The elements of Videogambling Experience

La Salle Bonanova April 2013

Technology Ethics

gambling, playing, surfing…

What are their needs or goals behind them?

pleasure, fun, challenge, learning, communication, status, etc.

+

Let me introduce you to…

THE VIDEOGAMBLING MACHINE!

How can we understand videogambling?

I am going to give you a lot of control…

How does a relationship

start?

videogambling is seduction

=

+ Disney princess

Pamela Anderson

Fortunes of Ra Gypsy Moon Time Machine Gold Fish Viva las Vegas Caribbean Reef Triple Chance Mayan Magic Sirenas Hot Sevan Texas Bingo Duendes

Zozzle Jolly Roger Lucky Lady’s Charm Doctor Cash Moto Money Hot Wild Princess of the Amazonas Circus Dragons El Tesoro de Java Super 7 Reels Casino Loco

Bingo Fire Perla del Caribe Seven & Stripes Super Slots Private Eye Cleopatra Party Games En busca del Tesoro Magic Sphinx El golpe del Siglo Lucky player Mysterion Ruleta

Tension and release

And you are going to get a lot money!

‘…is what was Rome to the pilgrim’ Robert Venturi, architect

missinformation? dark patterns?

….keep cleaning! playing!

videogambling is deception

darkpattern#1 Easy in, difficult out

darkpattern#2 the Jackpot is always rising

Proportional Jackpot

Community Jackpot

Losses Disguised As Win

darkpattern#3 Near-Misses: almost winning?

“Interior Design? The Best!” Friedman, Architecht

videogambling is the grey zone

“the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

Is videogambling ‘flow’? Csikszentmihalyi

Once in the zone, gambling addicts play not to win but simply to keep playing.

darkpattern#4 Auto-play Button

“My body was there, outside the machine”

Is it any useful to know the math?

Different players,

different Math

darkpattern#5 credits are not money (!)

End of the Relationship

THE END

Natascha Schull’s Comparison

design asymmetry

design asymmetry

Designer wants from Users

User needs (?) from VG

Escape Reality: no-Time win-Money

Longer play Tougher play Loyal play = Entertainment win-Money

= User is promised from VG

beat the commercial rival

Best User Research In Town!

K.O.

in technology design & emotions… awareness

References

THANK YOU

darkpatterns.org marcmiquel.com

In case you want to know more - Natasha Dow Schüll. “Addiction By Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas” (2012) - Jesse James Garett. “The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the

Web” (2003). - Bill Friedman “Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition. The Friedman International

Standards of Casino Design™” (2000). - Donald A. Norman "Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things“ (2005). - L.Clark, A.J. Lawrence, F.A.-Jones and N.Gray. “Gambling Near-Misses Enhance Motivation

to Gamble and Recruit Win-Related Brain Circuitry”. University of Cambridge (2008). - Robert Venturi “Learning from Las Vegas” (1977). - George Lakoff “Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things” (1990). - K.A.Harrigan, K. Collins, M. J. Dixon “Addictive Gameplay: What Casual Game Designers Can Learn from Slot Machine Research” (2010). - J. Parke, M. Griffiths “The Psychology of the Fruit Machine: The Role of Structural Characteristics (Revisited) (2005) - J. Spenwyn, D.J.K. Barrett, M.D. Griffiths. “The role of Light and Music in gambling Behaviour: An Empirical Pilot Study” (2009). - Candice Jensen. Winning While Losing. University of Waterloo (2011). - Gary Loveman. “Diamonds in the Data Mine” (2003)

Questions to think about…

• Should I tell what I am doing with user information as a designer?

• Am I responsible for the unexpected uses of my designs?

• Are honest the brands we like?