Fallout Co-Creator Tim Cain Questions Gamers’ Preferences, Advocates for Constructive Feedback to Developers

What do you want in life, and perhaps more pressing for some of us, what do you want in video games? This question has been on the mind of Fallout’s co-creator, now well-known for his reflective YouTube channel where he dives into game development topics. His advice? Focus on giving developers useful feedback that can help them improve.

In his latest video, Cain talks about handling player feedback on games and how the way it’s articulated can make all the difference. As you’d guess, simply labeling something as “bad” without any further explanation doesn’t really help much.

“I would much prefer, on this channel or any platform where you’re addressing game developers, to state what you like and why,” Cain explained. “Responding to constructive feedback is a lot easier than addressing vague complaints. So, if you truly want your desires to be met, be clear about what those desires are.”

He acknowledges that expressing dislike can be helpful, but only if it’s specific. For example, saying “enemies are dumb,” doesn’t inform developers as much as saying, “these enemies never take cover, despite having plenty of opportunities for it.” This kind of specific feedback is invaluable because it gives developers clear directions for improvement.

The video presents another scenario involving fast travel options in games. Cain highlights the difficulty in making decisions about fast travel when player feedback is unclear about alternatives or less intrusive methods of implementing the feature.

Ultimately, it boils down to personal taste, which varies widely among individuals, further complicating the challenge. I find myself agreeing with Cain on the need for specifics, although perhaps not with his opinion on not needing to complain about features like “100% cosmetic-only microtransactions,” which he suggests can be ignored as they don’t impact gameplay.

Like most things, this issue elicits countless perspectives. However, player feedback on matters like pricing—even if it’s just related to cosmetic items—can prompt studios to reassess how they align with player expectations on monetization concerns.

So, how well do you think you communicate your wants when giving feedback on games? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!