Dark Patterns!

A dark pattern is “a type of user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick users into doing things against their best interest” (Brignull, 2010). It is set in place to use human psychology into tricking people to using real money to purchase something or to create a recurring bill for the user. If a game has a dark pattern it does not mean it’s a bad game, it means that the creator designed a game that influences players to use real money to either create an advantage for themself or continuing the story. Bad games are things with reoccurring errors, lazy programming and all-around bad gameplay, graphics and any other aspect of the game.

Figure 1 - Creating Dark Patterns

So why do designers create these dark patterns, why would they join the “dark side” and intentionally create scenarios where players need to pay money to play a game? The answer is based on a receipt of a few things. The creator needs to be in an aggressive environment, they need to be in competition and they would need to create higher profit from the game. There would have to be a huge emphasis on metrics and it would also need social proof, people would need to accept that what they are doing is adequate for them. Another factor a designer needs to take a look at is creating an easy in and difficult out situation. This is where it is easy to get into the paying option but very difficult to get out of the payment option. An example of this is allowing people to pay for a service for life and say that you have 24 hour customer service but when the customer wants to opt out they must instead call an insurance company. So instead of 24 hour service the customer would get Monday – Friday from 8am to 4pm. This is a great way to make people stay on the program because if a person calls on a Friday night they must wait at least 2 full days before they can call again, this might encourage them to give up or forget about discontinuing the services. 

Figure 2 - 24 Hour Service does not always mean around the clock help!

If a designer wanted to create a dark pattern he/she would have to consider player expectations. Players will not pay for something they do not care about. The designer must first create an appeal that attracts a large target audience. Then they must create a hook, something that continuously draws players back to continue to play. Once these factors are acknowledged by the player the dark pattern can be instituted and players are forced into paying for something because they are already committed to the game. 

Figure 3 - Expectations

Game designers must also take into consideration what types of experiences the player will receive from the game. Dark patterns are usually seen in social games, this is because player experience is linked with other people, such as friends and family. If their friends are purchasing stuff to make their social game better than yours, then you would have to purchase things in order to keep up. The game becomes more of a competition and players do not even realize that they are caught in a dark pattern.

Figure 4 - Social Games

Questions to Consider

Should video game designers have a set of code of ethics?

What would make you play a game that makes pay to play?

References

http://darkpatterns.org/

Figure 1 - http://d.alistapart.com/_made/d/ALA338_darkpatterns_300_960_407_60.jpg

Figure 2 -  http://www.norwoodcanada.com/images/pages/about_24_hour/24_hour_logo_big.png

Figure 3 - https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdV-Yz68qQ9YpnyJp40BM81nyG86rbnp4_SbHj0tEDbdIQVcBPnw

Figure 4 - http://www.insidesocialgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Social-City.jpg