TECHNOLOGY
Unity CEO apologizes for calling some game developers ‘the biggest idiots’
Unit CEO John Riccitiello has apologized for a recent interview in which he called some game developers “the biggest idiots”.
Pocket Gamer interviewed Riccitiello about the game development platform merger with monetization and distribution specialists iron source when he made the comment.
Here’s the part of the interview in question (emphasis ours):
Pocket Gamer: Implementing monetization earlier in the process and conversation is certainly an angle that has been pushed back by some developers.
Riccitiello: Ferrari and some of the other high-end automakers still use clay and carving knives. It’s a very small part of the game industry that works that way, and some of these people are my favorite people in the world to fight with – they’re the most beautiful and purest, most brilliant people. They are also some of the biggest idiots.
Understandably, the comment didn’t go down well with many game developers.
i made Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year in 2018 (Donut County) with Unity but according to their CEO I am a ‘big idiot’ for not making Hole io the f2p game that ruined it 🤡 https://t.co/Gv1zqy0BjH
— Ben Esposito (@torahhorse) July 14, 2022
In a letter to the Unity community, Riccitiello apologized for his comment and tried to clarify what he meant to say:
Some game developers have already said or are considering moving to other platforms:
If your game engine doesn’t improve in the next 12-14 months, our studio, like many others, will look elsewhere. We want action, action to create a better core engine, action in listening to the developers who paid for the carpet under your feet before the IPO.
— Julian Ball (@JulianJBall) July 17, 2022
However, judging by the reactions, more people are concerned about Unity’s merger with ironSource and the general direction of monetization from gaming.
90% of people don’t want to monetize their games, do you know why? Because you’re playing a game, something magical, a unique form of art. A new world to explore and you want to turn it into a slot machine. And cheating people of their money. 1/2
— Winter (@beaniest_bean_) July 18, 2022
It may be worth noting that Riccitiello was the former CEO of EA, a company notorious for “loot boxes” and similar monetization strategies based on a “compulsion loop” (the fancy way). to say “take advantage of addiction”).
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the dust settles.
(Image credit: Web conference below CC BY 2.0 license)
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