Ybarra's tip button idea grasped tensions around game pricing but faced backlash over benefiting shareholders over developers
• Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra suggested adding tip buttons to games so players could pay extra for great experiences without microtransactions.
• Players criticized the idea as asking for charity for big gaming corporations and not guaranteeing money would reach developers.
• Ybarra recently left Activision Blizzard after layoffs and employee morale issues under his leadership.
• The suggestion grasped tensions around game pricing but didn't address profit sharing to actually reward creators.
• Players are reluctant to pay more without assurance the money supports developers, not just shareholders.