From Attraction to Dependency: The Inducing Traps of GACHA Mechanisms in GACHA Games and Their Impact

Abstract

With the rise of digital entertainment, the phenomenon of GACHA in games has become increasingly common, attracting widespread social attention. GACHA games are a form of non-transparent sales where players purchase chances to randomly obtain in-game items or characters. This mechanism has been widely applied in many online video games, especially in free-to-play games, where it is designed to encourage in-game purchases. This paper aims to explore the inducing traps of GACHA mechanisms and their impact on the game market and player behavior. Through literature review, the social issues and industry development issues caused by GACHA in games are analyzed, pointing out that existing studies have mainly focused on game quality and player motivation, while neglecting the inducing traps in game design. This paper adopts case study methods, selects two popular games, "Genshin Impact" and "Honor of Kings," and deeply analyzes their GACHA mechanisms. Combined with interviews with senior game designers, it reveals how game developers induce players to GACHA through means such as the "foot-in-the-door effect," sunk costs, recharge exchange ratios, increasing secondary game content, and strengthening social status after recharging. The study points out that GACHA mechanisms not only lead game companies into a low-quality internal competition but also may trigger players' excessive consumption behavior. The article finally suggests that through policy restrictions and market self-adjustment, it is expected to guide the game industry towards healthy competition and promote healthy development.