WHY IS BOARD GAME ARENA BECOMING PAY TO PLAY

[tbhp]

Even if you're correct that *you* aren't affected by ads, you're not the only person in the world.

The problem is... even if it is correct that there exists people who might be influenced by seeing ads of products they already know, companies are basically luring in those people by exploiting some personal failing of theirs. It's not a nice way to treat potential customers and is not a good moral foundation to bring your company money.

I can understand wanting to advertize what you make, but it should be done out of a genuine desire to get people to learn about it and maybe have their life improved by its existence. It shouldn't be commodified and turned into a whole industry, be used as a tool to manipulate people and make money, or be thrown down people's throats in places where they don't want to see them. There's a reason people hate seeing ads between tv programs, between youtube videos, or popping up everywhere on websites.

[Trailblazer23]

BGA is easily the most used investment I make all year, dollar for dollar, no cap Somebody is working behind the scenes, give them a little. I'd love to have a permanent worker at family gatherings to set up games and clean up. I get that for free every time I play. Plus, I don't have to wait for everyone to finish in the bathroom and get their snacks to show up. You are online, we play. That's what's up.

[Strode]

Even if you're correct that *you* aren't affected by ads, you're not the only person in the world.

The problem is... even if it is correct that there exists people who might be influenced by seeing ads of products they already know, companies are basically luring in those people by exploiting some personal failing of theirs. It's not a nice way to treat potential customers and is not a good moral foundation to bring your company money.

I can understand wanting to advertize what you make, but it should be done out of a genuine desire to get people to learn about it and maybe have their life improved by its existence. It shouldn't be commodified and turned into a whole industry, be used as a tool to manipulate people and make money, or be thrown down people's throats in places where they don't want to see them. There's a reason people hate seeing ads between tv programs, between youtube videos, or popping up everywhere on websites.

Oh, I get all this. I'm just saying, I think the ads work.

[tbhp]

That said, in BGA's case this is not just advertising. The act of people using the service itself is part of the service in the first place. With sampling to boot.

I agree that the BGA model is not comparable to ads in that it's not trying to do something unethical. But it just seems disadvantageous for them. They are giving memberships for free without any proof that they are getting something in return. Yeah, you could argue that it has an impact somewhere down the line, but that's not something you can definitely prove in the same way that money is a concrete useful resource. So I find it a bit odd.

[Jellby]

I agree that the BGA model is not comparable to ads in that it's not trying to do something unethical.

Advertisement is unethical (assuming it's not false or insulting)?

They are giving memberships for free without any proof that they are getting something in return.

But on the other hand it also costs them nothing to give them for free. There's the "lost profits" part of those who would have paid for the membership otherwise, granted, but not more.

By the way, I believe many drug dealers will also give you a few free doses the first time for you to try... I wonder if there's any similarity. But again, those free samples are not free for the dealer either, while BGA memberships essentially are.

I wonder how many people do actually get those free memberships, I think I only know of two...

[tbhp]

Advertisement is unethical (assuming it's not false or insulting)?

I explained above how generally it is. There can be ways of doing it ethically, but it seems that in practice most everyone plays the game of putting their ads on tv, or on other places where they are unwelcome, because that's what is understood to be the most beneficial.

This makes sense, because putting ads where they are not expected has a better chance of informing people of a product they don't know about. But it's also not an ethical way to do things, in my opinion. People deserve their peace when they are doing something unrelated to the product that is trying to advertize itself.

But on the other hand it also costs them nothing to give them for free. There's the "lost profits" part of those who would have paid for the membership otherwise, granted, but not more.

I mean, look at it this way: they are giving every person who potentially would pay the choice to get the same membership by just playing many different games (which they may already have done on their own even without that incentive). It seems a bit self defeating, like they are giving out memberships to the very people who could have paid for them.

[insanementally]

Shoot uhh

Thanks for all the feedback i wrote this while crashing out so er im probably going to delete this thread soon

I will try all advice

Thank you fellow bga peoples

[FrankJones]

Everyone knows about McDonalds. What do their ads accomplish?

I missed this joke the first time around.

I walked right into that one !

Well played

[tbhp]

Hahaha. To be fair, I don't think the ads are why everyone knows about McDonalds. (although they sure help make sure you don't forget about it...)

[FrankJones]

True, and, what I was really saying was, "Okay, ads help increase awareness of the product, and we all know about McDonalds already, so how does further advertising help?"

Still, I can always appreciate well-timed deadpan humor, and making a funny joke while merely quoting something without adding additional text definitely qualifies as a well-timed piece of humor.