I remember a time where I was playing a phone game to get some sleep (the mindless stimulation works for my brain, which has hyperactivity issues). There were time-limited events that gave bonuses for completion. One of the things I distinctly remember was that there were teams you could join, followed by team vs team competition for rewards at the end of the week. Competitive teams then had minimum floors of activity... It became like a job to keep track of your own contribution for... for... some bonuses at the end of the week? I remember becoming disappointed/unhappy that the game was asking more from me than I wanted to give (10-30 min of playing before being calm enough to sleep) and quitting. Now I only play phone games without a team/online component, like the stupid merge games or bubble games.
I grow concerned with the increase in addiction research among technology companies. The language is disguised as user retention, engagement, social, gamification, etc.
I do not have a solution to this problem and it is a problem that I myself would contribute to if I was trying to design an app that people would use. Greater addiction mechanisms trend toward wider market adoption which leads to a higher value for shareholders. The current system of incentives to a company makes this focus inevitable.
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. If the game has a timer anywhere, it's a deliberate habit-forming design. They're spaced reward schedules intended to make you come back.
The job-like feeling is real. Before they even realize it, people start organizing their own schedules around some stupid phone game. Setting alarms to wake up at 3 AM because that's when the timer resets and they can play again.
