Former president of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra has mentioned on social media that he wants a way to give developers extra money (essentially a tip) for games that are exceptionally well done, and for not nickel and diming players “every second.”
Ybarra, who is now the Corporate VP of Microsoft, admits that he knows most will dislike this idea, and even gave examples of titles he deemed are tip-worthy such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring.
I've thought about this idea for a while, as a player, since I've been diving into single player games lately.
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…
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) April 11, 2024
“I’ve thought about this idea for a while, as a player, since I’ve been diving into single player games lately.
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”.
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.
I know most will dislike this idea. 🙂 BTW, I realize we are tired of “tipping” in everything else – but I view this different from a pressure to tip type scenario many face and give feedback on.”
While I do understand that a lot of people would hate the idea of tipping developers given how games are already expensive (and not even counting microtransactions which is now almost every game), it is a unique way of showing your appreciation to the game and its creators. I mean, it’s entirely optional, and I’m sure the developers would appreciate this gesture as well.
Would a gaming future where optional tipping is a feature instead of shoehorned microtransactions be a good thing? That’s one interesting possibility, no?
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