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

Have you ever really thought about what you want in life—or more importantly, in video games? This is a question that has been on the mind of the Fallout co-creator, who is now well-known for his YouTube videos reflecting on his career and sharing insights on game development. His main takeaway? When providing feedback to developers, aim to offer insights that they can actually use.

In his recent video, Cain dives into the nuances of dealing with player feedback—specifically, what players like or dislike about a game—and how expressing these thoughts in certain ways can be more beneficial than others. Unsurprisingly, simply stating that something is “bad” and leaving it at that isn’t particularly helpful.

He advises, “I would much prefer, whether it’s on this channel or any forum where you’re interacting with game developers, that you express what you like and, importantly, why you like that feature. Constructive feedback is a lot easier to respond to than feedback that isn’t constructively framed, so if you really want to see changes, be clear about what you desire.”

Cain does acknowledge that even stating a dislike for something can aid developers if the criticism is specific. He points out the issue of cluttered communication channels, where vague comments like “enemies are dumb, stop giving us dumb enemies” could be transformed into something more actionable, such as “these enemies never utilize cover despite it being available everywhere, which I strategically use.” This type of feedback is far more useful for developers to refine and adjust gameplay elements.

Earlier in the video, Cain discusses fast travel, illustrating how the decision to include or exclude it isn’t straightforward without clear player input. Gamers need to communicate exactly what features they envision as alternatives, or how they might want fast travel integrated in a way that doesn’t feel intrusive to the experience.

Ultimately, personal preference plays a big role in how people perceive different features, and vague feedback further complicates matters. While I might not fully agree with all of Cain’s perspectives—like his stance on not criticizing “100% cosmetic-only microtransactions” because they can be overlooked—I do see the value in specificity. Feedback about cosmetic pricing, for instance, can alert developers to reconsider their monetization strategies, ensuring they align with player interests.

Do you find yourself being clear and effective when providing feedback about games? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!