Julkaisija vertaa pelejä päihteisiin - tavoitteena laajentaa ymmärrystä, ei koukuttaa

Julkaisija Devolver Digital tunnetaan parhaiten erikoisista joskin kehutuista teoksistaan, kuten Hotline Miamista. Yhtiön perustaja Mike Wildon pyörähti jutustelemassa Kanadassa pidetyssä Reboot Develop -tapahtumassa, jossa hän kertoi pelien olevan parhaimmillaan pakokeinoja arjesta. Asiasta uutisoi GamesIndustry.biz.

Wilson pitää pelialaa paitsi viihteenä mutta myös terapeuttisena ja hoitavana alana.

"We're feeding the country, we're feeding the world, and we choose what we put into our creations - which are often the result of what we've been fed. We are the pharmaceutical companies."

"We're where people are turning in their most vulnerable moments; when they're feeling their lowest, or they're feeling like a piece of s***, or life isn't working out as it should, because we live in this winners and losers society that is based on all kinds of things that are almost impossible to achieve for young people now."

Wilson vertaa pelejä parhaimmillaan huumeisiin. Tosin tavoitteena ei ole valmistaa koukuttavaa ja vahingoittavaa päihdettä, vaan värikynällä sanottuna mieltä laajentavia kokemuksia. Oikealla tavalla huumaavan pelin ei myöskään ole tarkoitus tarkoittaa mikromaksuja. Vastuullisuus on Wilsonille kaikki kaikessa.

"I'm not saying I have the answer... All I'm asking you to do is listen to my story and think about what we're feeding people. Just be a little bit more intentional. Whether you think these are drugs - and by the way, I'm not against drugs at all - but if we're going to be drug dealers, let's offer people psychedelics. Let's offer people something that's going to help them expand and grow. Let's not offer them crack-cocaine. Let's not offer them meth. Let's not literally mine for addicts."

"Even drug dealers, even pharmaceutical companies, would never use terms like 'user acquisition' and 'monetisation.' Now I'm sure there are great ways to do those, too, but I'm not familiar with them. And I don't intend to become familiar."

"Are we, collectively, gonna get our s*** together and be intentional about what we're feeding our friends, ourselves, the general public, young people at their most vulnerable state? Then who's going to do that? Are we gonna leave it to the casino bosses? Are we gonna leave it to the people talking about user acquisition and monetisation? Are we gonna try and compete in that game?"

Onko Wilsonin värikkäiden kommenttien takana pointti?