...and sadly I know a lot of AAA devs who have active disdain for their gamer audiences. It's something that's perhaps always existed but it's been noticeably worse since the mid 00s' (2005/6 or so). I never understand these ppl and think 'why are you even making games? your attitude is the toxic part. customers always whine...deal with it'.
Once a game studio devolves internally to "us (devs) vs them (gamers)" that studio is lost the vast majority of the time. You need to insulate devs from constant online vitriol but you also need devs who don't actively dislike and dismiss their audience. This used to be obvious.
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@georgebsocial It’s not hard to understand. Many people create for themselves not customers. Few people get into a profession thinking “gee I can’t wait to serve others”.
I also understand why people dislike their audiences. Just look at the comments any female dev gets.
I also understand why people dislike their audiences. Just look at the comments any female dev gets.
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I 1000% got into this industry thinking "i have to serve others"
That's literally what a job is.
It's insane to think that this industry was overtaken by people who dislike the audience and don't want to give them what they want.
That's literally all i do every day. I wake up,think other people would want. That's my purpose as a game developer.
I 1000% got into this industry thinking "i have to serve others"
That's literally what a job is.
It's insane to think that this industry was overtaken by people who dislike the audience and don't want to give them what they want.
That's literally all i do every day. I wake up,think other people would want. That's my purpose as a game developer.
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@SeaCritDev @georgebsocial Overtaken?
No.
I think it’s more likely that being exposed to social media damages that relationship. Even for those of us around for decades.
No.
I think it’s more likely that being exposed to social media damages that relationship. Even for those of us around for decades.
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@jadel4ww@georgebsocialnk most all of us have fallen into this downward spiral where we see this group of people as our sphere of "allies" we act pleasasntly with this faction and we commit to awful snark with everyone else.
It's done supreme damage, and it's ruined are ability as people to see nuance in each other.
We don't hold those close to us to standards, we impale anoyone outside our sphere on a pike for whatever reasons suits us.
It's diminished the ways in which we engage with one another.
And I'll even own up to the fact that I'm guilty of it in this thread.
Lots of talented people losing their jobs, and that's a shame.
Also a shame how those people view and mock their audience.
There are no perfect darlings, we need to find a way to be better.
It's done supreme damage, and it's ruined are ability as people to see nuance in each other.
We don't hold those close to us to standards, we impale anoyone outside our sphere on a pike for whatever reasons suits us.
It's diminished the ways in which we engage with one another.
And I'll even own up to the fact that I'm guilty of it in this thread.
Lots of talented people losing their jobs, and that's a shame.
Also a shame how those people view and mock their audience.
There are no perfect darlings, we need to find a way to be better.
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@SeaCritDev @georgebsocial I’m no fan of us vs them. But I think it’s fair to hate an audience who celebrates you losing your job
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@jadel4wd@georgebsocialy did this industry celebrate many of us losing our jobs, they seit it into motion. And they relished in our suppression for over a decade.
Through all the cancellings, the gaslightings, the celebrations of death and violence, the smug signalling of moral and technical superiority over all these painful years.
For some of us it's hard to muster sympathy. We've experienced so much worse at your hands.
Through all the cancellings, the gaslightings, the celebrations of death and violence, the smug signalling of moral and technical superiority over all these painful years.
For some of us it's hard to muster sympathy. We've experienced so much worse at your hands.
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@SeaCritDev @georgebsocial Who was asking for sympathy?
At my hands? What did I do?
That’s kinda the problem. Blaming individual devs on social media when you don’t know what they did
At my hands? What did I do?
That’s kinda the problem. Blaming individual devs on social media when you don’t know what they did
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@jadel4wi@georgebsocial expressed in this thread are the same as the greater culture that took over western AAA.
It's always these even keeled sentiments but over time and in the echo chambers they spiral, and it has led to the mob culture and tribalism that's ravaged the industry.
It's always these even keeled sentiments but over time and in the echo chambers they spiral, and it has led to the mob culture and tribalism that's ravaged the industry.
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@SeaCritDev @georgebsocial What sentiments? That I understand why people would feel a certain way? Because I have empathy?
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@jadel4wd@georgebsocialu have expressed a lack of empahty in this thread. You don't relate to your own audience, you are not interested in doing work that makes others happy, you are only interested in working with others who share your tastes working on works that you personally enjoy.
And when you say that YOU have empathy... is this the sort of tired rheteric meant to emply that others DON"T have empathy?
This is more of the same conversation that has driven us away from making great games, and providing to the gamers products and dialogues that furthers the medium and leads to better video games and art.
I'll reiterate.
There are assholes, and there are good people in any group. In the audience of gamers, in the developer halls, in this tribe and on that tribe.
And it does a disservice to us all to paint with such a broad brush, and for a very long time, this industry used those generalizations to demonize the audience and their coworkers.
And when you say that YOU have empathy... is this the sort of tired rheteric meant to emply that others DON"T have empathy?
This is more of the same conversation that has driven us away from making great games, and providing to the gamers products and dialogues that furthers the medium and leads to better video games and art.
I'll reiterate.
There are assholes, and there are good people in any group. In the audience of gamers, in the developer halls, in this tribe and on that tribe.
And it does a disservice to us all to paint with such a broad brush, and for a very long time, this industry used those generalizations to demonize the audience and their coworkers.
Oct 24, 2026 · 4:16 PM UTC
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@SeaCritDev @georgebsocial A lot of assumptions here.
But yes I find it easier to have empathy for named developers getting harassed online or losing their source of income over some random who doesn’t even use their real name that’s just mad every game on the market isn’t catered exactly to them
But yes I find it easier to have empathy for named developers getting harassed online or losing their source of income over some random who doesn’t even use their real name that’s just mad every game on the market isn’t catered exactly to them
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@jadel4wr@georgebsocialing what you've posted in this thread.
You have to understand, I had my career decimated because of how this industry unfolded, that has an affect on your life, not a positive one.
And I can throw this back at you.
You're the one making assumptions.
About developers, about gamers.
The true monolith here is the culture of the modern AAA industry.
I'll concede that yes this is twitter and yes most gamers here are pretty petty and not very thoughtful, but it's not a represnetation of all gamers everywhere, like you say you're a gamer.
It's a complex and nuanced topic.
Anyway, I don't know if either of us are making great points or saying anything of substance, I get the feeling more than anything we're both just airing grievances and seeking to make the other look bad, which isn't doing either of us any favors.
Sorry shit's tanking in this industry, I'm not trying to say that in a back handed way, I share the frustrations and sense of loss.
It's a really shitty time to be a maker of games, has been for a bit.
You have to understand, I had my career decimated because of how this industry unfolded, that has an affect on your life, not a positive one.
And I can throw this back at you.
You're the one making assumptions.
About developers, about gamers.
The true monolith here is the culture of the modern AAA industry.
I'll concede that yes this is twitter and yes most gamers here are pretty petty and not very thoughtful, but it's not a represnetation of all gamers everywhere, like you say you're a gamer.
It's a complex and nuanced topic.
Anyway, I don't know if either of us are making great points or saying anything of substance, I get the feeling more than anything we're both just airing grievances and seeking to make the other look bad, which isn't doing either of us any favors.
Sorry shit's tanking in this industry, I'm not trying to say that in a back handed way, I share the frustrations and sense of loss.
It's a really shitty time to be a maker of games, has been for a bit.
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