It's a numbers game! How analytics are turning games into distraction machines

A few years before he passed away, Roger Ebert stirred up a lot of game fan anger when he claimed that "video games can never be art". In response, livid gamers submitted numerous examples of games that can (rightly) be used to refute that argument. But when it comes to the vast majority of games that people are playing on their mobile devices, Ebert was right. Over the last decade, we've seen the rise of mega-hits like Farmville, Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, Hearthstone, and many more of the "freemium" games that litter the mobile marketplace. They're free to play as long as you're willing to grind your way through a minimal experience.