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Comment by myko | Hacker News Reader

I get the impression that money spent on mobile games is from scamming parents in children's games with dark patterns that lead young children to making in app purchases.

I think looking at the number of folks playing Fortnite on each platform and comparing that gives a better idea of where gamers prefer to play games.

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My understanding is that whales are generally adults that have been taken in by the extremely addictive mechanics of the games. Like an old lady that dumps her pension into penny slots every day.

Consider: visual novels, even when entirely linear, probably count as “games” for mobile sales. They’re damn popular, are often episodic or series or have DLC to drive more sales, et c. And that’s just one kind of non-“gamer” game that’s huge on mobile.

Visual novels are classified as a game on every store I've seen, be it mobile, pc or console.

If you have a source for that impression, I'd be very interested to see it.

> gamers prefer to play games

most of the money being made in mobile gaming is coming from people who would not self-identify as "gamers". If you're just considered about where "gamers" want to game, then sure. But that's excluding a massive (and the fastest-growing) segment of the video games industry.

Gamers is a bit silly loaded term these days. Who do you exclude as not-gamers from the group that likes to play games?

That's a really good point and question.

Anyone who plays a game is a gamer, that's fair - so let me clarify my assumptions:

- I think more folks play games for longer on consoles/PCs compared to mobile devices

- I think mobile games punch above their weight in sales due to dark patterns and scammy business practices

I could be wrong

Most of the donateshitgames are targeted for adults with money actually. There is built-in socialized competition on donates. In every guild/group/party without donating You will be outsider and a person that pull whole team down.

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