Anchoring Tricks
Placing a cheap item next to an expensive item to make it look more affordable.
Anchoring is a very common tactic that retailers use to sway people towards making more expensive purchases.
1) Anchoring - By placing a cheap item next to an expensive item, the cheap items looks more affordable. For example, if you can get a bronze item for $1 and a silver item for $5, many people may purchase the cheapest item. However, if you add a gold item for $50, the middle option (silver) now looks like a good deal and more people may purchase it.
2) False Hierarchy - A game may use layout, size or color to give a more expensive item preference over a cheaper item when in fact the items should be compared side by side.
3) Decoy Effect - Using a decoy item, that is usually more expensive or inferior, to push people towards a specific option. For example, items A and B are available for $1 and $2, but a decoy item C is $3. Item C is inferior to B. This makes B look like a really good deal since you are getting something worth $3 for only $2. Item A becomes less desirable.
4) Discounts for buying bundles or bigger packages of items incentivize people to spend more to get a better deal.
5) Social Proof is when a store promotes an item in way to suggest that more people favor it. This could be as simple as having a "Most Popular" badge on top of the item, or it could say something to the effect of "15 people have purchased this in the last hour". If the game integrates with social media, it could also use your friends to push you towards a more expensive purchase. For example, "John purchased a Gold upgrade today". This normalize spending on the game and makes it feel more acceptable.
1) Anchoring - By placing a cheap item next to an expensive item, the cheap items looks more affordable. For example, if you can get a bronze item for $1 and a silver item for $5, many people may purchase the cheapest item. However, if you add a gold item for $50, the middle option (silver) now looks like a good deal and more people may purchase it.
2) False Hierarchy - A game may use layout, size or color to give a more expensive item preference over a cheaper item when in fact the items should be compared side by side.
3) Decoy Effect - Using a decoy item, that is usually more expensive or inferior, to push people towards a specific option. For example, items A and B are available for $1 and $2, but a decoy item C is $3. Item C is inferior to B. This makes B look like a really good deal since you are getting something worth $3 for only $2. Item A becomes less desirable.
4) Discounts for buying bundles or bigger packages of items incentivize people to spend more to get a better deal.
5) Social Proof is when a store promotes an item in way to suggest that more people favor it. This could be as simple as having a "Most Popular" badge on top of the item, or it could say something to the effect of "15 people have purchased this in the last hour". If the game integrates with social media, it could also use your friends to push you towards a more expensive purchase. For example, "John purchased a Gold upgrade today". This normalize spending on the game and makes it feel more acceptable.
Citations and Sources • UXP2 Dark Patterns
• Wikipedia :: Anchoring
• Wikipedia :: Decoy Effect
• Wikipedia :: Social Proof
• Wikipedia :: Anchoring
• Wikipedia :: Decoy Effect
• Wikipedia :: Social Proof
Examples
AFK Journey"Classic anchoring tricks. It's very difficult to determine what go"
Invasion: Modern Empire"Tin chests, Iron chests, Bronze chests, Silver chests, Gold chests all beside each other so you can look at the cheapest and feel you are getting a bargain"
Bud Farm: Grass Roots"in payment screen, they show an offer for newbies and after that all expensive offers"
Bloons TD 6"Bundles that make the more expensive items seem like a better deal"
Teamfight Tactics: League of Legends Strategy Game"There are bundles inside the shop. Mostly an expensive cosmetic bundled with the current battle pass."
Asphalt 9: Legends"This game pulls every single predatory trick you can think of when it comes to it's monetization deals."
Arcaea"100 memories with 510 1020 memories, which are cheaper"
Magic: The Gathering Arena"Every day, they have a new Daily Deal on the front page of their store, always with a number of how much % off it supposedly is. Their Daily Deals tab is full of similar deals to the one shown on the front page, and on the front page they make sure to highlight it with extra text and a red glowing border. Often on the front page, they put bundles with some items combined next to the actual items if you bought them seperately."
Two Spies"They sell two skins, one 0.99, the other 3.99."
SimCity BuildIt"exactly as described"