The Project Horseshoe research group presented a report on the ethical side of video game monetization. The researchers have prepared a set of recommendations, following which developers will be able to make money on users without tricks and deception.
According to the authors of the report, currently many developers and publishers are ready to deceive players or manipulate their behavior, just to force them to spend more money in the game.
Project Horseshoe believes that this state of affairs harms all participants in the gaming business.
“We know the habits and hobbies of our players, but we should not abuse them for profit,” the study says.
The “Golden Code” of ethical monetization rules:
- the player should not regret the purchase – make sure that the cost of the game or item meets the expectations and efforts invested;
- Don’t lie to your players-don’t try to outsmart them by forcing them to buy in-game items that they don’t really need.;
- If you want to change something in the game mechanics, do not hide it from the players and explain the reasons to them;
- do not break the promises made to the players – this may relate to the release date, the exchange rate of the game currency and other aspects;
- respect the time that players spend on your title.
The report also analyzes the general monetization strategies used in the industry today and points out the ethical consequences that each strategy can have on the player.
For example, it is ethical for the creators of free-play games to inform players in advance about the possibility and cost of in-game purchases.
As for the loot boxes that have generated a lot of discussions, the authors point out that the mechanics of loot boxes as such can add to the game’s fascination. An unethical act for a developer would be to try to hide the true value of an item from a gamer and force him to spend money to get what he doesn’t really need.
The report was written by a group of representatives of the video game industry, including employees of companies such as Electronic Arts, Firaxis and ArenaNet.
Project Horseshoe is a scientific group of representatives of the video game industry who study the problems of modern game design.
The “golden rules” of ethical monetization of video games appeared a few months after the international scandal surrounding the online shooter Star Wars Battlefront 2 by EA, whose publisher was accused of abusing the mechanics of loot boxes for additional monetization of the game worth $ 60.
Then the controversy spread to the very phenomenon of loot boxes. The authorities of a number of countries have launched investigations to determine whether it is possible to recognize loot boxes and similar monetization mechanics as a type of gambling and regulate them in accordance with gambling legislation.
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