PROGRAMME

While the last century’s free was a powerful marketing method, this century’s free is an entirely new economic model

Anderson, 2009

The (hyper)connectivity of the web and the sophistication of the technologies that underpin it have contributed to the emergence of more sustained and intense patterns of consumption (Reith, 2019). The world of digitized games, in particular that of free games on mobile devices, embodies these major transformations. The commodification of these products aims, through modes of production, marketing models, and consumption experiences, to maximize profits in a largely lucrative market.

From a political economy perspective, we will examine the power relations between producers, distributors, and consumers of free mobile games. We will examine the processes involved in the increasing complexity of game design models, paying particular attention to the processes of monetization, financialization and commodification of information. How do marketing strategies become embedded in game design? To what extent is the commercialization of games based on the transformation of the player and his information into capital?

Over the course of the day, we aim to deepen the debate on the tension created by these free games between the intrinsic playful nature of games and their commodification, as well as the contradiction between designing games for pleasure and designing them for profit.

With the expansion of neoliberalism, the marketing of gambling has taken a historically unprecedented turn. The player has become an autonomous consumer, free to choose, rational and responsible for their well-being and future, regardless of the social, political and economic environment in which they operate (Reith, 2007). It is in such a context that a multitude of initiatives are deployed to attract the consumer/gambler and promote increased revenues for the gambling industry and governments. In a context where responsible gambling strategies based on individual responsibility are deployed in order to remind players to self-control, to inform themselves and to make informed choices, what is the responsibility do operators have in terms of promoting gambling? To what extent are the types of advertising strategies employed acceptable?

Moreover, in some forms of games, the role of advertising goes far beyond encouraging consumption. This is the case with Free-to-Play games (a form of hybrid between games of chance and video games), where advertising is either used to entice a targeted consumer population based on personal characteristics to download a game, or as an integral part of the mechanics of the game where viewing an ad makes it possible, for example, to progress within the game.

While the advertising of gambling is subject to some regulation, for example in jurisdictions where the marketing of gambling is the responsibility of the state, the world of free-to-play gambling remains completely unconstrained in this regard. This raises a number of questions about the intrusiveness of the strategies used and the use (collection and sale) of personal data for marketing purposes.

People are increasingly using the Internet for their gam(bl)ing experiences. Likewise, when they encounter difficulties, many people are looking online for answers to their questions or for support. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is attracting a lot of interest in the field of health, and mobile and Internet-based interventions have been attempted in the field of addictions. In particular, this could make it possible to reach people who would not otherwise request services.

Beyond the evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs, there are questions about their epistemological and clinical implications. Does the pre-established framework limit the understanding of the problem; does the use of these self-monitoring technologies contribute to the medicalization of the phenomenon and to individual responsibilization? On the other hand, what is the role of the appropriation of self-efficacy; how can motivational and cognitive-behavioural approaches be adapted to mobile platforms to become complementary to clinical approaches; what are the issues regarding the dissemination and advertisement of these platforms as far as confidentiality?

Over the course of the day, these points will be addressed and discussed through lectures, panel discussions, and workshops.