History Analysis / ScrappyMechanic

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxOne, and Platform/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC (which may involve inputting fake local addresses and buying gift cards from third-party services since credit cards may not work on foreign console storefronts). Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]); this does make sense in terms of making sure that players on a particular regional server cluster are all able to communicate with each other as opposed to the hell of language barriers especially in games with cooperation elements, but then there's games where there ''isn't'' a co-op element and are just single-player with online elements (such as {{Rhythm Game}}s, like the now-defunct ''VideoGame/O2Jam PC'' and older versions of ''VideoGame/{{EZ2|DJ}}ON''[[note]]''[=EZ2ON=] REBOOT : R'', the current version, just has one global version/edition[[/note]]), especially if there is ''no'' non-Korean version available.

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxOne, and Platform/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC (which may involve inputting fake local addresses and buying gift cards from third-party services since credit cards may not work on foreign console storefronts). Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]); this does make sense in terms of making sure that players on a particular regional server cluster are all able to communicate with each other as opposed to the hell of language barriers especially in games with cooperation elements, but then there's games where there ''isn't'' a co-op element and are just single-player with online elements (such as {{Rhythm Game}}s, like the now-defunct ''VideoGame/O2Jam PC'' and older versions of ''VideoGame/{{EZ2|DJ}}ON''[[note]][=EZ2ON=] REBOOT : R'', the current version, just has one global version/edition[[/note]]), especially if there is ''no'' non-Korean version available

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxOne, and Platform/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC (which may involve inputting fake local addresses and buying gift cards from third-party services since credit cards may not work on foreign console storefronts). Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]); this does make sense in terms of making sure that players on a particular regional server cluster are all able to communicate with each other as opposed to the hell of language barriers especially in games with cooperation elements, but then there's games where there ''isn't'' a co-op element and are just single-player with online elements (such as {{Rhythm Game}}s, like the now-defunct ''VideoGame/O2Jam PC'' and older versions of ''VideoGame/{{EZ2|DJ}}ON''), especially if there is ''no'' non-Korean version available

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxOne, and Platform/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC (which may involve inputting fake local addresses and buying gift cards from third-party services since credit cards may not work on foreign console storefronts). Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]) and games with ''no'' non-Korean version available.

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxOne, and Platform/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC. Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]) and games with ''no'' non-Korean version available.

Many older non-handheld systems have [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-locking]], that is you cannot play games that are not in the same region as the console you have. The idea is to ensure that people aren't cheating their regional publishers out of revenue by buying games coded for other countries, but lots of games [[NoExportForYou are locked to or excluded from particular regions]], meaning the player will have to do some modding to their existing system to play foreign-region games at the risk of damaging their device and voiding its warranty, or buy an extra of the same device that matches the region of the game they want to play. In terms of console gaming, this has largely gone away with UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames with the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 all being region-free, and you ''can'' just buy physical copies of foreign-region games and pop them into your console, however extra steps are required for digital games and DLC. Many PC games that require online connectivity still refuse players from outside the correct region, most infamously [[KoreanMedia Korean games]], as they require a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_registration_number resident registration number]] as proof that you are not only in South Korea but ''live'' there as well, which proves problematic for non-Koreans who dislike their local version (due to [[LateExportForYou significantly-delayed updates]] or a [[BadExportForYou poor-quality version]]) and games with ''no'' non-Korean version available.

Rewards for [[PlayEveryDay playing every day]] are meant to incentivize gamers to play the game often, but they can also invooke the fear of missing out (known in popular slang as "FOMO"). Daily streak rewards, which expand on this concept can also prove problematic, since if the streak is dropped, the number of days the player needs to play to get the reward they want is signficiantly increased. Sometimes the daily streak bonus can get absurd, like playing every day for a whole ''year''. Did you break streak at 364 days out of 365? Have fun going another year to get the "play daily for a year straight" achievement!

Unskippable cutscenes, a form of FakeLongevity, are despised by many players, whether those who just PlayTheGameSkipTheStory or are forced to watch it repeatedly for one reason or another. Seeing a long, cinematic, and intense cutscene can bring out the emotions (SugarWiki/{{awe|someMoments}}, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments aww]], [[NightmareFuel fear]], [[TearJerker sorrow]], etc.) the first time. If one has to watch that cutscene every single time they fight [[ThatOneBoss a particularly difficult boss that they keep losing to]], that cutscene will quickly take the player out of the immersion and make them want to just get on with the game already.

Unskippable cutscenes, a form of FakeLongevity, are despised by many players, whether those who just PlayTheGameSkipTheStory or are forced to watch it repeatedly for one reason or another. Seeing a long, cinematic, and intense cutscene can bring out the emotions (SugarWiki/{{awe|SomeMoments}}, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments aww]], [[NightmareFuel fear]], [[TearJerker sorrow]], etc.) the first time. If one has to watch that cutscene every single time they fight [[ThatOneBoss a particularly difficult boss that they keep losing to]], that cutscene will quickly take the player out of the immersion and make them want to just get on with the game already.

Unskippable cutscenes, a form of FakeLongevity, are despised by many players, whether those who just PlayTheGameSkipTheStory or are forced to watch it repeatedly for one reason or another. Seeing a long, cinematic, and intense cutscene can bring out the emotions (SugarWiki/{{awe|SomeMoments}}, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments aww]], [[NightmareFuel fear]], [[TearJerker sorrow]], etc.) the first time. If one has to watch that cutscene every single time they fight [[ThatOneBoss a particularly difficult boss that they keep losing to]], that cutscene will quickly overstay its welcome and aggravate the player who just wants to get on with the game already.

* ValuesDissonance -- Players in more affluent countries, especially Western countries, are more used to the idea of paying $40-60 for a complete-package game, and feel like breaking up a game into piecemeal transactions diminishes its value or fear that this could potentially turn the game into a FranchiseZombie, i.e. the game continues to get content updates well past what should've been the end of the game, all so that the publisher can keep making money. In countries where money relative to the cost of video games is a bit harder to come by, games that offer a cheap or free base package allow players to try the game at a much cheaper cost before deciding if they want to invest further time and money.

* ValuesDissonance -- Players in more affluent countries, especially Western countries, are more used to the idea of paying $40-60 for a complete-package game, and feel like breaking up a game into piecemeal transactions diminishes its value or fear that this could potentially lead to a FranchiseZombie moment where the game continues to get content updates well past what should've been the end of the game, all so that the publisher can keep making money. In countries where money relative to the cost of video games is a bit harder to come by, games that offer a cheap or free base package allow players to try the game at a much cheaper cost before deciding if they want to invest further time and money.

* The content is seen as overpriced.

Luck is also part of the reason some board game fans dislike dice as a whole. (The other part is that most games with dice don't provide a safe place to roll them, and that packing them into a small dome to avoid this problem creates new problems.) Others are okay with dice, but dislike the roll-and-move mechanic for being too luck-based and for limiting the player's control too much.

Excessive limitations are often seen as annoying. If you give the player cool stuff, they'll be disappointed if they rarely or never get to use it because of all its limitations. This is also why characters who rely on locking down their opponent often fall under LowTierLetdown -- it's frustrating to be in a match while barely able to do anything.

Excessive limitations are often seen as annoying. If you give the player cool stuff, they'll be disappointed if they rarely or never get to use it because of all its limitations. This is also why characters who rely on locking down their opponent often fall under TierInducedScrappy -- it's frustrating to be in a match while barely able to do anything.

Sometimes, the developers will attempt to justify these mechanics, such as claiming a FreemiumTimer is there to [[AntiPoopSocking prevent players from having overly long sessions]]. This often creates a BrokenBase between players who believe them and people who believe they're lying because "we wanted to make more money" sounds considerably less noble, but it can add insult to injury if the majority of players hate the mechanic and are in the latter group.

One reason is ExecutiveMeddling. They saw that a mechanic was popular, and forced the developers to shoehorn it in regardless of whether the gameplay would actually benefit from it.

An already-annoying mechanic may seem even worse if the in-universe justification is flimsy or non-existent. For instance, this is why many players have a problem with [[BreakableWeapons swords breaking after a little use]] even though they're fine with things like potions and ammo being consumable. This also applies to time limits: they can be a great way to add tension and immersion if you're performing a time-sensitive mission, but if it amounts to "after staying in a level for five minutes, your character just drops dead for no reason, which serves no purpose other than letting you truly take your time to explore those lovely levels", it's probably a Scrappy Mechanic.

Combo-based scoring in {{Rhythm Game}}s often gets flack for two reasons: One is that it arbitrarily values some notes more than others based on how far you are in the combo, which may lead to situations like "Alice and Bob have the exact same judgment counts, but Alice wins because her miss was earlier in the song". The other is that these systems are prone to overemphasizing combos at the expense of accuracy, so you may have a player with lousy accuracy and a full combo beat someone with excellent accuracy who happened to slip up and miss once.