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Let’s go whaling: Tricks for monetising mobile game players with free-to-play

PocketGamerbiz · talk · Watch on YouTube

Game designIndie game development

What it is

A 2016 conference talk by a mobile game CEO on the tricks of free-to-play monetization, including player profiles and how to target high-spending whales.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN mostly cites it critically, as an insider's blunt playbook for psychologically exploiting players in F2P and loot box games.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2019, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “Must see video for anyone interested in the topic, from someone explaining how to do these monetizations tactics”

    Insider explains how mobile monetization tactics work.

    grotorea, 2023-09 · Strong recommendation · in “The Casino in Your Pocket”

  2. “I think this industry talk about monetization ( )”

    More informative industry talk on monetization than the article.

    jonathanyc, 2024-07 · Recommendation · in “How Mihoyo's monetization works”

  3. “It is very interesting because it is from 2016”

    Interesting 2016 talk of tips for game developers.

    layman51, 2025-02 · Recommendation · in “Among top researchers 10% publish at unrealistic levels, analysis finds”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: whales, dark patterns, loot boxes, mobile games, game design

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