
New publisher Modern Wolf declare commitment to “ethical game development” - danso
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/22/new-publisher-modern-wolf-declare-commitment-to-ethical-game-development/
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Rotdhizon
I'd say this is more of a feel good announcement than anything as it will have
extremely little impact on the gaming industry. There are billions and
billions of dollars to be made through MTX, major publishing companies do not
care what small time studios have to say. The amount of people who actively
stray away from MTX purchases are few in number compared to the people who
spend money on in game purchases. You see small boycott attempts on subreddits
for games all the time over MTX and they amount to nothing, there's just too
many people that spend on cosmetics and in game boosts (when applicable) for
game companies to back down from including them.

When done right, MTX options can be fun for players and profitable for the
company. The problem is that they are rarely done right, as greed so often
takes over. A good example is the last few Call of Duty games. They like to
start the loot box system with cosmetics only and assure players that loot box
only usable items will never happen. Only for them to be added months later as
they realize how much money they can make from it. Sure controversy always
ensues but who cares, these decision makers don't have a care in the world for
people who complain, they raking in billions.

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kungtotte
It's been a while since I played it but _Path of Exile_ did MTX absolutely
right. There was only one item you could buy that had any real practical
effect on the game and that was extra stash tabs (you start with four),
everything else was cosmetics, and they make enough money to keep pumping out
new content year over year.

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stcredzero
Here's the approach I've thought of for my own game project:

If you want to be on the leader-boards and be a high level competitive player,
there's only one micro-transaction you're allowed to have. ($1 monthly
membership to "Stellar Exploration Corps.") Meanwhile, on another site like
Indiegogo, there would be a number of digital assets offered as rewards for
funders. One could pay $25, $75, $200, $1000 dollars to become an interstellar
tycoon, alien spy, or a space pirate lord -- basically, you pay money to have
a chance to inhabit the world as an important person. These "funder"
characters would then have access to a catalog of conventional micro-
transactions. In doing so, they would be funding and building content for the
competitive player base. Basically, becoming NPCs from the POV of the
competitive players.

Naturally, "Stellar Exploration Corps" members wouldn't be allowed to trade
items or currency with the other characters. ("Conflict of Interest.")

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SeanBoocock
There is not enough of actual substance here to know if this is anything more
than marketing on the publisher's part. The sorts of things that matter most
for independent developers - milestone definitions, payment structures,
royalty splits, marketing commitments - aren't touched on here and would vary
on a contract by contract basis regardless.

Even with industry leading terms, the publisher isn't making the game. The
culture and leadership of the development studio will dictate whether and how
they crunch, who has a creative voice, and how developers are compensated.
There are plenty of publishers and alternative funding sources that allow for
good outcomes for developers who want to make games in an ethical way. It's
not clear what Modern Wolf's key differentiator is.

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big_chungus
I feel like a bit of a wet blanket saying this, but it's roughly equivalent to
Google making its motto, "Don't be evil." Gestures are nice; actions better
beget true intentions.

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danaur
Is ethical game development something the market actually respects and informs
purchasing decisions?

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0_gravitas
anecdotal of course but i know me and many of my friends dont buy $60 games
with microtransactions (of _any_ kind), or games with lootboxes. we're ok with
not playing overwatch or EA/ActiBliz/Ubisofts latest cash-grab at the expense
of not feeling like we're being manipulated/shafted 24/7

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mipmap04
If the loot boxes or micro-transactions are only for cosmetic items, I don’t
mind them. If something is pay to win, I won’t play it.

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tus88
> Final creative say is grand, but Modern Wolf will still be making the big
> business decisions.

Hmmm. I would love to know what the difference is. Devs get to define
gameplay, but company gets to enforce microtransactions?

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lvturner
I wonder if they will continue the games industry trend of paying developers
lower than they would in other industries or not...

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SeanBoocock
While there is still a disparity, it has decreased over time. The comp for
senior engineers at the larger studios compares favorably with the broader
technology sector, outside of a handful of companies.

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DoofusOfDeath
Question for those philosophy majors out there...

I'm having trouble with the general concept of labeling something "ethical",
as thought it were a binary quality akin to "kosher".

My understanding is that "ethics" classically refers to any particular set of
moral principles. That would include Mahatma Gandhi's, Adolf Hitler's, _and_
Jeff Bezos'.

So I'm assuming that usages such as "ethical game development" imply adherence
to some particular, unstated ethic. But I'm not clear what ethic they're
implying.

