Ex Blizzard President Says Players Should be Able to Tip Money to Developers

Tipping for services remains a hot topic of debate in America, as some believe that employees should be paid higher wages and the expectations surrounding tips should be erased altogether. That conversation took an interesting turn over the last few days, when former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra raised the idea of being able to tip developers for their work on certain video games. Ybarra cited games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, and Horizon Zero Dawn as games he felt were worth more than the price he paid, and he felt tempted to give the studio something extra in return. 

“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 wrote on Twitter. 

Ybarra went on to note that “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.”

Why Tipping in Video Games Wouldn’t Work

Unsurprisingly, these comments resulted in a lot of pushback on social media. There’s already a lot of frustration around $70 video game prices, and many question whether the actual developers would even see these tips, or if they’d end up being taken by the publisher. That’s not unfathomable either, as companies like Amazon have been accused of stealing tips that were supposed to be going to drivers; it’s easy to see how that sort of thing could get abused in gaming, as well. Of course, some people scoffed at the idea of giving extra to the same video game companies that have been laying off employees left and right over the last year. 

“Very excited to tip executives who just laid off all the people that make the games,” wrote comedian and video game pundit Mike Drucker. 

Are There Ways of Tipping Video Game Creators?

Thankfully, it seems unlikely that tipping in video games will ever become an expectation. However, fans that do want to show their support for video game creators can still do so in various ways. Post-game DLC is one of the best ways of doing just that; the player is not only giving the developer and publisher a bit extra, but it also signals to the company that there’s interest in a potential sequel. Some individuals that work for studios also have Ko-fi accounts that fans can find listed on their social media profiles. These methods ensure that the money actually goes to the right place! 

Do you think there should be a way to tip a game’s creators? Or do you think the current methods work best? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!