Blizzard/Activision, how far will they fall?

[rob mafia]

...wtf are you talking about?

from d3 to mtx. the pre-emptive strawman from your "entitled" post continued and now went off the rails.

it's nice to know that people are "brats" for mocking diablow mobile's announcement. brb, gotta buy mtx.

 

[HereticBD]

...wtf are you talking about?

from d3 to mtx. the pre-emptive strawman from your "entitled" post continued and now went off the rails.

it's nice to know that people are "brats" for mocking diablow mobile's announcement. brb, gotta buy mtx.

Sounds like you're upset, because I struck a nerve.

Yes, gamers crying and whining like spoiled little girls over a game announcement, because it's not exactly what they wanted, is the definition of entitlement. When they eventually roll out "Diablo 4", you'll all stop crying, and not give two shits about any of this. Baby will get their bottle.

 

[rob mafia]

lolwut?

you missed the mark 3 times in that short post.

you're the one writing pre-emptive straw tirades. ie: u mad
i'm not buying anything blizzard, ever
that's not the definition of entitlement

 

[HereticBD]

i'm not buying anything blizzard, ever

LOL, yeah right. You'll fall in line when Diablo 4 is announced, like all the other super cool rebels. That statement is about as laughable as when folks on here say they're never ordering a UFC PPV ever again.

 

[rob mafia]

1. i haven't ordered a ufc ppv since the 90s
2. d3's the last $ blizzard is ever seeing from me

 

[KaNesDeath]

WoW esports survive for another year: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22862590

A initial $60 cost game that requires $15 monthly subscription fee to play will use a portion of an in-game cash shop item to directly fund its esport.

 

[Makani]

LOL, yeah right. You'll fall in line when Diablo 4 is announced, like all the other super cool rebels. That statement is about as laughable as when folks on here say they're never ordering a UFC PPV ever again.

I think you're underestimating what Diablo 3 sucking so bad did. Why would you want to go back to that when Path of Exile is a thing? It's not like Diablo 3 was a compelling narrative either. It's like the post-OT Star Wars films, I've just accepted that they aren't going to be good anymore and savored what was enjoyable.

 

[Madmick]

WoW esports survive for another year: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22862590

A initial $60 cost game that requires $15 monthly subscription fee to play will use a portion of an in-game cash shop item to directly fund its esport.

LOL. GTFO trying to paint this negatively, Valveboy.

$60 for today's WoW has to be one of the best values in the history of gaming. You're getting 8-games-in-1. This is on par with The Orange Box. This game has actual PvE content. Originally there were two continents. Now there are six plus islands, and the original two have been expanded. When they first released BGs for PvP in 2005, not even discussing Arena, there were only two maps. Now there are eleven. There were 8 races and 8 classes. Now there are 20 races, and 12 classes. Each offers some unique content to their campaigns.

Oh, but it's not $60, is it? It's $35. A $15 30-day base subscription includes all previous content/expansions for free. Do that, and then install the below Battle for Azeroth expansion. For $50 total you have all content and your first month paid:
https://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Battle-Azeroth-PC-Standard/dp/B079G9FDHX?th=1

Altogether, there are 8x campaigns worth of SP/MP content (however someone wants to play it since you can do it alone or with friends); there is omnipresent world PvP, and even timed world PvP events entailing reward access; there is casual PvP at multiple levels; there is competitive endgame PvP; there is endgame PvE; and by the summer of 2019 there will even be WoW Classic.

Furthermore, you can pay your subscription with in-game gold, now.
https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/20765607134?page=1

With how much gold the class hall missions hand you in this expansion, you can easily pay for your monthly subscription through the Class Hall itself if you have at least 2 characters. And you can pay for a long long time if you have many alts (I'm paid through October next year). If you're not spending all this easy gold on your subscriptions, what are you spending it on?

Meanwhile, where's Half-Life 3? Where's that Linux future that was promised in 2013?

Every time you talk about Blizzard you sound like a disgruntled ex-employee who never got past it.

 

[HereticBD]

I think you're underestimating what Diablo 3 sucking so bad did. Why would you want to go back to that when Path of Exile is a thing?

Ask all the players that have done so. It's not like D3 has a baron player base.

It's not like Diablo 3 was a compelling narrative either.

Honestly, who cares? Nobody is playing these games for their compelling narrative. I've played both, and they are equal in that after the first hour of gameplay, the story is getting clicked past. The story is such a non factor in these dungeon crawlers. In fact, I would argue that they mostly get in the way. It's just there to give the areas some context. I've played both for quite a good chunk of time, and I couldn't tell you a goddamn thing about their stories, other than that in Diablo some angel crashes to Earth, an old man dies, and some chick gets possessed. I couldn't possibly care any less about the stories in these games.

It's like the post-OT Star Wars films, I've just accepted that they aren't going to be good anymore and savored what was enjoyable.

I think that's quite hyperbolic. Blizzard has not released anything remotely as bad as you're implying.

 

[Makani]

Ask all the players that have done so. It's not like D3 has a baron player base.



Honestly, who cares? Nobody is playing these games for their compelling narrative. I've played both, and they are equal in that after the first hour of gameplay, the story is getting clicked past. The story is such a non factor in these dungeon crawlers. In fact, I would argue that they mostly get in the way. It's just there to give the areas some context. I've played both for quite a good chunk of time, and I couldn't tell you a goddamn thing about their stories, other than that in Diablo some angel crashes to Earth, an old man dies, and some chick gets possessed. I couldn't possibly care any less about the stories in these games.



I think that's quite hyperbolic. Blizzard has not released anything remotely as bad as you're implying.

You're kidding yourself if you don't think part of Diablo 2's charm was the characters. Sure, the story elements were a little put aside in favor of the grind, but people from that era, myself included, have fond memories of them based on the writing and attention that was paid to them. That's where the Star Wars comparison really comes from, respect for the characters and your audience. Deckard Cain dies from some boring butterfly women spewing bugs at him, and we're left with this terrible female who is obviously Diablo to escort through the story. A story can be secondary, but it should not be waded through.

Blizzard hasn't released anything else wholeheartedly bad, but they are definitely phoning it in. Overwatch is one of my favorite games, but the second their esports ambitions really fail I'll start getting nervous. I don't think the name Diablo carries much marketing weight, which was my original point, and I think you should believe people when they say they don't care about the franchise anymore.

 

[HereticBD]

You're kidding yourself if you don't think part of Diablo 2's charm was the characters. Sure, the story elements were a little put aside in favor of the grind, but people from that era, myself included, have fond memories of them based on the writing and attention that was paid to them. That's where the Star Wars comparison really comes from, respect for the characters and your audience. Deckard Cain dies from some boring butterfly women spewing bugs at him, and we're left with this terrible female who is obviously Diablo to escort through the story. A story can be secondary, but it should not be waded through.

Well, like i said, in these types of games I could give two fucks. I think very very few, play them for the story. In fact, one of the best additions to D3, was an Adventure Mode that didn't force any story on you at all, and just let you grind areas with some very basic objectives.

Blizzard hasn't released anything else wholeheartedly bad, but they are definitely phoning it in. Overwatch is one of my favorite games, but the second their esports ambitions really fail I'll start getting nervous. I don't think the name Diablo carries much marketing weight, which was my original point, and I think you should believe people when they say they don't care about the franchise anymore.

I never said I didn't believe the people who claim not to care about Diablo anymore(although I would take their claims of never buying another Diablo game with a healthy dose of skepticism). I'm saying that it's so clearly not the consensus, and more of vocal minority. It still has a rather large player base, and continues to sell across all consoles to this day, despite it being "a pile of shit that nobody likes to play".

 

[Wariowokecancel]

Stock is down 45% in two months. They just gutted Heroes of the Storm development team moving them to other IP's along with ending all esport support for it. In their quarterly investor call meeting Destiny2 was placed equally to HoTS as under-performing. WoW is still bleeding subscribers to the point of the WoW store earns them more money. With Overwatch and Hearthstone being reported as only profitable because of their micro-transactions. Ending finally with the elephant in the room of backlash from the Diablo Immortal announcement.

Whats the next shoe to drop?

Hearthstone is obviously only going to earn through micro because it’s a freemium game.

 

[rob mafia]

Ask all the players that have done so. It's not like D3 has a baron player base.

...who/where are these mythical unicorns that he should be asking?

 

[HereticBD]

...who/where are these mythical unicorns that he should be asking?

???

I think you're a little too emotional to speak about this. You're making no sense at all.

 

[Madmick]

???

I think you're a little too emotional to speak about this. You're making no sense at all.

*barren.

He always is. Diablo III is still more played than Path of Exile globally. Nevertheless, I agree with Makani that story used to be an integral part of the Diablo universe. The mood those games set with their cut scenes was legendary. Games like Diablo are why cut scenes got abused during the 00's, and everybody hates them, now.

Nevertheless, it's a weird dichotomy of playerbases. Diablo reigns from supremacy in internet Asian cafe gaming. I never understood that infrastructure, and apparently neither did other westerners, because it tanked, here. Must be cheaper over there than owning an ISP subscription and buying your own hardware.

 

[Cantalope]

It's crazy WoW is still alive and kicking honestly. Blizzard made so much money off of it I don't think they really give a shit anymore.

 

[HereticBD]

*barren.

He always is. Diablo III is still more played than Path of Exile globally. Nevertheless, I agree with Makani that story used to be an integral part of the Diablo universe. The mood those games set with their cut scenes was legendary. Games like Diablo are why cut scenes got abused during the 00's, and everybody hates them, now.

You're gonna put that on Diablo? I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure "Final Fantasy 7" and "Tomb Raider" had a hand in that as well. You're talking about the fancy CGI cut scenes, right?

Nevertheless, it's a weird dichotomy of playerbases. Diablo reigns from supremacy in internet Asian cafe gaming. I never understood that infrastructure, and apparently neither did other westerners, because it tanked, here. Must be cheaper over there than owning an ISP subscription and buying your own hardware.

I don't know. I don't really get the popularity of cafe gaming. Different culture for sure.

 

[Madmick]

You're gonna put that on Diablo? I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure "Final Fantasy 7" and "Tomb Raider" had a hand in that as well. You're talking about the fancy CGI cut scenes, right?

I'm not "blaming" them. I'm highlighting how extraordinary they were, and indeed, these other games are phenomenal examples, but simultaneously great examples of games where narrative played a huge role in the game's experience.

I don't know. I don't really get the popularity of cafe gaming. Different culture for sure.

Stuff like this almost always comes down to money that I can tell. There's no question at this point that the hardcore players testify the monetization schemes in PoE (at this point in their respective release cycles) are virtuous, and less obnoxious than Diablo III. The latter has definitely done harm to Blizzard's reputation among western gamers; in contrast to games like WoW and Overwatch.

Whether that endures remains to be seen. PoE's developer was bought out by the Chinese company Tencent: the largest gaming company in the world. Nevertheless, Tencent also owns the two most popular games in the world, League of Legends and Fortnite, which they haven't ruined with freemium payschemes, and those games actually are free- neither Diablo III nor Reapers of Souls was.

 

[KaNesDeath]

$60 for today's WoW has to be one of the best values in the history of gaming. You're getting 8-games-in-1.

When buying BFA youre given immediate access to bypass seven of those eight games.

 

[rob mafia]

lolz

tons of diablow expats flocked to poe.

who the hell goes/went from poe to d3? you're suggesting that this is a commonplace thing and that we can "ask them." i don't even know of "them" existing. hence, unicorns.

thanks for all that straw, though. again.

I think you're a little too emotional to speak about this. You're making no sense at all.

perhaps it's time to back up ONE claim of yours.