[FKPXLS] The Illusions of Free-to-Play

Free to Play video game companies, by the structure of their market, are faced with the choice to either A) create addictive products that rob a select group of users large amounts of funds, or B) exit the business entirely. This is because their model doesn’t work at all without “whales”—high spenders that are manipulated through product design.

what is the basic non-galaxy-brain math for how a play-to-earn business model can work? How can a company give away the product, pay people to play it, and still make money?