Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Ty Richardson
Sometimes it pays to be nice! These are the developers that decided to throw us a bone for once and gave us something very nice indeed. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change!
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Sometimes it pays to be nice! These are the developers that decided to throw us a bone for once and gave us something very nice indeed. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change!
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change
These developers are setting a good example of how a business should run. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change!
For this list, we’re looking at some of the moments where game developers showed that they care more about the customer than establishing greedy business practices. That’s not to say whoever isn’t here is terrible, or that these developers aren't guilty of other shady business practices. We’re simply recognizing moments where devs made business moves displaying a “player-first” attitude.
BioWare
“Mass Effect 3” was a great game, but man…that ending could have been a hell of a lot better! We aren’t the only ones who thought the same, as thousands of fans expressed their “disappointment”, to put it gently. Instead of choosing to shy away from the issue or tell fans “it’s better than nothing”, BioWare released an extended cut of the ending. Oh, and it didn’t cost players a cent! An easy way a developer could have solved this was to announce a sequel or let the fans stay angry, but BioWare took a more proactive approach.
Sega
Look, we love “Sonic the Hedgehog” and all, but since he made the transition from 2D side-scrolling to 3D auto-running, most of his games have been… bad. It was a pretty bold move for Sega to hand the license over to a completely different developer for “Sonic Mania” but the results speak for themselves. The most interesting part was that the team was composed of people who had made “Sonic” fan games and ROM hacks. Sega’s open-mindedness paid off, and “Sonic Mania” became one of the best games of 2017 and the best “Sonic” game we had seen in years! Now, who here is excited for “Sonic Mania Plus”?
Psyonix
“Rocket League” is a couple of years old now, but it still remains one of the best competitive games to play. With developer Psyonix continuously adding new game modes, arenas, and cars to customize, we can’t help coming back again and again. Most players would run at the sight of a microtransaction system, but Psyonix utilizes one that helps the community. Purchases made on crate keys are being used to fund community events and tournaments rather than it all going into the studio’s pockets. It's nice knowing that the money players spend on keys for cosmetic items is being used to lengthen “Rocket League’s” lifespan.
Valve Corporation
Some of you might know where we’re going with this… much has been said about “Half-Life 3” and how it will likely never see the light of day. Luckily, we still have the old games, though the first game in the series is pretty dated by today’s standards. Well, leave it up to the development team known Crowbar Collective to fix that, creating a remastered version of “Half-Life” called “Black Mesa”. Of course, this could lead the team into legal trouble. Shockingly enough, Valve actually allowed the remaster to be published on Steam! No strings attached! Bravo, Valve! That’s an awesome thing to do for the fans!
Digital Extremes
For a long time, “Warframe” was plagued with a problem regarding limited time items and microtransactions. Basically, the items that were once “limited time only” were being repackaged into overpriced bundles. Thankfully, developer Digital Extremes addressed the issue back in February 2018, running a live stream to discuss the problem and ask the players for a solution/ A developer asking how we want DLC to be packaged and priced? Inviting the community to reform the system WITH them? That’s really something you don’t see enough of. This is a prime example of “player choice”, not loot boxes!
Respawn Entertainment
Titanfall 2 delivered on the promise of the original, and then some. Not only were we given an exhilarating single-player campaign, but all of the major DLC was free! The only DLC you have to pay for are warpaints and some different chassis designs. For once, we got a sixty-dollar game that actually felt worth the value. New game modes were added, more Titans to kick ass with, and more executions to humiliate our opponents were keeping us busy! We just hope “Titanfall 3” will follow in the same footsteps.
id Software & Bethesda Softworks
2016’s “DOOM” was one of the best games of the year and a major comeback for the franchise. On top of that, the DLC added some extra goodies to a game already packed with content, such as playable demons, more multiplayer maps, extra game modes, weapons, and more SnapMap assets to play with! What we weren’t expecting was that a little over a year after release, Bethesda announced a final update: version 6.66. (How appropriate.) This update would make the DLC free to anyone who bought the game. Plus, the game’s price would be cut in half. Whoa…thirty bucks for all that?! They really want everybody playing this!
Capcom
Amidst the hype for “Monster Hunter World”, there were a few concerns about the game regarding certain game companies pushing sleazy marketing tactics like loot boxes. When asked by GameSpot about loot boxes in “Monster Hunter World”, series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto stated that the game already has a system like loot boxes. He’s not wrong, either, as the monsters drop random items of stuff we want or already have, which is something he also brought up. He added with, “You’ve already kind of got loot as a core gameplay aspect without having to shove a microtransaction version of it in.” You’re preaching to the choir, buddy, and we love it! Don’t ever change!
Yacht Club Games
“Shovel Knight” is not an expensive game. For a game that’s less than twenty dollars, you could easily lose hours playing this game, finding secrets, battling the Order of No Quarter, and popping those difficult in-game achievements & trophies. So, it caught us by surprise when developer Yacht Club Games announced that “Shovel Knight” would be getting a hearty helping of DLC. Furthermore, all owners of the original game would get all DLC for free before the game is rebranded as “Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove”. “Shovel Knight” was perfect already. So, Yacht Club had no reason to make any free, full-length expansions… but we’re not complaining. This was like having some steak…with our steak.
Epic Games
It’s tough out there for MOBAs. Epic Games’ other title, “Paragon”, has suffered from “Fortnite’s” success, as well as the popularity of other MOBA games. This led to Epic Games announcing the shutdown of “Paragon’s” servers. They could have left things at that, but the company went a step further, offering refunds to those who spent money on the game. Players could even get their refund in the form of V-Bucks, “Fortnite’s” premium currency, allowing them to buy Battle Passes and maybe a few cosmetic goodies. They also released $12 million dollars worth of assets to the Unreal Engine Marketplace, completely for free! Please, guys, you’re too kind! “Paragon” was fun while it lasted. May it rest in peace.
These developers are setting a good example of how a business should run. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Game Developers Were Nice for a Change!
For this list, we’re looking at some of the moments where game developers showed that they care more about the customer than establishing greedy business practices. That’s not to say whoever isn’t here is terrible, or that these developers aren't guilty of other shady business practices. We’re simply recognizing moments where devs made business moves displaying a “player-first” attitude.
#10: Mass Effect Extended Cut Ending DLC
BioWare
“Mass Effect 3” was a great game, but man…that ending could have been a hell of a lot better! We aren’t the only ones who thought the same, as thousands of fans expressed their “disappointment”, to put it gently. Instead of choosing to shy away from the issue or tell fans “it’s better than nothing”, BioWare released an extended cut of the ending. Oh, and it didn’t cost players a cent! An easy way a developer could have solved this was to announce a sequel or let the fans stay angry, but BioWare took a more proactive approach.
#9: Handing Sonic to a New Developer
Sega
Look, we love “Sonic the Hedgehog” and all, but since he made the transition from 2D side-scrolling to 3D auto-running, most of his games have been… bad. It was a pretty bold move for Sega to hand the license over to a completely different developer for “Sonic Mania” but the results speak for themselves. The most interesting part was that the team was composed of people who had made “Sonic” fan games and ROM hacks. Sega’s open-mindedness paid off, and “Sonic Mania” became one of the best games of 2017 and the best “Sonic” game we had seen in years! Now, who here is excited for “Sonic Mania Plus”?
#8: Community First
Psyonix
“Rocket League” is a couple of years old now, but it still remains one of the best competitive games to play. With developer Psyonix continuously adding new game modes, arenas, and cars to customize, we can’t help coming back again and again. Most players would run at the sight of a microtransaction system, but Psyonix utilizes one that helps the community. Purchases made on crate keys are being used to fund community events and tournaments rather than it all going into the studio’s pockets. It's nice knowing that the money players spend on keys for cosmetic items is being used to lengthen “Rocket League’s” lifespan.
#7: Approving a Fan Game for Steam
Valve Corporation
Some of you might know where we’re going with this… much has been said about “Half-Life 3” and how it will likely never see the light of day. Luckily, we still have the old games, though the first game in the series is pretty dated by today’s standards. Well, leave it up to the development team known Crowbar Collective to fix that, creating a remastered version of “Half-Life” called “Black Mesa”. Of course, this could lead the team into legal trouble. Shockingly enough, Valve actually allowed the remaster to be published on Steam! No strings attached! Bravo, Valve! That’s an awesome thing to do for the fans!
#6: Solving Microtransactions in “Warframe”
Digital Extremes
For a long time, “Warframe” was plagued with a problem regarding limited time items and microtransactions. Basically, the items that were once “limited time only” were being repackaged into overpriced bundles. Thankfully, developer Digital Extremes addressed the issue back in February 2018, running a live stream to discuss the problem and ask the players for a solution/ A developer asking how we want DLC to be packaged and priced? Inviting the community to reform the system WITH them? That’s really something you don’t see enough of. This is a prime example of “player choice”, not loot boxes!
#5: Free “Titanfall 2” DLC
Respawn Entertainment
Titanfall 2 delivered on the promise of the original, and then some. Not only were we given an exhilarating single-player campaign, but all of the major DLC was free! The only DLC you have to pay for are warpaints and some different chassis designs. For once, we got a sixty-dollar game that actually felt worth the value. New game modes were added, more Titans to kick ass with, and more executions to humiliate our opponents were keeping us busy! We just hope “Titanfall 3” will follow in the same footsteps.
#4: DOOM v6.66
id Software & Bethesda Softworks
2016’s “DOOM” was one of the best games of the year and a major comeback for the franchise. On top of that, the DLC added some extra goodies to a game already packed with content, such as playable demons, more multiplayer maps, extra game modes, weapons, and more SnapMap assets to play with! What we weren’t expecting was that a little over a year after release, Bethesda announced a final update: version 6.66. (How appropriate.) This update would make the DLC free to anyone who bought the game. Plus, the game’s price would be cut in half. Whoa…thirty bucks for all that?! They really want everybody playing this!
#3: Shunning Loot Boxes
Capcom
Amidst the hype for “Monster Hunter World”, there were a few concerns about the game regarding certain game companies pushing sleazy marketing tactics like loot boxes. When asked by GameSpot about loot boxes in “Monster Hunter World”, series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto stated that the game already has a system like loot boxes. He’s not wrong, either, as the monsters drop random items of stuff we want or already have, which is something he also brought up. He added with, “You’ve already kind of got loot as a core gameplay aspect without having to shove a microtransaction version of it in.” You’re preaching to the choir, buddy, and we love it! Don’t ever change!
#2: Free Expansions for “Shovel Knight”
Yacht Club Games
“Shovel Knight” is not an expensive game. For a game that’s less than twenty dollars, you could easily lose hours playing this game, finding secrets, battling the Order of No Quarter, and popping those difficult in-game achievements & trophies. So, it caught us by surprise when developer Yacht Club Games announced that “Shovel Knight” would be getting a hearty helping of DLC. Furthermore, all owners of the original game would get all DLC for free before the game is rebranded as “Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove”. “Shovel Knight” was perfect already. So, Yacht Club had no reason to make any free, full-length expansions… but we’re not complaining. This was like having some steak…with our steak.
#1: Refunds for “Paragon”
Epic Games
It’s tough out there for MOBAs. Epic Games’ other title, “Paragon”, has suffered from “Fortnite’s” success, as well as the popularity of other MOBA games. This led to Epic Games announcing the shutdown of “Paragon’s” servers. They could have left things at that, but the company went a step further, offering refunds to those who spent money on the game. Players could even get their refund in the form of V-Bucks, “Fortnite’s” premium currency, allowing them to buy Battle Passes and maybe a few cosmetic goodies. They also released $12 million dollars worth of assets to the Unreal Engine Marketplace, completely for free! Please, guys, you’re too kind! “Paragon” was fun while it lasted. May it rest in peace.
