Video Games Industry

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I want to ask you about the video games industry as well because you know it's the topic of our last conversation on the podcast but I find it really fascinating. The idea that you get the game for free or cheap and then you're served ads and have a bunch of micro transactions in order to fund the business model seems to be extending from this kind of free to play mobile space into the broader industry. More and more games need to be kind of always on need to have this kind of constant playability where you need to be constantly making these purchases in order to do well in the game itself. So all those games are very much a part of that ad ecosystem as like they're buying

Paris Marx is joined by Daniel Joseph to discuss why advertising is central not just to the tech economy, but modern capitalism itself, and how the business models of companies are increasing shaped by serving ads and collecting data to inform them.

Daniel Joseph is a Senior Lecturer of Digital Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He’s also written for a number of publications, including Briarpatch Magazine, Motherboard, and Real Life Magazine. Follow Daniel on Twitter at @DanjoKaz00ie.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Daniel wrote about how advertising and the need to create audiences is much more central to the tech economy than is often discussed.
Shoshana Wodinsky explained why so many companies are getting into advertising, including hotel chains, retailers, and more.
Unity faced criticism for merging with IronSource, a known advertising malware distributor.
After reporting a subscriber decline earlier this year, Netflix launched an ad-supported tier in October.
Companies like Apple and Uber are expanding their efforts to increase advertising revenue.
Ramon Lobato wrote Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution.

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