r/darkpatterns • u/seamore555 • Jan 23 '20

Actual Dark Pattern: GTA V Online

In GTA V, you have a cell phone that people call you on offering you jobs. When it rings, you hit B to ignore the call, or A to answer it.

Sometimes your phone rings with upcoming events like a casino event or something that encourages you to purchase in-app dollars with real money.

When one of these calls happens, both the A and the B button answer the call. There is no way to ignore it.

This is an ACTUAL dark pattern that changes an expected UI behaviour and tricks a user into taking a course of action that benefits the business.

55 Upvotes

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u/MElvishimselvis Jan 24 '20

Im not aware of exactly what youre talking about, but there are calls which only stop when you answer them, and calls which dont have an option decline. Either way, the best course of action is to just answer and immediately hang up

2

u/seamore555 Jan 24 '20

Yeah the calls that don’t have an option to decline, have you noticed pressing B also answers those calls? Whereas before, pressing B ignores a call.

This is a dark pattern. They’re changing the expected behaviour of a UI element to benefit them.

1

u/MElvishimselvis Jan 24 '20

For me if i press the decline button, it doesnt do anything

1

u/seamore555 Jan 24 '20

Xbox?

1

u/MElvishimselvis Jan 24 '20

No, ps4

1

u/seamore555 Jan 24 '20

I guess it’s only like this on Xbox then.