The Addictive Cost Of Predatory Videogame Monetization (The Jimquisition)

[@n.l.g.6401]

The way the crowd laughed when that dude talked about conning players into thinking they're "helping" and "supporting" developers.... That honestly made my skin crawl.

[@jet100a]

I can't agree more, these people should be put in prison!

[@MRx36000]

DE came to mind... --"

[@NatrajChaturvedi]

Yea they have been milking gamers by saying that for a long time now. From f2p games to "AAA" games to kickstar, developers throw the line about helping devs all too often...

[@singularityghost6290]

@@MRx36000 Warframe is still F2P, and the single IP DE works upon. Importantly, most everything can be earned or traded for in-game. Jim once said that being subject to being asked for money is the cost of entry to F2P games. The problems arise from paid games or content carve-up or the "mobile model" of nothing but micro-transactions.

[@MRgunjunrun]

@@MRx36000 What did they do ?

[@drakan4769]

Triple A: Abusive monetization Abuse of employees Abhorrent products

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Unethical practices in the pursuit of the almighty dollar

[@mrnubnub4584]

Now we need to turn this into a meme and post it to PewDiePie's subreddit.

[@El_Bastardo]

You forgot: Addict exploiting

[@collaide]

This is literally most companies in most industries.

[@JB.zero.zero.1]

@@collaide yep - most, if not all of us, are afflicted with a crude & grasping, myopic psychology

[@JimSterling]

Oops! I got antsy and jumped the gun before it was in HD. It'll correct itself when KZbin updates it. Sorry!

[@flooblybub]

unforgiveable

[@NMChe56]

How much for the High Rez Pack, Jim...?

[@cdvideodump]

@@NMChe56 It's $60/month.

[@MisteRRYouTuby]

We don't mind. You are already HD by default.

[@minhdao4790]

The absolute worst part of these "recurrent user spending" based "live services" is that it mostly doesn't matter if you boycott them. Per economics, 20% of the player base is providing 80% of the revenue for these sleazeball publishers. So what if roughly 30% of the players don't buy them? EA/ActiBlizz/Take2/WBGames are only losing around 10-12% of the revenue, but they're raking in much more from the "whales." Per basic human psychology, companies do not restrain themselves. Look at the Railroad industry, the Oil industry, the Tobacco industry, and literally ANY OTHER INDUSTRY. They don't want the restrictions. They would much rather operate without OSHA oversight, without regulation of any kind. They seek profit above anything else (worker health and safety, or the oxymoron known as "business ethics") and they won't EVER stop trying to evade those restrictions to squeeze out just a little bit more revenue out of the consumer base. Government regulation of the games industry was inevitable, no matter how undesirable it may be. It came for the railroads, it came for big oil, it came for tobacco, it's coming for big tech. And now, hopefully, it's coming for games publishers.

[@randomstuff-qu7sh]

I'll admit that when these "free to play" games first started to become a thing, their tactics took me to the cleaners. Video games are supposed to be something you can do to relax and have fun, and since I had my guard down, I got seriously taken advantage of...and the scariest thing was I didn't even realize how badly they were ripping me off til I stumbled across a video on KZbin talking about the tactics "freemium" games use. Its scary to watch a vid like that and realize that 50% of the things they listed were things that I was falling for. It was even scarier to realize that even though I knew what they were doing, I still couldn't stop. There wasn't really anyone to talk to or ask for help because people don't take it seriously...most just opine that you're not addicted, you're just blaming the devs/publishers for your own lack of self control. What I did to get back into control and play games that I actually enjoyed again was quit the games using the tactics that were the absolute hardest for me to say no to. To kill impulse spending, I got a prepaid card. Now, any time I want to spend money in a game, rather than mindlessly tapping the buy button, I have to go to the bank to load money onto the prepaid card. That cooling off period is very effective. Most of those "deals" are appealing only because they are designed to pop up and offer you stuff that you could really use at that moment, but once you're logged out of the game, the idea of spending $50 or $100 for that stuff suddenly looks really dumb. One thing that I really hate about the industry is these predatory tactics really do seem to chase me. I'll research a game, make sure its one that doesn't use the tactics I know will rob me blind, and then a few months later, those greedy sleezebags add it in. Even single player games aren't safe anymore. They claim that the monetization is totally optional, but I've watched how the games change. They intentionally make the games less satisfying, less fun to play, just so they can push you to pay money to get that enjoyment back...except that you never do get that enjoyment back. They put you on a never ending cash treadmill with having fun as the carrot constantly dangling just out of reach.

[@Gamerkat10]

It's not your fault, know that. These people put billions into the best way to literally get a 'hook' into every predisposed (or not!) person they can possibly can.

[@johnfarley7074]

Snaps man, snaps.

[@peoplewhoplaygames4013]

Jesus. I liked this just so i didn't have to read the whole thing.

[@timsonss]

Gaming is doomed with idiots who buy "optional skins" and other bullshit. As long as people defend microtransactions gaming will not change

[@misharatkevich9808]

Is it still relevant? If you like puzzle games, you should've already played Portal 2 by now, correct? Go to the workshop and start solving maps by Mevious and Mikeastro without guides. They're all brilliant and let's just say it'll take you a damn good while. ;)

[@ThereImade1]

As a middle school teacher, I can wholly confirm the point about students bullying each other over Fortnite cosmetics.

[@crimsondynamo615]

Chris Holben as someone who works in the cafeteria in a elementary slash middle school, i see it too, and me being young to have seen where it’s started is sickening

[@TheAxeLordOfFire]

That's awful! Is the problem addressed in your school?

[@mausklick1635]

What the actual fuck?

[@BreakfastAtNoon]

That's what they (Corps) want.

[@blackvulture6818]

As a high school student i claim that we dont care about fortnite, I personally like to make fun of those who still play the game as of(current year). But that is me, a teen from a country that most likely isnt yours.

[@ars731]

Somethings gone horribly wrong when the Gaming industry and an Drug Cartel have the same business model.

[@Rakkhot]

well put

[@carlostaffanelly418]

That's capitalism, baby! :(((

[@AlwaysANemesis]

@@carlostaffanelly418 It's a sick perversion of it, if anything. The concept itself isn't as busted as the human factor that implements it.

[@swimfeared]

I want to argue against this but.... I can't 😭

[@beardedweirdo790]

Thats good 😂

[@ExEBoss]

They’re not layoffs, they’re *_“sUrPrIsE vAcAtIoNs”._*

[@pLaCiDMoOoN]

Lmfao, good one🤣

[@IamSilent121]

Naw. Vacations imply that you come back after a certain amount of time. More like Surprise Early retirements... without benefits.

[@Hammerhead547]

At this point I'd prefer to see "surprise mass suicides" at these companies.

[@TeleportRush]

@@IamSilent121 You do come back sometimes when they rehire you at a lower pay ;)

[@ozzyjackdaniels386]

Stacey Bowtell corporations are working hard to keep this under wraps. Sadly players won’t stop until they end up in debt.

[@PKTEK]

My grandmother was addicted to hitting the Casino, even though she couldnt afford it. So one day, my 10 year old self had a plan. Give her my Gameboy and Pokémon Red. I farmed as much cash as I could from the elite four, walked into the Casino and handed it to her. She played until my Pokemaster was broke. I did it all over again. She would hand it to me and say "Paaaulll can you get me more coins please?" You're damn right I will. Get you coins ALL DAY. It stopped her from wanting to go to the Casino.

[@suniface71]

With her winnings i bet she could afford Porygon.

[@chickensofdeath490]

Dude you are awesome 👏🏻

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

In computer security we have the concept of patches and the concept of _mitigations._ When problems are so deeply rooted there is no way to fix them quickly enough, you mitigate. Get in the way to get the destructive effects under control as you fix the hole in the system. It's what Microsoft's updates to Windows represented when Spectre and Meltdown were discovered. Only Intel can update the architecture of their hardware in their future processors, release microcode updates for OEMs to include into their firmwares and BIOSes, and truly fix the errors Meltdown and Spectre are based on. But in the meantime, Microsoft can just force their system _not to use the vulnerable feature in the potentially destructive manner._

[@phineasfacingforward3460]

@@suniface71 I'm proud of you and I hope your life is better you deserve happiness.

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

That is genuinely so sweet, it makes me feel a little sense of joy and victory. I don't smile as often as I should, but you made me smile. It's a story that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life. Not even lying, it might come in handy. That little anecdote is very educational and says a lot about us. Afterthought: Someone could make a good childrens' story with this. With a moral of the story, and an actual lesson to it.

[@Oakesyrules]

The 'hook' thing sounds a lot like 'the first hit is free' from drugs... Also, casinos are optional, so is alcohol, yet we don't let children access those things...

[@KotsarisGR]

Exactly! To be fair, casinos are evil as well, and the only reason we allow them is because they would simply go underground anyway, and they would be harder to control by the government, mafias would become stronger aroudn them, etc etc. They are a necessery evil, that is why they are legal. They are still an evil though.

[@WickedMuis]

...and cigarettes.

[@zhangjao6328]

We certainly don't let the casino put a gambling machine in your home where your kids can play with it. It's such a bad comparison, totally thoughtless.

[@TheNoirMirror]

Children also have parents...

[@sleepychris]

But also I go to a casino expecting to gamble; that's what it's for. I don't expect to gamble from a video game (or at least I shouldn't)

[@MeMoshRocks]

My marketing teacher used to dismiss ethics, with the argument that it was his job to make money from customers so whatever he did to achieve that, was ethical. There was one thing I learned from that class, marketing is not for me.

[@themangastand8475]

I think it's because marketing people aren't scientist. Though think "well how could marketing harm someone?" The truth is it could lead to suicide in extreme cases

[@NathanCassidy721]

In my experience, marketers are the WORST when it comes to creating problems for companies. Because their entire premise is “over-promise and underdeliver”.

[@Archangelm127]

@@NathanCassidy721 You have no idea. One of the best things about my current job is that our marketing department actually knows better than that. Makes my life as a trainer SO much easier.

[@splodious2856]

Thats essentially the credo behind capitalism in general tho. Loyalty only to the shareholders and profit margin is hardly only a problem of the video game industry. Its destroying my favorite hobby sure, but also practically everything else. Profits before people is signing all our death warrants.

[@KuraIthys]

And being a psychopath appears to be part of the job description of a CEO... Capitalism sure does have a lot of shit associated with it. Dishonest too. Your average dictatorship is horrible, but everyone knows it. Capitalist societies are horrible all over the place, but everyone involved seems to want to stick their head in the sand and when challenged loudly proclaim 'can't be fixed! It's human nature or something!'. It truly starts to get sickening after a while. By the way, a psychopath, if you're wondering is not an innately violent person. Though there's always confusion between psychopaths and sociopaths, since there's a lot of overlap - a psychopath at heart is someone with the mentality of a user and manipulator. That doesn't always lead to someone being a horrible person, nor that they are good at these things, but it's a behaviour they do without thinking fairly often. The hallmark of a fullblown psychopath is that everything they do and say is a manipulation. If they're nice to you, it's because they want something from you. If they show emotion it's probably a calculated move to manipulate someone with as well. Everything to serve whatever goal they happen to have. You can probably see why that works so well for CEO's... We even seem to applaud them for it. Sick as they are...

[@chrispham6599]

"Anit-lootbox bill poses threat to sports video games" Why I stopped playing sports games since 2009

[@maximillianlylat1589]

Even wrestling games arent spared. I tried to play on of the more recent titles because i used to love playing wrestling games but it was so bare bones of content

[@maximillianlylat1589]

@Kevin Hannant oh i do. I especially blame candy crush. Prior to candy crush most mobile games were paid first. But after candy crush's huge popularity more and more mobile games used the microtransactions method.

[@Banjoisawesome]

They aren't targeting DLC or free patches in this bill.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Mutant league and bloodbowl are better madden clones than madden Change my mind.

[@The-Zer0th-Law]

also threatens Steam if you think critically enough

[@DinoCism]

It's amazing how broad and malleable the addictive mindset is. "If I don;t get it now, I might never get it" is literally the mindset that poverty imprints people with. I don't know how this works with rich people who actually have other options in life, maybe they just fuck themselves up for different reasons but with poor people this mentality makes total sense and it applies to everything from food to cell phone games. The fear that things might not be there tomorrow is very real and the amazing part is that it is mostly manufactured by people who own property and artificially imposed on people who don't. At the end of the day the mindset of capitalism is more about scarcity and the inability of ever being able to rely on anything than it is about just money as a thing.

[@Ephrones]

Thank you for this comment

[@kenosabi]

We got a reddit tankie everyone.

[@Shark-Fist]

The whole "Hook, Habit, Hobby" thing is literally just "First one's free, next one will cost you"

[@StrikeWarlock]

The issue is the first one isn't free. Theyre trying to pull this shit in games you bought for $60.

[@simonausmus]

@@StrikeWarlock That's not really the point, the game is just transportation to the microtransactions, it makes no difference if you took a bus or a cab to the dealer just what the dealer is offering. This is even more true bow that they have combined the live service model with, oh we didn't finish the game with but we will if you buy our microtransactions while we do.

[@MVPUnlucky]

Game publishers have literally become digital drug dealers, but for kids.

[@raybrandt]

No, the hook part implies the first payment. Listen to Torulf; it's a good deal that helps crossing the paywall.

[@Carighan]

It is, and it's sad but also funny on a level how people mind that when drug-dealers do it, but if gaming companies do it they go all "But it's not bad, it's optioooonaaaaal". Yeah? So is buying heroine, you can just choose not to be addicted and not buy it, no?

[@althelor]

Hold on. I have to pause at the 5 minute mark, that guy actually called his presentation in favor of micro transactions "let's go whaling"?? As if whaling isn't itself seen as a horrible exploitation of animals who can't defend themselves? Animals who actively need protection from that practice? And people wonder how this can be unethical?

[@JesusKrispies]

Whatever you do, don't search KZbin for the guy's name and watch his whole presentation. It will boil your blood.

[@paulelkin3531]

Jernstrom: "Let's go whaling." Decent people: "Let's go Jernstroming instead."

[@beri4138]

Plus the "whales" are PEOPLE. Meaning "lets go whaling" in this context literally means "lets go kill people".

[@michalszymanski5796]

"Jim Sterling is not pro-consumer, he's anti-AAA" , today pro-consumer and anti-AAA are the same thing.

[@Hornswroggle]

You know what they say: "The enemy of my enemy...."!

[@jb_lofi]

The silly crap haters say (not saying you are one). Jim has been a solid pro-consumer commentator since the beginning. That sort of weird hair splitting and smearing is exactly how public relations corporate propaganda works; even if it was remotely true, doesn't change the fact that these companies are doing disgusting things and don't give a shit about the social or personal consequences.

[@silverdragon122]

@@jb_lofi You're exactly right. The PR teams goal is to get the consumers who tolerate this to turn on those who draw attention to it.

[@kurisu7885]

For the most part yeah. It shouldn't be news that a game is free of microtransactions, that should be the norm.

[@Bluecho4]

Indeed, it can be argued that you can't BE pro-consumer if you aren't also anti-AAA. (Anti-big business, really).

[@SparkyLurkdragon]

My parents met in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, so part of The Talks I had growing up was that alcoholism and addictive tendencies in general runs in families, so I should be super careful about anything addictive, along with techniques for enjoying things in moderation. And that’s why I stayed away from MMOs in their heyday and why I stay away from games with lootboxes and their ilk. To be frank, even something really benign and fair about free-to-play elements like the pet game Flight Rising is pushing it, sometimes. I keep track of my spending on the game and I’ve never put myself in danger over it or anything, but I’m also taking a break from FR until I’ve got my certification and a new job. I do not need the temptation right now with how tight my budget is. This is a really important Jimquision, especially for folks who have never seen addiction in their friends and families.

[@zeralinalizbeth3634]

If you do return to FR send me a friend request. xD Username is JustALotCrazy.

[@Sonichero151]

It must have been an absolute hell growing up trying to find friends you could bond with through video games.

[@SparkyLurkdragon]

@@Sonichero151 Nah, not really. I've always been more of a fanfic and fanart type person than a competitive or cooperative gamer, so we bonded over Sonic the Hedgehog fic and Pokemon fanart, and the like.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Try out Vampire Survivors. No way to spend a cent beyond the purchase price, but designed like a casino machine. Basically, get your fix without risk of life shattering debt.

[@TomHolmes197]

27:20 - 27:29 "You absolutely do not want to tell them that the majority of people in your game never spend money. That's poison. Never tell them that." No Mr JernStrom. Thats not poison. Thats actually the antidote. What you are spewing is actually poison.

[@paulelkin3531]

If you're the devil, it is poison.

[@danielgaldamesorellana5871]

that's so true

[@angelosoof2401]

"Anchoring is fun" Every sentence that guy spewed out of his mouth made me shudder... How he presents manipulation as "fun" sickens me.

[@magics902]

He's a highly evolved con artist that loves his job.

[@markcobuzzi826]

Man, I feel like I should apologize to "Captain Planet" for assuming the corporate villains in that show were too cartoonishly over the top to possibly exist in real life. Edit: What would Jernstrom's villain name be, BTW? We already got names like Hoggish Greedly, Verminous Skumm, Zarm, Looten Plunder, and Sly Sludge.

[@ebonshade]

That's because he is a reptile in a human skin, and is a piece of shit.

[@angelosoof2401]

@@markcobuzzi826 I feel like E.V.I.L. is pretty accurate (Execrable Videogame Industry Leech)

[@666Tomato666]

I believe, the psychological condition that allows him to do that, it's called psychopathy.

[@xehP]

"I don't do this for outrage "clicks"" that's evident, my man has a 34 minute video on this subject, this is passion if I've ever seen it.

[@AngelicHunk]

And he never monetizes his videos.

[@Battledongus]

Yeah like you can tell he is so disgusted by this and knwos it seems to be said.

[@claytongruberman6065]

Let's legislate the fudge out of these games!

[@ubiquitouspanda4466]

@@claytongruberman6065 hell yeah!

[@FroggyMosh]

"So you need to Break their wall first!" He's not talking about 'convincing' someone. He's talking *Coercion.*

[@FroggyMosh]

Actively pushing at someone's boundaries. _"Hey you! You are not an Idiot, so you_ Will _buy _*_this great deal._*_ Yes, like that. See? Didn't that feel good? Spending money in my game is okay. You can spend some more if you want."_ ....At least drug dealers are transparent about it being addictive.

[@Montesama314]

"Break their wall!" = "Break their WILL."

[@Ladle66]

I doubt he knows the difference.

[@RTukka]

Coercion is to persuade through force or threats. The tactic you're referencing, while insidious, is not coercion. It's a form of psychological manipulation and a variation of the "foot in the door" sales technique.

[@LizardSpork]

This is the same method drug pushers use to get new customers and pimps use to get women into prostitution.

[@hyakushiki4406]

I'll say this. THIS is not just the most important jimquisition, but also the most important video jim sterling ever made so far.

[@centurionzen1005]

I've been thinking about how different the jimquisition is now by comparison to what it was on the escapists. And I couldn't agree more, if there any video Jim Sterling should be remembered by it's this one.

[@xGodzAssassin]

You must be forgetting koney 2012

[@clamdigger6131]

Every video is the most important video he's made so far.. except for that time he was lording his Pogs over us. That was unnecessarily hurtful. I'm still not over it.

[@klimpomp]

Low boglin focus. Did NOT approve.

[@KarmaHauntsYou]

This is a big agree, I post this everywhere.

[@Garrett42]

Hmm of an industry that claims "Its not gambling" ... They sure do use a lot of gambling analogies Also well done vid Jim

[@draenoss]

"The idea of the "service video game" is a lie. Because it isn't a service they provide to you,... it's a service you provide to them!" - Jim Sterling

[@brokengames9020]

YOU ARE THE PRODUCT.

[@selechesh]

@@brokengames9020 Especially when the entry fee is free... But I think many people have such a high fomo nowadays, they are basically addicted to consuming what others consume just to keep up with the market. It's sad to see...

[@zazito34]

The games are made by people

[@kestral63]

Their publishers aren't people

[@brokengames9020]

@@selechesh consumerism is consuming consumers.

[@colinr0380]

That section about kids being bullied about only having the default skin in Fortnite was bizarrely anticipated by Ernest Cline in his Ready Player One book, where the main character is just in the basic avatar outfit for the first section of the book until by the million to one chance of passing the first test. That was something that never happened in Spielberg's film, where Wade is poor, but never bullied for being a 'default' as he was in the book.

[@FlipaDipDipp]

When he spoke about Fortnite, I immediately had a flashback of my little brother playing Fortnite. I remember him saying stuff like: "Time to bully some defaults." "I got killed by a _fucking default!_ " etc. I didn't think about it then, but now I feel bad.

[@jimmythornseed8605]

T O X I C D:

[@tehevilengineer7939]

its never to late for a pink belly. ask my 30 something 'little' brother

[@kevingallineauii9353]

Had this talk with my son after watching the video.

[@damanamathos]

The same thing happens with clothing and shoe brands. Should we ban different brands of clothing / shoes too?

[@kevingallineauii9353]

@@damanamathosme liking a brand is one thing, bullying because someone has not bought into that same brand (or item) is not. That is what Jim was talking about, what we are talking about. Shameing because we do not like a brand is not what we are avocating. That is actually pushing it to the extreme the other way and is not any better than making a kid feel bad because he did not pay $9.95 for one season of Fortnite.

[@michaelbuchan3843]

I don't know if you've considered it or even actually done it. But you should consider submitting a written evidence submisson to the UK Parliament: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Immersive and addictive technologies inquiry). I am a recent politics graduate in the England and i know it might seem pointless to spend the time crafting a proper submission to the committee, but they are read by the committee members. As an industry critic, you might be suprised about how seriously the committee finds your submission, some submissions are just sent in by concerned members of the public. Submissions are public you can find them here: www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/immersive-technologies/publications/ Your submission dosent have to be an academic piece with quantifiable evidence, it can be anecdotal, it can be simple arguements backed up with properly referenced material. Evidence submissions are a vital way for the general public to influence government or have their experiences, knowledge and opinions heard. You really should considered it, given your level of knowledge on the subject I think you could create a useful document that impacts the committees eventual conclusions.

[@Dumbird0]

I double this. Send it out. Make them realise.

[@powerjbn9283]

Michael Buchan one problem is that he’s currently living in Mississippi, and I’m pretty sure he’s a US citizen

[@DanCGe]

I hope Jim sees this

[@michaelbuchan3843]

@@powerjbn9283 He was born in the UK and as such is still a UK citizen, regardless of his current adress. Additionally there is no hard and fast rule that you must be a British citizen to put forward a written or oral submission (though you have to be invited for an oral submission) remeber this is the same committee and indeed inquiry that EA's Kerry Hopkins repesented an oral submission to, and she is American.

[@ZeepDr]

I can't believe they recorded Jernstrom saying those things. It was probably one of the stupidest things they could have done. And I am GLAD for it.

[@ashkitt7719]

Zeep Xanflorp Godwinning but the Nazis took a ton of photos of themselves doing evil stuff. It’s hubris, feeling they’re untouchable.

[@bloepje]

Actually I've heard about these techniques 6 years ago or more. A developer came to me talking about the weirdest shit he has ever seen. And he was talking microtransactions. I thought it was kind of weird that they were just spilling the beans. And now I watch this and there have been more beans spilled. Personally I think it's the best thing they did. Because scientifically it is interesting how they can break the barriers of a person. We need that science first of all to be educated on schools to create better barriers, but also as a guideline which barriers they are not allowed to cross... I think a budget system is the best thing. So the microtransactions are allowed, but against a shared budget for all games. That way the child will always pay a TAX, but that tax will get spread among the games the kid plays the most. Nah, scrap it. It will end into who can make the child the most addicted. And with child, I mean any adult between 1 and 199 years.

[@RyougiVector]

A lot of these individual bits of knowledge on how people think have been known for awhile. Daniel Kahneman's research is interesting and been out for the better part of a decade via that book "Thinking Fast and Slow." I recommend anyone reading this to read it to learn more about what they tend to do due to their humanity. But that video is damning evidence of how they're using the knowledge in malicious ways. That knowledge can be used for good, but the video game industry's biggest players have stooped to using them to suck people dry.

[@definitiveentertainment1658]

Big Boss Great point and recommendation. It’s long been admitted that app developers have been using neuropsychology to “hack” the human brain and make everything they do both as addictive as possible, as well as extracting the most marketing information possible. (There’s a 60 minutes segment you could look up from years back). If you look at your average game or app’s MTs menu, you can pick up on little details like - free stuff on TIMERS, associating certain sounds with feeling good (during successes/when paying). This type of “neuromarketing” should’ve been outlawed long ago. I think I first read a book on this concept back in 2010?? But it’s been around far longer. Reminds me of subliminal advertising experiments from the 20th Century

[@naikigutierrez4279]

“I don’t get it. Why are they confessing?” “They’re not confessing.” “They’re bragging.”

[@Istar47]

Watching this made me uninstall a few "games" I had on my phone. Seeing the callousness from Jernstrom and hearing some of those testimonials made me realize something about my spending habits. Just wanted to say thank you.

[@digdogbulldogdog]

Same I just thanos snapped Love Nikki from my phone

[@hossdelgado626]

Good on both of you, share the video of that sleaze so people see how the industry thinks. Tell children they don't need money to buy friends in Fortnite, and most of all. Remember to stay safe, and avoid these jerkbags who'd see you homeless and ask for your last penny because they need it or they'll not have enough to fuel their dopamine min, I mean phone app. Be careful, and as little as it's worth, thank you for realizing it.. maybe we'll eventually get everyone to realize it too.

[@FroggyMosh]

I'm genuinely happy for you both. And glad to find this pebble of sweetness in these comments. Take care.

[@sweesbees]

i haven’t touched cat game since that period in my life when i was depressed and sinking money into fucking pngs of cats now that i’ve been honest about myself with my impulses and addictions and i’ve kicked the habit completely, i’m just outraged at the game industry and here to support others who have gone through the same shit i have

[@gmonkman]

Good on you

[@allnamestakenn]

"The place where I once found distraction and salvation... is now preying upon my addictive nature and impulse spending problems". Wow... This actually hits hard... I always thought of how gaming was once buy once and then have fun, and now we are just cash cows to be milked constantly, but still... It really dawns upon me more seriously this time.

[@scottydu81]

You dont buy games anymore, you lease then

[@Jadefox32]

@@erlnite I have so many games in my back log, I have about 2 weeks left for my goal in my one F2P game that I've spent about 6 years going hard on. After that I'm moving on to other things (I'm building one final PC as well). To be honest this F2P game(Warthunder) and Mechwarrior Online are about the only ones that I feel okay putting this kind of time into. Reason being neither of them are games where gambling and loot boxes really can work their way into the game (not that they couldn't have if they'd thought about it). You get where you want to go and call it good, it's probably because I'm very tired from 12 hour work shifts and just don't have the time I used to.

[@Alpha17x]

Toxic work environments, Poisonous corporate culture, chronic predation directed at the consumer base; 'Triple Aaaay'

[@Sam-pr6oe]

That's a C A P I T A L I S M

[@0Asterite0]

Embrace Russian and Chinese communism

[@kristophersnyder9506]

Is this is what AAA games cost, they shouldn't exist.

[@0Asterite0]

@@kristophersnyder9506 casinos exist

[@0Asterite0]

@William Burns ah, the "no true communist" argument. It doesnt exist for the fact true capitalism doesnt exist.

[@bobcooper82]

"If you don't like loot boxes, don't play games that have them" In enough time there won't be many games that dont have them.

[@Valmont_VII]

Massively Effected they just put them in after you’ve bought them lol

[@dplocksmith91]

Hopefully the legislation will break the neck of the microtransaction industry and game companies will be forced to make quality games again. Lazy, greedy fucks.

[@cmdraftbrn]

@@dplocksmith91 dont hold your breath on it.

[@narudan]

trying that for years works for the individual but not so much for the masses.

[@gwennifergracie-mclauchlan5675]

dplocksmith91 doubt it, more likely they'll just move onto the next fetid cashgrab like they always do.

[@Gormathius]

That story from the addict hopping from game to game being chased by all the predatory BS was absolutely heartbreaking. Listening to that was just a horrible experience.

[@comrademartinofrappuccino]

I have to agree, It is similar to my a bit except I spend a reasonable amount of money since my parents had to give my permission to buy X game or DLC. still really sad though

[@meghanachauhan9380]

@@comrademartinofrappuccino aha that's the reason I make coding my addiction. Once you're addicted to coding, you're just so obsessed with problem solving, I want that thing, I want that game. But I don't want to spend a penny on it, what do I do? Then you understand the game, how it works and use it to turn it into your bitch. Knowing coding is god tier really. Anything you want at your fingertips.l

[@doodelli]

My brother sent me this after coming clean about his in-game spending addiction. Thank you for this, Jim. You’re really making a difference. This video alone earned you a sub. Side note, your music choices are kick-ass.

[@montague4931]

Jim, this might be my favorite Jimquisition of the year. As someone who's also got some addiction issues (not to drugs or gambling but fatty foods), it's a goddamn struggle to try and ignore those impulses. It truly feels like your mind is going to war with your own body when you fight those urges. After watching this though, I feel more compelled and encouraged than ever to keep myself in check for the sake of my health. Even if your show doesn't contribute to putting the AAA industry in its place, just know it helps make me and others like me feel much better. Thanks for that, Jim:)

[@GabiiEve]

Montague Hey, I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement. Identifying the problem is a massive step and every step you take on this journey is important. Relearning your eating habits is hard but it works. Chin up and “keep walking” :). Thanks for sharing your story, and keep an eye out for recipe sharing subreddits. Those can be super useful.

[@stefanfilipovits21]

Well said, VERY well said. Couldn’t agree more. Good luck fighting your addiction too. I mean that.

[@montague4931]

I appreciate it Gabi. Not much of a Reddit user but I'll definitely consider looking into it.

[@cool0abhigiri]

Send this to the UK commission of gambling. Let them look through. This is horrible

[@crimsondynamo615]

Send this to those senators who are trying to pass a bill to stop micro transactions, those that aren’t moved better well should be moved by this video. If not, there you go they’re getting money from triple a

[@SirusDiarota]

UK has already had a few studies linking it to gambling. They are aware.

[@hellonearth-thehistoryofwa1270]

they atually do accept email evidance.

[@SirusDiarota]

@@hellonearth-thehistoryofwa1270 Oh I'm not saying "don't send it!", by all means flood them. I'm just trying to spread a small glimmer of hope here. d=P

[@pickledparsleyparty]

Governments know about this. They practice it. The field is called behavioral economics. Look up nudge units.

[@jenniferroth7824]

I worked at a bank and watched so many people not be able to pay their bills and when I would look at their spending it would usually be micro transactions on video games. People were taking out payday loans to support the habit. It was brutal to watch helplessly.

[@meghanachauhan9380]

and people think hacking is bad. I got gta v for free, made 2 billion in GTA online in just one week and the kick was unimaginable. The sheer kick of i just fucked a corporation right in the arse was so good it almost made me cum

[@gwenrees7594]

Banks should have a way to report welfare concerns like that - maybe give out information so that customers can contact mental health services

[@DOGEELLL]

This is what happen when you dont gatekeep and reject standards of the golden era F&*k modern gaming

[@gubzs]

Someone play that Torulf Jernstrom talk to the legislative bodies of the world. Immediately. That is the most damning thing I've ever seen.

[@flatulent_d9374]

Show that to parliament and be like "It's not exposing you, it's surprise counter evidence"

[@gankhef5564]

Agreed. Wow.

[@rodrigovarela6194]

That Anchoring argument. Anchoring is a neural programming thing dude. He's basically admitting to brainwashing players. This shit is fucked up.

[@eduardodiaz9942]

God, is this Torulf guy SLIMY

[@TheAmishStig]

@@rodrigovarela6194 "Consumer Psychology"...once you've read about it, it's something that cannot be unseen. Anchoring, bargain-hunting (the "OH, you clever consumer you! You outsmarted us and got the best deal, yes you did you clever consumer you!" crap), there's loads of dirty tricks that manipulate people into parting with their money.

[@fredrickjones566]

Thank GOD for Sterling. Doing the work that ESRB refuses to let you know.

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

Thats where the millions go, to bribing the ESRB

[@clamdigger6131]

He does say "Thank God for me".

[@ctb3335]

@@clamdigger6131 And that's... what they did?

[@FroggyMosh]

@@ctb3335 So they do!

[@shecomments2much189]

Man I saw that stuff, too on Angry Joe’s gaming controversies. The thing with the ESRB is like the very cops responsible for a murder showed up to the scene of the crime and decided, “yeah, nothing went wrong here!”

[@PindleofKujata]

"But humans can't possibly be so greedy as to seriously undermine the quality of life of their customers, all in the sake of profit." *remembers the Sackler family, and how they helped usher in a generation of opioid addicts* "Oh. Right. Yeah."

[@sebas8225]

Remember the 2nd or 3rd mafia rule about not dealing with drugs case it got the law on the maffiosi ass? Most grunts didnt care and kept doing it and the law eventually caught up to the mafia gangs and no amount of bribes could save the boss from jail time.

[@comingupooo]

@@sebas8225 The mafia made a mistake that the Sacklers didn't: they bribed local police and low-level officials, not federal politicians theoretically in charge of regulating them.

[@soccerskyman]

*cough* United Fruit Company *cough*

[@DavidGarcia-oi5nt]

As a recovering addict (full remission, 18 months) i applaud you for the way you've handled trying to define what addiction is. Good job like always Jim- Steph?

[@TheFamousMockingbird]

I hope you are still doing well brother. My best friend of 20 years was visiting in town at my house three weeks ago, and he had been using again for four years without me having any clue as we lived in different cities. we had a great night that friday, and sadly when i got up and knocked on his guest door it was silence and i had a bad feeling. seeing that scene and having 20 years of laughs, friendship, memories, just turn into a stiff corpse that I once used to hug and dap all the time was the most traumatic incident in my life. Stay clean brother, people are proud of you

[@fentonryan]

Jim Sterling is not pro-consumer - he is pro-human-beings. Edit: I'm a former EA-employee (gameplay programmer), who has worked for actual lottery companies (both local jobs), who is also a Jim Sterling fan - who agrees with all the points you're making, in full. Lottery tickets are horrible - and no one should really buy them - but loot boxes are just the worst kind of cash grabs, lamentably ruining one of the most beautiful forms of artistic expression humankind has had the ability to create so far. Even if good folks work on these projects - it's the direction that is admonishable. Moreover, asking good folks to put together such horrible parts of good games is a gigantic waste of talent. Personally, I've wasted far too much of my life making garbage like that because I didn't see a path towards something better. Thanks for keeping these ideas, and the 'Dead Game News' ideas of killing older games alive.

[@bernardoheusi6146]

Pro-boglins too You racist

[@biokido575]

Looks like he is only pro carbohydrates

[@rendomstranger8698]

@@biokido575 Oh look. Someone who considers insults more important than being a functional human being with some fucking empathy. Good to know that you are pro evil. And when I say evil I don't mean the exaggerated kind. I mean the kind of evil that puts selfish sociopaths in power and worships them.

[@weaponizedlizardmen360]

@@biokido575 the carbs only add more Jim Sterling to love

[@biokido575]

@@rendomstranger8698 Empathy for what? Look at this bullshit. He could have some discipline, set some goals and lose that weight. But like his solution to loot box addiction, he would rather have the world change for him than change his unhealthy habits. This isn't a good person. This is a dictator in disguise. This is the kind of person that believes they know best for you.

[@riotangel4701]

"You cannot get somebody to understand a concept, when his salary depends on him not knowing it."

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

Same with religion everybody.

[@SomeYouTubeTraveler]

@@mimszanadunstedt441 As a Christian and a Microbiologist, I can attest the corollary is real. The problem comes with assuming from the get-go that two things are impossible to exist together. That argument game devs make that "if we don't have microtransactions, we can't make games" completely ignores history, logic, and critical thinking. Same with religion and evolution, and other concepts. Holding that balance is totally possible, and desirable... it's just painful because it involves allowing yourself to fully commit ahead of time that if you find yourself proven wrong, you have to accept it and change your previously held beliefs. It stops you from holding back and brings you closer to the truth. And it's a wonderful thing if you're lucky enough to discover that you can hold a balance without confining yourself to cognitive dissonance. Sometimes I wish I had the point-of-view gun from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and everyone could just shoot it at each other, including at me (but especially at the PR people whose salaries depend on them pretending their employers aren't destroying people's lives). We could all do with a little more empathy when figuring out this world.

[@StudioInvisible]

« You cannot get somebody to publicly admit(…) »

[@BAMozzy69]

This should be shared to EVERY politician, EVERY court of Law, EVERY person that has the power to change the LAW, to FORCE developers/Publishers to STOP this behaviour, to outlaw the use of loot boxes, additional spending etc. Until LAW prohibits this behaviour, it will continue - whether its 'called' a 'loot box' or a 'Surprise Mechanic', it NEEDS TO BE OUTLAWED!!!

[@crimsondynamo615]

BAM Mözzi and if they still vote against stopping micro transactions, there’s the politician who’s getting money directly from the triple a game industry

[@duncanmcmillan9558]

Jim should be allowed to speak at these government meetings and show the insidious nature of MTs

[@desmondbrown5508]

Microtransactions or really any post-launch, paid "support" in general need to be outlawed

[@crimsondynamo615]

Duncan McMillan he would be the best damn lawyer with all the evidences he has

[@hubbelizer8412]

This video hit so hard... Wow. I always hated the microtransaction culture but mostly viewed it as a memeable joke because I'm not someone who can afford to indulge in them and I'm too stubborn to pay over and above an initial fee for the actual game. This video is eye opening into as to what other people go through and the psychological exploitation of an industry that not so long ago was one of the few industries to have been genuine in their dealings.

[@mikoto7693]

A bit late, I rediscovered this video today and I don't spend on microtransactions at all. I once did and eventually realised I fell for some of these tricks. Never again if I can help it.

[@evanremillard5640]

AAA Industry: "IT'S NOT GAMBLING" AAA Industry: spends billions in slot machine psychology research.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

Nothing new and not just AAA games. Articles were written years ago about how Zynga used psychologists to make their games as addictive as possible.

[@TG-bl9kr]

@@downsjmmyjones101 Including any of Zynga's smaller companies?

[@clementtompel7558]

Theyre triple f companies tbh

[@internatushereticus7891]

Seriously, we should call the AAA Industry FFF industry

[@Pile_of_carbon]

@@internatushereticus7891 FFF sounds about right. Fuck the Fucking Fuckers.

[@envysart797]

“Jim sterling is not pro consumer he’s anti triple a” I literally cannot tell the difference between the phrase “Pro consumer” and “Anti Triple A”

[@turtleanton6539]

Samething

[@TiStardust]

Relatable...

[@NathanCassidy721]

Thing is those two are not synonyms. They have a fair amount of crossover but you can have one without the other. A good example would be gamers that focus on older titles because they are collectors or archivists who warn about the ugly turn the games industry has taken but are willing to throw down thousands of dollars for one obscure title, like Little Samson.

[@notgarthbrooks6999]

I think Pro-Consumer = fighting FOR those who buys games, while Anti-AAA = fighting AGAINST the publishers who sell the games, but Jim is definitely both, and this video is proof positive of that.

[@AmyDentata]

You can be against triple-A and also against consumerism.

[@DreamItCraftIt]

The kids bullying other kids because of their default skins made me tear up. It's not enough now pressure for the clothes they wear, but also for a game... we really have strayed too far from the light

[@turtleanton6539]

Saaaad

[@Archangelm127]

If it wasn't this, it'd be something else. I was bullied all through school, and over the most idiotic nonsense imaginable.

[@mastershake8018]

@@Archangelm127 Some of the things kids choose to pick on people for is insane. I wish I was around for your bullies, I used to bully the bullies. One of my best friends was autistic. So I ended up putting a few kids in the ER in my day. I didnt tolerate it then and I don't now. But since I cant beat up kids anymore I guess I gotta settle for the occasional women beater.

[@jony5075]

I'm in high school and it's like oh you play Nintendo games your childish they don't understand that the games they play are exploitative

[@hideakikarate1]

I remember being bullied for taking a shit in middle school. Not out in the open, but in a designated stall. Kids are fuckers.

[@lazylion420]

"WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORALITY... IF WE HAVE TIME LATER" - literally the entire world as I've always known it... hashtag nihilism, hashtag pirate everything

[@TheAcad3mic]

How about instead of deciding to steal your drugs you chose to try and get over it? Devote your time to music, books, sports, social interactions... All things that are good for you. Fuck the games, fuck the social media.

[@TheAcad3mic]

@Loneamaruq Fair point. Having been in the hobby for well over 20 years its fair to say that an awful lot of games have had certain elements crystallised to the point that they seem downright exploitative of certain pavlovian mechanisms and are borderline vehicles for gambling. Its gotten very strange.

[@ragegage1221]

@@TheAcad3mic I find gaming interesting but I still am on xbox360 and the only game I own that people still play online is cod black ops 3. That stated I really enjoy watching people getting enjoyment out of video games. I've always been the type of gamer that will say "ill wait for xbox one to go down in price" which by default means when the new consoles are out I will probably buy an xbox 1 and nobody will play online any longer thus avoiding this cash grab bull. Long story short, I started gardening and developed a business around consulting people on how and where to grow their own veggies. Sometimes I wish I could get lost into a newer video game but I always defult to the nostalgic games I played as a kid. Roadrash on sega genesis, or crash bandicoot on ps1. Metal gear solid. I stopped buying the latest systems at ps2 and thus has definitely taught me a bit of delayed gratification (which is a must for gardening). I really hope this whole community can get me back into gaming, where I could spend the last couple hours after being in the hot sun with a little bit of enjoyment. Best of luck to the community that wants to get back to where storys can emerge you into the the game. I wish the best. Sorry for the rant, and the only reason I brought up all this dribble is because I mostly avoid this because I am always behind on systems and games. The whole industry is super expensive already, faster internet connections, cell phone bills, consoles 500+ dollars, 60 dollars for new releases, sub's to even play online.

[@TheAcad3mic]

@@ragegage1221 Largely the same tbh. My own vision involved studying Psychology and developing as a Counsellor, but gardens are beautiful too. Good for you. And I only bought my ps4 on a whim at the start of the lockdown. Before that I was enjoying Rogue Galaxy on my ps2 and my Snes Mini =). Best thing I like about coming to the ps4 as its about to end is that now all the best games have come and gone lol so they're mad cheap and no wait. I can finally indulge in all them delicious exclusives. God of War and Spiderman are truly marvellous games, and no online. Fuck that psn noise. 50 quid for online? Nah. Best of luck with your passtimes and your business my friend =)

[@inigo137]

@@TheAcad3mic what a garbage take, videogames are art, same as music or books but I guess you get to decide what is good or bad for some fucking reason

[@messenaround743]

Just wanted to leave a comment to say how much I genuinely appreciate your work. When I think of games journalism you create the content that deals with what actually affects consumers and vulnerable people.

[@KhartoumMaxim]

My god, that dude doing the presentation sounded like a drug dealer. Madness

[@JoakimDrakoga]

He is a drug dealer...

[@drr0b0t01]

That's what marketing is. You think this is exploitation of human psychology? Look into how all advertising is studied and carefully designed. In this commercial world, money is king, and exploiting others is a tried and tested way to generate more revenue

[@jongeveertiger2763]

True however the difference here is that marketing tricks are misused here to try and create spending habbits with children which is highly unethical. lets push our legislators to take action.

[@noahhultgren1710]

I have known drug dealers, and let me tell you, while they are in a business that causes pain, they are only there to serve the needs and the wants of the consumer. Most of them don't want you to get hurt, and will go out of their way to protect you (so you can buy more) they generally don't as actively seek to create serious addiction. I think he sounds worse than most drug dealers, which is honestly terrifying. Not to say drug dealers are good, just wanted to point that out in case any drug dealers were offended by being compared to AAA game companies.

[@The_Murder_Party]

drr0b0t01 it’s fascinating! And genuinely impressive, the way these people have found to exploit people, but I disagree with your comparison to advertisements, mostly because the microtransaction shite is actually sorta compelling, (they work, and it’s sorta pissing me off, so I avoid the games with them in for the most part.) the advertisements I see are generally just annoying at best and make me want to avoid the product at worst.

[@warrenburger9907]

omg you said "triple a" without the weird voice. This must be serious.

[@CrissBluefox]

Addiction has been the ruination of my extended family, my family struggled with alcohol problems before I was born. Now my surviving aunts now live with alcoholic dementia and my mom's brothers are all dead due to health problems due to hard drinking and smoking. This is not a damn joke, the game industry is like that voice that tells you to just have one more drink. Just buy that one more lootbox and it becomes another and another unitl you are sunk in debt and financial ruin.

[@Imupinta]

As a gambling addict, I just want to say thank you for shining light on this insidious monetization of videogames. This is important.

[@steffithemad8327]

I'm a 20 year clean crackhead, this mtx bullshit is an addiction too, it can and will destroy kids.

[@darkjudge8786]

Sorry, delete your account. Weak people don't deserve the internet.

[@stevenstocker9873]

@@darkjudge8786 What the fuck?

[@horsefan8735]

@@darkjudge8786 I would rather be a weak person than be an asshole who look down on others with problems.

[@grubbybum3614]

"is just as bad as drug addiction" Idk, try going through a few days of opiate or benzo withdrawals. Is gambling as painful as that? I wouldn't know, never gambled. I know it's fucked up - but "as bad as drugs"? Not too sure...

[@cormoran2303]

Even as someone who isn't affected by gambling addiction seeing loot boxes become the only way to get certain items has become downright infuriating. I don't play games to get frustrated, I play them to relax. Loot boxes takes that relaxation aspect away. Unlike with difficulty where it can be overcome with ability and knowledge it's just random chance. Oftentimes with games that include lootbox mechanics I'll use a trainer to cheat the system so I can see just how much I'd need to spend on loot boxes to get a certain item I'd like and the number is always astonishingly high. If I was inclined towards gambling addiction I'd easily end up spending *tens of thousands* per game.

[@grayaj23]

During a dark period a few years ago, I spent over $1000 in four months on Puzzle and Dragons. Nowadays I'll spend a few dollars on a cosmetic item if I think a game or dev deserves it (like Path of Exile -- the true Diablo 3. My head glows purple, which cost me like $3, but the game itself is free). I bought a fish in a Koi pond simulator for similar reasons. Like when I know what I'm getting.

[@TrustEngineers]

Why do you even play those games if you understand how stupid they are? If you buy them, you vote with your wallet that this is what you want. Stop buying shit from Ubisoft and EA. Stop playing the shit. Play good games. Unless you do, people like you are part of the problem - eating shit, complaining that it tastes like shit, but keep eating it.

[@CountBaronGAMING]

We play games to relax but due to these terrible practices to get people to spend money or log in every day, games are becoming the opposite of relaxing. It's truly sad. I'm done with games. Time to read or something.

[@cormoran2303]

@@TrustEngineers It's one aspect of the game, not the entirety of the game. Also attacking me isn't going to help you, you can go fuck yourself if you think you're going to get people on your side by being the same kind of douchenozzle the triple A publishers are, you get me fuckwit?

[@lukebytes5366]

@@cormoran2303 ^ people should not have to leave a game they love because of microtransactions unless they have a real mental problem. if it was like battlefront 2 i would agree, that game is filled with p2w bs that no one should support. but do not act like every game that has some form of microtransactions is a watered down piece of live service filth. are they shitty in a premium game? hell yeah! are they exploitative? sure. do they actively change the game in a major way? sometimes. but do not act like everything involving a form of loot boxes is a piece of shit. the answer to an extreme is never the opposite extreme.

[@haydenhyslop1594]

Man Jim, you've grown. As an artist, as a speaker, as a voice for people who love video games. I hope people in legal positions of power see this video.

[@Twice_Baked_Tato]

Watching this again after the rise of Genshin Impact and it's scary how many of these things can be seen in the game and its community. Really sad to see a game with such great visual design ruined by mechanical design to fit the gacha game model.

[@graftednormalcy1376]

true. I *want* to play Genshin Impact, but I know for certain that I would fall prey to the gacha mechanics.

[@LarryWater]

I already spend over $100 on the game and a ton of hours doing boring grind (The grind gets unbearable at Adventure Rank 40+). I only stayed for the anime girls and the storyline. I deleted the game a few days back, but right now I'm redownloading right now because I missed it.

[@Twice_Baked_Tato]

​@@Yuxim The most troubling thing is, when confronted with all of the information in a clear manner, as Jim lays out in their video, gacha players usually respond with: "yeah. I know it's bad, but I just don't care." Somehow, for some people this kind of thing is totally normalized, so many of them don't even begin to see a problem with it. This makes me worry about the future of video games.

[@Montesama314]

That game is so gorgeous, and unlike most of these mobile games I can finally play it on a console... but DAMMIT, I don't want to reward that kind of game model. I won't set myself up to let a game "break my wall" like that European guy in the video wants.

[@angela.i.2364]

i went from idol games like love live and bang dream to genshin... i love the games story and characters but i need to take months long breaks every now and then so i don't get sucked too deep into gacha and grinding for hours. never again. it hits a lot when my mental health tanks which sucks cause video games help me cope. just not these ones

[@OutlawsBebop]

Jim, you should SERIOUSLY consider testifying in front of congress or try to bring the information in this video to the attention of lawmakers.

[@jaebeeart3683]

@@none--other He lives in Mississippi. :p

[@Texelion]

I totally see Jim with that outfit and the hat in front of the congress.

[@beenis1619]

This right here, Jim has a way of putting these issues to words that I don't think alot of people can do better.

[@Bladezeromus]

@@beenis1619 Yeah. With a script and after several takes and hours of editing. He got any live debates up anywhere? Any video of him going head to head with anyone on their opinions?

[@indy6s]

Bladezeromus yup, look up the digital homicide interview

[@SeasOfCheese929]

Jim, I’ve been on the “It’s just cosmetics” train ever since you started talking about Overwatch. I’m convinced now. I was wrong.

[@sebas8225]

The problem never was the "cosmetics" in of themselves but the psychological manipulation that was employed at the expense of the "cosmetics".

[@SeasOfCheese929]

Sebas G Right. My thinking was that it didn’t matter as long as gameplay wasn’t affected by lootboxes, but I get now that it preys upon people with gambling addictions. The default skin bullying thing also shocked me.

[@0Asterite0]

Everything can be addictive to someone.

[@markcobuzzi826]

Arguably, when part of the gameplay experience and appealing sense of reward is based around customizing your own character, the “just cosmetic” prizes from loot boxes can pretty much become indistinguishable from pay-to-win gambling mechanics. Nonetheless, while it takes a big man to commit to an opinion and defend it in the face of criticism, it often takes an even bigger man to change his mind in the face of indisputable evidence and openly admit it. So you can still be proud of yourself, for our culture would definitely get better if more people acted as such. 👍

[@Sobepome]

"It's just cosmetics" also sidesteps the concept that the video game is not just its mechanics. Okami was a bog standard zelda knockoff, but its incredible visual style set it apart. Final Fantasy games are a very distinct style wrapped over some okay to good JRPGs, and those visuals came to define the entire square enix brand. You cannot disentangle visuals from the mechanics, that's not how video games work. People want to brush these practices off as just being for the consumer but, well, everyone should have known better. It's just easier to think there isn't a problem, especially among the group of people who define themselves as being that hobby by thinking of themselves as gamers.

[@darkhawk4863]

I woke up this morning not knowing who Torulf Jernstrom is... Now I hate him. Like, furiously hate him. More than even slimebags like Bobby Kottic. I'll guess I'm not the only one who's very mad at that guy now... I've had to quit several games because of what they'd been doing to me financially. As someone who's been victimized by that mentality... Thank you, Jim.

[@archmusher8237]

I actually very much appreciate Torulf, for laying bare the disgusting, vile and straight up evil practices of the industry. It wasn't Torulf who came up with these ideas. It was the combined efforts of corporate marketers from across the industry, and Torulf just made a nice presentation for us all to understand.

[@dennett316]

If anything, it should make you hate the likes of Kotick more. Torulf is Kotick Jr, they're very much tarred off the same brush.

[@12inchRules]

It’s not rocket science. These concepts and theories are used in every commercial business that wants to sell shit. I am a marketeer for a web shop and I also use these tactics. It’s my job to persuade customers with a lot of subliminal tricks to buy and spend. But in my line of business there is no addiction in play and you know what you buy and we want to sell. That is the difference I believe.

[@BackwardsPancake]

@@12inchRules Yeah. I've yet to have anyone try to sell me a recurring subscription for a washing machine, but somehow I feel like it's just a matter of time.

[@miserychickadee]

@@12inchRules "I am a marketeer for a web shop and I also use these tactics." Marketing, huh? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnmogHqooM13ppI

[@Sootielove]

As someone who recognises they have addictive tendancies, easily falls into bad habits, and struggles so much with self control, I'm honestly terrified to play a lot of games nowadays. It's so predatory and insidious it makes you scared of all the tricks these developers sneak into the game to leech away your money and health

[@nikolozgilles]

play old offline games with no microtransactions, thats what i do. The good thing is that there are plenty of games out there like this, its a near infinite ocean to dive into from the 90s to about 2010. How about mario 64?

[@prioprioprio]

You can just hear the gloating contempt in Torulf's voice as he says "the reasons don't even have to be that good in order for this to work."

[@Lobos222]

Well, the talk was named "The tricks of the F2P trade" and it was public.

[@Hynotama]

"Jimquisition is anti-AAA." Wear that like a badge of honor.

[@duraker1]

yes, and that badge is 20% off for 30 minutes! [BUY NOW]

[@Hynotama]

@gatheringoflight I know but there will always be those who fall for the "surprise mechanics" hook, line and sinker. And they spew hate onto anyone that criticizes those sh!tty gambling "games".

[@bloodlustshiva1]

@@duraker1 I wonder if there was a pre-order bonus for the badge. Also what kind of dlc and microtransactions it has.

[@nhagan001]

I recall a quote when describing a character in a Light Novel "He was wearing his bloodthirst like a god damn coat" I like to think that is Jim Sterling whenever he has to throw down with the Triple Ehhhhhh games industry.

[@Blackatchaproduction]

@@duraker1 I'll buy that for a $1

[@otherdoggo]

When Jim Doesn't put the voice on to say 'Triple A' you know it's a serious issue.

[@runakinsley3450]

The "It's optional" mentality reminds me of how people are supposedly "rational actors" and thus it's their own damn fault if they buy our poison. That's the excuse, anyway. You get to 14:45 in when Jernström starts talking about how to override the rational part of players' minds and the mask falls off.

[@johnlloydcruise4366]

Budding game dev here. This video has changed my perception of F2P / Microtransactions completely. Thanks for opening my eyes.

[@grumpyguy112]

Im a developer myself and run the developer studio Pixelo from home. Making an unmonetised game among many things is why i continue to work on Time Rabbits & get it on steam while not crunching myself and taking my time to make it great.

[@prismaticerror6911]

a mark of a good person is being able to admit when you were wrong

[@cyberpunkdenton9497]

@Jt Money Because a vast majority of devs Don't include mtx in their games. Don't work for scummy AAA game pubs. And even if they do it, its because of it being the standard practice without even realizing.

[@sweetcrosby]

Weird how in the 90s everything was banned because you should think of the children. But 2019 those same people stopped caring since they are making billions of the children.

[@Texelion]

Children my ass, children don't have money, they shouldn't have access to a credit card or paypal account ( and if they do it's the parent's fault ). This shit harms everyone. Sure, kids who are exposed to this are formated to accept it in the future as something normal, but I bet adults are a lot more affected.

[@Fnorder23]

The 90ies were cutely naive. Read the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG core book to look at what they considererd a futuristic, over-the-top dystopia. Socially, we live in one as bad or sometimes much worse, I find old-school cyberpunk to be more of a wishful escapism these days...

[@jafafa]

Those 90s children are now the adults making this shit. There are a lot of immoral adults who blame their immorality on their "we weren't allowed to when I was a kid in the 80s-90s" upbringing.

[@yoooyoyooo]

Capitalism is the best system. Let the customers decide.

[@randomguy6679]

It's almost like they never cared about the children in the first place....

[@zer0_cool]

Unfortunately one of their defenders is also their customers/players who have made supporting that developer as part of their identity, so anything negative about them also reflects negatively on them. A lot people blindly supported what loot boxes were/are in Overwatch because, "Hey it's Blizzard guys, we all love them right, just cosmetics?"

[@niallashton1068]

So true. I know loads of people who defend fifa as they buy it every year and can't admit its a scam. I was a defender of overwatch as i said cosmetics are ok as it doesn't give you an edge. But no gambling is gambling and it need to stop. There is no reason AAA games have microtransactions

[@effexon]

wasnt Blizzard also making huge profit one year with Overwatch and kicking out lots of people at the same time... so it has nothing to do with people working to get salary, almost to the contrary (see how profitable and arrogant companies treat everyone). it should be alarming when company starts to tell customers what to think and do.

[@teatea4496]

The Chinese love micro transactions the most the margin for it is Soo high in Asia because Asians have a lot of money to spend. That's why you see so many mobile games because it's very popular in east Asia but not in the west but companies would like for westerners to follow suit

[@finstor3386]

@@niallashton1068 I have no issues with cosmetic micro transactions in free to play games. They are still entirely wrong in full priced games. You paid for the game, they created those cosmetics for the game, they should be in the game and part of the game. Infact there really wasnt cosmetics before micro transactions came along, at least not in the games I played. The gear you accumulated changed your appearance and as you got more powerful, the gear looked better. Now the gear looks like shit, as they intentionally crap it up in another way to drive you to micro transactions. Again, if the game is free, thats fair, they have to make money.

[@TheRealColBosch]

@@finstor3386 I'm not letting the "free to play" crowd off anymore. "Your first hit is free" has long been the marketing strategy of actual drug dealers.

[@noname-sd1tc]

Wow, the ONLY KZbinr that doesn't play any ads in his videos. Even if you hate the guy you have to give him respect for that.

[@jmurray1110]

I know at least one who doesn’t At least until the music industry decided to DMCS his fully legal criticism So for about 5 seconds after upload

[@moralesjourneyman]

No join button, no ads... Just a Caped Crusader Fighting for the Truth. God Bless Jim Sterling!

[@Mrgone454]

And no pants.

[@LP64000]

Absolutely. Fucking true legend.

[@lolxd244]

he still has a patreon tho

[@skele3310]

@@lolxd244 a feature for those who appreciate his work and wish for him to be able to continue doing what he does, that is not forced upon you, and is only even mentioned in passing. what about it?

[@lolxd244]

@@skele3310 nothing

[@steff-annedark3166]

Honestly, this is the push I needed. I have a problem with spending money, and i just culled a bunch of my micro-transaction laden games, because i realized this is exactly what they thought of me.

[@0LoneTech]

Well done. It will not be easy to maintain, but it's worth it.

[@redshiftedlight205]

Steff-Anne Dark Go for it!

[@HallowedKhaos91]

Good on you. This shit needs to end.

[@donbeverage8359]

Trying to do that but with games that have tons of dlc honestly. I really hate how incomplete games feel these days with out it. :/

[@HallowedKhaos91]

@@donbeverage8359 I absolutely agree. Honestly, I busted out the ps2 and haven't looked back. :P

[@yourfilmindustry]

in the autumn of 2012, in my second year of college, I took a game design course. The focus was heavy on monetization, and some other stuff thrown in. We got all of this "whales are the ones that'll give you money" bullshit. Did not really pay attention to the monetization part, but on the other stuff, which was really thin as fuck, to be honest. When it was time to submit my design document (the final project for the course), since this was a private meeting with the teacher, I sat in front of him, and pitched my idea to him, which had a categorical lack of monetization. He took a look at me and said, "No this wont do. This doesn't have any micro transactions in it. I will not accept this, but you have until next week to fix this to have them in there" The bottom line is that this minor thing might be on of the many reasons I'm not in the video game development space, although, i did want to be at one point

[@Adonzin]

Dude, no bullshit.. I had an eerily similar experience. Same year too. Almost every single 'industry veteran' they got on our course was some douche from the mobile market. I did seriously consider becoming a game dev at one point. But by the end of the course, after all the bullshit industry 'engagement' talk, I lost my passion for it. When I look at all these reports about the treatment of workers coming out recently as well... I'm glad I didn't pursue a career in this mess.

[@trevordavis6830]

Thank god my school's game development teachers include some of the people who made Loot Box Simulator.

[@fil8649]

This is the exact reason you SHOULD be in video game development. People like you are what the industry desperately needs, fighting the shitty system from the inside and pushing for change.

[@dkd123]

Holy shit that's scary. I went to a school that taught game design and they definitely didn't do that.

[@RexcorJ]

I feel violently ill reading this, knowing that that professor is somewhere out there right now after having done that.

[@SurpriseNerf]

How did he manage to make it through that whole "whale talk" without burning his house down out of homicidal rage? I almost did. This shit is infuriating on every level

[@larrydavis3645]

I want to thank you for all your efforts in continually exposing these horrible business practices.

[@LittleMacscorner]

Great video, Jim. As a sober alcoholic (and it took YEARS of professional help to get to the sober point) I can confirm that the same qualities that make one addicted to a substance can make one addicted to other behaviors, including gambling and video game micro-transactions. It is often not about the 'physical' dependency as it is something else. Unlike Substances, and even gambling, where we can choose to avoid the "People, places, and things" that cause triggers....it is not so easy when it comes to games. Especially when they are ones primary hobby and often used as an outlet to AVOID things like substance abuse. Predatory Monetization is morally wrong on so many levels. At it's worst it literally uses something that keeps a person away from one addiction in order to hook them on another.

[@Calcifrizzle]

This video is pretty much THE Jimquisition. Feels very important, (regrettably) timeless, and definitely one of my favourite pieces of work from you. Really rather chilling... I hope we get smarter about this stuff, as an industry, as consumers, and as a society. What kind of future is there for any of us otherwise?

[@BetaVoltzDK]

you know, I never get tired of the phrase "Thank God for me". With how much I honestly dislike boasting about oneself, when it's deserved, it's far more effective and feels so damn good

[@burningphoenix6679]

Send this video to congress, Parliament, EU, Australian government, etc. Also send it to the Belgian Gambling commission. They want to convince the rest of the EU and if this video could help.

[@szendroiimre4073]

states are a tool of the ruling class, and it's always the big shots in capitalist "democracies" that influence state policies which ultimately shape international policy. The only influence that works on them is the use of force, or even better, the threat of force.

[@Ivan-qf4mt]

@@szendroiimre4073 still using the power of state is better then just sit and lick the boot of a corporation while expecting shit to change.

[@keirbourne4589]

Szendrői Imre that might be true in the US, or your own country, but not EU.

[@theguitargod12]

I just sent this video to my congressman.

[@MrDemomanman]

The upside to all of this, if there even is one, is that indie games now have more appeal then ever before!

[@spooki-2451]

Hopefully they will not become yet more prey for the predatory market .

[@nunouno001]

And thanks to Steam they have to compete with mountains of trash while Epic breaks the PC market in half.

[@ergheiz1245]

The what 2-3 diffrent good idea thats being copied over and over and over and over. Cant take another one of those pixel art or horror walking sim

[@SmaMan]

And retro games. Get this, all you have to do is buy them once, and you get all of the content! Pretty cutting edge, huh?

[@bismuthcrystal9658]

The thing about non-chemical addiction is... it's chemical addiction. All of our emotions are controlled by chemicals. Our endocrine systems. Our melotonin, serotonin, and oxytocin levels, amongst other chemicals. It's just a matter of those chemicals being manipulated indrectly, via external stimuli, rather than via direct alteration. All addiction is addiction. The qualifications we draw are irrelevant.

[@marcvsahlal-khatwa5460]

not false

[@dplocksmith91]

This person speaks the truth.

[@OverruledDood]

He specifies "external chemicals"

[@althelor]

Which is one of the things I find funny about people who resist mental health discussions. "oh its all in your head" Yeah no shit, where else would a MENTAL illness be located? "that medicine is bad because it alters your brain chemistry." Yeah it does, it alters it to put it at the baseline for normal functioning. Because my brain chemistry is already fucked up, which is why I need it.

[@TheNoirMirror]

Except that your body regulates those chemicals within your brain and glands. The problem comes in when there's a discrepancy in the brain or an outside influence preventing the brain from doing it's job; like ingested chemicals. The problem when you talk about behavioral addiction is that it's not a chemical addiction. Behavioral addictions are near impossible to diagnose and are often recorded as a voluntary admittance or a side effect from drug use. In most cases, something has to compromise the brain first before the behavioral addiction sets in. The 'Hook, Habit, Hobby' mantra can be applied to anything individuals spend their time investing in the things they like; guns, religion, writing, cartoons, etc.

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

I know this is an old video, but it certainly was recommended to me at the right time as I will say this got me in Sims and it snuck up on me. I was burnt out on Nintendo games on the switch and hadn’t played Sims 4 because I heard it wasn’t great at launch, but a lot had changed and it was free to play now and Sims 2 was no longer purchasable so why not. I downloaded it. I was determined to only play with free base game and free mods, but I swear it took one EA DLC sale for Sims 4 and I found myself going down the DLC turnpike. It was like I was fine with none, but as soon as I had one DLC I felt I was missing out without the others. And I don’t have loads of money. My dad was an alcoholic and I was always glad I didn’t have his addiction. Turned out it took another form for me. I was lonely and Sims cheered me up. I justified the spending with the word ‘hobby’. So it was chilling to hear that word spoken as a way to create the video game addiction cycle that makes micro transactions profitable.

[@scottblinn]

Hey Jim, thank you for making this video! I've been making games professionally for around 25 years now and I was sucked up into this as an employee (game designer) as it became a thing in the industry and started to have to spend a majority of my time designing systems to monetize and exploit instead of being fun. It was soul crushing work and I'm so happy I left it all behind to start my own indie studio (and this topic was a very core reason for me to do so regardless of the huge negative financial impact it has had). My studio will never participate in these practices or work with the companies that do (and I'm sure that will cost us, but you know... morals and all). Keep up the good fight and thanks for supporting indie!

[@DJMavis]

I, and I suspect many others, would love to know more about the systems you helped design. Were the games built around them or specifically altered to accommodate them? The only people I know in the industry are in music, so I guess they're not really in the know.

[@chriscarnage9467]

I'm more interested in the name of your company and supporting you for making what at this point is considered a prehistoric game.

[@WereCatf]

Can't help but respect someone who takes a financial hit just for the sakes of taking a stand in this.

[@Blirre]

@@chriscarnage9467 I agree. Please let us know the name of your studio or some games you've worked on. I'm always looking for good games developed for enjoyment and not solely profit.

[@TransparentLabyrinth]

I'm sorry you got caught up in that. It must have been disillusioning to think you're going into video games to make fun things and end up designing exploitative systems instead. :(

[@Vocaloid-English]

Lootboxes "are optional". Well, Alcohol "is optional" but people still develop alcoholism and it still ruins lives. Gambling "is optional" but people still get addicted and it still ruins lives. Being "optional" is NOT a defence.

[@kanatatsul8399]

And we don't ban alcohol or gambling because a small minority of users cannot control themselves. As we shouldn't.

[@Crazyivan777]

The 'optional' cry of AAA isn't used to say that people won't get addicted. It's used in order to set up legal distance from those whose lives are ruined. "Not our fault! It's optional!"

[@dumpydumpy7514]

Kanatatsu L no we don’t. What we do is: age restrict, plaster the products with warnings, limit who can sell it, and put tons of restrictions on their ability to advertise. Just to name a few.

[@LupineShadowOmega]

@@kanatatsul8399 but we do regulate the hell out of it.

[@LupineShadowOmega]

@@dexaci9956 imagine them serving six packs at your local elementary school.

[@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs]

Wow, that guy's straight up 'Sup, here's how to *manipulate* people'. Since when has manipulation ever been seen as anything other than something immoral?

[@mdgraller]

People are more likely to stomach it when you call it "consumer psychology"

[@pawlogates]

@AmateurThespian i feel sick looking at this shit, just ignore this aaa garbage and play amazing passionate indies

[@AmyDentata]

That's capitalism for ya

[@MurderousEagle]

Gunters of the world unite

[@MrOPD]

Like Jim said, nothing about this is new, nothing about this is unknown territory, everyone's doing it, everyone's been doing it for ages - other areas have just been regulated to a point already, whereas video games have all the knowledge of psychological manipulation available but absolutely 0 restrictions in place. Practices like these are just in every other area of commerce just as well - you just need to realize that it's not a coincidence that every super market puts those $5 Twix bars right next to the checkout.

[@anddudewaslike]

18:00 the devs don’t even see that money. It mostly goes to execs and shareholders.

[@atlantiswolf]

I disagree with jim on one thing here. He is Pro Consumer, AND Anti-AAA. One does not cancel out the other, and if anything, they compliment each other. Thank God for Jim.

[@ArtificialDjDAGX]

You can't be Pro Consumer without being Anti-AAA in the gaming industry though...

[@MadockTheOtt]

You cant be pro consumer without being anti corp

[@atlantiswolf]

@@ArtificialDjDAGX Ya know what friend? yeah. You're right on that. Cheers to you!

[@atlantiswolf]

@@MadockTheOtt Ya know what friend? yeah. You're right on that. Cheers to you!

[@TheMusicMan1012]

@@ArtificialDjDAGX I mean though, there are still some good ones out there. Mostly the ones under the console maker's payroll.

[@Rpground]

I hate what gaming has become. Every developer I used to love has turned to ash, burned every sense of good will I had for them. Remember when gaming was about the games? Make a good game and people buy it...now it's parasites everywhere looking to leech off your wallet for "recurrent spending" in 60$ games. The only respite we have are indies, and they're not even safe anymore with Epic snatching them up and turning them into sellouts by literally throwing money until the weight of the money either suffocates them or breaks every bone in their body... This is the darkest timeline.

[@Sonichero151]

I was 12 when I got my first PS3 and played World at War for the first time........ The story was amazing, the multiplayer was exiciting, and Nazi Zombies was the absolute balls to the wall spectacle of awesomeness....... Black Ops 3 wounded me when I saw the loot boxes..... Black ops 4 I refuse to buy because they scrapped a story for CODnite and there's still loot boxes....... The friends I made back in world of war are all gone..... I'm alone...... I wanna go back

[@faffabout9412]

Indie community is strong, come join the good gaming revolution, I guarantee there’s some games you’ve never looked at in indie world that you would love

[@Rpground]

@@faffabout9412 After you get past all the pretentious bullshit and walking simulators, then yeah. Plenty of indie games I love. A Hat in Time, They Are Billions, Ziggurat, Terraria, Paranautical Activity, Risk of Rain, Avernum etc.

[@Vyz3r]

You should check out Nintendo games.

[@mr.memeking5719]

Check out some playstation exclusive games

[@gloverhaywood]

The dude talking at the conference was pretty disgusting.

[@manrightchea]

Yeah I honestly that's what real evil looks like. Basically debasing humanity. It's why I can't stand psychologists, psychologists are some of the most evil people on the planet. BF Skinner knew that his discovery was evil so he tried to distance himself from the name Skinner Box , but it stuck anyway. Now we have one of the most evil schemes ever created inundating the gaming space.

[@beskamir5977]

@@manrightchea Depends on the psychologist or person. An understanding of human psychology is no more inherently evil than chemistry. It's what one chooses to do with that knowledge that's the problem. Do they make bombs or poisons or do they put their knowledge to making medicine and useful materials that ultimately benefit everyone? Likewise, so too is manipulation and persuasion nothing more than a tool that can be used for either ill or good and is determined by the person using it. Many "great" leaders have manipulated their followers as had many "bad" leaders. Just think back to any conflict and you'll notice that some amount of manipulation tends to occur on both sides, yet one is usually considered "good" while the other is not.

[@manrightchea]

@@beskamir5977 That's honestly not the case. A good leader inspires, they don't manipulate. Manipulation is what a bad leader or a deceptive leader does. Good leaders inspire others to make that sacrifice. Of course "good" depends on the person. However I am going by the literal definition of what we as a society consider good. Granted few fall into that category I would imagine. I don't personally find any form of psychology truly beneficial to mankind. Beneficial to corporations, beneficial to manipulators and deceptive, predatory people sure. Psychologists are supposed to be people too however they don't mind undermining the very programming of humanity. To me it's an overall evil science. One of the only truly evil sciences I can think of outside of eugenics. Perhaps I could feel differently if psychology focused on bolstering humanity, but it often focuses on compromising humanity. Exploiting.That is what I consider the main difference between psychology and something like therapy. Psychiatry is much different from psychology. Psychology aims to map the code of human intellect, and honestly not for positive means oftentimes. That is why advertising agencies and predatory businesses such as the gaming and gambling industries employ these kind of people. That's my personal opinion, I understand if you feel differently but I've pretty much made my mind up.

[@beskamir5977]

@@manrightchea Inspiration _is_ manipulation. I recommend checking out research into motivation. That stuff's as manipulative as it gets and yet it's stuff that if used properly can greatly benefit us all. In fact a lot of it even points out how harmful we can be when we don't have a good understanding of psychology. For instance, extrinsic motivation (grades, money, gifts, etc) seem like an obvious choice for motivating people to do an activity. Yet using it removes a person's intrinsic motivation to do that activity. So if you don't know this, you might end up ruining a class of children by getting them read books for grades only to realize afterward that many that had read books before your course had stopped reading as soon as they graduated and were no longer being rewarded for reading. This is the danger of not understanding psychology. You can accidentally cause harm while thinking you were doing the right thing. Whether research in psychology is used to prevent accidental screw ups as I've just explained or used to harm people intentionally is entirely dependent on the person using that knowledge. Knowledge is never evil in and of itself, it's the people that wield it that chose whether they wish to be good or evil with it.

[@manrightchea]

@@beskamir5977 Motivation depends on the person's personal drive. Those students that saw a worthwhile growth, enjoyment or other benefit would continue to read regardless of whether they were forced to or not. That assumption assumes that the only reason said students were reading was for a grade, while not acknowledging that some people enjoy reading anyway regardless of direct reward or compensation. Inspiration is not the same as manipulation. One is driven by respect, the other is driven by inherent disrespect. Genuine inspiration with no ulterior motive is driven by an appreciation, something that requires respect. That is why a good leader inspires. Manipulation is driven by an inherent disrespect, a disregard for the person. Undermining their actual value or an actual truth for an ulterior motive. I'm not a believer that all information is inherently innocent or neutral. I do believe certain forms of information exist with no inherent benefit to anyone, information for which there is no positive use that could be interpreted. Like I said before eugenics is one of those fields. Much of this is based on interpretation and not fact. You and I simply have different interpretations. Application is what's going to determine how something is viewed. If psychology has mostly negative or exploitative application, it's unreasonable to expect vast majority of people to see such as innocent or good. That goes against common sense.

[@TillTheLightTakesUs]

I'm a teacher at secondary school. I'll now make the kids watch this video when I see they can benefit from it. Guess what, they don't even know English. I'll even translate you for them. I'm just sad I discovered it 1 year later.

[@jadedheartsz]

good for you.

[@tubeslorg]

Best. Jimquisition. Ever. It's time for every country on Earth to ban addiction mechanics in games, period.

[@keirbourne4589]

Dennis Redmond Ban them, no. In the same way gambling is not illegal. But they need to be regulated and restricted, and consumers need to be better informed.

[@Kniffel101]

@@keirbourne4589 No, banning them is completely alright, for all the reasons Jim stated above! Games should be games, not casino machines.

[@jamesloucka1952]

@@Kniffel101 you have to be very very careful about banning gambling mechanics. Else you inadvertently ban any game with chance mechanics. For instance loot games like Diablo, Warframe, or Path of Exile or random dropped loot in MMOs. So I would like any random chance mechanic in games to be completely separate from any microtransactions

[@Kniffel101]

@@jamesloucka1952 Something that's in-game and cannot be altered by throwing in real money is not the problem since it's _completely_ digital. Once money is involved it becomes a big problem. I for one would love to have the Game Corners back in the Pokémon games, for example. Since they're, again, not tied to real money whatsoever.

[@jamesloucka1952]

@@Kniffel101 I agree, but wording of a law is very important. If a law forbade just any randomized mechanic in video games that would be very dangerous for the overall health of games. I'm just saying the law should be written just with care and thought as to what exactly will be banned. I would forbid any form of randomized mechanic that is obtainable at all with microtransactions or any other form of currency direct or indirect. Also all purchases need to be in real dollar amounts not fun bucks money.

[@SuperLaluigi]

companies that try to justify Lootboxes are basically like casino companies and cigarette companies trying to justify itself at this point

[@thekyleprojekt7996]

Or any business. Why should food and water cost money? Businesses know you need it to survive and make profit off you not wanting to die. Such we regulate the grocery stores that they need to give their food away for free because they are preying on people's weaknesses?

[@lulz59]

LUL. Most of Water Suppliers are regulated in the case of natural monopolies, limiting their profit. Of course they would charge you infinite for water, and that's why it is regulated. The same for distribution in electricity. Groceries you don't need to do that, because you assume it is a competitive market, and it is reasonable to assume that in the absence of monopoly the price of groceries will be near their actual marginal cost. In the case of software, is actually an unregulated monopoly. They can put and vary the price as much as they want. That's actually why Google is being sued in EU for monopolistic behavior. You don't regulate everything. You regulate what you need to regulate, as in this case, lootboxes, cigarettes (for negative externalities) and gambling.

[@SylentVoidkeeper]

That Weird Kid From High School Strange that you’re so afraid of intervention from governing authorities in this issue. Lootboxes are basically gambling, you know. And so, they should be regulated, marked, and treated as such. That’s all that matters

[@johan13135]

@@SylentVoidkeeper He's coming out as such an extreme libertarian and anti-consumer in the comments section, it's nearly as he's trolling right now.

[@thekyleprojekt7996]

@@SylentVoidkeeper the funniest part is I'm not even a gamer anymore, except the odd pubg game here and there. Why? I educated myself that the practice they are doing is stupid and I don't like it so guess what, as a man of my word my Xbox has dust on it because i don't buy games anymore! Now if everyone else had the will power to do what I did, the industry would change over night. I HATE the idea of lootboxes, and I hate the practice, however I respect their right to do it. Just like the free speech debate, there are people I think say incredibly damaging things, however I still believe they should be allowed to speak. And a point you mentioned, "how else are you going to collect everything if you don't go whale mode on boxes" Again an education issue. Also another point that I use to drive that gamers are greedy and entitled, another reason I had to walk away from gaming. When you buy the game you are buying the chance to experience it. These cosmetics are extras, nowhere on the box does it say you will collect 100% of the items. If anything, I think this helps children. It teaches them a few lessons, 1, life is a roll of a dice and you get what you get, case closed. 2, just like in life you don't have the time or resources to do/get 100% of what you want in life, so be happy with what you do get" Damn ngl thought of that last paragraph while I was halfway through writing it, didn't even think of that point before. All this conversation is doing is making me think more about how ridiculous this is that laws are being made because people are whores for SKINS that do not change a game at all. I'm almost to the point of thinking if they make any laws regarding lootboxes, they should just ban all cosmetics in games completely, so everyone can stfu. But I don't like stifling a business

[@MrH-GB]

Torulf Jernstrom is one slimy, little man. He legit makes my skin crawl.

[@kohlrabe1709]

Yeah. I don't get why such people don't get targeted more.

[@wehavebiscuits]

Tbh I find him pretty handsome. Still a POS though.

[@nikolaj1316]

It should be illiegal!

[@LchanOtakudom]

Steve H He has that “punch me here” face, cocky little bastard.

[@doodman6870]

I can't believe this was made before Genshin impact, which as someone who has played it for a very long time in the past, has gone through almost all of the steps that the talk mentioned. It's coming to all of the platforms now. I miss the times when we could just be happy with minecraft, with the correct spending model of "pay once, and never again." It's the least manipulative of them all. I miss those days.

[@digitalspecter]

This is sickening. Can we please have a system that doesn't reward greedy psychopaths but those who actually do valuable things?

[@daedalusstray1121]

We do. It's usually dependent on ethical behavior though. The games industry has spent the last five years or so hiring only socio and psychopaths into high level positions and those people don't know what the word ethics means. We don't have much left but legislation to reel this predatory mentality in. It was an industry ruled by nerds who just wanted to make games. Now they've been ripped from the throne and only get to see the light of day when these monsters, called publishers, say they can. It's an industry no longer controlled by those who made it and the mission statement has been changed to, "Make Money". There's nothing wrong with making money. The problem games are the ones that manipulate people to make more money than they should. However there aren't many games that qualify as an exception to that now.

[@johnsmith3548]

@@daedalusstray1121 >There's nothing wrong with making money. Whenever you make "make money" your goal it always ends up with shit like this. This is exactly the reason why many protest against capitalism.

[@stayphrosty]

Marx wrote about the same problem, worth a read.

[@daedalusstray1121]

@@johnsmith3548 That's not at all true and there's a ton of small businesses owners or inventors or doctors, basically anybody who's worked hard to make the life they have, and you say they're just being greedy? They would all strongly disagree and plenty of them are the people who make you're life better every day. Wake up and go outside once in a while. Talk to some people who are of actual worth. Don't sit around talking ideology and actually see the world. You'll have a different opinion very quickly. Some do take advantage of others and that's the governments job to handle. Saying making money always leads to greed is spitting in the face of everyone who has ever tried to make a better life for themselves.

[@daedalusstray1121]

@@stayphrosty Yeah, because every other Marxist government system did so well.

[@KyletheScott]

I have been one of those people who said "you can just like not buy lootboxes"...I feel a bit disgusted with myself now...

[@xaosbob]

It's never too late to learn. :)

[@Leafia_Barrett]

It's an easy mindset to fall into without someone to explain why it's wrong. I've done the same before.

[@dowman5]

You live, you learn. That's all you can do. Keep in mind that three years ago when Overwatch fever was at its highest, Jim's own audience was very adamant that loot boxes were a good think, and it took Blizzard pushing a little too hard during the 2016 Olympic Summer Games to prove Jim right. By the time Star Wars Battlefront 2 came around, nobody was defending that garbage.

[@ChosenDean]

I honestly felt the same way, or fell into the "it's just cosmetic" mindset. To an extent I semi-agree with my past self, but I think loot boxes need to go, though I don't mind cosmetic style DLC I think.

[@DR3S1NGH]

I said that when AC Origins released, but now its a serious problem.

[@Berserker793]

This has totally changed my mind on in store purchases. I'm starting to remove games and un-wishlist games with in-game stores.

[@iwiffitthitotonacc4673]

Lootboxes has made me realize that IRL card packs should be regulated as well, many of my friends who have problems with lootboxes often substitute them with IRL card packs - same thrill.

[@blengdiabloed7335]

Back then I knew a guy who spent over 2k dollars over sharkcards in GTA Online. I told him, why did you buy it? we're playing in PS4/PS5 (I have a PS5 now) and he said "because a lot of tryhard griefers blow my cargo every time I wanna earn money" and I told him... what if I can help you IF you stop spending money on sharkcards and he said ok. I helped the guy out earn money on public sessions, giving him tricks and tips on how to sell his cargo without interferance of tryhards because apparently even he spent that much cash, he is still broke because he is an impulsive spender and I know that feeling. this is before I sold my account to someone else, but I added him on my new one and when Cayo Perico heist came around, I helped him do the stealth mission and what and what not to do on heist preps. ever since that day, he never spent any money ever again and starts focusing on grinding. he's a good friend of mine.

[@jaidev777]

"Why is everyone overreacting? It's just DLC." Then became, "It's just some mini-DLC." Then became, "It's just pay-to-win microtransactions in f2p games." Then became, "It's just cosmetic microtransactions in buy to play games." Then became, "It's just cosmetic lootboxes in buy to play games." Then became, "It's just cosmetic lootboxes in buy to play games with its content/accessibility re-allocated between preordering and multiple more expensive game editions." What's the big deal? You're only giving them an inch each time.

[@turtleanton6539]

Right on the money

[@mkohanek]

Well done

[@xShadowWolf17x]

@Abe Cedeefgee it's really pathetic how you're defending this fucking scummy shit.

[@Kim-tr5op]

the frog and the pot allegory

[@michaelw4861]

Then became "surprise mechanics"

[@titaniumteddybear]

You're a journalist. Like, a real one. You know that, right? You've earned it

[@In.New.York.I.Milly.Rock.]

Whoa, no need to call him names

[@Sorrelhas]

Easy on the J-word, man

[@HalseyHFW]

Achievement Earned! You're a Journalist! Head over to the Player Store to get your reward!

[@titaniumteddybear]

No, see. I've actually worked with REAL journalists. Like, ones who risked their actual lives fighting Apartheid and stuff. I use the term with the respect it deserves. I just don't use it very often :p

[@StrazdasLT]

@@titaniumteddybear you worked with unicorns? whats next you are going to tell me your friends with bigfoot?

[@julioagua]

OMG, watching that Jernstrom guy is like watching Satan trying a new career on videogames....

[@ebonshade]

If there is a hell, I hope this guy gets his own private level.

[@Psycorde]

These things are useful to know to any game developer, actually. You can use it to avoid being a scumbag with your monetization model, for example. It gives an insight into how players think. Although we all know that most will use this information without any regard for negative consequences. But the thing is, all he said is actually true.

[@toanoradian]

Reading up blogs or websites about how to monetize games, the various ways to hook players, and how to tell how much you earn is like reading a conman's guide to getting money. If you play games for the fun and technical challenge, it will sap your soul.

[@ebonshade]

@@Psycorde Doesn't make the guy any less of a scumbag

[@Psycorde]

@@ebonshade I suppose so

[@lowtech42]

"It's not about need, it's about greed." Thank you for the fire and fury of this video Jim 👏🏿 So well constructed and properly centers the vulnerable and disadvantaged. There is NOT ENOUGH of this kind of commentary online. TGFY