Games console industry tries to adapt to rise of free-to-play titles | Financial Times
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Sony slashes its PlayStation 5 prices in attempt to grapple with changing player tastes

Games console industry tries to adapt to rise of free-to-play titles

Virtual goods such as Fortnite weapons and subscription services such as Microsoft’s Game Pass have become as important to the console industry as its traditional money spinner of high-priced standalone games, marking a turning point for the $60bn business.

Console players are set to splash out $21bn on in-game items and subscription services this year — about the same as they will spend on game downloads and discs, according to research group Ampere Analysis.

Such expenditure has risen sharply since the popular free title Fortnite debuted in 2017. Gamers that year spent three times more on console software than on subscriptions and virtual items.

…

“If players continue to gravitate to free games, such as Fortnite, that do not require the latest hardware, Sony will find it more difficult to sell its PS5 to all but the most dedicated of players, some analysts have argued.”

Archived version of the article: https://archive.vn/032BW#selection-2369.103-2373.159

  • jackfrost@lemm.eeEnglish
    22·
    1 year ago

    I’m saddened by the phenomenon because there’s plenty of evidence that the audiences for these most of these games hate the experience, but they can’t stop playing because they’ve become victims of predatory psychological tactics designed to keep them addicted and their wallets wide open. These publishers and studios literally hire psychologists who specialize in generating this addiction, using models optimized to prey on their own users as much as humanly possible. It’s sickening. The sports games are especially shameless about this. Ruining people’s finances and their core sense of financial responsibility to fatten their pockets. I don’t know how they sleep at night. Sociopaths, the lot of them.

    • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.worldEnglish
      28·
      1 year ago

      Proof or ban.

      Cite something. If you are going to make outrageous claims like this at least drop an article

      • jackfrost@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I’m sorry, I don’t follow. What did I say that would be considered an outrageous claim?

            • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.worldEnglish
              16·
              1 year ago

              So nothing backing up your claim. 1 lawyer claimed psychologist had been hired but with zero proof. I think you are taking rumors and running with them.

              Psychs don’t have anything specific to add to gambling. Gambling is easy enough to replicate without any special traits psychs could add.

              Try to refrain from calling into disrepute the psychological profession. It’s bad enough without this shit

              • jackfrost@lemm.eeEnglish
                41·
                1 year ago

                This is such an absurd distortion of the evidence I have provided that you surely have a vested interest in trying to gaslight people about a standard business operation.

                Spoiler: The gaslighting isn’t working. That was actually pretty embarrassing.

                • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  15·
                  1 year ago

                  Fuck are you on about. Is gaslighting when you can’t back up your claims so you spout nonsense.

                  Neither of your claims example 1 nor 2 show psychologist have been employed.

                  Example 2 is a statement from a lawyer claiming they have been used. That’s the same as you saying psychologist have been used. It’s a rumour at best it’s slander at worst. Hop off