It’s about the most digestible Source on the Topic. I link plenty of Articles with Published Papers on the topic, but I’ll be surprised if anyone reads them.
You sound like a real humanitarian…
There’s a line between responsibility and disease. This isn’t about healthy individuals, it’s about true addicts and the video game industry’s, including GBX’s, relationship with them.
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When you make a thread, don’t include 8 links for backround information. Provide the information in the thread and don’t make the people who want to read it spend 30 minutes researching it before hand.
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Exactly! Recreational activities! Whoo!..(disclaimer. I usually avoid heroin dealers on account of the heroin.)
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Also, while I agree that there is some shady stuff going on regarding this in the gaming business, this is not it.
This rant would be much better directed towards games which sell RNG loot boxes and the like for real money.
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Would you believe someone who just posted “There’s a way of hacking the human mind to drive a behavior you desire” without citing Sources?
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This Rant wouldn’t change their minds. I still have enough hope that GBX doesn’t want to engage in that kind of business model to hope to sway their minds.
As stated in the original Post, there’s a simple act of good faith on their part:
I would believe it if you just briefly explained conditioned behavior. Maybe a couple of links but 8 is excessive.
Any way, this thread is going a way I don’t like it. Rant in the OP and too many people against him usually devolves into harsh language and uncivil behavior. I’ve given my opinions here and I trust others in these forums.
https://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/uploads/short-url/whhZRQLCqwMordKknXLyaPRXutw.gif
(I get to use this twice in one day, yeah me!)
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Recreational indeed.
Addiction, as a disease, is not the same as “Oh this game is so fun I’m addicted. LULZ!”
And until you’ve seen a family member, friend, or other loved one’s life fall apart from video game addiction, you might not know how serious that disease can be.
But game companies have a choice as to whether they want to support the edifices that exploit that disease, or move boldly in a better direction.
If you want them to remove microtransactions, you might actually have take that one up with 2K. There are 2K forums too, and I doubt their employees spend much time here.
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If we would base our decisions and businesses in this world about “those few” - we would not be able to do anything. Because someone might get hurt or addicted or die or smth like that. People are so different and they can get addicted even to eating a sand. So then what? Lets transport all the sand to Mars and be done with it? Because ONE person got addicted. That evil devilish sand, bad bad boy.
We all play games for fun and when it’s addicting it’s even more fun, if game developers can create a game that’s addicting and fun - kudos to them, they have done a good job with their creation.
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If GBX is fine with micro-transactions in their game, that’s their call. I’m simply here to raise awareness to them. It’s up to them to either stand up to a Publisher, who doesn’t have their back anyway, or not.
wait, wait; TAKE ME WITH YOU!!
…
Sighs… Fine, i’ll take the bus…
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The thing is, they most likely don’t have much of any say on this stuff.
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That’s a reductionist statement.
The point isn’t “oh if they could ever get addicted it’s bad.”
The point is to avoid behaviors that exploit addiction in an outsized way.
Your argument is like the old straw man “So what if alcohol is addictive? Should we close all the bars?!”
No one is saying that. But should you close a bar that continues to serve people too drunk to stand? Probably, at least until they change their policy on it.
Micro-transactions in the video game industry are fine, other common critiques not with-standing.
But specifically micro-transactions that exploit the Compulsion Loop are dangerous. That’s the point.
Then the least they can do is point that out to separate their reputation from 2k’s.
I have a full borderlands sleeve (work in progress) and don’t do much else besides work and battleborn. Addiction confirmed.
Probably my genetics and upbringing. Not gearbox’s fault though.
That’s not addiction.
Addiction is when you stop working to play a video game. Addiction is when you become angry with yourself and others when you can’t play said video game. Addiction is when your life starts to fall apart, but rather than do anything about, you play more of the game to soothe yourself.
What you’re describing is being a fan. That’s not addiction.
If you’ve never been to an AA meeting, I recommend attending at least one. Talk to some addicts, learn about what addiction has done to their lives. It can be a very eye opening experience.
Alrighty. You know more about my life than me I guess. Have a good day.