Former Blizzard president, Mike Ybarra has stated that gamers should be able to tip video game developers after finishing their titles. Ybarra made this statement through his official X account, where he tweeted about the matter. He mentioned that many titles in the industry leave him in 'awe' after the amazing experience. He also added to his statement that gamers should ideally be able to tip the developers with some amount after finishing such games.
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Former Blizzard Boss Says Developers Should be Tipped After Gamers Finish Their Titles
President Mike Ybarra's statement on X gave birth to a lot of opinions across the scene, as he stated that most gamers should give developers more than $10 to $20 after finishing a game. He mentioned:
"When I beat a game, there are some that just leave me in awe of how amazing the experience was. At the end of the game, I've often thought "I wish I could give these folks another $10 or $20 because it was worth more than my initial $70 and they didn't try to nickel and dime me every second". "
He continued his statement by giving more AAA examples within the gaming industry that are critically acclaimed and have delivered equally amazing experiences. He stated:
"Games like HZD, GoW, RDR2, BG3, Elden Ring, etc. I know $70 is already a lot, but it's an option at the end of the game I wish I had at times. Some games are that special."
He later added that most gamers will dislike the idea of tipping. In his tweet, he said:
"I know most will dislike this idea. I realize we are tired of "tipping" in everything else - but I view this differently from a pressure-to-tip type scenario many face and give feedback on."
Many gamers were against this idea, as they think actions like 'gifting' also count as an extra purchase that is equivalent to tipping to the developers. Additionally, many also sarcastically commented that gamers should get their funds back upon not liking the game.
After this statement, many gamers are curious if developers will ever consider adding such a feature to their games. As microtransactions are already a regular part of many of these titles, including a few single-player ones, many suspect that the tipping feature may not be far away.