Angryjoe's 2k take.

[Kid OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kstat

“This isn’t a think of the children issue.” “It’s a grooming process! Think of the children!” ...you realize people gamble on actual NBA basketball, right? That’s a thing that happens. And they do it with real money. The NBA allows it, profits off of it, and the nba also promotes itself heavily to kids. If you were in any way serious about your hysteria, you’d boycott the NBA altogether. Not just 2K, but the entire league and all of its products. But since you’re here right now, I’m guessing that’s not going to happen. “Depressed souls.” I don’t even have a comment here. That’s just a thing you said.

Who said I'm boycotting NBA2K? Heck, I just bought Madden for the first time in 3 years. Doesn't mean I'm gonna ignore the psychological warfare that is going on inside of these games. All I can do is warn people of the potential dangers. It's no different from getting married yet still understanding the potential consequences of the legal arrangement. I personally have the ability to live within the gray area and still recognize the black and white spectrum.

[Kid OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kstat

Yes, their agenda of giving away free stuff to incentivize people to spend more time playing the game, so they can get more free stuff, while charging no extra cash whatsoever in the process. Utterly diabolical.

If your estimate turns out to be correct, I will give you all the kudos you deserve. But, in my heart, I have no belief in your example being the true embodiment of what the "slot machine" entails.

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kid OS

Had to dip cause I was on break. But my point still remains. Anyone who thinks Take Two didnt deliberately design this "game" to replicate gambling is 100% wrong. People's arguement of "it's not gambling because you're not spending money" is honestly valid, but it ignores the fact that gambling doesn't have to involve money at all. Gambling involves things of value. You do "this" for a randomized chance to get "that". In 2K's case, "this" is going to involve some sort of token or currency system, and anyone who thinks otherwise was born tomorrow. If this "game" was truly free and randomized, 2K would just give you a random gift at the end of each basketball game. There would be no slot machines or roulette wheels to play. It would truly be random. Unfortunately, that's not what Take Two is doing. Take Two is exploiting addictive personalities and normalizing this behavior. Their agenda is working.

That's literally what they're doing...

Doesn't the Spin the Wheel in the Park do the exact same thing?

[Kstat]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kid OS

If your estimate turns out to be correct, I will give you all the kudos you deserve. But, in my heart, I have no belief in your example being the true embodiment of what the "slot machine" entails.

I spent no actual money outside of what I purchased 2K19 for. I played the prize wheel every day, even days when I didn’t have time to get an actual game in. All 2K asked of me was that I turn the game on once a day. That’s it. I earned so much VC I never at any point had to spend/risk another dime on anything.

The absolute worst thing you can say about 2K is that it’s riddled with microtransactions, but that’s not the same as loot boxes/gambling. If anything, these minigames are rewards for dedicated players that devote their time into grinding at whatever mode. The game makes sure that if you take advantage of all the free stuff, you’ll be taken care of. The people shelling out the cash are the ones that don’t want to put the time in and still want all the extra stuff without grinding for it.

[Kid OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kstat

I played the prize wheel every day, even days when I didn’t have time to get an actual game in. All 2K asked of me was that I turn the game on once a day. That’s it.

See, this is where we agree to disagree due to different definitions of gambling. To me, this is textbook grooming. They were able to get you to turn on the game once a day for the chance of getting a prize. Some may see this as harmless, and in all honesty, it mostly is, but I see it as a red flag, and a sneaky way of hiding their ulterior motives. I understand your POV though and would actually agree with you if this convo happened in 2015ish, back when VC was fresh and "cool" to me.

[Kstat]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kid OS

See, this is where we agree to disagree due to different definitions of gambling. To me, this is textbook grooming. They were able to get you to turn on the game once a day for the chance of getting a prize. Some may see this as harmless, and in all honesty, it mostly is, but I see it as a red flag, and a sneaky way of hiding their ulterior motives. I understand your POV though and would actually agree with you if this convo happened in 2015ish, back when VC was fresh and "cool" to me.

It wasn’t a “chance” at a prize, it was a prize. Some days it wasn’t a very good or even a useful one, but more often than not it was something good, and later on it became major prizes. There’s no “you get nothing at all” prize on the wheel.

It’s a gimmick for players’ attention in a very crowded gaming market, and it’s a good one. The more often you log in to a game, even if it’s just for a minute, the less likely you are to quit the game and move on to something else. 2K19 got a lot more of my time than 2K18 did, because it offered more value in exchange for it. There’s nothing “addictive” about that, it’s just good business.

Every form of entertainment tries to be addictive. Every single one. It’s a business. There’s nothing immoral about trying to get your customers back in the store as frequently as possible.

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kstat

It wasn’t a “chance” at a prize, it was a prize. Some days it wasn’t a very good or even a useful one, but more often than not it was something good, and later on it became major prizes. There’s no “you get nothing at all” prize on the wheel. It’s a gimmick for players’ attention in a very crowded gaming market, and it’s a good one. The more often you log in to a game, even if it’s just for a minute, the less likely you are to quit the game and move on to something else. Every form of entertainment tries to be addictive. Every single one. It’s a business. There’s nothing immoral about trying to get your customers back in the store as frequently as possible.

Exactly.

I'm already playing PNO almost on a daily basis, so it wasn't a big deal for me to jump into MyCareer to spin the wheel real quick.

[Kid OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kstat

It wasn’t a “chance” at a prize, it was a prize. Some days it wasn’t a very good or even a useful one, but more often than not it was something good, and later on it became major prizes. There’s no “you get nothing at all” prize on the wheel. It’s a gimmick for players’ attention in a very crowded gaming market, and it’s a good one. The more often you log in to a game, even if it’s just for a minute, the less likely you are to quit the game and move on to something else. 2K19 got a lot more of my time than 2K18 did, because it offered more value in exchange for it. There’s nothing “addictive” about that, it’s just good business. Every form of entertainment tries to be addictive. Every single one. It’s a business. There’s nothing immoral about trying to get your customers back in the store as frequently as possible.

Just because everyone does it, doesn't mean it's right.