#artificial scarcity

[theconcealedweapon]

In an apocalyptic society where there aren't enough resources for everyone and it's impossible to ensure everyone's survival, some people may have to be sacrificed.

And when that happens, your survival depends on convincing society that someone else should be sacrificed instead of you. Someone else just wanting to survive is a direct threat to your survival. Being able to convince everyone that you're superior to others is an important survival skill. Being able to find a convenient scapegoat is an important survival skill.

And some people never grow out of that. Even when the apocalypse is over and it becomes possible to ensure everyone's survival, those who mastered the "kill them and not me" skill don't want to let go of it.

So they actually feel good when poor people or disabled people are left to die. They actually feel good when people of color are jailed or murdered by the police. They think "if it happens to them, it won't have to happen to me". They'll gladly suffer as long as they have the reassurance that someone else is suffering more.

People with power then create artificial scarcity in order to make sure this continues happening.

[nando161mando]

Artificial scarcity makes you dependent

[artificer4396]

We have the resources to ensure that everyone has access to food, shelter, education, medical care, and transportation. Defending the system as it is now is effectively saying “you don’t deserve a comfortable life if you don’t spend most of it padding shareholders’ pockets”.

[madamemarmot]

Yet it is capitalism, with its demands for unlimited maximization of profits and economic growth, that is fundamentally unable to protect the Earth's environment. Both humanity and nature become objects of exploitation under capitalism. Furthermore, the artificial scarcity created by capitalism renders large parts of humanity destitute. Slow Down by Kohei Saito

[petterwass]

I hate hate hate how Module Blocks are limited to 4/month!.

I just want to spend a month farming and get rewarded by getting half a dozen little fun tidbits of lore. But instead, since we only get 4, which is only enough to get a SINGLE 6* stage 1 module, this month I will upgrade two Sniper Modules to Stage 2,giving them some piddling and wholly uninteresting stat boosts, because with it being such a extremely limited resource I need to prioritize Modules for the people I actually use.

I hate it.

If this had been the case when Modules launched, I would never have gotten Glaucus' Module, since she's a objectively bad unit, which is one of my all-time favorite pieces of Arknights Lore ever.

Just let me farm the stupid things!

[lawyeronabike]

Small Improvements in Modern Life #1: Taco Tuesday is Liberated

The trademark on the phrase "Taco Tuesday" is officially surrendered.

[thelastpearvendor]

"The works of the roots of the vines, of the trees, must be destroyed to keep up the price, and this is the saddest, bitterest thing of all. Carloads of oranges dumped on the ground. The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them up? And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit- and kerosene sprayed over the golden mountains. And the smell of rot fills the country. Burn coffee for fuel in the ships. Burn corn to keep warm, it makes a hot fire. Dump potatoes in the rivers and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing them out. Slaughter the pigs and bury them, and let the putrescence drip down into the earth.

There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificate- died of malnutrition- because the food must rot, must be forced to rot. The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but the kerosene is sprayed. And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quick-lime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

[guiltyidealist]

made some affirmations for my fellow grocery shoppers out there

[muzetrigger]

I was subbing in for Social Studies today and they had this written in the textbook: “The central idea of economics is to solve the problem of scarcity.”

IT IS??? CAUSE IT SURE DOESN’T FEEL LIKE THAT LOOKING AROUND

[bradleycarlgeiger]

[kalinahblog]

Business and Economics in Wonka (2023)

I was watching the 2023 Wonka movie last night, and I was struck by the idea that the chocolatiers working against Willy Wonka provide a great example of several business concepts that I remember studying. It’s not always easy to spot concepts like an oligopoly, price fixing, and artificial scarcity in real life; but Wonka provides us with an excellent fictional example to learn from. The three…

[human-enrichment]

Want to expand on the library part:

There need to be more spaces where people are just allowed to BE - absolutely no reason or justification or anything required.

Not just places to be without buying stuff - though that is an enormous problem - places where your presence is not itself something you should need to explain - like no one would ask what you’re doing in say, a grocery store.

In the US at least, there’s very few spaces where people can be, no questions asked, and libraries are most of them. They should not only be available 24/7 and funded/staffed accordingly, they would be good candidates to have other public services available from as well.

Or to put it another way, libraries should become parts of these other facilities as we make our infrastructure more functional. The resources they provide should be accessible in the dorms, in the post offices, in hospitals, in care facilities, public food distribution centers, etc. There should be a small library services station in every public park above a certain size/traffic threshold.

In actual full service libraries, there should be even greater access bc they have room for physical media, meeting spaces, etc.

For that to work long term we need the rest, too. We need to start thinking of survival as a baseline that all people are entitled to, not something they have to fight to deserve or justify. Postal/address access is a FANTASTIC early step. Massive library access and resources expansion would be a HUGE intermediate step. In a world where people have a safe place for whatever money they have, the right and opportunity to be in safe, resource-rich areas if they have problems with their living spaces or limited entertainment or harsh weather or limited job prospects - that makes it a little more likely that they’ll be able to make meaningful changes AWAY from those problems.

People who aren’t in a constant struggle to exist make healthier choices, and people who have hope of improving their circumstances have less stress, better mental health, and are far less susceptible to the scams/mental bandaids that take advantage of desperation. (I’m including harmful drug use, addiction, but also the way adults become trapped in abusive family or work situations).

Thing is, these things have momentum if you let them. The less desperate they are, the less invested most people are in keeping resources away from others, and the less grasping they become about sharing their own. The fact that so many of us even *care* whether “someone might take more than they neeeeeed!” Is a worry that only occurs to someone who feels that anything given to one person is in some way being deducted from what’s available to them. The resources are not infinite, but there’s definitely enough that everyone can get what they need to start and then keep making better choices.

dare I ask your opinions on reproductive rights 👀

???????????????

I can't tell if this is some kind of weird bait because my opinions on reproductive rights are not something that I'm particularly quiet about.

[expfcultragreen]

They want to population large and desperately competing for the good they fix the prices on

We dont need to be organized this way

[stylized-corpse]

Artificial Scarcity thrashing it up at Haus in Philly last week!

[milijanakomad]

Product design and psychology: The Application of Artificial Scarcity in Video Game Design

Keywords: Artificial Scarcity, Video Gaming, Game Design, Player Behaviour, Psychological Manipulation

Abstract:

This paper explores the concept of artificial scarcity and its strategic utilization in video game design. As a psychological manipulation technique, artificial scarcity significantly influences player behaviours and decisions, shaping engagement patterns. Detailed case studies provide a comprehensive understanding of this principle's deployment and its implications, illustrating the concept from a product design perspective.

Introduction:

Video game design often leverages psychological techniques to promote player engagement and monetization. Artificial scarcity, a concept widely recognized in marketing and economics, has also found its way into the gaming industry, shaping player behaviours and enhancing game dynamics. This paper aims to investigate the intricate applications and implications of artificial scarcity in the world of gaming.

Artificial Scarcity in Gaming: Conceptualization and Design

Artificial scarcity refers to the deliberate restriction of the availability of certain items or experiences. In gaming, this can take form through limited-time events, exclusive in-game items, or special characters, all available for a certain period or in limited quantities. By creating an illusion of scarcity, game designers can invoke a sense of urgency, encouraging players to engage more with the game or make in-game purchases.

Case Study: Fortnite

Epic Games' Fortnite effectively employs artificial scarcity with its "Battle Pass" system. Each season introduces exclusive rewards, skins, and emotes, available only for a limited duration. Once the season ends, these items become unavailable, making them coveted assets and driving player engagement and in-game purchases.

Case Study: Pokémon GO

Niantic's Pokémon GO capitalizes on artificial scarcity through its limited-time events where certain Pokémon species become temporarily available. The game also features "shiny" Pokémon - rare, alternate-color versions of regular Pokémon. These scarce entities inspire players to participate more actively in events and hunt more diligently, driving continuous engagement.

Implications for Game Design

While artificial scarcity can be a powerful tool to drive engagement and monetization, it's crucial for game designers to be mindful of its potential impacts. Overuse of this technique could lead to player fatigue or even resentment. As such, game designers must carefully balance the use of artificial scarcity with the overall player experience and game economy.

Conclusion

The use of artificial scarcity in video game design offers a potent mechanism for influencing player behaviour and enhancing game dynamics. However, the careful and ethical deployment of this principle is crucial to prevent negative player experiences and maintain game balance. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to observe how artificial scarcity and similar psychological principles are effectively and ethically integrated into the design of enjoyable, engaging gaming experiences.

References:

Crawford, G., & Gosling, V. K. (2009). More than a game: The computer game as fictional form. Manchester University Press.

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011, May). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining "gamification". In Proceedings of the 15th international academic MindTrek conference: Envisioning future media environments (pp. 9-15). ACM.

Hamari, J., & Lehdonvirta, V. (2010). Game design as marketing: How game mechanics create demand for virtual goods. International Journal of Business Science & Applied Management, 5(1), 14-29.

Lewis-Evans, B. (2018). A brief overview of the psychological literature on in-game purchases. International Journal of Serious Games, 5(3), 37-48.

McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. Penguin.

Nacke, L. E., & Deterding, S. (2017). The maturing of gamification research. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 450-454.

Peitz, M., & Waelbroeck, P. (2006). Why the music industry may gain from free downloading: the role of sampling. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 24(5), 907-913.

Sicart, M. (2008). Defining game mechanics. Game Studies, 8(2), 1-14.

Wu, M. (2011). The core drivers of gamification. Customer Engagement, 6, 15-17.

Zagal, J. P., Björk, S., & Lewis, C. (2013). Dark patterns in the design of games. In Foundations of Digital Games.

[godloveyell]

We have a surplus of all the basics needed to live: food, water, shelter, and medicine. The fact people die from a lack of these things is the product of artificial scarcity.

In other words, we choose for it to be this way, and we can choose to not do it this way. And really it’s quite insane that we do it this way if you give any thought to it at all.

If someone is drowning and you have the means to save them, but refuse to do so because they don’t have a holo-foil Charizard card and they drowned as a result, you’d be regarded as guilty of negligence, if not murder.

Yet that’s what society does everyday to vast swaths of its people. And we just go with it.

I'm done with compromizes

I'm not saying we should make the housing market easier to enter, I'm saying housing shouldn't be a market.

I'm not saying healthy food should be cheaper, I'm saying we shouldn't have to pay to eat.

I'm not saying we should give everyone enough money to live, I'm saying we should abolish money and help each other instead.

Life is unfair, but it doesn't have to be.