If you regularly follow video game news, the name Mike Ybarra is no stranger to you. After spending 20 years at Microsoftnotably as vice-president of the branch Xboxhe joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2019 to hold the same position… before leaving at the very beginning of the year.
If Mike Ybarra is being talked about again in recent days, it is not thanks to a new job, but because of a statement that made the players jump on X (ex-Twitter). In his message, Mike Ybarra floats the idea of being able to tip after completing a single-player game because “it was worth more than my initial $70”. The old one from Xbox And Blizzard quotes games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of War, Red Red Redemption 2, Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ringhere is his full message:
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I've been thinking about this idea for a while, as a gamer, ever since I've gotten into single-player games lately.
When I finish a game, there are some that simply leave me in awe of the incredible experience. At the end of the game, I often thought, “I wish I could give these people an extra $10 or $20 because it was worth more than my original $70 and they didn't try to cheat 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 that I sometimes wish I had. Some games are so special.
Mike Ybarra admits that “most will not like this idea”, And he's right. But let's remember that the culture of tipping is very present in the United States, employees are asked to leave a few dollars extra for a service, it is often even directly indicated on the receipt. However, the idea doesn't fly, players are already having trouble paying full price for games that catch their eye, then leave an extra tip… Others point out its absurdity, taking the cinema or theater as an example: no one gives a tip after seeing a film or attending a show. Still others ask to be able to do the opposite: a refund if the game is disappointing.
Some Internet users try to imagine alternatives, such as the possibility of offering a copy of the game they have completed to a friend, for a small discount, or simply reselling their digital games, a subject that comes up regularly (but most digital games do not belong to us). Moreover, THE DLC and microtransactions are already seen as tipping, but especially in online gameswhere Mike Ybarra talks about single-player games.
Finally, if the idea may appeal to certain players who have extra money in their bank account, The main question remains: where would the money go? If the idea is to financially reward developers, it's hard to imagine that the tip goes into the publisher's pockets. This is already the case for derivative products: for example, after having loved Elden Ringwe fell for the eight-vinyl box set of the soundtrack on the Bandai Namco. Of the 150 euros spent, how much went to the game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, to the composers Yuka Kitamura, Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Yoshimi Kudo and Tai Tomisawa or to the other members of FromSoftware ? Probably none.
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Mike Ybarra at least has the merit of launching the debate, but in the midst of a financial crisis, the idea of a tip after finishing a game is hard to pass. It remains to be seen whether it will germinate in the minds of publishers in the future. To support the developers, the best thing is to buy the games in full, for example you can find Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition from €64.40 on Amazon, Cdiscount, Fnac And Gamesplanet.
 Clint008Editor – Tester |