not going to say the games aren't at fault here, because they are, especially since most, if not all, games in the playstore aren't rated by the ESRB, which makes them very easy to access.

 

[Wademan94]

So though I'd go back to the Wise Wolf for pfp. Been rewatching Spice and Wolf again and reading the spin-off novels about the main character's kids so thought it is time.

And to also add while I'm here but finished Mass Effect 1 and about half-way through 2. So here are too photos I took. Wademan94 Lamperouge Noipoi and whoever. Behold!

View attachment 316046
View attachment 316047

Second one is like "we interrupt this game to bring you.........Xenoblade Chronicles?".
That is all.

I can just hear Gaur Plain with that second one

 

[TheMightyP]

Also, you can't fault parents for giving kids tablets and keeping them indoors when the media plays up child kidnapping to be a larger issue than it actually is.

 

[Pokelego999]

So like, if I did this once, back in my day, my mom would have just taken my phone away and not allowed me to have one, period, sometimes for months at a time. She once got rid of my Gamecube because I misbehaved, like, it was gone, and if I wanted another, I had to save up to buy one myself.


Maybe I'm just from a different time so I have an older mindset here.


Granted, I'm also not going to say the games aren't at fault here, because they are, especially since most, if not all, games in the playstore aren't rated by the ESRB, which makes them very easy to access.

Lmao you should've seen mine. Misbehaved once, got my thing taken away for weeks at a time. Thankfully, I was a crafty kid so I always got my **** back rather quickly.

 

[SnakeFighter64]

I'mma be honest.

The reason these games moved on from that model is because it doesn't bring in nearly as much money, and isn't nearly as sustainable.

As much as people complain about MTs, they fuel a lotta content that games get nowadays.

TBH I'm actually hoping Splatoon 3 adopts a season pass model. It's the only way to get a game to get more content: It doesn't come for free.

That's like saying a Casino is a good thing because of all of the various new types of slot machines that are being created thanks to the income. It's still manipulative and predatory and scummy.

 

[Wademan94]

Also, you can't fault parents for giving kids tablets and keeping them indoors when the media plays up child kidnapping to be a larger issue than it actually is.

This is why children should travel in packs.

Reminds me about a month ago while I was at Taco Bell I saw a group of four kids no older than like 7-8 getting food from there on their own

 

[Alicorn]

So though I'd go back to the Wise Wolf for pfp. Been rewatching Spice and Wolf again and reading the spin-off novels about the main character's kids so thought it is time.

And to also add while I'm here but finished Mass Effect 1 and about half-way through 2. So here are too photos I took. Wademan94 Lamperouge Noipoi and whoever. Behold!

View attachment 316046
View attachment 316047

Second one is like "we interrupt this game to bring you.........Xenoblade Chronicles?".
That is all.

That reminds me I have five days left on my Crunchroll Premium should probably bing some anime.

 

[TMNTSSB4]

Mario Run is the most ethical way to do moble transactions IMO: one big purchase for the whole game, and that’s it.

my blinded eyes would probably say FEH even without the no longer new pass thing they added in. Either pay to get orbs or do the extremely easy missions to gain loads of items...all depends on how lazy as **** you are

 

[Pokelego999]

This is why children should travel in packs.

Reminds me about a month ago while I was at Taco Bell I saw a group of four kids no older than like 7-8 getting food from there on their own

My parents wouldn't let me travel in packs, not even still, mainly cause I don't have a pack around where I live, all my friends are in completely separate sections of town and most of the ones on my street dislike me. Also due to the neighborhood being filled with drugs and drugees when my brother was growing up before I was born. Town's better now, but still.

 

[Shroob]

my blinded eyes would probably say FEH even without the no longer new pass thing they added in. Either pay to get orbs or do the extremely easy missions to gain loads of items...all depends on how lazy as **** you are

Personally, I find FEH to be a bad gacha system tbh, oxymoron I know.

The fact you can get units with slightly random stats gives one player a statistical advantage over another, regardless of how minor it is, which encourages rolling for more copies for a "Better" one.


Compare to games like Granblue or Arknights, which are one-and-done. You get the unit, bam, it's yours, congrats, and both have failsafe systems.

 

[Pokelego999]

Personally, I find FEH to be a bad gacha system tbh, oxymoron I know.

The fact you can get units with slightly random stats gives one player a statistical advantage over another, regardless of how minor it is, which encourages rolling for more copies for a "Better" one.


Compare to games like Granblue or Arknights, which are one-and-done. You get the unit, bam, it's yours, congrats, and both have failsafe systems.

FEH's Meta is broken as all crap.

 

[MooMew64]

That's like saying a Casino is a good thing because of all of the various new types of slot machines that are being created thanks to the income. It's still manipulative and predatory and scummy.

I wasn't talking about gacha.

But even with gacha, key difference between that and a casino is you're guaranteed something if the game is properly balanced: It may not be what you want, but you are receiving a good in the end.

Blind box figurines or card packs are better examples IMHO.

As for being predatory and scummy? Depends: I've played plenty of games that are ran perfectly fine with this system. At some point, there needs to be accountability with the consumer as well: If you, the adult, choose to dump your life savings into an anime gacha, then that is your decision, the game creators weren't forcing you to do it. You have the power to choose not to play that specific game or to decide you don't need that specific thing in it.

Now gachas that go after impressionable children that don't know any better? That is an issue, and I will admit is a slippery slope that should be managed better. On some level, though, it does come down to parents as well.

 

[TheMightyP]

So like, if I did this once, back in my day, my mom would have just taken my phone away and not allowed me to have one, period, sometimes for months at a time. She once got rid of my Gamecube because I misbehaved, like, it was gone, and if I wanted another, I had to save up to buy one myself.


Maybe I'm just from a different time so I have an older mindset here.


Granted, I'm also not going to say the games aren't at fault here, because they are, especially since most, if not all, games in the playstore aren't rated by the ESRB, which makes them very easy to access.

I definitely do think your older mindset is at play here, given how parenting styles have changed over the past decades to accomidate for new innovations. Like you say they can take away a tablet or something... whats stopping them from simply getting on breaking into their parents phone? Or going to a friends place and logging in via their device? You can forbid them from going over there, but they'll still see them again during school, outside, etc. Heck, nothing stopping them from simply using their own device when parents aren't looking.

Like, back then everything was personalized, got a game taken away, good luck because all your progress is suspended until you get it back somehow. That's what made the punishment so effective. Nowadays? You don't even have to worry about that if you can simply log in somewhere else and BAM, all your save data is right there, circumventing the punishment all together. And that just plays into the fact that, again, you can't monitor kids 24/7, especially not in this age of online and ease of access. Kids can, and will find a way to defy punishment and obidience.

 

[MooMew64]

I definitely do think your older mindset is at play here, given how parenting styles have changed over the past decades to accomidate for new innovations. Like you say they can take away a tablet or something... whats stopping them from simply getting on breaking into their parents phone? Or going to a friends place and logging in via their device? You can forbid them from going over there, but they'll still see them again during school, outside, etc. Heck, nothing stopping them from simply using their own device when parents aren't looking.

Like, back then everything was personalized, got a game taken away, good luck because all your progress is suspended until you get it back somehow. That's what made the punishment so effective. Nowadays? You don't even have to worry about that if you can simply log in somewhere else and BAM, all your save data is right there, circumventing the punishment all together. And that just plays into the fact that, again, you can't monitor kids 24/7, especially not in this age of online and ease of access. Kids can, and will find a way to defy punishment and obidience.

Parental controls on accounts exist, but then that comes down to a parent needing to be tech savvy enough to use them properly.

It's a complicated topic, TBH. I dunno if there are many good solutions to it ATM.

 

[Shroob]

I definitely do think your older mindset is at play here, given how parenting styles have changed over the past decades to accomidate for new innovations. Like you say they can take away a tablet or something... whats stopping them from simply getting on breaking into their parents phone? Or going to a friends place and logging in via their device? You can forbid them from going over there, but they'll still see them again during school, outside, etc. Heck, nothing stopping them from simply using their own device when parents aren't looking.

Like, back then everything was personalized, got a game taken away, good luck because all your progress is suspended until you get it back somehow. That's what made the punishment so effective. Nowadays? You don't even have to worry about that if you can simply log in somewhere else and BAM, all your save data is right there, circumventing the punishment all together. And that just plays into the fact that, again, you can't monitor kids 24/7, especially not in this age of online and ease of access. Kids can, and will find a way to defy punishment and obidience.

So that explains the Wario Apparition in my copy of Super Mario 64.



I guess it's just the way I was raised that gives me an older mindset in regards to parenting.

 

[TheMightyP]

So that explains the Wario Apparition in my copy of Super Mario 64.



I guess it's just the way I was raised that gives me an older mindset in regards to parenting.

You should thank your mom for taking away Mario 64, she might have save your life.

 

[Pokelego999]

I definitely do think your older mindset is at play here, given how parenting styles have changed over the past decades to accomidate for new innovations. Like you say they can take away a tablet or something... whats stopping them from simply getting on breaking into their parents phone? Or going to a friends place and logging in via their device? You can forbid them from going over there, but they'll still see them again during school, outside, etc. Heck, nothing stopping them from simply using their own device when parents aren't looking.

Like, back then everything was personalized, got a game taken away, good luck because all your progress is suspended until you get it back somehow. That's what made the punishment so effective. Nowadays? You don't even have to worry about that if you can simply log in somewhere else and BAM, all your save data is right there, circumventing the punishment all together. And that just plays into the fact that, again, you can't monitor kids 24/7, especially not in this age of online and ease of access. Kids can, and will find a way to defy punishment and obidience.

Damn I remember when the hit cool kids games were **** like Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Temple Run, Cut the Rope, and Fruit Ninja.

I feel old now.




(Also hit 3k posts, woohoo)

 

[MooMew64]

So that explains the Wario Apparition in my copy of Super Mario 64.



I guess it's just the way I was raised that gives me an older mindset in regards to parenting.

Looks like Wario showed Shroob fun back in the day.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Personally, I find FEH to be a bad gacha system tbh, oxymoron I know.

The fact you can get units with slightly random stats gives one player a statistical advantage over another, regardless of how minor it is, which encourages rolling for more copies for a "Better" one.


Compare to games like Granblue or Arknights, which are one-and-done. You get the unit, bam, it's yours, congrats, and both have failsafe systems.

I like having multiple copies of my waifu tho.

 

[SnakeFighter64]

I wasn't talking about gacha.

But even with gacha, key difference between that and a casino is you're guaranteed something if the game is properly balanced: It may not be what you want, but you are receiving a good in the end.

Blind box figurines or card packs are better examples IMHO.

As for being predatory and scummy? Depends: I've played plenty of games that are ran perfectly fine with this system. At some point, there needs to be accountability with the consumer as well: If you, the adult, choose to dump your life savings into an anime gacha, then that is your decision, the game creators weren't forcing you to do it. You have the power to choose not to play that specific game or to decide you don't need that specific thing in it.

Now gachas that go after impressionable children that don't know any better? That is an issue, and I will admit is a slippery slope that should be managed better. On some level, though, it does come down to parents as well.

It's called advertising. Manupilative marketing. Shiny things. The same things that get people addicted to gambling at casinos, which is why I use the metaphor. Like yeah, they aren't holding a gun to your head or anything but these games are designed to get vulnerable people hooked and pumping all their cash into a large corporation's pockets. They know these kinds of people exist and are actively targeting them. And you're gonna say it's their fault that they were manipulated into throwing away all their cash by friggin King? And it's not like the games industry was stagnant before micro transactions were invented. Heck, DLC is still a perfectly fine way to monetize extra content.

Bottom line is, if you fall victim to a company actively targeting people who have problems with impulsivity and gambling addiction prone behaviors (things people see therapy for because they are legitimate mental conditions and not people being irresponsible or stupid. I TAKE MEDICATION FOR IT!), and loose all of your money to them it is their fault for doing the targeting. Just because some people aren't effected by it doesn't mean we shouldn't protect those that do. And here's the thing. If the majority of people were able to control themselves and their money then IT WOULDN'T BE PROFITABLE AND THEY WOULD STOP DOING IT!

God, I can't believe I'm actually here arguing that micro transactions are bad. What's next, am I gonna have to prove the nazi's were bad too? Oh wait....

 

[TheMightyP]

Parental controls on accounts exist, but then that comes down to a parent needing to be tech savvy enough to use them properly.

It's a complicated topic, TBH. I dunno if there are many good solutions to it ATM.

Parental conteols do exist, but yeah, a lot of them are super unintuitive and straight up lock out multiple gens (Boomers and beyond) from using them because of how ass backwards so many of them are programmed. A lot of Gen Xers would have issues with them, and thus would require assistance with... their kids.

 

[Guynamednelson]

Who told the guys making Radical Red that Galarian Ponyta was Psychic/Fire?

I haven't even played SS and I know that thing ain't part fire.

 

[Shroob]

It's called advertising. Manupilative marketing. Shiny things. The same things that get people addicted to gambling at casinos, which is why I use the metaphor. Like yeah, they aren't holding a gun to your head or anything but these games are designed to get vulnerable people hooked and pumping all their cash into a large corporation's pockets. They know these kinds of people exist and are actively targeting them. And you're gonna say it's their fault that they were manipulated into throwing away all their cash by friggin King? And it's not like the games industry was stagnant before micro transactions were invented. Heck, DLC is still a perfectly fine way to monetize extra content.

Bottom line is, if you fall victim to a company actively targeting people who have problems with impulsivity and gambling addiction prone behaviors (things people see therapy for because they are legitimate mental conditions and not people being irresponsible or stupid. I TAKE MEDICATION FOR IT!), and loose all of your money to them it is their fault for doing the targeting. Just because some people aren't effected by it doesn't mean we shouldn't protect those that do. And here's the thing. If the majority of people were able to control themselves and their money then IT WOULDN'T BE PROFITABLE AND THEY WOULD STOP DOING IT!

God, I can't believe I'm actually here arguing that micro transactions are bad. What's next, am I gonna have to prove the nazi's were bad too? Oh wait....

I mean, we should be doing this in the real world too tbh.


Card games are basically gambling, hell, the original big card game, Magic the Gathering, was soo afraid of being called gambling that they completely removed an entire mechanic in its early days.


But nowadays, card games are more profitable than ever.



This isn't a problem that'll be fixed with just video games, this stuff seeps into real life stuff too.

 

[TheMightyP]

Poor little Timmy, all he wanted was the Shiny Charizard card for his birthday, but unfortunately Crusty Roland, the ogre looking manbaby, beat him to the punch by purchasing all 500 card packs at the local target.