Former Blizzard President Wishes He Could Tip Developers An Extra $10 Or $20

"I know $70 is already a lot, but it's an option at the end of the game I wish I had at times."

Story Highlights

  • Mike Ybarra, is the ex-president of well-renowned video game company Blizzard, which Microsoft now owns.
  • Mike is of the opinion that some game developers deserve a tip from players for their quality work.
  • The former frontman feels an option to tip should be available at the end of a game. 

Taking to Twitter to share his thoughts on games with incredibly well-made set pieces, Mike Ybarra, the former president of Blizzard Entertainment Inc., wishes for an option that would let him tip developers somehow. While I can see this making sense in an alternate world, there’s no way this would benefit anybody but the corporates in our reality that are already making hefty bucks

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,” tweets Mike.

I’ve thought about this idea for a while, as a player, since I’ve been diving into single player games lately,” says Mike before going on to exemplify with the likes of Elden Ring, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, the recently-released Baldur’s Gate 3 which went on to win last year’s Game of the Year, and Horizon Zero Dawn. 

People’s Reaction To Mike’s Tweet Is Met With A Resounding No

Diablo 4 is one of Blizzard's Latest Ventures
Diablo 4 is one of Blizzard’s Latest Ventures | Source: Blizzard

As expected, really. Folks on the internet aren’t having it. One u/Gnubeutel on Reddit inquires, “Sure, former Blizzard president, so I get to name an employee and they will get the money, right? Or will it go into a company pool that will mostly benefit shareholders?” 

So the conflict here is mainly stemming from the authenticity of these “would-be” tips. People would rather prefer to donate to indie developers who are pouring their heart and soul into their games, and then selling them off for $19.99 on Steam or elsewhere. It’s a more logical route as compared to tipping AAA game studios with thick wads of cash backing up their projects. 

But then again, as PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield notes, such devs are already available to be approached that way on platforms such as Patreon, so there’s that.

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Huzaifa, an Online News Editor at eXputer.com, is a video game industry aficionado with a talent for unearthing the juiciest stories for his beloved readers. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science, he dives deep into the abyss of news, meticulously dissecting every tiny detail to serve his audience. When he's not unravelling breaking news, he becomes a master storyteller, conjuring up captivating tales from the depths of his imagination. With a wealth of experience as a Video Game Journalist, he's penned his mighty words for numerous other video game outlets, leaving no video game unturned and no pixel unexplored! Experience: 4+ Years || Education: Bachelor of Science in Data Science || Previously Worked at VeryAli Gaming & TheNerdMag || Covered 100+ News Articles

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