Social Aspects of Crash Games

A new game genre is flooding the online gaming world. Learn what it is all about and how its social aspect is more hidden than you think!

Humans crave instant gratification like nothing else. Instant gratification is the reason why fast food became so popular in the 20th century. Instant gratification is the reason why Netflix series are killing regular TV content. And instant gratification has jumpstarted a new online gaming genre called crash games. But you will never guess where the inspiration for crash games came from.

Unexpected Origins

The concept behind crash games was inspired by financial market principles, where participants essentially bet that a stock will do well in the foreseeable future. Some of these stock market traders even bet on the fact that a stock will crash in the near future. While the market has a certain element of predictability, it is greatly based on randomness.

Randomness is the core mechanic of any crash or instant-win game. It essentially gives players something to bet on, with the main draw being the potential to win big or lose everything at every moment. The first company to exploit this concept was SatoshiDice, one of the first Bitcoin gambling sites in the mid-2010s.

The rise of crash games came in combination with a cryptocurrency boom, which inspired people to take big risks for big rewards. New records were being broken as soon as they were being recorded, with people going to bed as middle-class citizens and waking up as millionaires. Everyone was hopeful for the future and keen on moving fast. This fast-paced, engaging action was then adopted by crash games, which could be called the gaming product of crypto.

A Working Formula

The creators of crash games stumbled upon a simple formula that works. First, players place bets before a round starts. Then, the game starts at a certain multiplier that increases as the game goes on. However, the game can crash at any point, taking away your winnings and bet. It is, therefore, your task to cash out before the game reaches this turning point.

The game thus comes with a very simple predicament. You can either cash out early and secure small but safe wins, or you can keep on risking your entire wager for a big win. A simple concept, but one that prays on the human condition. This is where human psychology kicks in and almost forces players to keep on playing. The prospect of a bigger win, after all, is very hard to give up. What is more, the idea of becoming a winner is something that few can put to the side. Resisting the temptation of staying in for just a bit long is also based on a simple social aspect.

The Social Aspect

Casino game developers know that player engagement is heavily reliant on their ability to express themselves. This trend was first observed in conventional video games, where players played for longer when given the ability to chat with their teammates and opponents. Crash game developers, therefore, decided to incorporate a real-time chat mechanic.

The most common feature that any game uses be it casino-related or a casual video game, is that of a leaderboard. The leaderboard motivates participants to compete with each other to reach the top spot, especially when an opponent that annoyed you is ahead of you. It is this leaderboard mechanic that online casinos also love to use.

But it does not end there. Another mechanic that some casino developers use is that of copying bets. Some punters believe that more experienced players make better decisions, which is why they simply follow their lead. A similar thought process is associated with influencers and streamers.

Societal Engineers

People who make a career out of making YouTube videos or hosting live content on sites such as Twitch and Kick are usually looked down upon. However, they hold immense influence and command the attention of enormous crowds. This aspect is truly hidden, especially because it is hard to see its effects as an outsider.

A streamer usually builds an enormous and loyal community of fans. These fans spend countless hours with their favorite content creators, leading to a sense of familiarity and trust. Therefore, it is very easy for these streamers to influence their audience into partaking in a crash game. This influence is almost always motivated by the streamer's promotional deals with a certain gaming venue. The biggest name in this gambling advertisement category is Stake, a crypto-first site that has revolutionized iGaming with a heavy social media push of crash games.

We should not underestimate the power of social media. It is the medium that creates millionaires, billion-dollar businesses, and even entire cultural trends. It is social media that starts entire fashion and music trends, not TV and movies. A few powerful social media influencers can rake in an audience of several ten million. If you combine this influence with an attractive casino game promotion, you are guaranteed to get a few new punters.

These new punters will then try to replicate the content that their influencers produce, which means that they will jump into crash games. Not only will the clever game mechanics of crash games keep them locked into the action, but they will also consider the achievements of their influencers. Moreover, they will produce their own content for YouTube and other sites, which will, in turn, influence more opinions. So, what can we do to keep crash game gambling responsible?

Keeping Crash Games Harmless

Casinos will always find new customers. It is in human nature to take risks with the promise of a reward. The only thing that we can do is understand what crash and other casino games are to us. They are a fun activity that we partake in with excess money. The moment that they become anxiety-inducing is the moment that we have to take a break.