Former Blizzard president says gamers should be able to show their gratitude by tipping devs

[midian182]

A hot potato: Do you ever feel that paying $70 for a new game from a big studio just isn't enough, and that you'd really like to hand over more of your money? Mike Ybarra, the former president of Blizzard, has an idea: an option to leave developers a tip after beating a game.

Ybarra, who left Blizzard in January, spelled out his likely well-intentioned but poorly implemented idea on X/Twitter.

"I've thought about this idea for a while, as a player, since I've been diving into single player games lately," he wrote. "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.'

Ybarra mentioned some examples of single-player games so good that the developers were worthy of receiving tips: Zero Dawn, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3.

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

There's no arguing with Ybarra about the quality of the titles he cites. Moreover, many people have played games that left a huge impact, creating treasured memories; this writer will always remember the feeling after finishing the final Blood and Wine expansion of The Witcher 3. As another example, check out all the YouTube videos of players getting emotional upon finishing Cyberpunk 2077/Phantom Liberty.

However, tipping a developer for creating a game you love isn't a good idea. Beyond the fact that games, season passes, DLC, etc. are already expensive, it would bring up the same questions often asked when it comes to tipping: will all the money go to the right people, and might companies use tips to lower wages?

It would certainly be unethical for a huge corporation to share tip money meant for devs among everyone, including well-paid executives, but then these companies aren't known for their ethical behavior. Swapping out wages for tips, a practice many businesses in other industries already do, is also a concern.

Small indie developers often have Patreons and other ways for people to support them beyond just buying their games. As for the big studios, in addition to bonuses for sales, reviews, and awards, the answer might be just to share more of a game's profits with the people who made it.

Tipping culture is spiraling out of control right now. The ability to edit tips after food delivery orders has led to tip shaming. We've even seen a warning from DoorDash that non-tipping customers can expect longer waits for orders. Even self-checkouts, machines that remove human interaction from purchases, are asking for tips. Do we really want this in the game industry?

Masthead: Karolina Grabowska

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Former Blizzard president says gamers should be able to show their gratitude by tipping devs

 

[Theinsanegamer]

LMFAO how about blizzard open their coffers and pay their devs better? Tipping culture has gotten totally out of control and I'm just waiting for some state to ban it outright.

 

[Lexii]

I did show my gratitude when I spent a 100 cnd to play their game. If a employer doesn't compensate their employees properly, thats a them problem. They should ask for tips from their employer's. .

 

[Dimitriid]

While I doubt most of the people who actually made the Blizzards games I've played in the past (Hint, the first half of the Diablo sequels were the last Blizzard games I've played) I would still like to be Techspot commenter's first dev tipper

Here's my tip: Do NOT listen to middle management, rumors and strike breakers and immediately keep working on forming a Blizzard or even Activision-wide Worker's Union.

...Oh, not that kind of tip then? Well if we just give em money I'm sure Actiblizzard might find a way to keep a percentage of their money: I'm sure people can find personal twitter accounts and tip jars without going through Blizzard as a suspicious middleman for tips.

 

[Uncle Al]

The owners rake in the cash from these products. There is absolutely no reason THEY could not pay more. As far as tipping .... I'm done with it thanks to the high prices ALL of these producers out there that are way over priced.

 

[Athlonite]

LOL we already tipped ya devs by buying your games what's next the IRS wanting to be tipped too

here's a tip be nice to your mom and pay your devs better

 

[Theinsanegamer]

While I doubt most of the people who actually made the Blizzards games I've played in the past (Hint, the first half of the Diablo sequels were the last Blizzard games I've played) I would still like to be Techspot commenter's first dev tipper

Here's my tip: Do NOT listen to middle management, rumors and strike breakers and immediately keep working on forming a Blizzard or even Activision-wide Worker's Union.

...Oh, not that kind of tip then? Well if we just give em money I'm sure Actiblizzard might find a way to keep a percentage of their money: I'm sure people can find personal twitter accounts and tip jars without going through Blizzard as a suspicious middleman for tips.

A union sounds great....except that game devs are a dime a dozen. If Activision can simply lay off the entirety of your union and replace you in a month, your union will have no teeth. There's a union for retail employees. Unsurprisingly, it has the same issue, and is largely regarded as a vampire that sucks money form the workers. They have no real power to reign in management or prevent abuse of employees since problem people can just be replaced and unions dont have the legal teeth they have in europe.

 

[ShadowDeath]

With just how bad these games are from these larger companies they should be tipping us for our time playing them. I can't remember a single game from these "AAA" game studios in the last 10 years that was fun to play or that had a memorable story. It's so bad they have to do remasters of older games instead of creating new content.

 

[magisys]

I think devs should be able to show their gratitude by tipping gamers who still buy those bug-microtransaction filled incomplete games @dayone only to complete the beta testing work.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Steam will soon be adding a:

Tip Amount: 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% | Other

When you go to purchase a game. Once they do it every other digital platform will follow suit because they're all stupid. Then the worst part is you're going to have so many stupid people (at least 95% of them are) that will just give away extra money to the devs on top of the $50/60/70+ that they are already spending on the game. Those people won't think there is anything wrong with it because every food place does the same thing now when you purchase food:

Tip Amount: 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% | Other

 

[fps4ever]

Tipping culture is out of control. At least in the US.

 

[bviktor]

Tipping is the stupidest Americanism ever. You don't like the salary? Go somewhere else. NOT MY PROBLEM.

 

[m4a4]

Tipping culture needs to die.

Create good content, price it correctly, and people will happily throw money at you.

 

[NumberNine]

Jeez... How low can you go?

 

[Achaios]

What "Developers" @MikeYbarra?

You mean, like the Developers who destroyed WoW and turned it into this Freak Show that tries to pass as WoW today?

I'd like to tip them alright - not with money but with kicks.

 

[Burty117]

For a Studio that hasn't produced many (if any) really good products in at least 8 years now.
Interesting comments coming from them that's for sure.

I get WoW subs have been keeping Blizz alive but, Overwatch has died, Diablo regularly goes on sale on Steam, so that can't be doing very well either. What am I tipping again?

 

[whateversa]

Battlefield 2142 was a good example of a game I spent hundreds of hours in - and I would have been happy to send more money their way... but I'd hope that money goes towards motivating a newer version of that same game or just updates to the current game.

 

[themastergoose]

Pay via Battlenet please, so we can collect a 30% tip handling fee. Thank you.

- Blizzard Games

(I’d happily pay for Overwatch again if they stopped making it s*** tho, but not via tipping)

 

[envirovore]

I'll show my appreciation for a good game and game dev by buying copies of their game as gifts for others.

There's your tip.

Though, fwiw, Steam or other store fronts could always do what Bandcamp does and allow you to pay more than base price for a release if you feel it's worth paying more.

 

[dangh]

Tipping shouldn't be a thing at any industry. Like at any other place, pay your employees well. Don't move responsibility for that to other people.
But I do understand the wish of make devs feel appreciated. With such amount of followers a social media entry is actually best thing to do. There are more ways of being thankful than throwing money at it. When you start throwing money, it starts to be a requirement, not a good will (im not from US, but try to not tip a waiter there...).
It is very refreshing to see Larian Studios comments on the work, creating a good game, and treating own people. Surely Blizzard is on an opposite side of that spectrum, and I guess for a reason.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

NO!

Tipping is already out of control, especially in the US. The idea of tipping is supposed to be for "above and beyond" service. You tip someone who did more than they were required to for their job function, whether it be waiting tables, delivery, velet, etc. Companies are using tipping as an excuse to not pay an appropriate wage. It is greed and corruption placing the requirement of customers to help pay the employee directly. This is ethically and morally wrong as far as I'm concerned.

The tip should not be a requirement, or a default selection at point of sale. It should an option available to the customer for AFTER the service has been provided.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Pay via Battlenet please, so we can collect a 30% tip handling fee. Thank you.

- Blizzard Games

(I’d happily pay for Overwatch again if they stopped making it s*** tho, but not via tipping)

Battlefield 2142 was a good example of a game I spent hundreds of hours in - and I would have been happy to send more money their way... but I'd hope that money goes towards motivating a newer version of that same game or just updates to the current game.

See, this attitude right her is what is wrong with gamers. Why would want to pay more? You already paid the price for these games, why would you pay more? These companies are making profits, in no small part because people want to fork over more money, for games that launched not even half baked (2142), or they intentionally ruined (overwatch).

All that extra money you send their way is going into the pockets of executives and shareholders. It is NOT going to go to devs.

NO!

Tipping is already out of control, especially in the US. The idea of tipping is supposed to be for "above and beyond" service. You tip someone who did more than they were required to for their job function, whether it be waiting tables, delivery, velet, etc. Companies are using tipping as an excuse to not pay an appropriate wage. It is greed and corruption placing the requirement of customers to help pay the employee directly. This is ethically and morally wrong as far as I'm concerned.

The tip should not be a requirement, or a default selection at point of sale. It should an option available to the customer for AFTER the service has been provided.

As always, this works because consooomers enable it. Companies create these super low wage jobs, and people TAKE them, for some odd reason. Of course, the real reason is these tip jobs make a KILLING, assuming you are a cute woman, and consumers will keep funding cash into their pockets. This is so prevalent that when our state proposed a law to outlaw tipping and move resteraunt workers to $15 an hour, said workers protested the law, because they would, on the whole, lose tens of thousands apiece per year. If customers stopped, nobody would take these jobs, and companies would either have to raise wages or go out of business.

Tipping has indeed gotten out of control, because most customers are sub room temp IQ imbeciles who will willingly shove tips anywhere they can. It's hard to blame them, when you know your customers can be outsmarted by a hamster, why WOULDNT you take them for everything they're worth? It's free money!

 

[themastergoose]

See, this attitude right her is what is wrong with gamers. Why would want to pay more? You already paid the price for these games, why would you pay more? These companies are making profits, in no small part because people want to fork over more money, for games that launched not even half baked (2142), or they intentionally ruined (overwatch).

My sarcasm about tipping via Battlenet flew right over your head didn't it?!

And as for Overwatch, how am I "what is wrong with gamers"? The game is free, I buy a season pass if I want and it's actually decent like it used to be - You know, back when playing a game was fun. If I pay £20 for a season pass and get several hundred hours of fun out of it I consider that a good value Vs. the spend. As it is right now, it's terrible and ohh look - I've spent nothing to reflect that, but if they fixed it I would consider a season pass again because it was once great (emphasis on once).

 

[Theinsanegamer]

My sarcasm about tipping via Battlenet flew right over your head didn't it?!

And as for Overwatch, how am I "what is wrong with gamers"? The game is free, I buy a season pass if I want and it's actually decent like it used to be - You know, back when playing a game was fun. If I pay £20 for a season pass and get several hundred hours of fun out of it I consider that a good value Vs. the spend. As it is right now, it's terrible and ohh look - I've spent nothing to reflect that, but if they fixed it I would consider a season pass again because it was once great (emphasis on once).

"please daddy Blizzard, I'll hand over even more money if you go back to wringing us for lootboxes, I know you totally betrayed us and went back on your word numerous times while treating us like children, but if you reset the game I'd shovel even more money your way"

THAT attitude is what's wrong. People need to stop trying to forgive the actions of multi billion dollar corporations. Most people consider forgiving bad behavior and being willing to give more chances to someone/something that continues to abuse that position an "abusive, toxic" relationship. Blizzard has long crossed that line.

 

[Kashim]

I'm so tired of this new tipping culture. Everywhere now people have their hands out expecting free money. If you work someplace where you have to rely on the kindness of strangers to boost your pay then here's a tip for you: FIND A BETTER JOB.