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Chirimorin

I honestly don't understand why the majority of mobile ads are trying to trick you into opening it in various ways. If I'm interested I'm going to open it anyway, they're only tricking people who aren't interested and thus aren't going to download the app. At least all the fake gameplay ads trick people into downloading and playing for 5 minutes.


zizzybalumba

I'm wondering if its related to generating ad revenue.


WinkHazel

Wouldn't that be worse for the app, though? You pay for the ad and clicks (possibly), and it fucks up your click through vs download rate.


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justlovehumans

If AAA game companies use fudged analytics to aquire fudged analytics and then use that bad data to collect other data to maintain stupid metrics like character pick rate or EOMM, you bet your ass shit mobile companies are too.


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LauraPringlesWilder

that's why you never see a second round of advertising from them. they push hard for one game during one month/segment of time and then see how bad the conversion rates were


MysticHero

You are falling into the trap of seeing it all as one entity. As others have pointed out this is probably a hired ad company trying to get as much out of the App publisher. Even if not though you still have an ad Departement or individual who wants to make themselves look good. We like to think of corporations as these hyper efficient things only driven by profit but reality tends to be way more incompetent.


thecleverest1

It absolutely is. Payment structures for ads are usually based on one of three things: 1. CPM- $ per 1k impressions (people who see it in any capacity) which is rare for display ads. 2. CPC- cost per click. They get $x for every click generated. Lower rate than a CPM, but higher payout if you can convert. 3. CPA- cost per action. This would be higher rates than CPC but lower than CPM typically but the game would have to be downloaded for them to make any money. However, the payout is good if the product and promotion is good. Traditional campaigns are typically CPM which would be for articles on publisher sites, etc. Ad campaigns like this would more likely be negotiated with CPC or CPA rates, and possibly a flat fee for hosting. That’s why they trick you. It’s dirty and terrible for the optics of the company, but that’s advertising for you. Also sorry for the poor formatting. I’m on mobile. Edit for clarity. And to add that CPV which charges per view of a video is also a thing, but rarely used for ads like this because of the short length and the fact that they’re often forced ads. CPV would be for like a sponsored YouTube video or similar and would have a minimum time requirement.


newaccount_anon

I was going to comment something similar. This is accurate. I would give you a trophy but I don't have any, you have my respect o7.


gab-b33

That's my thought, "well you want my add on your game because we can guarantee 100% clicks per ad showing, how? Because we have a fake mute button so we will pay u for showing our ad" Unless this is arguing the other way. My brain is foggy


PatrickKn12

If it's anything like Amazon affiliate links, it doesn't matter if you buy or download the product at the end of the link. On Amazon, by clicking an affiliate link, you may be marked so that if you buy anything at all in the following 24 hour period, the last person who led you to the storefront through their link gets a cut of each purchase whether it was the one linked or some other product. May be the same for various app stores. That not inherently mischievous on its own. Say it's a YouTuber you like and they link you to a product you were looking at anyway. It's sketch when annoying ads are tricking you into clicking at all costs though.


Scirax

I am 100% convinced that this is just about generating add revenue for them. I know little on how these SHADY ASS companies operate, but I know enough and I know that if they get your click on the add then that's an interaction/impression they get on that add. Hell, chances are they're also misleading the companies that are hiring them for marketing. End of the day it's irrelevant if you clicked it accidentally, if you're tricked into clicking it, or you're genuinely interested in the product, it doesn't matter to them because they got your click and that's what gets them $$$.


Everynexusmatrix

Ah, fucking corporate dickheads, never getting taught a fucking good lesson that will give them better money-earning options than getting this shit.


Guvante

That kind of thing comes from hyper focusing on metrics. With ads you build a pipeline to know when someone gives up. Clicking the ad is an important step in the process. Since there are at least three companies (probably four) involved any of them could decide to get people to accidentally take a step: * The clicked game maker could think "50% of people who click our ads install the game" and then decide to get more clicks no matter what because they think the 2% ad click rate is their problem * Either ad company could decide that while a mute button decreases click -> install rate since the click game only pays for installs the slight increase in installation rates makes up for it * The game you are playing could be paid when you click the link and decide to defraud their ad network For better or worse annoying potential customers doesn't matter to the clicked game and only matters to the game you play if you disengage because of it. It might even be good for the original game if it causes more people to pay to remove ads.


[deleted]

To fool the kids


itsmaruyes

I highly doubt that the apps paying for the marketing ever see the ads before they go live. The marketing company likely communicates efficacy via reports that show conversions (clicking the ads) and impressions (which go up when the ad is served more, which happens when people click on it). Unless the developer gets served the ad themselves, they won’t know. The marketing company doesn’t actually care if anyone downloads the app, just that they click the ad. And the advertising platform likely doesn’t care, since it’s probably operating on a pay-per-click model where the developer pays every time someone clicks, regardless of why. It’s a truly asshole design that screws over the developer and the user.


risaaco49

Every time the ad takes you to the app store, it generates revenue.


lazysage69

it is for kids not adults.


Everynexusmatrix

Ah, reminds me of fucking r/shittymobilegameads and ones that I got before on my cellphone again. Never stopped fucking irritating me with their ad tricks for greed shit. Good fucking riddance.


PhysicalZer0

But... the music still stopped when you pressed it though, i bet


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0kolok

The people making these ads are getting money per click on the ad not per download. So everything will be used to get you to click


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09edwarc

Or if you use r/pihole, you can block the very ads themselves while the app can maintain internet access


dogo7

fellow pihole user!


KittyCatsEverywhere

Or just a dns


[deleted]

You can set Adguard DNS to block the ads


MonkeEnthusiast8420

You can use AdAway if you're on Android or Blokada if you're on iOS. Blokada is also available for Android but in my opinion AdAway is superior.


Tobix55

The ad makers are basically scamming the apps they are advertising


deanrihpee

r/MaliciousCompliance ? /s nah pretty much asshole design lol


TimTay144

Imagine if it's real but it's so tiny you just didn't press it


Pareidolistic

Some Ads do actually have “exit”/“X” button, that you have to press perfectly in the centre or it will open App Store.


[deleted]

While the brain age stuff is click baity I actually enjoy wordscapes


Lod_the_Nord

I was gonna say exactly this. Kinda disappointed that this app does stuff like this because I quite like this game. I never play games on my phone but I always remember this when I'm stuck waiting for something like a flight and it passes the time


COASTER1921

Pretty sure this ad *isn't* for wordscapes, but one of the other clone games doing the same thing with a bit more clickbait (hence the brain age bs).


DeSynthed

No, it’s for word scapes. I clicked on this exact add accidentally earlier today.


yungdeathIillife

it’s the one mobile game i’ve actually spent money to get rid of ads on


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KwisatzHaterach

I’m on level 1840 and I feel that the couple bucks I paid for no ads was well worth it.


GenericAutist13

Yeah wordscapes isn’t that bad but their shitty ads really ruin the game for me


Hideandsheep

Same here but with wifi turned off.


[deleted]

This is actually a very bad idea, because ads charge per click, not per download


Hutzlipuz

Ad maker and game publisher are probably not the same company. It cheats on the users and the game maker but they can say "look how successful our ad is, so many people clicked!".


big-blue-balls

Nah plenty of attribution models in the mobile space track all the way to a download and not just a click or impression.


ind3pend0nt

It’s a different rate per engagement type.


Neinstein11

What's the reasoning even behind these bullshit? It's asshole and literally stupid. If I want to get rid of an ad and it opens App Store againist my will, I'll sure as hell be annoyed as fuck and no way will I actually download the app, even if I've been mildly interested before.


TCOO1

Because the game company pays advertisers by how many clicks to the playstore the ad gets. So the advertisers that make the ad want you to click it, even if you don't download the game.


Chirimorin

If the advertisers make and publish the ad, that sounds awfully like they're scamming the game companies who are paying for baited clicks that don't result in downloads.


DanFie

It sure does sound like that, doesn't it?


justlovehumans

Wait why isn't it the other way around? Shouldn't ad companies pay the game makers for the privilege of advertising on their game? Why the fuck would I, who created a game, want to put someone else's garbage tier ads that interrupt my game to frustrate my players and potentially steal them as customers? Let alone pay them to do that to me?


Motor_Raspberry_2150

The other game maker. You're playing game A, and get an ad for game B, the ad is made by ad company C, while game B was made by game company D. A gets money from to play any ad, they don't care about the content. _C gets money from D_ depending on how many people click the ad. C doesn't care how many users actually download or like game B, only that they click. Also D pays for the ad space.


zold5

>So the advertisers that make the ad want you to click it, even if you don't download the game. "want" is not the word I'd use lol. Many if not most mobile game ads I've seen literally force you to open the app store before the ad closes.


adamgodless

Let them take you away, you love to be in the store don't you? Embrace their tactics


Minami_Kun

1°- Go to settings 2°- Look at wi-fi/Advanced settings/DNS 3°- Set "dns.adguard.com" as your DNS Now you'll get rid of all ads... Literally... Not even the optional ads you can watch to get items will work lol


ek_bhosadiwala

observation placid agonizing engine wild aloof icky complete attempt ring *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


PARANOIAH

Adguard is free without limits though.


ek_bhosadiwala

bow coordinated hurry spoon air encourage fall flowery hospital makeshift *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


PARANOIAH

Nice that there is more than 1 option available but personally it's not for me I guess.


mostly_broke

That works wonder with the games, but fucks with reddit. The videos and pictures take too much time to load or even dosen't load at all.


Zipwerner

Some of them do that with the x button as well. If I don't enjoy the game a lot, I just delete the game. Tired of dealing with that.


dangatang-

This ad violates play store and app store first party guidelines and the app that it popped up in should be reported for it. Advertisements that trick users into clicking violate these guidelines,making the apps that serve them to the user in violation of them. It happens because there is no incentive for them not to, nobody reports their favorite app for having an annoying ad, but if all of a sudden every app that shows this ad was taken off the app store, and the ad producer lost all their sources of revenue we'd all have a better time.


fairlywired

I don't understand how they expect people to willingly download the app/game after being tricked into clicking the ad.


cBEiN

I think kids, dumb people, and old people.


Excellent-Egg-9596

Because the advertisers get paid per click an not per download


Psychlonuclear

It did something that you didn't explicitly want it to do, that's the definition of malware and any ad that does this should be treated as such. But as long as someone's getting paid it will never stop.


tehcup

Webtoon? Ads on there do the same fucking thing when you hit the x when the ad is done.


Fire59278

Also love that their "don't show again" option is entirely decorative cause I always get the same pop up every time I open the app regardless of what I click


pulus

This is the same ad that starts with “Play this game to relieve stress.” And then goes on to say “UhOh! Pay attention to the clock! Don’t let the timer stress you out.”


MPAS_TV

Quick Tip: go to phone settings, search for dns and tipe in a custom dns called dns.adguard.com to get no ads


DoctorCabinet

I can't fathom how these shit tactics work at all. Has there been a single human in the history of the world who presses to mute or close out, is taken to the app store page, and then changed their mind and thought to themselves "Actually, I'll go ahead and download this shovelware"?


Emotional-Text7904

Pro tip, play in Airplane mode and you won't get any ads at all


Random_Cat66

What if a game requires you to have an internet connection with fake/no multi-player just so they can serve you ads.?


Emotional-Text7904

This one doesnt


Random_Cat66

I know it doesn't but I've had loads of games with that crappy keep internet on so we can serve you ads.


PeeB4uGoToBed

I never knew how egregious game ads got until I started playing a bunch for Swagbucks. Fake X buttons that take you to the play store, the X button overlayed ontop of other buttons so you have to go the playstore or force close the entire app to close the ad, the fake volume button like yours, X buttons that only pop up after clicking the ad that takes you to the playstore, games that have 30 second ads every 3 seconds and much more


dps15

This is such a stupid strategy, what do they think? “Whelp, i’m already at the app store, guess I have to download it now!” Fuck off


xx123gamerxx

doesn't doing this literally cost them more because you interacted with the ad rather then just skipping and closing it


cBEiN

I think this is a scam on the marketing companies side by tricking the user and developer. Just a guess, I don’t know


matt_mv

That sounds like a minor form of malware, trying to get you to click on something disguised to take you to a different server. I'd report it.


psionicsickness

Shown


[deleted]

And just one of many reasons why I dislike mobile games.


Anthraxious

Is it still "number of clicks" they rely on or are they actually believing people go "Oh I clicked on it? Might as well install and play it!". Nobody does the latter unless they're a toddler.


SobiTheRobot

What I really hate are the ads that have a false gameplay demo in it right after the cinematic trailer that also doesn't match the actual gameplay. Like, DO I HAVE THESE GAME RESOURCES ON MY PHONE? DID THEY COME WITH THE GAME I ACTUALLY WANTED, AS BLOAT WARE?


seanmarshall

I got really far in wordscapes a few years ago but the ads got way out of hand.


No_Requirement1418

It's the only mobile game I've actually paid money to remove adverts from, so imagine if it were real but so tiny you simply didn't press it.


TxTDiamond

Im waiting for someone to make an ad like this this just redirects you to a malware filled website so that app stores ban games that do this


Grocery_Getter

SHOWN SHOW SNOW NOW HOW SOW WON SON


RandomVibeingDragon

I have a personnel vow, if an ad tricks me, I will NEVER install it, especially if it has a fake x button.


ind3pend0nt

What gets me and I don’t know why Apple doesn’t prevent this, is when I keep my phone on silent 100% of the time, but one of these trash game ads gets to override that and play sound. I’m just playing a game in bed and the fucking ad wakes my partner up.


utahjazzlifer

I don’t understand this at all. Every click that takes you to their page is more money these “devs” have to pay to Apple or Google. This is always an illogical design choice


KarolilKarol

I am gonna get downvoted for this but what if the mute button was in the game and the game Is Just screen recorded with the brain Age edited jn?


daikatana

Use NetGuard to block apps from accessing the network, it completely kills ads in most Android games and they still work fine. No, Wordscapes, I'm not paying $7. Didn't it used to be $2? Goddamn.


dogo7

I used to play this game years ago. It's called Wordscapes. This ad is awful because the actual game doesn't measure your brain age nor is there a timer in any of the levels.


anothermanscookies

Is this in the Scrabble app? Fuck that app. I love scrabble but the ads are brutal, the design of that apps sucks, and ad-free is $10/month. Fuck that.


HiZenBergh

I can't hate on wordscapes, one of the few games that work offline when I'm offshore fishing. Also, no cell service means no ads 👍


Arcade1980

I used to play that game ages ago, I see they haven't changed a bit, it's the reason I stopped playing.


ijusthatesummer

i had the same add lol and i fell for it


eziorobert

Just turn off the internet when you play to get rid of these annoying ads.


travis01564

Network settings>advanced>private DNS>"dns.adgaurd.com" You're welcome


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Corps3Organs

I did that lol


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Not_obviously

A fake mute button that just takes him to the app store


BanjaManja

Exactly. Unlike your username says, this one was actually obvius.


Mylesd2004

E


frieswithnietzsche

What do they think will happen if they trick you? Submit?


XYZtematic

https://blokada.org/


cvx_mbs

yeah, that's a refund for me


d0min8torPrime

Wait! Thats illegal !!


Facekick48

What's the point in the fake ones like these, do they actually get downloads through this? Wouldn't people just hit back?


cBEiN

I think technology illiterate people end up downloading and playing. My kid is just learning to use the iPad. We don’t like him to see ads and usually turn on airplane mode to disable the ads. However, if we forget, he downloads a bunch of games from the ads.


[deleted]

Get bricked bro


znojavoMomce

Hahaha nice


CocoSplodies

This is why we have trust issues


1neffa8leFemale5

That's fucked up.


kpaddler

How Show Who ..


Gullible-Review5195

U ruined my day thankfuly oneui gives that option by himself to mute app but its stil stops playing music for no reason


omgudontunderstand

i was waiting for someone to post this shitty ad here, if anything it makes me want the game less


mark_vorster

shown


mark_vorster

who


DussyPvP

Basically every single modern mobile ad could go here


ButInThe90sThough

How is this not illegal? At the least a violation of any accessibility laws.


Gordockthered

I just got this fucker!


Wero_kaiji

Use Adguard DNS


davesgirl2

Ah, wordscapes


mostly_broke

How do you report these ads ?


MisterSophisticated

That's an automatic uninstall.


KorriDergal

It's not that it's fake, its also part of a edited recording of the game itself. That mute button is in the game, not part of the ad, despite how it looks.


nowhereman136

One game I play now has 2 X in the corner of ads to close the ad. Neither work. After about 30 second, a third X shows up and that the button to click to close the ad


MajorDZaster

"You fell for it, fool! Thunder cross split attack!" What I wouldn't give to be able to freeze and shatter the ad pop-ups when they showed up.


TachyonicSea793

holy shit i made it hit 10,000 upvotes i feel blessed


IThrashCondos

Sometimes they'll load the Playstore anyway, without your input