Board Thread:Game Discussion/@comment-4447919-20130917200746/@comment-13248161-20130918135625

DoctorCrosby wrote: Ive said this before, but this game is run like a casino. Instead of just charging a reasonable amount in the first place, they have players gambling on cards for INSANE amounts of cash. From what I understand, people are spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars on this game. They're model is based on convincing players they will be happier if they just get an expensive card, and then they exact the price over and over again. Quoted for truth. I'll add that the game - heck, most if not all Mobage games - is explicitly designed to play on human psychological weaknesses. Tease you with just enough free stuff to get you hooked, then suck you in to spending more and more money. Random odds that never guarantee a return of what you want, playing on peoples' tendencies to believe they're "due" after a run of rotten luck. Tricks like hyping "40x ultra rare base rate!" which in the fine print means a measly 1.0%. Showing "discounted" prices to make people think they're getting a deal. Players "win" only to see their rewards immediately devalued.

I genuinely do not understand why otherwise rational people let themselves be drawn in by this model, even after it's explained to them. Players spent big for UR5 Megatron, and he's already outpaced by two new cards. UR5 Optimus himself has a lower stat total than Snarl. Snarl for pete's sake. He's not even supposed to be the top Dinobot, and now he's the top card in the entire game.

Caveat emptor, I guess. Y'all know the scam by now. I'm just a freebie talking.