How free games are designed to make money

"Freemium" games can end up gaming gamers.

The "freemium" business model allows us to use an app for free with the option to purchase additional features. In the case of games, that model can fundamentally alter the user experience, from gaming to getting gamed.

By collecting troves of data on how users play their games, developers have mastered the science of applied addiction. And with the rise of "freemium" games that rely on micro-transactions, they have good reason to deploy the tools of behavioral psychology to inspire purchases.

In the video above, I spoke to Jamie Madigan, author of a blog, podcast, and book about the psychology of video games. We take a look at some of the mind tricks that some of these games use to convert players into payers.

[kovicxu]

ive never paid real money for virtual money...

[vishrutsharma]

I don't buy items in game...but I'm ready to buy a game without in-app purchases

[itanmayi]

Nowadays, YouTube is more aggressive in making us buy it's premium than these games

[theblackcatchannel]

There's also those games which have about 5 ads every 2 minutes.

[Lerkero]

I just want to pay to play the full game. I'm one of the people that avoids mobile gaming because of in-app purchases.

[AznSupaStar]

South Park did an episode of this: freemium games make most of their money from a small group of addicted players

[iamsorrybut]

And then there are people who jailbreak or root their device to make in-app purchases free

[anonymous]

What if you could pay virtual money to buy real money

[casandbagger]

the thing about a lot of freemium games are pretty crap, the more you spend, the "better" you are. All the top clashofclans gamers spent a lot of money on the game to be on the top.

[YACABE]

Yeah. I don't mind waiting a month for my town hall upgrade in clash of clans.

[cattatuie]

Am I the only one who feels dissatisfied when I spend money on something in a game that can be earned.

[TheRedEngineer]

That incense costs $0.73 btw :)



Rounded up from $0.7258

[sagittarius]

What about watching an ad to get something in a game? Almost everyone does that

[AdamYarris]

You never talked about the developers selling your information to other corporations for money.

[adolforoman]

As a game developer, I have to say that freemium games are killing video games. Let me explain: yes they make boatloads of money, but the creativity and game design behind 99% of freemium games is not deep, not deep at all. Its all based first and foremost (because the games are free) on how can they make the players suffer in order to get them to pay up. Then comes the creativity. So it will always be creativity second or third and profits first. It should be gamedesign/creativity first and then profits. Just my two cents.

[a_yan]

The game : " Pay $4.99 to remove ads "


Me : *Switches off the Internet*


The game :

[rcinus_orca]

30 Second unskippable AD... I just made you 30 cents

[LampCamper]

That movement when you have played so many free games and have not spent a single penny on them

[codymondeel]

1:49
The answer is 73 cents
(Note: I rounded the results)

[AndersODavidsen]

0:17 - Android on an iPhone *triggered*