The article discusses how successful mobile games and apps, like Clash of Clans and Tinder, employ psychological techniques reminiscent of gambling to extract money from users. These methods include time-gating, variable reward schedules, and the sunk cost fallacy. The increasing scrutiny and legal challenges faced by companies, including Match Group, reveal the manipulative nature of these designs. As awareness of these dark patterns rises, regulations are beginning to emerge, particularly in markets like India, where such practices could soon be illegal, leading to potential consequences for those who exploit them.
Take gacha games, a genre that's exploded in popularity. Named after Japanese toy vending machines, these games have players spend real money for randomized rewards.
Match Group's legal troubles highlight an uncomfortable truth about the industry: many of these techniques aren't just psychologically manipulative, they may be legally actionable.
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