CN: Discussions of Capitalist Exploitation, Health Concerns

Est. Reading time: 17 Minutes

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So, coming back around to this conundrum and recognizing it's churning out more and more updates and DLCs, I've realized I can only speak about this issue at its most abstracted, through analyzing the production of 'progression systems' in these games and then go from there. I know for some this will seem obnoxious but bear with me for a bit, I'm hoping this will get interesting.

Assuming you're at least somewhat interested in game design, which is hopefully the case if you're reading this, then I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you to play a, what for the moment is called a 'survivor-like' like Vampire Survivors here for at least an hour or two (You can play Vampire Survivors or Magical Survival on your phone for free if you'd like, or use Bluestacks). Don't worry, I'm not going to sit here and tell you they're hidden gems or anything but they do illustrate a point about game design in general.

If one were to ask me these bear the most resemblance to the rpg genre, play something like final fantasy or diablo, and a large part of the appeal is finally reaching that next level you've been anticipating. Things tend to be measured in experience points with little bars displaying progress you can grind towards somewhere along the way these elements which used to be exclusive to rpgs began to migrate outwards slowly permeating everything. At this point that assimilation seems more or less complete. Now, many games have something similar: level up to increase your damage or get a new loot box or just so your icon will look a little more fancy.

In some cases these leveling systems don't even affect the gameplay at all, which leads to the question of why they exist in the first place? The answer is pretty obvious: people used to play quake 3 all the time just because they enjoyed it; it didn't need anything else to keep them hooked. Now if we imagine two identical versions of quake happen to release on the same Day, one with a progress system and one without, it's easy to guess which one would win a larger player base. Even if both audiences were still small, while some players won't care about the difference, others will be drawn to the progression system, in which case that version has a greater chance of surviving while the more minimalist one fades into a relevancy.

Economics fuel much of this problem with the progression system comes unlockables, and with unlockables comes micro transactions to acquire them immediately that income can be used to extend development updating the game with more content providing a feedback loop of success. This probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, but there's a more sinister way of thinking about it which you may not have struck upon yet: In a sense, games are evolving to exploit us.

Even if no individual person agrees that progression systems are a good thing, they tap into a simple desire we all have to one degree or another. If you're a fan of the metal gear series then i don't have to explain the true meaning of the word 'meme' to you but for everyone else a quick rundown the basic premise is that ideas are a little like genes successful ones get passed down to future generations while unsuccessful ones disappear. Keep in mind, this doesn't mean the idea is beneficial or detrimental to humanity, just that it perpetuates itself somehow. Progression systems could be seen as a successful 'meme' which will be difficult to eradicate. Ironically, even the metal gear series itself fell prey to this particular trend. Now that most games have something like this, it's hard to envision how another game can compete without it even if you create something enjoyable enough to survive without this meme someone else can come along, create a clone of your game, slap a progression system on it and steal your audience much like click bait. It's a selection pressure that will seemingly never go away anymore. If one were to ask me, that doesn't excuse developers or critics who rely on such tactics, but it's a reality we need to confront sooner or later. On paper wouldn't we all agree that getting better at a game yourself is much more rewarding than pretending you've gotten better by unlocking more upgrades?

It's worth examining whether your behavior aligns with your answer to that question this is why playing an idler can be beneficial, because there's few better ways to break the spell than to confront the absurdity of it all. After you've killed a thousand baddies per minute, killing a skeleton for 25 xp doesn't hold quite as much significance. Despite how it might seem at times games aren't the shit you pick up while you play them the actual game is what happens in between those moments.

When you recognize that just walking in circles and watching the number increment can be enjoyable, you recognize that there's something exploitable about the way many of us are wired. As a species we have these collective weaknesses and now more than ever games are tapping into them so either you make a conscious effort to push back or get rolled over like so much squashed dough.


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As some of you have no doubt recognized, I didn't write any of that. With the exception of the first paragraph and switching some words so that its about these 'survivor-likes' instead of about idlers, this is actually just the Full Excerpt of 'Clickerbait' by Matthewmatosis. Perhaps you realized that because you scrolled down here to see what the you were getting into ahead of time, or perhaps you know because you're already a fan of Matthewmatosis and so the disguise didn't work in the first place (I'm hoping that group will be compelled to know 'why' I was deceptive about that in the first place, hopefully you'll be rewarded to).

Regardless, let's assume that I've effectively fooled a reasonable minority of the readership that would come in contact this this piece. I'm sorry for the masquerade, but it was for an important purpose: I really wanted you to confront this. You could call this an intervention, not just for people who like this genre or title in particular, but for every videoplay enthusiast, including myself. Now that you've made it this far you might as well see what else I have to say. There is only an Est. Reading time of 10 minutes left, I believe in you!

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Since the writing of this excerpt, 2 years ago. I would argue the only thing that has changed is that no longer do we all agree that 'on paper' that getting better at a system yourself is much more rewarding than the illusion that we have. Our collective sensitivity to that awareness has shifted into an embrace of these systems. So what? Illusions are fun, all videogames are illusions if you think about it! A classic comeback, I abhorrently disagree. Let's take the phenomenon of 'digital eye strain' (that is to say the pain incurred on your eyes by prolonged digital media use) into account. Games can hurt your eyes:

"The outcome measures were mostly self-reported symptoms and not objectively measured findings. The issues that were reported were related either to with prolonged near-term adaptation (i.e., blurred vision at close range, difficulty in focusing, and copious headache after screen use) and those related to dry eye syndrome (irritation/burning sensation, ocular fatigue, discomfort, photosensitivity), while symptoms due to poor posture and prolonged physical immobilization in front of the screen (such as neck pain, tension headache, and other atypical musculoskeletal pain) are also very common. Pre-existing vision problems (hyperopia / myopia, astigmatism, and adaptive disorders) can contribute to the appearance of the syndrome if they are not adequately addressed or have not yet been diagnosed" - The Impact of Internet and Videogaming Addiction on Adolescent Vision: A Review of the Literature

Or, they can help your eyes:

"Players have presented better results than non-players in a variety of tasks that involve vision but are ultimately controlled by cortical structures in the brain, especially those involved in prediction. These include enhanced contrast sensitivity, shorter saccadic reaction times with better error rates, higher spatial resolution of vision, and a variety of specific improvements on memory function and focused attention. Playing action videogames can alter fundamental characteristics of the visual system, seen as a whole, that is, including the cortical structures that are responsible for image processing, pre-emptive movements of the ophthalmic muscles." - (sic)


"Cognitive gains have been demonstrated in all test designs with relatively few hours of playing videogames, and as with all aspects of brain plasticity, gains are to be expected with frequent execution of a well-designed task that lasts for relatively little time. Hence, playing random videogames to the degree that it may cause temporary harm to the receptor organ does not correlate positively with gains in the vision process as a whole. The increased propensity of eSports during the past decade, i.e., videogaming as a form of sport competition could be a useful source of research data; playing competitively does not equate with playing excessively, yet those competitive players need to regularly exercise their skills, even spending 6 h daily of deliberate practice and various forms of non-deliberate practice that revolves around viewing others play through a digital screen. Unfortunately, published research on this niche population so far is poor." - Digital eye strain: prevalence, measurement and amelioration

Label me as histrionic if you wish, but I'm sick of appeasing that 'Videogames' are a net neutral medium, they are always either assisting or harming to some degree whether intentionally or not. Seems almost impossible to me to argue that this 1 joycon movement system isnt doing more harm than good to your eyes. Especially since play ends up pathing most of it in cyclical loops with your character always centered. This is exactly what I was trying to say when I stated that 'Although one could argue that the destruction of enemies is also a 'jackpot' reward system, I feel it's actually comparable more to just visual encouragement data like the bright candy explosions in Candy Crush, or the neon bright machines and loud sound effects of slot machines, rather those smaller moments are not the real 'jackpot' you are in pursuit of.' It's not about how randomness works, its about sensory overload.

"Although ergonomics and noise exposure are commonly documented in occupational safety research in other industries, no U.S. studies were found that assessed these hazards among U.S, casino workers. Evidence from international research suggests that these hazards are problematic for worker health in the casino environment. Furthermore, gaming workers from other countries have cited exposure to poor ergonomics; chemical hazards (e.g., cleaning products and coin dust); and biological hazards through constant interaction with clients, temperature extremes, noisy environments, flashing lights, and poor air quality. Also, casino workers in other countries have complained of pain in the lower back, shoulder, joint, neck and head, hearing loss; eye strain; respiratory and reproductive issues; and ill-health and injuries" -Occupational exposures and associated risk factors among U.S. casino workers: a narrative review


That 'tradeoff' is a literal one of sensory deterioration to your eyes and ears, that's what you were exchanging as a worth function, it was never merely your leisure time. Of course, right upon my realizing this, a close confidante I told this to stated and I quote 'I don't think that's a bad claim to make but good luck convincing gamers to care about health issues'. That led me to realize one of the most damning passages I've ever come across in my time alive on this earth:

"But, you will say, it gives rise to power and domination, to exploitation and even extermination. Quite true; but also to masochism; but the strange bodily arrangement of the skilled worker with his job and his machine, which is so often reminiscent of the dispositif of hysteria, can also produce the extermination of a population: look at the English proletariat, at what capital, that is to say their labour has done to their body. You will tell me, however, that it was that or die. But it is always that or die, this is the law of libidinal economy, no, not the law: this is its provisional, very provisional, definition in the form of the cry, of intensities of desire; 'that or die', i.e. that and dying from it, death always in it, as its internal bark, its thin nut's skin, not yet as its price, on the contrary as that which renders it unpayable. And perhaps you believe that 'that or die' is an altenative?! And that if they choose that, if they become the slave of the machine, the machine of the machine, fucker fucked by it, eight hours, twelve hours, a day, year after year, it is because they are forced into it, constrained, because they cling to life? Death is not an alternative to it, it is a part of it, it attests to the fact that there is jouissance in it, the English unemployed did not become workers to survive, they - hang on tight and spit on me ­enjoyed [ifs ont joui de] the hysterical, masochistic, whatever exhaustion it was of hanging on in the mines, in the foundries, in the factories, in hell, they enjoyed it, enjoyed the mad destruction of their organic body which was indeed imposed upon them, they enjoyed the decomposition of their personal identity, the identity that the peasant tradition had constructed for them , enjoyed the dissolution of their families and villages, and enjoyed the new monstrous anonymity of the suburbs and the pubs in the morning and evening." - Libidinal Economy, Lyotard, p. 111

I'm serious if you're playing this and enjoying it, you are a pervert, and thats cool! But sweetheart, this is not sustainable for you. So: Join a BDSM community or go do some E-RP to help, at the very least do some research into sadomachocism, or find more reasonable action based systems (for example I recommend Devil Daggers). Because, in this mother's opinion, Vampire Survivors is an overly cruel virtual Dom for you, and it's possible a lot of other visually excessive progression loop systems like it are to. After all, we were never meant to stare at the sun either which im sure we all remember being 'dared' to do as a kid. At least some of us anyway, all the binoclards at least. It's vital here to make it clear this is not a moral critique, exploitation simply 'is', you're free to be exploited and until the world massively changes these systems are free to exploit you. This is a health critique, if you are viewing a health critique as moral than I'm afraid that's on you to unwind.

I've left the comments open to the public on this one. For those with a bone to pick, Bon Appetit. Throw as many tomatoes at me as you wish. If you insist on still doing this, at least try this eye fitness trick while playing:

Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

Take care of yourself dear reader! Remember to blink!