Making Complexity Measurable in Practice: A Formal Analysis of Gamble-Play media
Over the past decade, videogames have become increasingly gambling-like in their design. Scientific and regulatory attempts to unravel such design seem particularly oriented towards the effects and regulatory treatment of paid-for loot boxes, favoring either measurability or complexity. Departing fr...
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Published in | Games and culture Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 695 - 721 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article Web Resource |
Language | English |
Published |
Los Angeles, CA
SAGE Publications
01.09.2024
SAGE Publications Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Over the past decade, videogames have become increasingly gambling-like in their design. Scientific and regulatory attempts to unravel such design seem particularly oriented towards the effects and regulatory treatment of paid-for loot boxes, favoring either measurability or complexity. Departing from gamble-play theory, this paper, therefore, attempts to make complexity measurable in practice. We conduct a formal analysis of 20 videogames that include loot boxes, social casino games, optional gambling-themed activities and token wagering by identifying and mapping interactions between their features. Having uncovered 51 features across 11 categories, we then reinterpret previously established notions of gambling. In doing so, we aim to contribute to a future-proof understanding of gambling in videogames. |
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Bibliography: | scopus-id:2-s2.0-85162941679 |
ISSN: | 1555-4120 1555-4139 1555-4139 |
DOI: | 10.1177/15554120231175615 |