Fun Club I swear that Pokemon sleep was made on a bet to see if someone could make a mobile skinner box game actually useful.

[Narroo]

Recently, I decided to track my sleep with my phone, since I have a history of having issues with non-restorative sleep. I decided "what the heck, why not Pokemon Sleep?"

I'm pretty sure that this game was the result of some kind of bet.

The game, or 'game' is an unrepentantly pure "hurry up and wait!' skinner box "game." You're tasked to do some menial, pointless, task, and you're treated to the usual timers. All of the usual traits are there: Mutiple currencies and shops for no good reason. Timers. Pointless busy work. Overly celebratory music. Real world money in exchange for currency, the works.

There is exactly one difference between this game and the other predatory games out there: Instead of having everything obey real world timers, you yourself are the timer.

Basically, the game wants you to sleep 8.5 hours a day, in no more than two sleep sessions. Therefore, in order to "recharge" and "reset" everything, you need to go to sleep. Sleeping less than the full 8.5 hours only partially resets the games timers. Sleeping more than 8.5 does nothing special.

Thus, the game is a skinner box game that uses predatory mobile tactics in order to trick the player into...getting a full night's sleep.

I swear it was a bet of some sort. "I don't think there's any reason for timer games to exist." "Oh yeah, I bet I could make one that's totally moral and not arbitrary!"

Thus, Pokemon Sleep.

 

[Reinhard Schneider]

Well, you just described Pikmin Bloom, but with walking and waiting instead of sleeping.

I mean, as long as it promotes a healthy lifestyle i think it's fine? Moreso if they're passive games. Active games like Pokémon Go that promote a healthy habit/lifestyle but also glue you to your phone while STILL being predatory are the true chore, imo.

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

 

[Narroo]

So, is this a serious comment, or did you just really want to work that pun in?

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

So, is this a serious comment, or did you just really want to work that pun in?

A little bit of both!

To expand on it a bit: The idea that a game was made based on some bet is obviously silly which is why this probably should get the "Fun Club" tag. For this game specifically it doesn't really work as a rhetorical device because the idea that a game that has predatory pricing schemes like in-game currency cannot really be "totally moral and not arbitrary" despite the health benefit.

 

[Narroo]

A little bit of both!

To expand on it a bit: The idea that a game was made based on some bet is obviously silly which is why this probably should get the "Fun Club" tag. For this game specifically it doesn't really work as a rhetorical device because the idea that a game that has predatory pricing schemes like in-game currency cannot really be "totally moral and not arbitrary" despite the health benefit.

I'm not really used to tagging threads. I'm a Dinosaur.

I was being facetious, good sir.