

The Facebook Gaming Phenomenon and the Morality of Social Gaming Mechanics - dgallagher
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6284524.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=topstory&tag=topstory%3Bmore

======
ConceptDog
Microtransactions have been around since 1887 with the invention of the first
slot machine. Social Games are the distilling of the same motivation slot
machine players have when they almost hit a jackpot. They focus on the exact
moment a player feels compelled to reach for their credit card, then exploit
it.

Traditional game developers feel like they're taking the high road by
lambasting social developers, when in reality all those developers are doing
is fusing the two together.

It's understandable tho that developers who make games out of passion for the
medium feel disgrunthed by social game makers with budgets similar to indy
games making multiple millions of reoccuring dollars.

Ultimately, this is the same as any other hardcore vs casual gaming debate. If
people enjoy them, they'll pay. If people don't enjoy them, they'll go away.

------
endlessvoid94
He lost me when he started talking about alcohol sales as morally
questionable.

