Mike Ybarra, former boss of gaming industry giant Blizzard, has suggested that players should have the option to tip developers after completing a game. He took to social media to express the idea, acknowledging that many gamers will disagree with it. Ybarra praised games such as God Of War, Elden Ring, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Baldur’s Gate 3 as examples of titles he would pay extra for after he completed them. He believes that the best games are worth more than their original price tags, and consumers should be able to tip developers.
The suggestion created a lot of debate on social media. While some were in favour, others thought it would be better to share more profits with developers than pose the question of extra payments to the consumer. They reasoned that paying more for a game sometimes distracted from the initial positive experience. Some gamers expressed disappointment with games and wondered if they could get their money back.
Ybarra’s departure from Blizzard and the company’s recent financial cutbacks that saw 1,900 staff depart were recalled in the social media discussions. The announcement that a survival game in development at Blizzard would not go ahead followed the staff cuts. The head of production at Larian Studios, David Walgrave criticised such cutbacks, speaking at the DICE Awards by insisting that building a player base would deliver sustainable financial results over the long term.
Finally, the article referred to the popularity of the Fallout series, with a large player spike following the release of Amazon Prime Video’s interpretation of the popular franchise. Meanwhile, Ubisoft defended its pricing of the £50 Skull & Bones game while Sabre Interactive CEO Matthew Karch argued that such pricing would disappear due to the finance involved.
Mike Ybarra’s suggestion that players should be able to tip developers has created extensive debate amongst gaming fans and industry insiders. As the highest-performing titles grow more expensive, some gamers believe that they should be able to pay more if the experience is exceptional, while others argue that the pricing should reflect the overall financial returns for successful titles. The argument highlights issues around gaming industry revenue models and the concept of returning profits to developers who have created consistent, long-term franchises
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