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Exploitative Patternsin Games

FOMO

Also: fear of missing out, fading opportunities

Manufactured fear of missing out, used to shortcut deliberation through scarcity and urgency.

Limited-time banners, expiring bundles, and countdowns manufacture urgency that pressures impulsive action. As a decision-point tactic it is especially risky for minors and when offers are triggered by behavioural data at moments of heightened susceptibility.

See also

References

  1. Petrovskaya, E.; Zendle, D. (2022). Predatory monetisation? A categorisation of unfair, misleading and aggressive monetisation techniques in digital games from the player perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04970-6 · citing patterns
  2. Sousa, C.; Oliveira, A. F. (2023). The dark side of fun: Understanding dark patterns and literacy needs in early childhood mobile gaming. Proceedings of the European Conference on Games Based Learning. doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1656 · citing patterns