Responding to an an editorial on Kotaku from an anonymous developer, David Jaffe posted on his personal blog that, “You are worth what you can negotiate. Period.
“Don’t like the way a publisher treats you? Don’t sign a contract with that particular publisher. Or if you do, make sure you have what you will and won’t tolerate written into the contract.”
“If your studio is not good enough to demand better deals and is not clever enough to secure alternate forms of financing (thus allowing you to bypass the publishers all together) then you deserve what you get.
“You want to be treated better? Sign a contract demanding it. You are not able to get such a contract? Then improve your team until you can demand in the real world what you think you are really worth in your mind. Because at the moment the real world is making something very clear to you. And that is this: you are not as good as you think you are.”
Earlier today, veteran Gordon Walton said that publishers view developers as “replaceable meat puppets”. Wonder if Jaffe’s response applies to him as well.
Source: GIBiz