Mark Darrah is a true BioWare veteran, having worked at the studio for 24 years before returning in a consultancy role to shepherd Dragon Age: The Veilguard over the finish line. Darrah is now freelance once more, and has been using some of his time to post YouTube videos about both the company's history and future in what he calls "an unprecedented time for BioWare."
Darrah's latest video, however, has another subject: The more toxic elements of videogame fandom, which are much more of an issue for developers than some players might think. In a 2023 GDC survey of game developers, 91% of respondents said abuse from players was a problem and, if we're being honest, we've all seen some people go way OTT at developers online. The problem feels even more pronounced at the bigger-budget end of the industry, where certain folk seem to feel that, if they've paid their money, that entitles them to open season on the people who made it.
