In a move that raises many ethical questions, the Fntastic studio recently offered a competition encouraging its “fans” to design cards for ITEMSits future action and horror game prop huntpromising to integrate them into future updates of the title. However, the terms of this competition, announced on the Fntastic Discord server, specify that the winner will not be paid for their work. In lieu of financial compensation, the studio offers a copy of the game (subject to its release of course) and the possibility of affixing the name of the designer “somewhere” on the selected card. Under a toilet seat lost in the depths of a map plunged in darkness will surely be the ideal place.
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This competition is presented as a “creative opportunity” for the community, and invites participants to submit a map design in 2D, 3D, or any other format, including a detailed description of the theme, map structure, and balancing aspects. Although many players are attracted to the idea of having their work appear in a game, the lack of compensation raises concerns within the community. For some, offering a simple copy of the game in exchange for many hours of work is pure and simple exploitation of fans. It is in some way the well-known “you will be paid for visibility”. To date, Fntastic has reportedly received six card proposals.
This isn’t the first time Fntastic has sparked controversy with unpaid contributions. During the development of The Day Beforethe studio had already used volunteers from several countries to contribute to the game for free. At one point, Fntastic even announced that it was collaborating with more than 100 full-time volunteers, free labor that requires nothing in return. Or the quintessence of capitalist exploitation applied to video games.
Beyond the absolutely shameful financial aspect, this new approach for the development of ITEMS appears to show the artistic and creative incompetence of Fntastic, which relies on its community to be creative, where the studio seems to be incapable.
- Also read | After The Day Before Scam, Fntastic’s New Game Looks Like Another Scam
