Polygon: All Posts by Ben Cousinshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/42931/favicon.ico2014-04-09T15:30:02-04:00https://www.polygon.com/authors/ben-cousins/rss2014-04-09T15:30:02-04:002014-04-09T15:30:02-04:00 Snobbery and fear drive criticisms of free-to-play games and ethics
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<p>The game industry has long been accused of unethical behavior from the outside, such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/the-mayor-who-took-a-sledgehammer-to-nycs-pinball-machines/267309/">the decades-long ban on pinball</a> to avoid its corrupting influence on youth, but the latest attack on the ethics of gaming is coming from within.</p>
<p>Games are in a state of rapid growth and tumultuous change, driven by new platforms like Facebook, iOS and Steam, and new ways of funding projects like Early Access and Kickstarter.</p>
<p>Of all these new business models, one in particular has emerged as being subjected to the most ethical questions and criticism — free-to-play.</p>
<p>After seven years in the "traditional" industry, I've spent eight years building free-to-play projects, so I'm especially sensitive to and interested in these criticisms. The attacks and...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/9/5597062/snobbery-and-fear-drive-ethical-criticisms-of-free-to-play-games">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/9/5597062/snobbery-and-fear-drive-ethical-criticisms-of-free-to-play-gamesBen Cousins