grotoreaSep 2023Strongly recommends
Must see video for anyone interested in the topic, from someone explaining how to do these monetizations tactics: ▶ this video
in “The Casino in Your Pocket” · View on HN
Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play
Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play on HackerTube: recommended by 3 Hacker News commenters across 3 separate months, 2019–2026.
PocketGamerbiz
Open on YouTubetalk · evergreen
A 2016 conference talk by a mobile game CEO on the tricks of free-to-play monetization, including player profiles and how to target high-spending whales.
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN mostly cites it critically, as an insider's blunt playbook for psychologically exploiting players in F2P and loot box games.
- people recommended it
- 3
- separate months
- 3
- strong recommendations
- 2
- discussed on HN
- 2019–2026
“Must see video for anyone interested in the topic, from someone explaining how to do these monetizations tactics”
What HN commenters said
17 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
grotoreaSep 2023Strongly recommends
Reminds me of this must see video for anyone interested in the topic, from someone explaining how to do these monetizations tactics: ▶ this video Sometimes I wonder what is is about specifically mobile gaming that makes this sort of thing so much more prevalent. Like it is very far from absent from PC or consoles, but it's still a bit different.
in “The Casino in Your Pocket” · View on HN
layman51Feb 2025Recommends
Gamification as a field of study also reminds me a lot of this video[1] of a talk about tips for game developers. It is very interesting because it is from 2016 which is close to the time period you mentioned. I’m pretty sure this video has been shared on Hacker News a bunch. [1]: ▶ this video
in “Among top researchers 10% publish at unrealistic levels, analysis finds” · View on HN
jonathanycJul 2024Recommends
I’m not too familiar with gacha games, so I was intrigued. I thought the criticism of EA’s former CEO was funny. But the rest of the article felt like a lot of term-dropping and examples that aren't linked together into a cohesive theory, so I’m kind of disappointed. I think this industry talk about monetization ( ▶ this video ) and Tynan Sylvester’s book “Designing Games” were a lot more informative. For example, the blog post says this but then doesn't really elaborate on what any of the clauses mean ("repeatable design levers", "without compromising the core gameplay experience"): > A healthy long-term monetization system should therefore have repeatable design levers that can be used to reliably generate demand without compromising the core gameplay experience. In contrast "Designing Games" has a whole section on fixed/variable reward schedules, e.g. (pg. 210): > We can avoid such shelf moments by superimposing several fixed ratio schedules. Consider what happens when the player can get a dollar for every 10th chest, a diamond for every 10th rock mined, and an arrow for every 10th goblin killed. ... The player shifts focus back and forth between activities, never missing a dopamine-driven beat. I asked some friends who play gacha games and they mentioned “stamina” mechanics as something that makes these game addictive. I’d never heard of it before, but apparently you’re limited to perform X number of actions per day. You can purchase some additional stamina/actions, but this c
in “How Mihoyo's monetization works” · View on HN
constantcryingJan 2026Cites it
To be honst I think state run lotteries are a pretty good idea, if they would replace other forms of gambling, which apparently is becoming less and less true, especially with the rise of the completely under regulated prediction markets. Regarding the subject at hand, I think a very obvious and necessary first step is banning children from participation. Obviously this is easily circumventable, but at will at least be some form of harm reduction. I think another possibility as a first step is a forced limit on how much an account is allowed to spend in a given time, e.g. the company is only allowed to add digital goods not exceeding X euros to the owners account, together with restrictions on how these items are traded, this will make whaling impossible, which is apparently the most important demographic for developers. [ ▶ this video ]
in “Italy investigates Activision Blizzard for pushing in-game purchases” · View on HN
lozengeSep 2019Cites it
That isn't generational, it is part of your personality though. You just described two of the four player profiles in this talk on monetizing games: ▶ this video
in “Ban kids from loot box gambling in games” · View on HN
Show 11 more comments
redbellNov 2025Critical
These patterns do really take away the feeling of joy, fun and sense of accomplishment of playing games and replace them with pain, stress, fear and probably, every negative feeling you might think of. It's sad to witness the tragic shift from "pay to play" to "pay to win". You might be interested to watch this video entitled Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play : ▶ this video , which has been referenced by many YouTube analysis, and for good reason. Also, this paper was a nice read for me: Predatory monetization schemes in video games and internet gaming disorder ( [link] )
in “Dark Pattern Games” · View on HN
redbellOct 2025Critical
> These types of purchases are common in mobile game revenue models where the base game is ‘free-to- play’, but the player is encouraged to spend money to make unimpeded progress in the game I miss the old 90's days at the arcade where we were stacked horizontally in a queue waiting for our turn, holding coins in our hands. We've been forced to trade the "pay to play" purity of skill and community for the predatory economics of "pay to win." This evolution is well-explained in this video ( ▶ this video ), entitled "Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetizing mobile game players with free-to-play." which has been cited in countless YouTube analyses, and for good reason . It perfectly captures the sad reality of modern gaming culture and how deeply monetization has replaced passion.
in “Predatory monetization schemes in video games and internet gaming disorder” · View on HN
HammershaftSep 2023Critical
> All the "ethical problems" usually are just older (usually) men in IT not understanding that people want to pay money to have fun. Fucking absurd, to be frank. Watch a GDC talk on growing mobile F2P revenue and you will be exposed to a slew of deceptive methods for psychologically manipulating players (who are often kids) into addictive spending habits, often literally through gambling mechanisms. ▶ this video
in “Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max” · View on HN
rng_civJan 2023Critical
> Only bit I disagree with is that the big spenders are doing it purely because of addiction or gambling. People spend big in games because: * The spending is very stimulating visually and audibly (think lootbox openings) * The gains from their spending translates directly to game-social prestige, game power, or both (i.e. an Advantage) * This Advantage allows them to lord over the players who have spent less (or 0 in the case for F2P players) Whether that manifests into addiction depends entirely on the rest of the game's design (but you know, games that introduce the Advantage tend to want to make a lot of money by getting you hooked on spending...) > Second, games provide a sense of community. A lot of game revenue is monetizing people's desire to not be alone. Calling these players addicted is I think reductive. Yes, these games do provide a sense of community because they are purposefully designed to do so. Without an incentive to play while getting lorded over by whales, the fish will leave. Without a bunch of fish to lord over, the whales will leave. Again, this depends on the game's design, but the vast majority of them encourage addiction to the Advantage and its use against others. Maybe you can extend this analysis to IRL stuff. I don't know because I don't participate in any of it. Source: [Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play]( ▶ this video )
in “Ask HN: Why do games (as media) make so much money?” · View on HN
xphxNov 2022Critical
A 2016 talk by Tribeflame CEO Torulf Jernström about the monetization of mobile games called "Let's Go Whaling!" also caused a bit of a ruffle a while ago. Ominously delivered with smug smirk, met by smug laughter: "I'll leave the morality of it out of the talk. We can discuss it, if we have time, later." ▶ this video Turns out they would have had time later but for some reason opted not to.
in “TikTok’s greatest asset isn’t its algorithm, it’s your phone” · View on HN
PmopSep 2022Critical
Yep. Been following this for a while. Mobile games are basically built for "hunting whales": people with deep pockets and nothing else to spend on other than games, so they'll happily drop tens of thousands of dollars on gacha gambling crap. ▶ this video
in “Sony is ready to admit that mobile gaming is too big to ignore” · View on HN
d3nj4lDec 2020Critical
It's sickening, really. Jim Sterling's video on lootboxes [1] really hammered it home for me, especially the section where he quotes from a talk by one such developer [2]. The talk is literally titled "Let's go whaling", a reference to getting people to "whale" the game by paying tons of money. Fate Grand Order, a gacha game, even lampshades it: > What’s interesting about Fate/Grand Order is that the game’s marketing features a vicious caricature of dedicated players. She’s a slobbering, lecherous, gambling-addicted little monster. > Fans love her. [From [3]] 1: [link] 2: ▶ this video 3: [link]
in “Gamers allege EA uses dynamic difficulty adjustment so players spend more money” · View on HN
GreenWatermelonDec 2020Critical
People who are addicted to gacha are psychologically manipulated, not to mention the gambling aspects. Gambling is already regulated across the world. Just like laws protect the physically weak from exploitation, they should protect the psychologically weak from psychological exploitation. You wouldn't accept someone holding you at gunpoint demanding your money, and you would have no choice but to give up you belongings. Even though it was your choice to give up your stuff, you were coerced into it. gacha/loot boxes and similar addictive phenomena pry on your psych. This isn't some conspiracy, this is a tried and true method which you can learn about from the whaler himself[1]. [1] ▶ this video
in “Should There Be Limits on Persuasive Technologies?” · View on HN
pdkl95Sep 2019Critical
They know exactly what they are doing. If anyone wants proof, see Torulf Jernström's talk "Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play"[1]. He discusses strategies for building the perfect Skinner Box, and how to design your game around operant conditioning and other psychological tricks that help people become addicted. [1] ▶ this video
in “Ban kids from loot box gambling in games” · View on HN
en4bzJul 2019Critical
If you haven't seen it all ready just take a look at the infamous "Let's Go Whaling!" talk here [1]. They're not even hiding the fact the these are the type of people Free2Play/Pay2Win games prey on anymore. [1]. ▶ this video
in “'My son spent £3,160 in one game'” · View on HN
Ygg2Jul 2019Critical
> If I understand correctly, you're saying that AAA game companies are at fault for producing video games that influence people through addictive psychological tricks to the point of ruining their lives. No, not AAA exclusively. But there is a certain set of games that relies on these tricks. See ▶ this video > Are McDonald's commercials to blame for obesity and heart disease? Did McDonalds create a "Diabetes increases sales" video? Because AAA and mobile games did.
in “'My son spent £3,160 in one game'” · View on HN