Culture Clash: When Deceptive Design Meets Diverse Player Expectations

TL;DR

The paper addresses the problem that deceptive game design interacts with cultural representations, yet there is limited empirical understanding of cross-cultural effects. It adopts a conceptual analysis grounded in the literature on deceptive design patterns and cultural representation, using Genshin Impact as a detailed illustrative case of how cultural attributes can amplify manipulation through monetization and event-driven incentives. Key contributions include clarifying how cultural attributes can both enrich player experience and facilitate manipulation, highlighting ethical concerns, and outlining concrete directions for future research and policy guidance. The work aims to inform culturally informed, ethically responsible global game design that remains entertaining and engaging for diverse audiences.

Abstract

Deceptive game designs that manipulate players are increasingly common in the gaming industry, but the impact on players is not well studied. While studies have revealed player frustration, there is a gap in understanding how cultural attributes affect the impact of deceptive design in games. This paper proposes a new research direction on the connection between the representation of culture in games and player response to deceptive designs. We believe that understanding the interplay between cultural attributes and deceptive design can inform the creation of games that are ethical and entertaining for players around the globe.