Stage 3: Ripping you off · Gaming
Ads, fees, dark patterns, and worse defaults as incentives tilt from pleasing users toward harvesting value.
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Nintendo Switch
3Beloved games on Nintendo-only hardware, now with $80 games and a price rise for a console years into its life.
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Epic Games Store
3PC storefront and launcher competing on cuts and exclusives—better for devs in spots, still a platform tax and account wall for players.
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Xbox (Microsoft)
3Console ecosystem built on Game Pass value—now shaped by steep subscription price swings, pulled perks, and account lock-in around what “ownership” means.
