At the Reboot Develop conference, Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson about gambling addiction. He mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) disease excessive enthusiasm for interactive works. The head urged developers to "be conscious" of what projects they create. And in his speech, he compared the gaming industry with the drug business.
Mike Wilson said: βWe feed the country, the world and choose what to put into our creations. Often this is the result of our experiences. Developers are like pharmaceutical companies.β The co-founder of Devolver Digital then explained that people often turn to games during difficult moments in life. According to him, in interactive entertainment, young people get victories that cannot be achieved in reality.
Then Mike Wilson continued: βI'm not saying I know the answerβ¦ However, I ask you to listen and think about what we feed people. Just be a little more conscious. Even if you think it's drugs - I'm not against drugs - but since we're becoming drug dealers, let's offer people psychedelics. We will give users something that will help them develop and grow. There is no need to cultivate addiction. Now even pharmaceutical companies and drug dealers do not use the terms "acquisition of buyers" and "monetization". Surely there are ways to successfully attract buyers and benefit from monetization, but I am not familiar with them and do not intend to do this.
Wilson used Hotline Miami as an example, where there was a clear message to the players behind the ultra-violence. The director himself is a member of the non-profit organization Take This, which focuses on the mental health of developers and gamers.
Source: 3dnews.ru