former president mike ybarra Blizzardsubscribes to the somewhat arcane idea that players should be able to tip developers after completing a $70 game.
In today’s episode of “How Do We Get These People to Run Big Companies?”, Mike Ybarra, now former Blizzard president who left the company in January, talks about introducing a tipping system in video games. proposed. “I’ve been thinking about this idea for a while as a player, as I’ve been really into single-player games lately,” Ybarra wrote on Twitter. “Some games, when you win a game, you’re just in awe of how great the experience was. After the game, you’re like, ‘I wish I could give these guys another $10 or $20.’ I often thought, “It’s worth more than the original $70, and they didn’t want to take a dime or two from me.”
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“A game like this [Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Baldur’s Gate 3], Elden Ring and more. I know $70 is already a lot, but there are things I wish I had as an end-game option. Some games are special. I know most people hate this idea…I know you’re tired of “tipping” for everything else, but I think this is something a lot of people face and don’t want to give feedback on. I think this is different from a scenario where there is pressure to give tips. ”
With over 10 years of experience in the catering industry, I can easily say why chips like this don’t work. As you know, many restaurants in the UK have introduced a service charge, so many people no longer leave tips. Service charge is like a tip. However, in many places it’s only used to top up your wages so you can (supposedly) earn a living wage, and you don’t have to pay as much.
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Although companies can’t (in theory) keep the chips themselves, it means they can make much more money than they would otherwise. If we introduced chips into video games, the exact same thing would happen. Developers will get paid less than before, but executives will earn more because they can replace wages with tips.
On top of that, the $70 price tag is already ridiculously expensive, and Newzoo’s recent survey found that most people play games that are more than 6 years old, with most of them playing Fortnite, Roblox, and League of Legends. , The Sims 4, and other free games. , Mike, I don’t think you should tip developers. Rather, it would be better to pay them properly from the beginning.
