Outspoken God of War and Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe has a message for game developers: "You are worth what you can negotiate. Period."
In response to an anonymous Kotaku guest editorial that claimed developers suffer under the power of publishers, Jaffe shared a response on his blog presenting a different opinion.
"I reject the tired accusation that it's the publisher keeping game developers down," Jaffe wrote. "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."
The industry veteran added that if a studio is good enough, it will be able to find funding one way or another. Otherwise, "you deserve what you get," he wrote.
"Because at the moment the real world is making something very clear to you. And that is this: For the time being anyway, you are not as good as you think you are," Jaffe said. "The people who fight against this and complain that the world is not fair are spinning their wheels and wasting their time."
Jaffe left Twisted Metal studio Eat Sleep Play last year and is currently in the process of creating a new company in San Diego, California.