Former Blizzard President Says There Should Be An Option To Tip Game Studios

thegamer.com:

Mike Ybarra, the former president of Blizzard, has suggested that games have a tipping feature. He says he developed this idea after playing games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Baldur's Gate 3, and Elden Ring, and feels that devs deserve more than the standard $60 or $70 price tag.

The pitch has been met with a lot of resistance online for multiple reasons, primarily because fans don't trust studios to actually share these tips with the developers who put the work in. Many also feel that this is in poor taste when the price of games is steadily rising to $70 across the board, and while game devs are laid off throughout the industry.

"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'," writes Ybarra. "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."

Mike Ybarra left Blizzard in January of this year.

Ybarra admits that he's aware that most will "dislike this idea", and that turned out to be an accurate prediction. Many have pointed to the current state of the industry as proof that executives wouldn't share the tips with devs, as many companies are continuously laying off huge numbers of staff. Others who object to this idea are just frustrated with tipping culture in general, particularly as it isn't as prevalent outside of the US.

Ybarra was president of Blizzard from August 2021 onwards, replacing J. Allen Brack after he stepped down from the position in response to the allegations of harassment and discrimination at the company. For three months, he shared the role with Jen Oneal, but she later stepped down and left the company. She then claimed that she was being paid less than Ybarra for the same work and that she was only offered equal pay after she had already handed in her notice of resignation.