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Guy spending hundreds of thousands of yen on maxing out a character in mobile F/GO

Dio

Banned
So there's been this guy who's already spent 450,000 yen on maxing out Scathach in Fate/Grand Order, the mobile Type-Moon title set in the Fate universe (Fate/stay night, Fate/hollow ataraxia, et cetera.)

https://twitter.com/Pchan_kokoniiru

He also runs a livestream where he was streaming some of this. (note: this is a ban spree after people started to flood and calling him the King of P2W and stuff like that.)

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27794483

Basically, the bottom line is that the game uses a 'gacha' system - aka those capsule toy machines - he had to roll 5 copies of the same card which is estimated to be about 0.65% drop rate. You need to fuse the same card to gain a level, and it powers up your super for combat.

He had only hit 4/5 by spending that money ingame, so he asked his stream followers to lend him money to get the final level since he appears to have already spent his entire life savings.

Someone lent him 500,000 yen yesterday. He's gonna try and do it.

(He stole money from his parents before running away to an internet cafe, supposedly, on top of this.)

eQdBXwi.jpg

For context, 500,000 yen is about 4,100 USD. The total spent would be about 7,800 USD.

I guess waifus really rake in the money.

 

DNAbro

Member
asked for money cause he spent his entire life savings. You think at some point you realize it's a problem.
 

Ferrio

Banned
Gacha games are by far the worst thing I've ever seen happen to gaming. All the risk of slot machines with none of the potential benefits. Pay to win with only a slight chance of winning.
 

Deosier

Member
The best part is while it says Scathach got a rate up, she actually didn't. The gacha rate up was broken until like yesterday.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
4000 isn't really a crazy amount for an online game... add an extra zero to that for china

Yeah, I remember reading about a Chinese doctor who had spent waaaaaaay more than $8,000 on a Chinese MMO.
 

Dio

Banned
That would buy a small ship in Star Citizen. Japan is P2P amateur hour.

Yeah, but Star Citizen gives you exactly what you ask for when you ask for it. You don't have to gamble to get make believe ships from a game that doesn't exist yet. It's pretty up front with what is being asked.

That being said, I realize this isn't really news compared to the bigger whales. It just because an event because of the person running the stream and going on a banning spree for people making fun of him, and the sordid story behind him blowing up on the Japanese side of the net.
 

Shun

Member
It has been regulated tho. %s and rates as well as free rolls and cash have INCREASED from years ago.

If you've played other mobage like iDOLM@STER, the rates were abysmally worse and Bandai Namco had to increase the rates because of it. Many mobile games have been quite generous with the amount of currency and rolls they give to free users.

It's not taking advantage of people's addictive personalities. This is all optional and these games do not prompt you to spend or buy more. You just see a card you want and you do whatever you can to get it.

It works this way with Physical Trading Card Games and other gacha. Yugiou, Pokemon, Lord of Vermillion, etc. It's not just mobile games and it's not as big of an issue as people always overblow.

The point of a lot of mobile game is to create the strongest team you can with what you have available and you can spend to do better. You don't HAVE to collect them all because the game doesn't require you to and it isn't the point.

How is that any different from a game like Yugiou where the goal is the same, create the best team and set of cards possible. No one is saying you HAVE to collect EVERY card. There are people that do. That doesn't reflect the majority of those who play these games.
 

Ferrio

Banned
How is that any different from a game like Yugiou where the goal is the same, create the best team and set of cards possible. No one is saying you HAVE to collect EVERY card. There are people that do. That doesn't reflect the majority of those who play these games.

1. You can buy/trade cards individually, so you don't have to rely on random chance.
2 Physical cards have value that you can sell back if need be.
3. Pushing "buy" in an app is much easier than going to the store/whatever and buying cards. Impulse buys are much easier, and when it revolves around gambling (this is gambling) that's a bad combo.

And yes it's taking advantage of people's addictive behaviors. The fact it's already been regulated once is proof enough.
 

Shun

Member
1. You can buy/trade cards individually, so you don't have to rely on random chance.
2 Physical cards have value that you can sell back if need be.
3. Pushing "buy" in an app is much easier than going to the store/whatever and buying cards. Impulse buys are much easier, and when it revolves around gambling (this is gambling) that's a bad combo.

And yes it's taking advantage of people's addictive behaviors.

But in several games there are a trading mechanic where you can trade virtual cards you own, like in iDOLM@STER CG.

Not every game has it but it is there. What about useless cards in a pack, you can't always resell those since many of those cards end up being garbage. You can't resell those to make your worth back, especially when the resale market caters heavily towards people invested in the competitive side.

People even sell and trade accounts, is that not a means of recuperating damage?

People do that for MOBA like DOTA and League.

It doesn't account for a majority of people who play the game and those who don't understand the meaning of full control know full well what they do when they buy more.

It racks these companies a lot of money, maybe your favorite console games were funded by these mobile games and arcade versions. These things aren't a poison.
 

Jintor

Member
i'd say i don't get why japan outlawed gambling but allows gatch, but you know, pachinko is everywhere too, so this is entirely in line.

this is just depressing though
 

PreFire

Member
This kind of monetisation should really be regulated. It's outright abusi g peoples addictive personality's
I agree. But do you think game developers are going to turn down money? Honestly, I wouldn't.

I never even heard of this game.

Side note, are people who are dropping $7,800 (or more) for small ships in star citizen getting some percentage in the company? Or is it just access to beta?
 

Sakura

Member
Sometimes I've spent like 60~+ dollars on these things and felt bad afterwards.
I can't imagine how I would feel if I spent 4000+ dollars.
 

Shun

Member
Sometimes I've spent like 60~+ dollars on these things and felt bad afterwards.
I can't imagine how I would feel if I spent 4000+ dollars.

Do people just assume that a majority of those who play mobage spend a lot of money?

I don't get it, there are a lot of free users out there and a lot of games have been very fair and generous...
 

Hastati

Member
Edit: sigh.

Upon closer inspection, this is really a sad story. Sounds dangerous (entire life savings.....!?), I hope he has someone willing to give him some actual support. Apps should probably have monthly limits on the amount you can spend, this kind of thing is the same as an intense gambling addiction.
 

Dio

Banned
Do people just assume that a majority of those who play mobage spend a lot of money?

I don't get it, there are a lot of free users out there and a lot of games have been very fair and generous...

It's always the weirdos who get in the news, I don't think anyone's saying that the majority does this.

If you only watched the news, you'd think the world is a really, really scary place what with all the bad news going on at all times. Those people aren't interesting enough to get NeoGAF threads made about them.

Why is she holding a long, veiny penis?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpoAcXu65TM

She's a Lancer. Google her legend if you want to see what she's based off of.
 

Sakura

Member
Do people just assume that a majority of those who play mobage spend a lot of money?

I don't get it, there are a lot of free users out there and a lot of games have been very fair and generous...

Of course not. I've played lots without spending any money either.
I just don't understand why one would spend this much unless they are rich.
 

Shun

Member
Of course not. I've played lots without spending any money either.
I just don't understand why one would spend this much unless they are rich.

I mean spending money in general. Sure some people spend a little here and there but I mean like ¥100,000 cards, even ¥50,000. I do not understand people who spend a lot either but a lot of players aren't like that but people treat the game as if they make a lot of player do.

I enjoy mobage and every time there is a discussion, mobage are treated like it's poison? That is the general feeling I get whenever something like this is discuss.
 
Anybody have a link to this, or other crazy whale stories? I'm fascinated by this stuff.
Not sure about stories but I know some of it second hand... Talking 20-30k, probably exaggerated but I believe 'em when they say at least 5 digits CAD. Online gaming is pretty popular with a lot of rich princelings or first-gen rich in China so some of them blow a lot of money on games.
 

Sakura

Member
I mean spending money in general. Sure some people spend a little here and there but I mean like ¥100,000 cards, even ¥50,000.

I enjoy mobage and every time there is a discussion, mobage are treated like it's poison? That is the general feeling I get whenever something like this is discuss.

Maybe part of it is in regards to how mobage used to be?
I used to play the original Cinderella Girls, I spent like 300~+ dollars and... didn't really get anything good.
But now they tell you drop rates and you get guaranteed SR for a 10 roll etc and you can certainly build a good team without ever spending money.
This is only within the last few years though, so for a lot of people that don't play these games they may still have the old idea in mind.
 
As long as it's fulfilling for him and makes him happy.

But goddamn I would never do such a thing.

Lol no that does not make something like this OK.

If he was making that money in a month or had a salary of 100k a year he could do this but not for the average person. Not OK, even if its fulfilling or making him happy.
 

QaaQer

Member
Sometimes I've spent like 60~+ dollars on these things and felt bad afterwards.
I can't imagine how I would feel if I spent 4000+ dollars.

One guy considered suicide after a hat binge, not a joke BTW. Some good articles @ gamasutra.
 

J-Tier

Member
This is really sad. Social issues are becoming more and more commonplace in modern Asian societies and seriously affecting their lives.
 

striferser

Huge Nickleback Fan
Who's the guy who lend him 500k? I hope it's not loanshark or something.
Guy need to stop. It's okay to enjoy something, but stealing your parent money and borrowing money? Nope. Dude need to have priorities
 

DiscoJer

Member
As someone who has played "F2P" mmorpgs, that's sadly not uncommon. I'd know people who would drop $2500 a month, every month.

Recently I read a complaint from a guy who opened 500 $10 random boxes and didn't get the item he wanted from them.
 
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