#adsupported — Public Fediverse posts

Smartphones and the Jeux Absurdes

Years ago I noticed something. All of the games on iOS and Android that are promoted are crap. By this I mean that they have a very simple design. Complete a challenge, fail, watch an add, compete, win, watch an ad. Every single game makes you see an ad every few seconds.

These games aren’t especially good. They’re designed for infinite obsessive, absurd game play. Absurd because once you reach a level you fail again, and again, and again. The failure is intentional. It wants you to fail so that you pay to win. The pay to win model is flawed because in the end you fall into an absurd loop and you have to either pay to play, after watching dozens of ads, or pay money for boosts.

It’s worth knowing that if you force quit an app on android, and iOS you interrupt the ad and you get away with not watching them. These ads aren’t even good ads. They’re for crappy games that are too awful to be talked about with word of mouth. If a game is advertised in either store it is almost certain that the game play is the same.

These games are not designed for the beauty of a game. They are not designed for us to enjoy a game, and progress. These games are designed to short circuit our addiction centres to play for hours and hours, with little intellectual progress.

Clash of Clans and Hay Day might be pay to win, but at least they have a certain amount of game play, although I gave up on Clash of Clans years ago. I was tired of the constant story nagging. With Hay day I still tolerate the game.

The problem with Amaze Go and Loop Sort, among other games, is that they require only a little focus, so as you’re playing you can day dream and think about things. I’m at level 119 of Loop Sort and now, more and more often I overload the conveyor belt, and I have boosts that I can use to win, for free, but they’re limited, and if I use them then I am “paying” to win, rather than progress. You hit the “If you want to continue, you have to pay”.

I reached such a level with Hexa sort and deleted the game. These are games, to distract us for a few minutes, every now and then. When we start paying to pass a level we’re paying to win, and I refuse to pay to win. I’d rather pay to play, once.

It reminds me of the swimming pool pinball machine, and could draw a link to video game arcades of the past. In fact we could liken it to pub Fruit machines, where you pay, hope the icons line up, and get a payout. You pay a few centimes, or a few francs, and that’s how the game breaks even.

The problem, in my eyes is that these games, through pay to play, and pay to win are making honest grit and determination to win, less rational. Hypothetically it is using a random algorithm to see whether you win or lose, but with the pay to win games it feels as though they’re deliberately getting you to lose, to feel compelled to spend money.

That’s when you go from playing a game, to paying a game. That’s when the game slides into an irrational waste of time. That’s why I force quit when ads play.

It’s not that the games are brilliant fun to play. They’re just designed to generate revenue, without taking any time to consider user experience and game play.

In the end, my primary reason for force quitting the ads is that they’re for irrelevant crap. If they were for a quality product then I might be attentive, but if it’s to encourage me to download and play with yet another pay to win game, then I’m done.

Global #streaming subscription revenue surpassed $150 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $202 billion by 2030. This growth is driven by #price increases, the rollout of #adsupported tiers, and #international expansion, with ad revenue expected to contribute significantly to future growth. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/global-streaming-subscription-revenue-ampere-price-hikes-ad-1236551471/?eicker.news #tech #media #news

I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's "free" and ad-supported

https://99helpers.com/tools/ad-supported-chat

#HackerNews #AIChat #Demo #AdSupported #TechInnovation #FutureOfAI #FreeChat

Disney streaming ad revenue surges as platform hits $5.3B milestone: Disney+ and Hulu advertising revenue reached record levels in Q1 fiscal 2026, signaling accelerated monetization of the entertainment giant's 122 million ad-supported streaming subscribers. https://ppc.land/disney-streaming-ad-revenue-surges-as-platform-hits-5-3b-milestone/ #DisneyPlus #Hulu #StreamingRevenue #AdSupported #DigitalMarketing

#Xbox #CloudGaming will introduce an #adsupported tier this year, allowing users to play games without an Xbox Game Pass subscription. This move aims to expand the service’s reach, particularly in regions where traditional gaming hardware is expensive. https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xbox-cloud-gaming-will-get-an-ad-supported-tier-this-year-rumors-coalesce-after-ad-support-notices-appear-prematurely?eicker.news #tech #media #news

For the first time, more #UK #streaming subscribers are opting for #adsupported plans than #adfree ones. This shift, driven by #costconscious consumers, marks a significant change for the #streamingindustry, which previously prioritised ad-free experiences. The growing popularity of ad-supported streaming is also impacting the #advertisingmarket. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/dec/26/tv-streaming-turning-point-most-uk-subscribers-opt-for-ads?eicker.news #tech #media #news

e532 with Michael and Michael - Halloween Spooktacular edition with #AI #whale #communications & implications, #robotic #vacuums that phone home, #AdSupported #TV and a whole lot more.

https://gamesatwork.biz/2025/11/03/e532-spooky-scary-tech-skeletons/

e532 with Michael and Michael - Halloween Spooktacular edition with #AI #whale #communications & implications, #robotic #vacuums that phone home, #AdSupported #TV and a whole lot more.

https://gamesatwork.biz/2025/11/03/e532-spooky-scary-tech-skeletons/

e532 with Michael and Michael - Halloween Spooktacular edition with #AI #whale #communications & implications, #robotic #vacuums that phone home, #AdSupported #TV and a whole lot more. https://gamesatwork.biz/2025/11/03/e532-spooky-scary-tech-skeletons/

Pulling together the #shownotes in #Durham for Monday’s posting of e532 for @andypiper @michaelrowe01 and me. Stories and discussion on #AI #TalkWithTheAnimals #Vacuums that #PhoneHome #AdSupported #TV #Cars #Refrigerators on this #Halloween #Spooktacular edition of @gamesatwork_biz! Check out earlier episodes, chock full of #AI #metaverse #AR #VR #gamification and so much more on https://www.gamesatwork.biz

Show additional apocrypha?

I found this brilliant bit of modern heresy from Thomas Weibel and had to share it.

• website

#adSupported #Genesis #lateStageCapitalism #ShowAdditionalApocrypha_

TechRadar: Roku users should get ready for a lot more AI-generated ads, according to its COO – and I mean a lot. “As The Verge reports, Roku finance and operating boss Dan Jedda told investors to prepare for a new era. He said ‘No longer is it going to be about the top 200 advertisers. It’s going to be about 100,000 advertisers.’ The goal is to shift smaller businesses – think local car […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/09/15/techradar-roku-users-should-get-ready-for-a-lot-more-ai-generated-ads-according-to-its-coo-and-i-mean-a-lot/

Search Engine Land: The implosion of the blogging-for-dollars revenue model. I think that’s done been imploded. “This ‘blogging-for-dollars’ model powered the growth of countless niche sites, media empires, and an entire supporting ecosystem of tools, services, and infrastructure. But the model that once drove the golden age of attention-optimized publishing – where the sole goal was to […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/08/14/search-engine-land-the-implosion-of-the-blogging-for-dollars-revenue-model/

Microsoft Quietly Tests Free, Ad-Supported Office Apps #adsupported #apps #free #microsoft #microsoftoffice #office #testing

https://www.lowyat.net/2025/343725/microsoft-free-ad-supported-office-apps/

Microsoft has quietly launched free, ad-supported desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Windows. Feature banner and video ads with limited functionality. #Microsoft #Word #Excel #PowerPoint #AdSupported #Windows #TechNews #FreeSoftware #ProductivityTools

https://posivi.com/microsoft-has-quietly-launched-free-ad-supported-desktop-versions-of-word-excel-and-powerpoint-for-windows/

Netflix's ad-supported tier hits 70M global users, up from 40M in May & 22M in January! 📈 Over 50% of sign-ups are for ad plans in supported countries. A major growth surge for the streaming giant! 🎬💥 #Netflix #Streaming #AdSupported #TechNews #Growth #Entertainment #MediaTrends #NetflixGrowth

With Social Media Companies charging for 'no ad plans,' I'd really love to see a bill requiring ad-supported websites be required to publish how much they make off the average user, and users like you, or specifically you.

#Advertising #AdSupported #WebBillOfRights #UserRights #ConsumerRights #California #SFBay #SF #SanFrancisco

And everyone: PLEASE BUY AI PRODUCTS ONLY !! 🙏

If we mess up #AI with #AdSupported #BusinessModel like we did with #socialmedia, we might be done for as a civilisation.

I mean it!! 😑

Noticing the major #Weather apps on #Android becoming more obnoxious. A few #AdSupported apps have gone from one or two advertising panels to four or five ! A few have privacy dashboards that don't work at all.Some are scraping location data without user notification. Installing a #VPN and browsing weather eliminates a lot of this nonsense. Also going outside and looking up is still fairly unobtrusive
🤣🐾☕