#monkeygate

[gacha-lab]

Rate-up is a lie

is a popular phrase within the gacha community. Players use it to mock their failed attempts to get their desired character from the gacha pool, blaming it on the shining lettering on the banner, "rate-up".

Of course, we all know that what we play is dependent on RNG. That's why we say it jokingly. But imagine if rate-ups were a lie?

It is a preposterous thought, and people would definitely be outraged, but what if I were to tell you that it did happen? Veterans are very much familiar with this case I’m about to talk about.

The game was alleged to deceive its player base and subsequently changed the industry forever. The game in question is Granblue Fantasy by Cygames.

It is the year 2016. Cygames’ second consecutive year on the market and New Year is around the corner, so why not celebrate by introducing a new limited character for players to pull.

Amidst all those players, there is a livestreamer, Taste, who shared his attempts. However, his efforts were in vain and went viral after he obtained Andira after 2,276 pulls (5358,50€ in monetary value [exchange rate as of 31.12.2015). [1]

More reports of other players were coming in, confirming that they needed to spend a high number of pulls to get her. As time passed, it became clear that something was fishy.

Remember the saying from the beginning – rate-up is a lie? Well, someone put in the effort to collect data and put it into numbers. [2] Suddenly, it dawned on the community. The rate-up was… not a lie! Instead, it was misleading.

Andira, as a featured character, had indeed a rate up, but other units had a higher rate up and therefore were more likely to be summoned.

Understandably, this caused a massive outcry which the developers denied the allegations, but to appease the crowd, they had to apologize and compensate everyone with in-game currency. To prevent further escalations, Cygames preemptively introduced a new system to cap the players’ spending as well as showing the probabilities of all items for more transparency.

Overall, Yuji Nakamura argues that it could have dealt a massive blow to the market share of the mobile game industry, which lost 1 billion dollars. [4] Not only that, it also garnered mistrust from consumers.

Apparently, it even attracted some regulatory bodies. One is JOGA (Japanese Online Games Association) [1], the other is CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association). [3]

Both have released guidelines on the matter. Although I cannot confidently say much about JOGA due to the language barrier, if you are interested and able to read Japanese, you can find their guidelines under the categorie April 2016.

Nevertheless, according to Koeder et Tanaka, CESA has announced a guideline for more transparency for gacha item probability. [3]

It’s worth noting that JOGA and CESA are not regulatory bodies from the government. So those guidelines are not legally binding. According to Tsuji’s article introduction on Columbia Academic Commons, in Japan video game regulations are handled by third parties – basically self-regulation. [5]

In the end, the incident shaped the industry, compelling subsequent games to adapt to the guidelines. A win for consumer rights.

Sources (under the cut):

[1] https://www.destructoid.com/japanese-man-spends-6065-on-mobile-game-in-one-night/

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/go2dfu/mobile_games_monkeygate_or_how_a_lone_browser/

[3] https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/169473/1/Koeder-Tanaka.pdf

[4] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/14/business/smartphone-gamers-blow-small-fortune-on-their-obsession/#.WQgvl4jyuUk

[5] https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/50n0-1g51

[warupiposaru]

My wittle guy

Baby

Himb..my monkey son

[minxipinxi]

I have a few issues with the [When Tides Echo] Limited-Time Rerun banner, even though I'm not a Rafayel fan:

1. The pricing—the [Time Wish: Limited] is WAY more expensive than the [Deepsea Shell Pack], [Sea Breeze Pack], and [Deepspace Wish: Limited]. Like, it feels unfair to those of us who want to participate without going broke.

2. The pulling system—a lot of players are experiencing hard pity twice in a row and losing their 50/50 guarantees. That just feels like a faulty system, especially for something that's supposed to be fun.

3. Customer service issues—players who have tried to reach out for compensation are getting no response. This is probably because Infold has a small team (just 90 staff members for ALL their games—Love Nikki, Mr Love: Queen's Choice, Shining Nikki, Love and Deepspace, and Infinity Nikki). It's honestly concerning that such a small team is handling a massive player base.

This situation reminds me of the Monkeygate scandal in Granblue Fantasy, where misleading gacha rates led to a huge backlash. Infold needs to learn from that and be more transparent about their gacha mechanics and rates. Plus, they seriously need to increase the number of customer service staff to actually handle issues.

4. No Sea Breeze Echo rerun—they didn’t rerun the event where you could collect the [Miraculous Conch] to exchange for exclusive items like Couple Pose [Rafayel: Hand in Hand], and other goodies like the Limited Title [Bubbling Little Mermaid], Chat Bubble [Coral Seascape], BGM [The Deep Sea], and Photo Stickers. Like, this feels like a missed opportunity for newer players to get those items.

5. Banner duration—they cut the banner duration in half. Sure, keeping things fresh is important, but this just feels like a poor decision that’s hurting the player experience.

I’d be upset as a new player stanning Rafayel because they didn’t get the same opportunities to collect those exclusive items like older players did.

Infold really needs to step up its game. Fairness, transparency, and customer service should be priorities if they want to maintain trust with their player base.

[wolfofcelestia]

I really hope the Chinese players raise hell about the oracle of scams rerun cause this such an ass move infold made. Idk how reruns work exactly so I’m not sure if this rerun will come by again but I gotta save for MOF rerun. But also that zayne card is so tempting, it’s one of the few of his I don’t have 😭 I hate this so much

Zayne's card is a 4* pink card so if you need pink cards for him, there are plenty others. Unless you are extremely lucky, you will probably be spending the same amount or more diamonds than you would pulling a 5* card

Keep in mind, there is no pity here!! And you can't choose which boy you want!! Even the accessories aren't guaranteed at a certain number of pulls. With no pity and a terrible hit rate, you could be spinning endlessly. You could empty your entire life savings into the oracle and still not get a single 4* card

Do you know why pities in gachas even exist? It's because someone spent over $6000 USD on a gacha trying to get a character. This is called Monkeygate in the GBF fandom (my other main gacha). After this, the pity/spark system was introduced and similar systems spread to other gachas to become the industry standard For infold to ignore this industry standard is a deliberate and clear slap in the face to its players. This is a cash grab, plain and simple. They don't care about the players

If you like slot machines and throwing your money into the void, oracle is perfect, but it is a legit scam. This is honestly the worst scam I've ever seen in a gacha game post-monkeygate

If you want to read the card stories, youtube is always an option, but unless you're really itching to pull and have diamonds/money to spare, I highly encourage you to just ignore this scam all together

The less people pull on this, the more likely they'll keep it buried

Because really? 4* cards? They should've added them to the galaxy explorer already

If you haven't submitted your survey already, please speak out against this scam

[tainbocuailnge]

the fact that it took fgo so long to introduce a pity system when after monkeygate it became effectively a hard requirement for a gacha game to stand a chance at all makes it a freak outlier in the gacha game ecosystem but then again basically everything about fgo's development process make it a freak outlier

[undyinglantern]

Linking to a Reddit post about it since it happened about a year before before I started playing myself

every day I am stunned by the lack of granblue fantasy mention in gacha discussions (of ANY kind) despite how long it’s been around and monkeygate literally being the reason pity systems exist in these sort of games to begin with

[ask-tenna]

Are the mugs bigger than the normal glasses you use...?

Noper! Justgg my ususalj sock monkeyg mug!

[bungerc0re]

why does youtube recommend me drama youtubers about monkeyge. i havent played it in months and when i do its expressly to disable my brain and look at flashing lights

[everymediaem]

Mumbai Indians’ Owner Nita Ambani Reveals How Andrew Symonds & Harbhajan Singh Became Friends

At the Harvard India Conference, Mumbai Indians, owner, Nita Ambani shared a fascinating inside story about the infamous 'Monkeygate' scandal that followed the 2008 Sydney Test and how it led to an unexpected bond between two cricketers. She recalled how Mumbai Indians brought together Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds—who were once at the center of the controversy—in a special bonding session. During this session, both players openly addressed their past differences, paving the way for mutual understanding and teamwork. Not only did they go on to play together for Mumbai Indians, but their camaraderie played a crucial role in helping the team secure its first-ever IPL championship. Watch the video to know more.

[turftown27]

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: A Record of Winners and Memorable Moments

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: A Record of Winners and Memorable Moments

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a Test cricket series contested between India and Australia, is one of the most iconic and highly anticipated rivalries in the sport. First played in 1996, it has been a spectacle of high drama, extraordinary individual performances, and captivating cricketing moments. Named after legendary players Allan Border (Australia) and Sunil Gavaskar (India), the series has provided cricket fans with unforgettable encounters, some of the most memorable Test matches, and a constant battle for supremacy between two of the world’s best cricketing nations.

The Early Years: Australia��s Dominance

The 1996-97 Border-Gavaskar Trophy marked the inception of this celebrated rivalry. The series was held in Australia, and the hosts, under captain Mark Taylor, won the series 1-0. It was a competitive contest, but Australia’s class and strength prevailed. The second series in 1998-99 saw Australia further extend its dominance, winning 3-0. During this period, the Australian team, led by Steve Waugh and bolstered by players like Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, and Glenn McGrath, were the undisputed kings of Test cricket.

The Historic 2001 Series: India’s First Win

The 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains one of the most iconic series in cricket history. India, under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, faced Australia in a four-match series on Indian soil. Australia, which had been in a phase of overwhelming dominance, were stunned by India’s spirited fight. India clinched the series 2-1, thanks to two incredible moments: VVS Laxman’s unbeaten 281 and Rahul Dravid’s 180 in the famous second Test in Kolkata. The duo’s partnership of 376 runs, one of the longest partnerships in Test history, turned the game on its head. India’s win marked their first-ever Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, breaking Australia’s near decade-long dominance.

The Australian Response: 2003-04 and 2007-08

Following India’s landmark victory in 2001, Australia regained the trophy in the 2003-04 series, winning 2-1. The series saw some exceptional performances, including Ricky Ponting’s batting prowess and Glenn McGrath’s fiery spells. India, however, pushed Australia to the limit, showing that they were no longer mere spectators in this rivalry.

The 2007-08 series was another highly charged and controversial chapter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy history. Australia, led by Ricky Ponting, faced India in a four-match series in Australia. This series was marred by off-field issues, notably the "Monkeygate" incident involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. Despite the tensions, India triumphed 2-0, making history by winning their first-ever series on Australian soil. The series featured a memorable match in Adelaide, where Anil Kumble’s leadership and the spinners’ performances played a pivotal role in India’s win.

The Dominance Shifts: 2010s to Present

The 2010s marked a shift in the balance of power, with India emerging as a dominant force both at home and abroad. The 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw India once again conquer Australia at home. India won the series 2-0, and Ravichandran Ashwin was a standout performer, taking key wickets throughout the series.

However, it was the 2017 series that cemented India’s place as a global cricketing powerhouse. India won the series 2-1, with performances from Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli leading the charge. The series was marked by some gritty performances and thrilling moments, especially Steve Smith’s heroics for Australia.

In 2018-19, India scripted a historic first-ever win in a Test series on Australian soil. Led by Virat Kohli, India defeated Australia 2-1 in an unforgettable series. This victory was significant not only because it was India’s first win in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but also because they achieved it without their star player Virat Kohli for the final two matches. The series saw Rishabh Pant’s brilliant batting performances and Mohammed Shami’s crucial wickets, while Cheteshwar Pujara emerged as the backbone of India’s batting.

The 2020-2021 Epic Comeback

The 2020-2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is widely regarded as one of the greatest Test series of all time. Australia, under Tim Paine, were the favorites, but India, under Ajinkya Rahane in Kohli’s absence, achieved one of the most remarkable comebacks in cricketing history. After a humiliating defeat in the first Test in Adelaide, where India was bowled out for just 36 runs, the Indian team bounced back to win the series 2-1.

The second Test in Melbourne saw Ajinkya Rahane lead from the front with a match-winning century, while Rishabh Pant’s breathtaking 89 not out in the final Test in Brisbane secured India’s victory. The victory at The Gabba, where Australia had been unbeaten for 32 years, was a testament to India’s resilience and spirit. The win was hailed as one of the greatest comebacks in cricket history, with players like Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravichandran Ashwin playing pivotal roles in India’s historic achievement.

Summary of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Winners

Here is a summary of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy winners list and the series results:

1996-97: Australia (1-0)

1998-99: Australia (3-0)

2000-01: India (2-1)

2003-04: Australia (2-1)

2007-08: India (2-0)

2010-11: India (2-0)

2013-14: Australia (2-0)

2017-18: India (2-1)

2018-19: India (2-1)

2020-21: India (2-1)

Conclusion

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been a saga of fierce competition, remarkable performances, and unforgettable cricketing moments. From the early Australian dominance to India’s rise as a Test cricket powerhouse, the series has shaped the history of both teams. With each new chapter, the rivalry intensifies, and fans around the world eagerly await the next installment of this legendary contest. With new heroes emerging in every series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy continues to be one of the most exciting and revered events in international cricket.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Agnijit Sen with Harsh Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar (PC: Agnijit Sen Insta) Agnijit Sen in Australia I distinctly remember my childhood winter mornings. Being a true Bengali, I have grown up witnessing winter celebrated in Kolkata. Post the Durga Pujo, there’s a sudden nip in the air. You start taking out your sweaters and blankets from the cupboard. The fan regulator comes down gently, day by day. The days start getting shorter, nights longer. Ofcourse, there’s the festivities too. Theatre festivals, film festivals, picnics, circus, zoo – everything start rolling in one by one. The huge Park Street carnival on Christmas eve, New Year’s Eve, the smell of the Christmas cakes add to the tradition as the city braces itself for another long year. Oh, I forgot to mention the most important thing, getting up in the mornings! It used to be a tug of war between me and my favourite blanket. Except on one occasion. India’s tour Down Under. I used to wake up at the crack of dawn, quietly step out into the living room, put the TV on and mute the volume. I can say with pride and honour that despite me yawning innumerable times, I haven’t fallen asleep once till date. The adrenaline and the excitement used to egg me on. The sight of the fast bowlers steaming in, the batters searching for runs, the usual chit chat from the slips, oh it used to be my childhood. Post the first two sessions, when the household was up, I used to turn the volume on. And there came the icons, Sir Richie Benaud, Tony Greig, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Harsha Bhogle and other voices of the game. In the middle of all these, years passed. The starry eyed, over awed, yawning kid grew up, got enrolled in college, passed out and landed his first job. The Down Under tradition remained constant though. The MonkeyGate, the 4-0 loss, the resurrection under Virat Kohli, the sheer joy of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee getting replaced by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma in terms of steamrolling the opposition, the covid hit 2020-21 series, unbelievable turn around under Ajinkya Rahane and Ravi Shastri – the kid survived it all. 22nd December, 2024, that kid arrived in Melbourne with the purpose of witnessing the Boxing Day Test and The New Year Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This time, the kid would sit in the press box and analyse the game purely from a journalist’s perspective. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here Agnijit Sen at the MCG (PC: Agnijit Sen Insta) The feeling of seeing the colossal MCG for the first time, the crowd on The Boxing Day, the roar of 88000 people when the first ball was bowled, took my breath away. I was doing my shows, writing my column, sitting in the press box with a stern, professional face. Somewhere, deep in my heart, the little boy was fascinated, delighted, starstruck. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah coming for practice and passing by me with my trembling hands desperately trying to stay calm in order to capture the visuals, broadcasting giants Mark Nicholas and Adam Gilchrist having lunch in the press box, and above all the best view of the playing 22 yards. Phew! The childhood refused to give way to a struggling journalist. I managed frantically, trying my best to keep up with my profession. I believed in my team, team India, knowing that there’s a thin chance in the final Test. Maybe Kohli will turn back the clock one final time, maybe other bowlers will step up too, maybe Gautam Gambhir will smile at the end of the Test, maybe… Truth is stranger than fiction, they say. It’s harsh, ruthless and sometimes heart aching too. Australia brushed aside a struggling Indian side to regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy after 10 long years of wait. For a kid who has seen through the 4-0 loss, it should not have been a heartbreak anymore. But you know something? This heartbreak was personal and I have no clue why. After the completion of the Sydney Test, I came back to my apartment and quietly lied down for an hour.

The sense of that personal loss, the feeling of the childhood winter melancholy was so overwhelming that it didn’t let me sleep. I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan. In one of his films, ‘Fan’, SRK had a dialogue in Hindi which said – ‘Wo sirf star nahi, duniya hai meri. Rehn de, tu nahi samjhega.’ This translated into English as, ‘He is not only a star, he is my entire world. Let it be, you won’t understand.’ I couldn’t have summed up my feelings any better. Being a Bengali, I know exactly how it feels when you see the lone pradeep (diya) burning after the idol immersion (bhashan) on Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the Durga Pujo. The fanboy felt the same as he left the Sydney Cricket Ground on 5th January, 2025. Also Read: The SCG Pink Test: Where Cricket Meets Compassion and Courage The post From a fanboy to covering Border-Gavaskar Trophy – Vivid recollections appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Agnijit Sen with Harsh Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar (PC: Agnijit Sen Insta) Agnijit Sen in Australia I distinctly remember my childhood winter mornings. Being a true Bengali, I have grown up witnessing winter celebrated in Kolkata. Post the Durga Pujo, there’s a sudden nip in the air. You start taking out your sweaters and blankets from the cupboard. The fan regulator comes down gently, day by day. The days start getting shorter, nights longer. Ofcourse, there’s the festivities too. Theatre festivals, film festivals, picnics, circus, zoo – everything start rolling in one by one. The huge Park Street carnival on Christmas eve, New Year’s Eve, the smell of the Christmas cakes add to the tradition as the city braces itself for another long year. Oh, I forgot to mention the most important thing, getting up in the mornings! It used to be a tug of war between me and my favourite blanket. Except on one occasion. India’s tour Down Under. I used to wake up at the crack of dawn, quietly step out into the living room, put the TV on and mute the volume. I can say with pride and honour that despite me yawning innumerable times, I haven’t fallen asleep once till date. The adrenaline and the excitement used to egg me on. The sight of the fast bowlers steaming in, the batters searching for runs, the usual chit chat from the slips, oh it used to be my childhood. Post the first two sessions, when the household was up, I used to turn the volume on. And there came the icons, Sir Richie Benaud, Tony Greig, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Harsha Bhogle and other voices of the game. In the middle of all these, years passed. The starry eyed, over awed, yawning kid grew up, got enrolled in college, passed out and landed his first job. The Down Under tradition remained constant though. The MonkeyGate, the 4-0 loss, the resurrection under Virat Kohli, the sheer joy of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee getting replaced by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma in terms of steamrolling the opposition, the covid hit 2020-21 series, unbelievable turn around under Ajinkya Rahane and Ravi Shastri – the kid survived it all. 22nd December, 2024, that kid arrived in Melbourne with the purpose of witnessing the Boxing Day Test and The New Year Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This time, the kid would sit in the press box and analyse the game purely from a journalist’s perspective. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here Agnijit Sen at the MCG (PC: Agnijit Sen Insta) The feeling of seeing the colossal MCG for the first time, the crowd on The Boxing Day, the roar of 88000 people when the first ball was bowled, took my breath away. I was doing my shows, writing my column, sitting in the press box with a stern, professional face. Somewhere, deep in my heart, the little boy was fascinated, delighted, starstruck. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah coming for practice and passing by me with my trembling hands desperately trying to stay calm in order to capture the visuals, broadcasting giants Mark Nicholas and Adam Gilchrist having lunch in the press box, and above all the best view of the playing 22 yards. Phew! The childhood refused to give way to a struggling journalist. I managed frantically, trying my best to keep up with my profession. I believed in my team, team India, knowing that there’s a thin chance in the final Test. Maybe Kohli will turn back the clock one final time, maybe other bowlers will step up too, maybe Gautam Gambhir will smile at the end of the Test, maybe… Truth is stranger than fiction, they say. It’s harsh, ruthless and sometimes heart aching too. Australia brushed aside a struggling Indian side to regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy after 10 long years of wait. For a kid who has seen through the 4-0 loss, it should not have been a heartbreak anymore. But you know something? This heartbreak was personal and I have no clue why. After the completion of the Sydney Test, I came back to my apartment and quietly lied down for an hour.

The sense of that personal loss, the feeling of the childhood winter melancholy was so overwhelming that it didn’t let me sleep. I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan. In one of his films, ‘Fan’, SRK had a dialogue in Hindi which said – ‘Wo sirf star nahi, duniya hai meri. Rehn de, tu nahi samjhega.’ This translated into English as, ‘He is not only a star, he is my entire world. Let it be, you won’t understand.’ I couldn’t have summed up my feelings any better. Being a Bengali, I know exactly how it feels when you see the lone pradeep (diya) burning after the idol immersion (bhashan) on Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the Durga Pujo. The fanboy felt the same as he left the Sydney Cricket Ground on 5th January, 2025. Also Read: The SCG Pink Test: Where Cricket Meets Compassion and Courage The post From a fanboy to covering Border-Gavaskar Trophy – Vivid recollections appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[mariothepoet]

breaking

she treats me like a pet monkeygives enough of her palm to devour the Mazuri & the back of her hand when I won’t be obedientthere is nothing like alone crumbled flakes of miserable aches the grinding of teeth into rumbledouble dutch with livewireshurting me is a carnival gamemy feelings are mine to protect but she knows how to play me like a celloopening my heart like a shoe box taking everything…

[wolfofcelestia]

You have no idea how long I've waited to talk about monkeygate in the lads fandom tho lmao

I've been sitting on this for such a long time and I'm glad I finally got the chance to bring monkeygate up lmaooo

If GBF is famous for anything, it's monkeygate being the saviour of all gacha players past, present, and future

And probably being the first gacha game to sexualize a male character to Belial's level the right way

[undyinglantern]

Gbf being only 2 years away from a full zodiac set, man they really are like the grandpa of gacha games huh

I think more (gacha?) games should do thematic yearly character releases like the sui sibling for cny in ak or the divine generals as the chinese zodiacs on gbf

[tainbocuailnge]

monkeygate. korwagate. grimnir crashing the servers. baalfest. geo killing guild wars. all for the sake of a single purpose. to earn enough money to develop a fighting game that has 2B from nier automata as a collab character. there's not even an automata collab in the mobile game 2B is just in gbvsr now. she's just there.