We Need to Talk About Modern Game Devs

[@Zitiboi]

Audio at 23:39 is muffled since I had to mute out a song due to copyright. Apologies for the inconvenience!

[@cupojoe4769]

6:20 I don’t need to be a carpenter to see that a chair has missing legs.

[@Rigel_6]

Add to that - you also don't need to be a professional cook to say the thing you ordered in a restaurant tastes like shit in paper towel

[@ttabood7462]

I couldn't care less what game developers love or hate. If they make something that I don't want to play, they don't get my money. Not really anything emotional about that.

[@tealishpotato]

Yeah, that's just... how business works. The customer is always right in matters of taste.

[@SLRModShop]

Yes, from YOUR perspective. From theirs, they know that they are talent-less, that 18 years old developers from the 80's and 90's are running circles around them. And they understand that the only way for the facade to not crumble is for us to buy their games. In other words, each time you don't buy one of their sh!tty games, you reveal their secret. You aren't doing it emotionally, for them, it is utter humiliation. That's why they hate us. Whether you hate them or not isn't part of the equation. It's never been about you or me, it's them being outed as frauds by their low sales figures.

[@marlow21]

same sentiment. does not matter what they feel or if making games gor them is hard. if its a good game for me, boom here is my money. if not, then sucks for them.

[@TigoODonnell]

@@tealishpotato Unfortunately developers are the ones often attacked and hated on instead of publishers, especially when in many cases games are lackluster due to executive and corporate interference. Not to mention, even when the games are good , in the case of releases like Metal Gear Solid 2 back in 2001 or Baldur's Gate 3, devs are still attacked, so no it does not work out like that.

[@Hynotama]

That would be fine if they didn’t ruin beloved IPs out of resentment and/or ideology.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I miss the sheer amount of creativity we used to see in games from the 90s-00s. I love the amount of risk they took on odd concepts around the Y2K era- PS2/360 is proof that GRAPHICS are not the most important thing.. If you can create satisfying movement, satisfying gameplay mechanics, physics effects, responsive attacks, interactive environments that make you want to explore. That stuff is way more important. Compared to: {"Making the largest game map? Having the most reflections?"} I think Art style, design, vibe, aesthetic is much more important. You don't need top notch graphics to greatly appreciate and enjoy playing a game. That's why we are seeing such a resurgence of players who have gone back to playing older games because they realized what aspects of games that they care about. So hopefully gaming will enter a new era. That mixes in aspects of the older era's. With our modern capabilities that will hopefully help make it easier to create a satisfying game (without it taking 8 years to build a broken game. Hopefully) Currently everything is trying to be like a Triple AAA game or a free to play online battle Royale game.. A lot of us miss when we had game selection similar to how the Dreamcast/GameCube/360/PS2 era had a mix of. As well alot of those games came with options for local multiplayer, split screen, LAN parties, or offline modes against bots or other diverse offline CPU game modes. Yet modern games are not only lacking those dynamic options that give games nearly endless replayability features... Modern games are lacking even meeting the most basic standards for game's... They don't seemed focused on the core of the games to be Fun. They over focus on "realism" Rather than adding in Artistic adaptations for the greater good of gaming as a whole.. We could be doing so much better yet people are just coming out with the most bland game design, braindead AI, less care for physics effects... We could be doing so much better than this.. The gaming Industry has lost direction and focus on the aspects of gaming we love to experience. I hope they rejuvenate gaming to the PS2 to Xbox 360 era. Then add our new capabilities and TAKE RISK'S AGAIN! Make wacky odd Creative games of All type's of genre's & art style's! I love games with physics, reactive combat gameplay, gross/weird, detailed smaller environments that entice us to explore or solve puzzles (Don't aim for large open world with no interest) I like games that give me the feeling of games from the Xbox 360 era. I love 3rd person video games. I love singleplayer games, local multiplayer games & can play offline game modes against bots. Games that focus on detective/forensic evidence discovery exploration experience.

[@JuiceboxCE]

You got Marvel Rivals, a game that a studio made when they realized they've been sitting on an *entire roster of characters* that have: -Generational appeal, free marketing in the form of memes from comics, movies, and lore buffs altogether -Move sets already established so designing them in a videogame has loads of inspiration to take in (Strange and his portals, etc) -Said characters have an infinite range of possible skins to create and inspire folks to want (Doom Eternal, Deadpool and Wolverine, etc, now more than ever we're FINALLY getting love for legacy designs instead of needless redesigns) -Using the Marvel brand appeal to its maximum, like Sonic movies have been (and have made $1 billion in the box office so far as a result), in the form of maps, dialogue, animations, sound design But yeah, instead of Sony listening to any of its diehard fanbase SCREAMING for years and years and years for old IPs under their control to be used again, let's make the ENTIRE roster yet another knockoff of an established brand, throw a price tag on it but still do the free-to-play monetization and gameplay loop scheme, and over all these years, never ask anybody internally if this makes sense to put out in this fashion?

[@vcdgamer]

As an indie dev, the title and thesis breaks my heart to see.😢 But i see why questions like this would be asked.

[@Anonymouse2357]

Correction: MOST devs don’t hate gamers. It just happens that if you get big enough, you disconnect from the consumers of your product. (oh, and corporate greed- that too)

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

I wouldn't say most do, just a disturbing high amount, and companies put these freaks into positions like community managers, showing us they agree with them. We have finally started speaking with our wallets tho, and studios keep getting shut down ❤

[@VioletElite4]

But smaller studios that don't get that big say that shit too. Just like the woman in Compulsion games. Turns out if your head is too far up your ass you'd think you're bigger than you are too 😂

[@linkart1910]

westerns Devs hate games

[@TigoODonnell]

While I agree that developers can be more professional in their responses to their consumer base, this feels like it misses how genuinely awful the gaming community has been for a long time. I don't think it is hyperbole to say that out of every single art or media form, game developers are lambasted, attacked, harassed, and have to battle constant takes of misinformation and defamation than any other form of media other than maybe music. CDPR is actually a prime example, as a campaign launched against The Witcher 4 stated that the developers that made The Witcher 3 were replaced by DEI hires, despite a simple Google search showing the leads of The Witcher 3 and the franchise in general on top of around 100 devs from 3 still work there and are working on 4. Another recent example is how people attacked Alanah Pearce, claiming she never worked on any of Santa Monica's projects, to the point where the studio themselves had to stand by her. The fact that most gamers don't even have a clue of how games are made yet speak about the development process as if they're experts with so many things wrong in their statements, blaming aspects such as politics or DEI for unfinished or broken games when as every report on a bombed project notes that it was publisher interference and the fault of the executives show that while yes, developers can respond to their base better, they are also dealing with a consumer base that often reacts in extreme ways. This is not a new issue either. Metal Gear Solid 4 had death threats against its team when Hideo Kojima decided not to direct it and allow his team to attempt a Metal Gear without him, resulting in him being shackled to the director's chair, and even Metal Gear Solid 2, despite its retrospective acclaim, got a lot of vile hate towards it for Raiden.

[@redseagaming7832]

Like what we make, or you're a bad person, says the game developer. These fools cut their own throats

[@fench1234567]

If a game dev goes into making a game with the mindset that the gamer MUST play the game exactly how the dev wants them to, then it sets the stage for the game to fail AND for the devs and players to hate each other. PLAYERS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE HOW THEY PLAY JUST FOR THE DEVS'!!! It doesn't work that way! Been there in a setting where the players had access to the devs, and when the devs go in with the wrong attitude towards coding and the players, ALL IT DOES IS END FUN! THEY FAIL! It's that simple.

[@commanderskullySHepherdson]

I watched the Ken levine interview on thomas brush channel and he did a whole bit regarding NEVER fight your audience etc they wouldnt have a job if it wasnt for the audience

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

Never give your money to ppl that hate you. Look into it and get the game from the ppl that don't hate you. It's pretty simple

[@RxAxIxNxBxOxW]

Hey! Loved the video, I think I subscribed back when you dropped the DS2 video, I don't remember what was said on it but I appreciate anyone talking about that game, I love it, but I DO understand the hate.

[@kingjabon]

Simple and easy. People have given these developers too much power, I've never cared to know the name of any developer, much less care to listen to their opinion. If you made a good product I'll buy it, if you didn't then I won't buy it.

[@Dowskarok728]

There are so many great games out there it’s extremely easy not to give money to people who hate me

[@rocstarang5747]

They forgot rule #1: the customer is always right.

[@Ludi0tik]

Honestly i'm sad when i think about all the devs besides the ones insulting people for not liking their games. Imagine spending extra hours every weeks for many years getting all exhausted then one dude tweet and suddenly everybody hate your company. Thats really sad, people working in game dev are passionates otherwise they would work anywhere else since they would get better pay and better environment easily. So shoot out to all the devs with some motivation to enable people to have fun. You'r not part of the problem, you are the solution. Big fµck to everyone else just making fun of the ones who buy your game and throw their collegues under a bus

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

It's not that they hate gamers. It's that they started a culture war to combat criticism, and from that war came a desire to "win" and see their opponents "lose". So when their very customers pushed back, they saw their very customers as the opponents who had to lose. And from that came a sense of entitlement where they expect gamers to buy games the gamers don't actually want, because of this very simple Morton's Fork they've put themselves in: "if we make games the gamers want, we lose the culture war, and if gamers don't buy the games they don't want, we lose the culture war". No matter what they do they lose this nebulous "war" they themselves have put themselves in. Basically, they see it as a moral conundrum instead of the very simple customer/provider relationship it actually is, so they think gamers are the bad guys for not buying their stuff instead of understanding that gamers are not obligated to buy their stuff and that not buying something one doesn't want is always morally correct to do. To them,

[@CardCrusher29]

In many industries, you get fired for insulting the target audience in a deliberate manner. Gaming is so weak that those people are still employed.

[@dragonforks93]

Some do. The feeling is mutual.

[@GreatRaijin]

Its funny because all the "devs" that hate gamers are the ones making AAA western slop, im not interested in any of their games anyways, eastern devs have been the ones making bangers and i dont hear them constantly talking down to me, maybe because they actually focus on making something theyre passionate about for gamers instead of being angry that gamers dont agree with their message

[@michaelnelson1127]

It’s a really good thing I never had a Twi[X]ter account, because I was wouldn’t want to see these kinds of posts from a team working on a game I’m looking forward to. Speaking of which, I’d never heard of South of Midnight prior to this, but with the stop-motion-esque animation and that one flying bit, it honestly looks pretty good. I just really hope that it doesn’t try to push any “messages”.

[@jamesmorris7844]

Personally i would care, but i gave up on AAA years ago, i game 1-3 years behind, example Saints Row 2022 didn't buy it day one waited and like that i got it free on PSN, the gold edition on Steam for £3.49 the Epic version for free and the Xbox version for a £1 in a charity show, let's the clowns do there bit and pick up there crap at a steal there's plenty of indie games to enjoy instead.

[@Rifky809]

Yeah, there's a reason I mostly play indie games nowadays, old and new. FTL, Rimworld, Kenshi. I just want to play good games, I even plan to buy Ravenswatch if it's on sale

[@redglare4892]

I like when you mentioned Warhammer 40,000.

[@nashdash6404]

It's ok. I hate game devs as well.

[@Windicator_451]

The hell happened to audio here??? 24:38

[@AmicusVirtutis]

And whats hilarious is they dont seem to realize that we have enough awesome games already made and available to consume pretty much all of our free time for the rest of our lives. When someone tells me they dont want my business - something a LOT of game studios and games journalists have done - I listen, and look for alternatives. These fools dont seem to realize the size of the existing library of awesome alternatives. And then they have the gall to try and spin the OBVIOUS losses that result. The whole thing is a joke and if you're reading the industry articles or the garbage on BlueSky, you'll see these same folks are still delusionally high on their own farts. Looking at you Bioware, Obsidian, IGN, etc

[@klittle5627]

Game journos hate gamers, game developers hate gamers, wokies hate gamers, politicians hate gamers, teachers hate gamers, parents hate gamers, spouses hate gamers...... Who actually loves gamers? Other gamers.

[@Blaze57420]

14:25💀 how could they fuck up THAT hard

[@AmicusVirtutis]

It feels like it cuz they keep saying it. Openly

[@GatsuRequim]

These are not hame developers. These are activists and journalists

[@DarthSoto78]

That’s fine they can hate me. My money hates them too.

[@mikayelalikhanyan1587]

What they mean is they hate games

[@Kharns_weirdo]

Yes, they do because they literally go online.Every single f****** day on to Twitter and they say it over and over and over again.This is the dumbest question the people keep fucking asking

[@TremelJackson]

I Avowed not to play their game

[@heroicgangster9981]

i know bethesda does with the way they made and promoted starfield

[@joshrogers6669]

I would love to see how many players actually change pronouns in game. Because if it's like 100-200 players think of everything these studios go through controversy wise all just to make sure 0.6% of players can change the pronouns.

[@cykablyat3680]

You re wrong the devs dont say that they dont like us and understand us, they call us racists and homophobes, wich i personally am but they didnt have to say it

[@jhill1776]

No one respects these people enough to take their tweets seriously, therefore no consequences?

[@FTChomp9980]

Add Grant KIrkHope to the list he makes good videogame muisc but his political takes are garbage. He should stick to videogame music and quit insulting and saying FU to Fans.

[@shyguy392]

Hi

[@Bertaut]

I mean, it's not like it's hard to hate entitled whingers aka gamers.

[@ALaz502]

Well, gamers are morons, so I wouldn't blame them.

[@shyguy392]

Hi