I pulled a few quick examples (they’re from YouTube, Reddit, Netflix, and TikTok), but I know there are others I’m not aware of or can’t think of. Repeatedly, social and content platforms will introduce this very out-of-left-field “games” section filled with mostly slop-tier browser games. I don’t understand why. Is there really an audience for this, or is it just something that tech companies wind up doing because they’re fun to build and the SWEs managed to trick management into it? What’s the endgame?
The only reasoning I can think of is (a) children are into it somehow, or (b) management has zero understanding of gaming and thinks they can become Steam by adding flappy bird clones.
Sounds like attempts to further drive engagement - every second you spend on a platform matters for them, as it gives them more time to show you ads and earn money. Its not enough to manipulate via algorithms designed to invoke an emotional response in you, now its time to trick you into staying longer by progressing in games, getting coins, achievements or other shiny stuff.
yup, even rideshares are doing this with “octopus” tablets.
I don’t go to bars but I vaguely remember seeing bar-top digital games at some point too.
I can’t remember when this was, I just remember being flabbergasted that someone might pay to play a bejeweled knockoff or something.
i played a few of these bartops. they were intentionally very hard for short playtimes, and were a bit too expensive too play a lot. it kinda seemed like it was there to get money very few times out of very few people.
as a huge nerd who plays games at bars, the bartops were not good, heh. barcades and pinball halls are much more fun.
The ones on Netflix are premium games without ads.