Unity CEO John Riccitiello labels developers that shun monetization as ‘f**king idiots’

pcinvasion.com:

Unity CEO John Riccitiello has sparked controversy regarding his comments on monetization. In an interview with PocketGamer.biz, Riccitiello claims that developers who don’t consider monetization early on in development are “pure, brilliant people,” but also the “biggest fucking idiots.”

This claim was a response to a question asking what Riccitiello thinks about implementing monetization earlier in development. Interviewer Khai Trung Le raises the point that some developers have pushed back against the movement. This is largely due to the perception that prioritizing monetization over creative choices early on in development can lead to anti-consumer decision-making.

Riccitiello compares the developers who don’t consider monetization to Ferrari and other high-end car manufacturers. He brings up how these manufacturers “still use clay and carving knives” to create their cars — likely to emphasize the necessity of quality over quantity.

Wow guys, this is what @unity asked me today! #unity #madewithunity #fuckingidiots #unity2d #unity #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev pic.twitter.com/hDya3EAWje

— Ondřej Trhoň ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ (@OndrejTrhon) July 14, 2022

The Unity CEO claims to be “deeply respectful,” of the traditional artistic mindset, but doesn’t seem to be convinced that it’s viable in the games industry. He believes that “this industry divides people between those who still hold to that philosophy and those who massively embrace how to figure out what makes a successful product.” Apparently in John Riccitiello’s eyes, a successful product is one with an effective monetization scheme.

Unsurprisingly, Riccitiello’s words have not gone down well. Many players and developers feel as though his comments are out of touch with