Blizzard Says It Wasn't Expecting Fans to Be This Angry About Diablo Immortal(kotaku.com)
kotaku.com
Blizzard Says It Wasn't Expecting Fans to Be This Angry About Diablo Immortal
https://kotaku.com/blizzard-says-it-wasnt-expecting-fans-to-be-this-angry-1830204721
112 comments
It was a massive gaffe by Blizzard almost perfectly designed to cause an outrage which the gaming press can then use to bash gamers.
Compare this to Fallout Shelter. No-one minded as it was not made to be the prime of a show, especially one not focused on mobile gaming.
Even announcing it before wc3 remastered would have produced way less outrage.
It’s like having a classical music festival suddenly change into heavy rock and then whining about how the audience is entitled. There is nothing wrong with either music style. It’s just the sudden switch from what the audience expected that’s jarring.
Compare this to Fallout Shelter. No-one minded as it was not made to be the prime of a show, especially one not focused on mobile gaming.
Even announcing it before wc3 remastered would have produced way less outrage.
It’s like having a classical music festival suddenly change into heavy rock and then whining about how the audience is entitled. There is nothing wrong with either music style. It’s just the sudden switch from what the audience expected that’s jarring.
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More like a classical music festival featuring Yanni.
I expect randos on the internet to act like trash (if for no other reason, a chunk of the people acting like 12 year olds really are 12).
I don't understand why the response from people that should know better is to act surprised at them, and feel justified in stooping to such low levels and pettiness themselves.
Well, I guess I can make guesses as to the "why," but none of them are answers that would let me sleep well at night if I were the one doing it. Maybe the sleep deprivation is why they're so cranky.
I don't understand why the response from people that should know better is to act surprised at them, and feel justified in stooping to such low levels and pettiness themselves.
Well, I guess I can make guesses as to the "why," but none of them are answers that would let me sleep well at night if I were the one doing it. Maybe the sleep deprivation is why they're so cranky.
> And people wonder how the hell do they get away with p2w and gambling mechanics in games.
Because that business model is profitable, and entertainment is a business like any other. If you don't like it, you are free not to play it. Besides some potential for gambling addiction (about which state lotteries are a far more important target for your ire if that is your concern), mobile games produce no externalities whatsoever.
I continue to be completely mystified with the concept of outrage about video games. If you want to be outraged about corporate behavior, there are a multitude of examples of corporate malfeasance with actual negative externalities, such as the coal industry's contribution to climate change.
Because that business model is profitable, and entertainment is a business like any other. If you don't like it, you are free not to play it. Besides some potential for gambling addiction (about which state lotteries are a far more important target for your ire if that is your concern), mobile games produce no externalities whatsoever.
I continue to be completely mystified with the concept of outrage about video games. If you want to be outraged about corporate behavior, there are a multitude of examples of corporate malfeasance with actual negative externalities, such as the coal industry's contribution to climate change.
This is all fine, but I help demystify the problem here. They marketed the new game to a completely detached audience as the highlight of the event. And when real questions came in, like "maybe a PC version comes later?" The reaction is: "You guys not have phones?"[1] I can see people snapping to rage mode.
And then the gaming 'media' calls theys guys out as assholes, which really shows how strings are really pulled behind the curtains.
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqjVdPtB9lU
And then the gaming 'media' calls theys guys out as assholes, which really shows how strings are really pulled behind the curtains.
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqjVdPtB9lU
So the complaint is just that Blizzard should have framed their announcement differently? The project is fine, but just don't present it at Blizzcon? That seems so feeble to me, and the sort of criticism you get when fans can't reconcile their displeasure with the understanding that Blizzard is rational to pursue the mobile gaming market this way. As for "You guys not have phones?", that was obviously a bad look, but seeing as it was an off-the-cuff remark in an awkward exchange, I'm not inclined to hold it against the speaker.
>The project is fine, but just don't present it at Blizzcon?
Precisely this. It's not that feeble because you must remember what Blizzcon is. Know your audience. Blizzcon audience has paid $199 to get in. They are quite hard core PC gamers. If your main show for them is something they are not interested of course they are gonna be unhappy.
If Blizzard wants to change Blizzcon they should tell the audience that "Blizzcon 2018 is focused on mobile" before they buy the tickets.
Don't suddenly change the theme and expect a good reaction
Precisely this. It's not that feeble because you must remember what Blizzcon is. Know your audience. Blizzcon audience has paid $199 to get in. They are quite hard core PC gamers. If your main show for them is something they are not interested of course they are gonna be unhappy.
If Blizzard wants to change Blizzcon they should tell the audience that "Blizzcon 2018 is focused on mobile" before they buy the tickets.
Don't suddenly change the theme and expect a good reaction
You're making a point that keeps being brought up about expectations, which is valid and I get it, but I think the point was not that people should not rightfully criticize Blizzard for that, but rather that the absolute outrage seems ridiculous. This sort of over-the-top accusative outrage is a sad fixture in modern culture, but it seems bizarrely more common in video game news than elsewhere.
> absolute outrage seems ridiculous
Well, absolute outrage is not absolute. This isn't something that's accurately metered. As with everything in outrage culture, the media tells us the outrage is palpable and we simply accept it. Users voicing their displeasure on reddit / twitter / youtube in any capacity is all it takes for the rags to twist this into an apocalyptic, mouth-frothing rage machine. It's a complete joke. The barrier to typing a few words for the world to see is paper thin. Displeasure isn't rage.
It's easy to manipulate discourse this way because anything can be construed as utter outrage.
Well, absolute outrage is not absolute. This isn't something that's accurately metered. As with everything in outrage culture, the media tells us the outrage is palpable and we simply accept it. Users voicing their displeasure on reddit / twitter / youtube in any capacity is all it takes for the rags to twist this into an apocalyptic, mouth-frothing rage machine. It's a complete joke. The barrier to typing a few words for the world to see is paper thin. Displeasure isn't rage.
It's easy to manipulate discourse this way because anything can be construed as utter outrage.
If you look at what the audience does it's not that different from what happens elsewhere in entertainment.
What is unique in gaming is the feedback loop that happens. First the media responds by saying the guy is an asshole. Then the gamers respond with more vitriol. Then there is "Everyone hating the mobile diablo is a misogynist" kind of tweets. Rinse and repeat.
Do note I'm not justifying it. Merely trying to reason about why especially in gaming these outrages escalate into insane heights instead of dying in meh after a day or two.
We have been seeing this kind of vicious circle elsewhere too lately. As an example the latest Star Wars film where it ended up so bad that if you didn't like the film you were a Russian troll.
What is unique in gaming is the feedback loop that happens. First the media responds by saying the guy is an asshole. Then the gamers respond with more vitriol. Then there is "Everyone hating the mobile diablo is a misogynist" kind of tweets. Rinse and repeat.
Do note I'm not justifying it. Merely trying to reason about why especially in gaming these outrages escalate into insane heights instead of dying in meh after a day or two.
We have been seeing this kind of vicious circle elsewhere too lately. As an example the latest Star Wars film where it ended up so bad that if you didn't like the film you were a Russian troll.
Acknowledging a market player as rational doesn't mean you have to sympathize with them. That road leads to Stockholm Syndrome, as displayed by many apologists for late stage capitalism. Being a rational actor isn't sufficient to shield you from criticism.
The complaint here is that Blizzard is abandoning the people who made them rich, and the off the cuff remark about phones is proof of the latent disrespect they have for their customers. The fact that it was an awkward unscripted remark is what makes it sincere, and shows what lies just under the surface when they don't have their marketing staff to edit their press releases.
"OH, they're doing it to make more money" isn't a good excuse. They already make enough money. Blizzard should reciprocate loyalty to the people who are loyal to them, and that breach of respect is why people are mad.
The complaint here is that Blizzard is abandoning the people who made them rich, and the off the cuff remark about phones is proof of the latent disrespect they have for their customers. The fact that it was an awkward unscripted remark is what makes it sincere, and shows what lies just under the surface when they don't have their marketing staff to edit their press releases.
"OH, they're doing it to make more money" isn't a good excuse. They already make enough money. Blizzard should reciprocate loyalty to the people who are loyal to them, and that breach of respect is why people are mad.
These are the same people extracting money from people to "cheer" for their e-sports by selling them fake fireworks so they can show they are a "real fan" while watching on twitch or wherever. Modern gaming is pretty much a shameless cash grab especially when you bring up these type of mobile pay to win scenarios.
> I can see people snapping to rage mode.
"I can see" doesn't make it reasonable, nor rational. Maybe because you're deeper in it you're more acclimated, but to most viewers it's like saying "I can see my 5 year old throwing a tantrum, crying and throwing his clothes off in the middle of the grocery store because he wants to eat the ice cream now and not wait until we're home."
"I can see" doesn't make it reasonable, nor rational. Maybe because you're deeper in it you're more acclimated, but to most viewers it's like saying "I can see my 5 year old throwing a tantrum, crying and throwing his clothes off in the middle of the grocery store because he wants to eat the ice cream now and not wait until we're home."
Just to clarify for anyone reading, when asked if the game would be coming to PC, the response from the guy on stage was “no, this is only coming to Android and iOS”.
The “do you guys not have phones?” remark was in response to the crowd booing. It got a few laughs at the time.
The “do you guys not have phones?” remark was in response to the crowd booing. It got a few laughs at the time.
> I continue to be completely mystified with the concept of outrage about video games.
What about the concept of outrage about programming languages, frameworks, web browsers, operating systems, laptops, phones, open source? I guess 99.9% of the population would be mystified with the outrages that we can see on Hacker News.
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17221527
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17413572
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15940144
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18052923
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17927972
(just few recent examples, the list could go on)
What about the concept of outrage about programming languages, frameworks, web browsers, operating systems, laptops, phones, open source? I guess 99.9% of the population would be mystified with the outrages that we can see on Hacker News.
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17221527
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17413572
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15940144
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18052923
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17927972
(just few recent examples, the list could go on)
The comments in these links are downright tame compared to r/diablo right now, while the stakes are way higher. The decisions of tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple have real, tangible impacts on our careers.
Diablo is just a goddamn video game.
Diablo is just a goddamn video game.
> Diablo is just a goddamn video game.
The Super Bowl is "just a goddamn game" too. The Harry Potter series is "just a goddamn book" and Game of Thrones is "just a goddamn TV show". I'm sure whatever leisure activities you enjoy can easily be given a sneering dismissal as well.
Are we not allowed to have passion for our hobbies?
The Super Bowl is "just a goddamn game" too. The Harry Potter series is "just a goddamn book" and Game of Thrones is "just a goddamn TV show". I'm sure whatever leisure activities you enjoy can easily be given a sneering dismissal as well.
Are we not allowed to have passion for our hobbies?
The decisions of game giants like Activision, EA, and Ubisoft have real, tangible impacts on my life. They obviously do not have such an impact on yours. Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot care about and how deeply I should care about it?
> The decisions of tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple have real, tangible impacts on our careers.
Not only that, they have an impact on democracy. The importance of FB, AMZN, AAPL, GOOG, and MSFT to society has never been higher. The relevance of ATVI to anything important is, to a first approximation, zero.
Not only that, they have an impact on democracy. The importance of FB, AMZN, AAPL, GOOG, and MSFT to society has never been higher. The relevance of ATVI to anything important is, to a first approximation, zero.
Again, you're essentially saying that because games aren't something you care about that it's wrong for anyone to care deeply about them.
I'm not much of a video game player, but I chafe at the number of people coming in to this thread to express how much more valid their emotions are, than some group of people they've have little interaction with.
I have sunk an absurd number of hours into games in my life, Diablo in particular. I still remember some of the goddamn uniques on my sorcerer from the first one (Dreamflange, Thinking Cap and Najs Plate or Cape). And while I'm totally flabbergasted by the emotional response, I'm not very judgemental about it. I don't get deep emotional attachment to sport teams or TV shows either. But the sheer fury and vitriol and the paranoia fuelled fantasies about evil journalists are a little bit unsettling to be honest, especially because we both know that the stuff we get to see is just the tip of the iceberg.
I simply can't help noticing the striking difference to the reaction to SyFy's cancellation of The Expanse.
I simply can't help noticing the striking difference to the reaction to SyFy's cancellation of The Expanse.
I think a lot of people have overly strong opinions on things like programming languages and web browsers as well.
Besides some potential for gambling addiction (about which state lotteries are a far more important target for your ire if that is your concern), mobile games produce no externalities whatsoever.
I don't think it's fair to claim that. Lotteries have been around a lot longer and gambling addiction has had a lot more time to be studied. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if mobile games turn out to be as bad or worse than lotteries. The sheer amount of effort into creating addictive game mechanics and leveraging of statistical methods, such as A/B testing, puts traditional casinos and state lotteries to shame.
Having said all that, you don't have to look very far to see some alarming articles about the effects these products have on young children [1].
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/style/phones-children-sil...
I don't think it's fair to claim that. Lotteries have been around a lot longer and gambling addiction has had a lot more time to be studied. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if mobile games turn out to be as bad or worse than lotteries. The sheer amount of effort into creating addictive game mechanics and leveraging of statistical methods, such as A/B testing, puts traditional casinos and state lotteries to shame.
Having said all that, you don't have to look very far to see some alarming articles about the effects these products have on young children [1].
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/style/phones-children-sil...
> If you don't like it, you are free not to play it
And Blizzard is free not to listen to the otherwise more than justified response.
And when they have to close because all the fanbase has moved on, and we get thousands of tweets about how great the developers working there were, and how sad it is they don't have a job any more, we'll be free to ignore them.
And Blizzard is free not to listen to the otherwise more than justified response.
And when they have to close because all the fanbase has moved on, and we get thousands of tweets about how great the developers working there were, and how sad it is they don't have a job any more, we'll be free to ignore them.
You're mystified by it because you probably aren't a dedicated gamer. To lots of people, including myself, gaming is a huge part of their identity and lifestyle. It's a hobby like any other such as repairing old cars, painting, craft beer, etc.
The "but climate change" is just whataboutism because gaming isn't important to you, so why aren't people paying more attention to what is important to you.
edit to clarify: This may sound a little hostile but it isn't intended as such. I'm just explaining that some people really do care about this stuff just as you really care about your own hobbies or pet cause.
The "but climate change" is just whataboutism because gaming isn't important to you, so why aren't people paying more attention to what is important to you.
edit to clarify: This may sound a little hostile but it isn't intended as such. I'm just explaining that some people really do care about this stuff just as you really care about your own hobbies or pet cause.
> It's a hobby like any other such as repairing old cars, painting, craft beer, etc.
And yet you don't see people who follow those hobbies throwing an absolute fit like gamers are now doing continuously.
And yet you don't see people who follow those hobbies throwing an absolute fit like gamers are now doing continuously.
In a group of consumers of an industry that is larger than the film and music industries combined (and this was before casual gaming took off), you are going to get some people who are louder and more committed than others.
Maybe they are not online to the same extend?
Because emacs-vs-vim used to a flame-war guarantee, and the stupid thing is that nobody is impacted by another persons text-editor, unless they are sharing a computer that can't have both installed (so anything with more than 30mb hd)
Because emacs-vs-vim used to a flame-war guarantee, and the stupid thing is that nobody is impacted by another persons text-editor, unless they are sharing a computer that can't have both installed (so anything with more than 30mb hd)
I regularly observe people flipping out because a corporation changed the license of a product to allow them to get more profit and more people being angry about the choice of webbrowser or whitespace character.
A big part of that is comparative population size, and the general "connectedness" of the fanbases. All online communities are trending worse and worse, and gaming is not unaffected.
I double dare anybody to show me an even remotely comparable example of people getting so angry about fishing gear or woodworking tools.
As someone who self-exiled from the gaming community, there are also people within the community, including journalists, who beat on the war drums in order to rile up gamers.
For the last ~4 years, everything from game reviews that gamers disagreed with, to character stencils, have been positioned as the worst things to ever happen to gaming. Some in the community liken it to actual discrimination against gamers.
For the last ~4 years, everything from game reviews that gamers disagreed with, to character stencils, have been positioned as the worst things to ever happen to gaming. Some in the community liken it to actual discrimination against gamers.
> I continue to be completely mystified with the concept of outrage about video games.
People are always going to be upset when something they're passionate about gets ruined. Being continuously attacked by the game press also sets up the whole conversation to be very hostile.
The internet is great for consumer rights. Consumers hold all of the cards and corporations are there to serve them. I don't think anyone should be feeling sorry for companies will multi billion dollar marketcaps or mainstream press. They are not ever going to be the victim.
People are always going to be upset when something they're passionate about gets ruined. Being continuously attacked by the game press also sets up the whole conversation to be very hostile.
The internet is great for consumer rights. Consumers hold all of the cards and corporations are there to serve them. I don't think anyone should be feeling sorry for companies will multi billion dollar marketcaps or mainstream press. They are not ever going to be the victim.
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What injustice has been dealt to the subset of "the players" who are outraged about this?
Mostly disappointment after hyping themselves up for a PC sequel to Diablo. I am not outraged, but just cynical:
From the article:
"it’s a fully fledged Diablo experience on mobile, which everybody will get to play, and hopefully, which will bring new heroes to Sanctuary as well as welcoming our community back into it and something we’re very excited about."
Blizzard has simplified their games to grow their customer base, such as the Cataclysm expansion to World of Warcraft. These simplifications have not been well received by the existing players. My reaction to Diablo Immortal is skepticism about how much crunch there will be. Diablo 3 was not terribly interesting for me after you got past the first few playthroughs, compared to Diablo 2 or more modern ARPGs like Path of Exile.
It's not really anger, it's disappointment; if Immortal turns out to be a great game, I'll happily buy it. The noises Blizzard are hearing from the fans are basically a reminder that they have lost customers when trying to get new ones.
From the article:
"it’s a fully fledged Diablo experience on mobile, which everybody will get to play, and hopefully, which will bring new heroes to Sanctuary as well as welcoming our community back into it and something we’re very excited about."
Blizzard has simplified their games to grow their customer base, such as the Cataclysm expansion to World of Warcraft. These simplifications have not been well received by the existing players. My reaction to Diablo Immortal is skepticism about how much crunch there will be. Diablo 3 was not terribly interesting for me after you got past the first few playthroughs, compared to Diablo 2 or more modern ARPGs like Path of Exile.
It's not really anger, it's disappointment; if Immortal turns out to be a great game, I'll happily buy it. The noises Blizzard are hearing from the fans are basically a reminder that they have lost customers when trying to get new ones.
They paid hundreds of dollars to go to an event that traditionally has had pc announcements. Then without warning the event was changed.
I already used the concert analogy but it’s good. If your rap music concert suddenly switches into techno the audience may be angry without being entitled edgelords. It’s about knowing your audience. And most importantly communicating it.
I already used the concert analogy but it’s good. If your rap music concert suddenly switches into techno the audience may be angry without being entitled edgelords. It’s about knowing your audience. And most importantly communicating it.
The vitriol expressed by the gaming press against fans far exceeds the gamers anger.
Gamers: "Is this a joke? We don't want mobile Diablo"
Game Press: "Gamers are whiny, entitled, toxic babies"
You can see it here for yourself: https://i.redd.it/6mgpttba94w11.jpg
It's been this way for a long time and was the reason Gamergate became a thing (see "Gamers are Dead"). The worst part is that because the journalists in the game industry are friends with the journalists in the mainstream media, their take on "toxic" gamers gets spread beyond the industry and their own actions never get called out aside from grassroots movements.
In the end, people who don't have time to research the topic themselves, believe the narrative they're told thus empowering the journalists to continue to attack their audience.
Gamers: "Is this a joke? We don't want mobile Diablo"
Game Press: "Gamers are whiny, entitled, toxic babies"
You can see it here for yourself: https://i.redd.it/6mgpttba94w11.jpg
It's been this way for a long time and was the reason Gamergate became a thing (see "Gamers are Dead"). The worst part is that because the journalists in the game industry are friends with the journalists in the mainstream media, their take on "toxic" gamers gets spread beyond the industry and their own actions never get called out aside from grassroots movements.
In the end, people who don't have time to research the topic themselves, believe the narrative they're told thus empowering the journalists to continue to attack their audience.
"GamerGate" was "a thing" because of disgusting, and deeply held, misogyny within the gaming community. The reason why every legitimate press outlet covered "GamerGate" from the standpoint of a harassment campaign against women is because that is precisely what it was.
I'll admit I can't really atone for my sins on this, but I genuinely thought GamerGate was about journalistic integrity in gaming journalism. I didn't take place in any of the elaborate social-media campaigns, but I did use the term in some kind of naive attempt at "fighting the SJWs".
I realize how stupid I was at that point, and while I don't think I went "full-on-mysogyny", I was definitely holding a somewhat dated viewpoint which I regret now.
I realize how stupid I was at that point, and while I don't think I went "full-on-mysogyny", I was definitely holding a somewhat dated viewpoint which I regret now.
As I said:
"In the end, people who don't have time to research the topic themselves, believe the narrative they're told thus empowering the journalists to continue to attack their audience."
"In the end, people who don't have time to research the topic themselves, believe the narrative they're told thus empowering the journalists to continue to attack their audience."
Perhaps you need to research the topic yourself.
I've been following it for a long time. Just as in this situation, the journalists created Gamergate by attacking their audience in a coordinated fashion.
Seems it had more than one type of actor. Some proponents wanted to naively believe the movement didn't represent misogyny if they themselves weren't, but so much of that was perpetrated on behalf of GG. The right thing to do would have had to been splintering and loudly decrying the death threats and misogyny, but of course, the mob didn't do that and they've themselves to blame. Mind you I haven't read much about that nonsense. It was so mundane.
Saying "You can see it here for yourself" and then posting a single JPG of hand selected screenshots that show your point is not even remotely reasonable evidence of your black and white claim.
How so? It's literally exactly what I said. Game journalists calling the gamers and people upset about this "toxic", "F* this guy"...
They are definitely not representing the consumer here.
They are definitely not representing the consumer here.
Or...people could chill out and realize it doesn’t matter...like at all.
That would also apply to the company and the media alike
So while I agree the Twitter post about toxic masculinity is both a HUGELY weird leap and a further sign of the times, Kotaku's take on the situation seems (at least the quoted bit, I didn't read the whole article) a perfectly reasonable and even the "proper" take on the situation. Perhaps barring the "video game culture enables entitlement" bit.
It's a shame watching the quite literal rage that has come about from a company announcing a product decision that wasn't the one that some portion, however large, of the community wanted. Assuming Kotaku is correct and there is still a new Diablo separate from this in the works, then it's a societal disgrace to watch grown adults raging out over a mobile game being announced ESPECIALLY in the context of the game that they actually want is ALSO in the works.
I find it odd that you demand some sort of standard from the game journalism community but find no need to expect a reasonable standard from the gamer community.
It's a shame watching the quite literal rage that has come about from a company announcing a product decision that wasn't the one that some portion, however large, of the community wanted. Assuming Kotaku is correct and there is still a new Diablo separate from this in the works, then it's a societal disgrace to watch grown adults raging out over a mobile game being announced ESPECIALLY in the context of the game that they actually want is ALSO in the works.
I find it odd that you demand some sort of standard from the game journalism community but find no need to expect a reasonable standard from the gamer community.
It truly is the bratty self-centered rage that's incredible to witness.
"Hey, we're working on the game you want. In the mean time here's another game for different users."
"Noooooo! I've been betrayed! This is the ultimate insult!!!!"
And as much as people don't want to admit it, gamergate was the same thing.
I've spent a lot of time gaming in my past, but there's something unhealthy floating around here. If you saw this own behavior in your own son or daughter you'd recognize it instantly.
And now to take this one step too far, to where I'll get negative responses: It's almost as if the hundreds of hours spent in online cultures where flaming vitriol is spewed at the smallest slight has developed a subculture where (obviously not all) but a significant group of people can't handle when things slightly deviate from their wants.
It's funny, but I'm reminded of Willy Wonka's factory tour.
"Hey, we're working on the game you want. In the mean time here's another game for different users."
"Noooooo! I've been betrayed! This is the ultimate insult!!!!"
And as much as people don't want to admit it, gamergate was the same thing.
I've spent a lot of time gaming in my past, but there's something unhealthy floating around here. If you saw this own behavior in your own son or daughter you'd recognize it instantly.
And now to take this one step too far, to where I'll get negative responses: It's almost as if the hundreds of hours spent in online cultures where flaming vitriol is spewed at the smallest slight has developed a subculture where (obviously not all) but a significant group of people can't handle when things slightly deviate from their wants.
It's funny, but I'm reminded of Willy Wonka's factory tour.
What's your expectation? Blizzard released their games (the Blizzard-specific ones) only for PC for ages. Only recently, they released them on console too. Bet what? ALL their fans are pc gamers. All the 10m people that bought diablo 3 on day one are pc gamers.
You know what pc gamers don't like? Pay2win. And any business model that usually runs on mobile that is not buy once (or monthly subscription), because in any other situation, the game is focused on pulling more money for you.
That’s why people feel betrayed by a mobile game. They created their average customer to be of a specific niche, then they create something that is completely out of that niche. What's your expectation there? Did you ever try to show a ballet instead of a soccer game at the stadium? I bet the problem would be much worse.
And to be fair, I don't care at all (and I stopped being a Blizzard fan long long time ago), I just find ridiculous that people can't understand why the fans are angry.
They created the fans, then created a game that is completely against their fanbase.
You know what pc gamers don't like? Pay2win. And any business model that usually runs on mobile that is not buy once (or monthly subscription), because in any other situation, the game is focused on pulling more money for you.
That’s why people feel betrayed by a mobile game. They created their average customer to be of a specific niche, then they create something that is completely out of that niche. What's your expectation there? Did you ever try to show a ballet instead of a soccer game at the stadium? I bet the problem would be much worse.
And to be fair, I don't care at all (and I stopped being a Blizzard fan long long time ago), I just find ridiculous that people can't understand why the fans are angry.
They created the fans, then created a game that is completely against their fanbase.
So Blizzard should not try to diverge and stay with the same fan base that could kill its game and blizzard itself if not well received. Or should they try to diversify and try to gain other customers/fans where 1 failed game would not be it's death?
Blizzard has many IPs every full release would be a success. Also there is no problem with diversifying, just don't announce it at Blizzcon as the only news to that IP. They should have presented this and then tease D4 nobody would have complained.
Not saying Blizzard shouldn't, just don't be surprised when people complaint. In 10 years from now, it might not be the case, but as of today, that must be expected.
> some portion, however large
The largest, from what I gather.
Speaking as a non-fan, it was an egregious mistake to announce it at a conference geared toward hardcore Diablo consumers. This is conspicuously glossed over in social media commentary: had they announced it online in business-as-usual fashion no one would care. Instead we're directed to shame fans about not collectively giving a fuck about mediocre cash grabs.
The largest, from what I gather.
Speaking as a non-fan, it was an egregious mistake to announce it at a conference geared toward hardcore Diablo consumers. This is conspicuously glossed over in social media commentary: had they announced it online in business-as-usual fashion no one would care. Instead we're directed to shame fans about not collectively giving a fuck about mediocre cash grabs.
Talk about bad writing! I guess you need to write things like "molten vitriol" to get your point across when every sentence is hyberbolic. Some journalists need to learn that turning it to 11 isn't a legitimate approach outside of tabloids. Maybe Kotaku is a tabloid though.
Go read the comments on the Diablo Immortal gameplay trailer on YouTube. Tell me that's not molten vitriol.
> Gaming journalism is just terrible trash
Any publications out there that might be an exception?
Any publications out there that might be an exception?
I get my gaming news from the community via Reddit, Twitch, and direct from the developers on Twitter et al. now. I know these too can be manipulated but in general I'm talked down to far less by these sources than by the gaming press at large.
That said, Niche Gamer is alright if you don't mind seeing a lot of anime in their articles. I don't care for anime games as a rule but it doesn't offend me either.
That said, Niche Gamer is alright if you don't mind seeing a lot of anime in their articles. I don't care for anime games as a rule but it doesn't offend me either.
Fans aren't angry about the diablo mobile game. They're angry because they were expecting a Diablo4 announcement and blizzard announced a diablo mobile game.. this is very different. IMHO the problem was in the way it was communicated, not with the game itself. It would have been very different if blizzard said:
A) We've hired amazing people and we're working super hard on the next big Diablo title on PC, and here's one cool cinematic / picture to show it.
B) A *separate* team of amazing devs has achieved the impossible and created a brand new diablo experience on mobile.
The venue is just weird, why would they even announce a Diablo mobile game at BlizzCon? The people who care enough about Blizzards games to attend or follow BlizzCon DO NOT CARE about mobile games, at all.
The people handling marketing and products at Blizzard, and EA, and Bethesda aren't in touch with their most loyal fans. I can only imagine how much money there must be in in-game transactions, given that all three companies continue to upset fans that don't mind paying $60 for a new release.
The people handling marketing and products at Blizzard, and EA, and Bethesda aren't in touch with their most loyal fans. I can only imagine how much money there must be in in-game transactions, given that all three companies continue to upset fans that don't mind paying $60 for a new release.
But hearthstone exists. This is clear evidence that some portion of the community does care about mobile games at blizzcon.
The mobile version of hearthstone came long after the pc version.
And a TCG is much easier todo on mobile without sacrificing game depth. Diablo 3 wasn't even very deep but you couldn't port that to mobile because the controls just don't work like that.
Nonsense. One month after the official release: Windows, macOS — March 11, 2014; iOS — April 16, 2014.
The mobile game is just a reskin of an existing Netease (Chinese) game. Mobile games are also full of microtransactions which players already protestested in Diablo 3 with the real money auction house. Players actually are angry about a Diablo mobile game.
Exactly.
Instead of saying "don't you have phones?" they should have said "We are working on a new Diablo PC title but we aren't ready to talk about it yet".
Would have been a very different reaction.
Instead of saying "don't you have phones?" they should have said "We are working on a new Diablo PC title but we aren't ready to talk about it yet".
Would have been a very different reaction.
But imagine yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people, with 2 or 3 seconds to come up with an answer while you are not allowed to mention any unannounced games. What would you have said? This is hard and many of us would not have done much better than this on the spot.
The only "better" answer that I can think of would be a vague, general hint that Blozzard is working on more titles than those that are announced. But that would immediately be interpreted as "Diablo IV confirmed" and blown out of proportion.
The gaming community has in recent years developed a culture of latching on to smallest of hints, letting their imagination roam freely to create a kind of groupthink dream of what the project would be. And than they react not only with disappointment, but also with hate, anger and aggression against the developers when these dream bubbles are busted. This lack of moderation in the community is disconcerting and if we don't find efficient ways to dampen that, we will see this get out of hands.
Games are made by companies for profit. If they release something that you like, enjoy it. If you don't like it, move on. I don't understand any need to fuel hate to the levels we are seeing repeatedly these days.
The only "better" answer that I can think of would be a vague, general hint that Blozzard is working on more titles than those that are announced. But that would immediately be interpreted as "Diablo IV confirmed" and blown out of proportion.
The gaming community has in recent years developed a culture of latching on to smallest of hints, letting their imagination roam freely to create a kind of groupthink dream of what the project would be. And than they react not only with disappointment, but also with hate, anger and aggression against the developers when these dream bubbles are busted. This lack of moderation in the community is disconcerting and if we don't find efficient ways to dampen that, we will see this get out of hands.
Games are made by companies for profit. If they release something that you like, enjoy it. If you don't like it, move on. I don't understand any need to fuel hate to the levels we are seeing repeatedly these days.
> imagine yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people, with 2 or 3 seconds to come up with an answer
I know, that's why you usually prepare a series of answers for QAs.
And sure, some things you can't prepare for, but a PC question from fans of a PC game is inevitable.
I know, that's why you usually prepare a series of answers for QAs.
And sure, some things you can't prepare for, but a PC question from fans of a PC game is inevitable.
> But imagine yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people, with 2 or 3 seconds to come up with an answer while you are not allowed to mention any unannounced games.
I'm almost certain it was partially rehearsed.
I'm almost certain it was partially rehearsed.
Is it Blizzard's fault that people are downvoting and posting abusive comments on the Diablo Immortal gameplay trailer? Or is that campaign of harassment perhaps the fault of the players who felt betrayed that a much loved hack & slash game was being introduced to a new market?
Maybe they can make another "head tilted to the left with mouth open" game. https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/8gt6vs/why_yes_i_do...
This made me laugh a lot.. it seems like the icon for Fallout Shelter was changed to look more like the others. They wrote in the patch notes:
"Vault-Tec has noticed many overseers prefer game icons with faces screaming to the right. In an effort to raise your enjoyment and thoughtlessly blend in with the crowd, we’ve updated for a limited time. You’re welcome!"
(this is from a Reddit comment)
"Vault-Tec has noticed many overseers prefer game icons with faces screaming to the right. In an effort to raise your enjoyment and thoughtlessly blend in with the crowd, we’ve updated for a limited time. You’re welcome!"
(this is from a Reddit comment)
It's also not the Duel Links icon (at least on Android). Totally difference character and facing straight out instead of to the side, though his mouth is slightly open in a yell.
To make matters worse, this is not Diablo at all. It is little more than a reskin of NetEase's Crusaders of Light. I'd say the outrage is justified.
Blizzard's claims that this thing is built from scratch from the ground up are laughable.
Blizzard's claims that this thing is built from scratch from the ground up are laughable.
The Diablo Immortal announcement was essentially the keynote of an already underwhelming Blizzcon this year. The game itself is just a re-skinning of an existing Chinese market ARPG with Blizzard's IP - Blizzard a company that has been known for axing titles for not meeting its quality standards. The game will be developed by Netease with one Chinese fan quoting "If EA is like a 2 out of 10, Netease is -2859".
Of course Blizzard, Diablo, and ARPG mobile games, have a long history so there is more context. For one Blizzcon is something this crowd could compare to WWDC and similar conventions. Tickets start at around $200, with travel, food, lodging, and other expenses pushing the cost of attendance to over $1000 for many people. Keep in mind that unlike WWDC or other conventions your employer will likely not pay for you to go - so its straight out of pocket and people expect to get what they pay for. In addition Blizzard has been pushing "Virtual Tickets" for $50, where most gaming conventions stream for free to users on Twitch or Youtube.
It's been over 6 years since Diablo 3, and there was a 12 year wait for that game after Diablo 2. Naturally seeing Diablo as the topic of the keynote, many Diablo fans hoped and prayed it was the Diablo 4 announcement.
Finally ARPG mobile games are massive in the Chinese market, with fremium and micro-transaction models that would make candy crush and Pokemon Go blush. With a blatant re-skin it was clearly designed for a starkly different marketing segment then would be present at the keynote at Blizzcon. To force your developers to pitch that game to that crowd is sheer incompetence, yielding what will surly be timeless internet memes such as "you all have phones right" [1], and "this is an April Fools joke right" [2].
[1]: Response to the question if they'd be porting long-requested features present in the mobile game back to the Diablo 3 PC version.
[2]: Question asked directly on stage by a brave fan.
Of course Blizzard, Diablo, and ARPG mobile games, have a long history so there is more context. For one Blizzcon is something this crowd could compare to WWDC and similar conventions. Tickets start at around $200, with travel, food, lodging, and other expenses pushing the cost of attendance to over $1000 for many people. Keep in mind that unlike WWDC or other conventions your employer will likely not pay for you to go - so its straight out of pocket and people expect to get what they pay for. In addition Blizzard has been pushing "Virtual Tickets" for $50, where most gaming conventions stream for free to users on Twitch or Youtube.
It's been over 6 years since Diablo 3, and there was a 12 year wait for that game after Diablo 2. Naturally seeing Diablo as the topic of the keynote, many Diablo fans hoped and prayed it was the Diablo 4 announcement.
Finally ARPG mobile games are massive in the Chinese market, with fremium and micro-transaction models that would make candy crush and Pokemon Go blush. With a blatant re-skin it was clearly designed for a starkly different marketing segment then would be present at the keynote at Blizzcon. To force your developers to pitch that game to that crowd is sheer incompetence, yielding what will surly be timeless internet memes such as "you all have phones right" [1], and "this is an April Fools joke right" [2].
[1]: Response to the question if they'd be porting long-requested features present in the mobile game back to the Diablo 3 PC version.
[2]: Question asked directly on stage by a brave fan.
6 years since D2? Did you mean D3, or was there a re-make?
Could've been predicted; there was similar backlash against EA for the mobile game that was themed after the old Command & Conquer RTS series:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-06-10-as-the-interne...
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-06-10-as-the-interne...
Exactly and then EA caved and started doing damage control on reddit..
https://www.reddit.com/r/commandandconquer/comments/9nbrfm/c...
I think the bigger issue here is that companies are being greedy and want to use their flagship games as marketing to profit on microtransactions (which are very common) in mobile games.
This is what fans are mostly upset about.
https://www.reddit.com/r/commandandconquer/comments/9nbrfm/c...
I think the bigger issue here is that companies are being greedy and want to use their flagship games as marketing to profit on microtransactions (which are very common) in mobile games.
This is what fans are mostly upset about.
They completly missed their target audience, I'd guess except for hearthstone 95% of ppl on blizzcon are PC gamers and Diablo fans especially so that was expected.
And what was that stupid question at the end about not having phones? Yes ppl do have phones but most of them don't have and don't need gaming capable ones and why would they buy one? Mobile gaming is terrible except for card games and couple of casual trash clicking games. Sure you can use something like gamevice but that'll cost you even more money. And obviously PC gamers expect microtransactions on mobile.
So that's why people are angry - they were waiting 5 years and got this.
So that's why people are angry - they were waiting 5 years and got this.
The PC master race is still upgrading desktops for performance. They're never going to be content with the severe compromises that make a pocket-sized CPU/GPU work at all. From their point of view there are no gaming-capable phones.
The kind of gameplay that Diablo is known is probably a bad fit for mobile gaming.
D1/D2 has a sizable backstory that sucked people into the hack-and-slash gameplay. The pseudorandom map generation made it very playable. The fact that the game sucked you in and made it hard to stop mashes well with the story.
D3 kinda forgot about the backstory and the tone.
A mobile phone would simply run out of battery maybe an hour into that kind of game play.
D1/D2 has a sizable backstory that sucked people into the hack-and-slash gameplay. The pseudorandom map generation made it very playable. The fact that the game sucked you in and made it hard to stop mashes well with the story.
D3 kinda forgot about the backstory and the tone.
A mobile phone would simply run out of battery maybe an hour into that kind of game play.
Diablo 2 was epic. Diablo 3 is just a shadow of its former self. Even the graphics are arguably worse, which is quite the feat.
I can’t be outraged of course. I gave up on Diablo a long time ago.
The article briefly mentioned there was some outrage when they announced the console version too. Well, that’s quite understandable, because the game is really shallow, Zynga-style.
Diablo was never a RPG with depth of course, the gameplay being basically a mindless point and click, but there was a lot of fun in character development, and there are entire websites devoted to guides for developing your character in Diablo 2 and all of that is gone in Diablo 3. Blizzard somehow managed to completely miss the point of what made Diablo 2 awesome.
If they announced a remastered Diablo 2, I’d stay in line for it. Otherwise I don’t see the point of a new Diablo, as I know it will suck.
And yes, for diehard fans, I completely understand the outrage.
I can’t be outraged of course. I gave up on Diablo a long time ago.
The article briefly mentioned there was some outrage when they announced the console version too. Well, that’s quite understandable, because the game is really shallow, Zynga-style.
Diablo was never a RPG with depth of course, the gameplay being basically a mindless point and click, but there was a lot of fun in character development, and there are entire websites devoted to guides for developing your character in Diablo 2 and all of that is gone in Diablo 3. Blizzard somehow managed to completely miss the point of what made Diablo 2 awesome.
If they announced a remastered Diablo 2, I’d stay in line for it. Otherwise I don’t see the point of a new Diablo, as I know it will suck.
And yes, for diehard fans, I completely understand the outrage.
Blizzard kept re-uploading the Diablo Immortal trailer multiple time to prevent massive dislikes on youtube. The video from the battle.net app is at its third version now.
They should know better, you can't get away with these kind of shady practices, especially with a fan group that pay attention at what you do.
The problem is Blizz didn't have anything else to announce at Blizzcon. So people pay a good amount of money to be there, and the only thing that's announced is an outsourced/reskinned mobile game. Not even a true Blizzard title.
So naturally the anger gets directed towards the game. Had they announced anything else with it such as D4 news, D3 dlc, D2 remaster...literally anything else, it would have been fine.
Also remember Blizzard is not Blizzard/Activision and many of the old guard has left. Mike Morhaime and Chris Metzen departures were huge. I wonder if the writing is on the wall.
So naturally the anger gets directed towards the game. Had they announced anything else with it such as D4 news, D3 dlc, D2 remaster...literally anything else, it would have been fine.
Also remember Blizzard is not Blizzard/Activision and many of the old guard has left. Mike Morhaime and Chris Metzen departures were huge. I wonder if the writing is on the wall.
The game journalists defending Blizzard seem to be missing the issue here. The issue isn't the mobile game. The issue is where it was announced and to which audience.
Let me paint a picture. You buy tickets to see Rage Again the Machine perform, and RATM come out, and instead of performing their set, the do a mime act and that's it. They are done.
You'd be pissed. Now, let's realize for a second, they performed for you, and they're performance might be something some people are interested in. Just not the audience that paid to see them. So yeah, people are going to be insulted.
People don't care that Blizzard is making a mobile game. What they are upset with is that the audience they are presenting to, the fans they are reaching out to that still play Diablo, that were literally present, were completely ignored.
Finally, let's not ignore the fact that this is really just a cash grab at a Chinese market. That's fine if that's what they want to do, but it's being driven by that market (this is clear because they are adopting patterns popular in China and not the West). Just don't pretend that another audience is going to cheer for the fact that they are being ignored.
Let me paint a picture. You buy tickets to see Rage Again the Machine perform, and RATM come out, and instead of performing their set, the do a mime act and that's it. They are done.
You'd be pissed. Now, let's realize for a second, they performed for you, and they're performance might be something some people are interested in. Just not the audience that paid to see them. So yeah, people are going to be insulted.
People don't care that Blizzard is making a mobile game. What they are upset with is that the audience they are presenting to, the fans they are reaching out to that still play Diablo, that were literally present, were completely ignored.
Finally, let's not ignore the fact that this is really just a cash grab at a Chinese market. That's fine if that's what they want to do, but it's being driven by that market (this is clear because they are adopting patterns popular in China and not the West). Just don't pretend that another audience is going to cheer for the fact that they are being ignored.
Looks like the Activision part of the company finally took complete control over the Bizzard part...
I understand wanting something and then being disappointed when you didn't get it. But the anger and lashing out is pathetic.
If you really want something, build it yourself. If you can't do it on your own, open source it and build a community. If you can't do that then your just begging to be disappointed. Relying on complete strangers to continually entertain you in exactly the way you want to be entertained, otherwise you'll lash out - it's sick and dystopian.
If you really want something, build it yourself. If you can't do it on your own, open source it and build a community. If you can't do that then your just begging to be disappointed. Relying on complete strangers to continually entertain you in exactly the way you want to be entertained, otherwise you'll lash out - it's sick and dystopian.
That said, mobile games do suck.
Related tweetstorm on this, which I agree on: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1058917187061252096.html
i wonder how adoption/reception will be in china. a lot of companies with digital and entertainment products are now having the discussion of how to target the chinese and indian markets given the huge populations and growing middle class. classic blizz games have been mostly NA/European/korean players...wonder if the upcoming full games will try to blend cultural/lore references to target a non Western audience
It's not like those same complaining fans aren't going to all play it and throw endless money at microtransactions.
Remember COD:MW2 protests?
https://kotaku.com/5403286/what-modern-warfare-2-boycotters-...
Remember COD:MW2 protests?
https://kotaku.com/5403286/what-modern-warfare-2-boycotters-...
I am not a gamer so I could be wrong but it’s REALLY hard to believe hardcore PC gamers are going to play a reskinned Chinese game on a cell phone and pay microtransactions. It might make money, but not from the people up in arms about this.
The blizzard developer quoted in the article stated emphatically that wasn't true, and that similarities owed to adopting successful GUI idioms in other markets; does the gaming community have information to update the story?
"Successful GUI idioms," is that a euphemism for dark patterns to make people spend more money? Anyway, even if they built it from scratch it isn't enough to refute the spirit of it being just a reskin of some other crappy cellphone game.
Many, though certainly not all PC gamers are serious about not having their platform choices manipulated by exclusivity deals. It is interpreted as bullying, and we have had plenty of practice sticking to that belief against attempts to coerce people to buy every console. Red Dead Redemption 2 was just released, but even though it looks like an actually good game, it simply doesn't exist for me until it comes to PC.
Many, though certainly not all PC gamers are serious about not having their platform choices manipulated by exclusivity deals. It is interpreted as bullying, and we have had plenty of practice sticking to that belief against attempts to coerce people to buy every console. Red Dead Redemption 2 was just released, but even though it looks like an actually good game, it simply doesn't exist for me until it comes to PC.
Wow, you are harsh. They replicated the control scheme from another game because it was a good control scheme. Sort of like how most PC games all use Q,W,E,S for movement.
You don't know what the monetization scheme will be but you are sure it will use dark patterns to drain peoples wallets.
You apparently didn't read the article to see what the similar GUI patterns they replicated were but you are certain it's just another pay to win game.
Your bias is showing.
You don't know what the monetization scheme will be but you are sure it will use dark patterns to drain peoples wallets.
You apparently didn't read the article to see what the similar GUI patterns they replicated were but you are certain it's just another pay to win game.
Your bias is showing.
I do feel that the world of mobile games is tarnished in reputation for good reason, and that backlash against mobile games is primarily from parents, because the population they've been targeting has been very young kids.
In some ways it also tarnishes the Android and Apple brand, which is why I think Google reacted with multi-accounts device sharing and YouTube kids. I wonder how much mobile gaming revenue is because parents signed in with their credit card and there aren't multiple accounts on iOS, and you can't update a game without the parent signing back in, and Family Sharing has no granularity. I have to think that Apple has walked over every inch of their UX and knows this.
On Blizzard, I'm feeling what they mismanaged was the fact that their conference is expensive and anticipated enough to travel to, but what they announced is for a different audience.
In some ways it also tarnishes the Android and Apple brand, which is why I think Google reacted with multi-accounts device sharing and YouTube kids. I wonder how much mobile gaming revenue is because parents signed in with their credit card and there aren't multiple accounts on iOS, and you can't update a game without the parent signing back in, and Family Sharing has no granularity. I have to think that Apple has walked over every inch of their UX and knows this.
On Blizzard, I'm feeling what they mismanaged was the fact that their conference is expensive and anticipated enough to travel to, but what they announced is for a different audience.
Their statements don't make a good case for them doing more than following the money, and part of the reason for the outrage. The outrage is itself a move played to signal this. People talk about how capitalism is driven by signals from the demand side, and this kind of outrage is integral to forming boycott factions large enough to oppose the advertising and noise produced by the marketing-industrial complex.
As corporations become ever larger, it becomes harder to make demand-side opinions observable, and so it becomes necessary to employ more extreme forms of protest to avoid being overpowered by the sell-side attempts at influence. If that influence is not opposed, the market will become entirely dominated by the sell-side and will allow trust-like abuse of power, destroying the equilibrium pressure by which markets are allegedly regulated. This kind of market abuse does not require monopolies, and appears to be a blind spot for many proponents of market economies.
This is not just a problem with gaming, and one could reasonably argue that there are more important battles to fight. That said, this is probably one of the few markets where that kind of demand-side mobilization is still possible, as many others have already been neutralized by divide-and-conquer tactics.
As corporations become ever larger, it becomes harder to make demand-side opinions observable, and so it becomes necessary to employ more extreme forms of protest to avoid being overpowered by the sell-side attempts at influence. If that influence is not opposed, the market will become entirely dominated by the sell-side and will allow trust-like abuse of power, destroying the equilibrium pressure by which markets are allegedly regulated. This kind of market abuse does not require monopolies, and appears to be a blind spot for many proponents of market economies.
This is not just a problem with gaming, and one could reasonably argue that there are more important battles to fight. That said, this is probably one of the few markets where that kind of demand-side mobilization is still possible, as many others have already been neutralized by divide-and-conquer tactics.
Dark Patterns != Pay To Win; that is just one tactic. It is well known that the metrics by which success are measured in mobile gaming are addictiveness and microtransactions: the ability to create whales.
> Your bias is showing.
Your ignorance of the market is showing.
> Your bias is showing.
Your ignorance of the market is showing.
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[deleted]
> The blizzard developer quoted in the article stated emphatically that wasn't true
Sure, because it's not just a reskin. They are creating new models, too. When people say "reskin," they sometimes aren't literally talking just about skins. Rather, they are talking about making another game on top of the same basic engine that exists in other games. And considering who Blizzard is partnering with to make this game and the other games they've put out, you can see there point.
Sure, because it's not just a reskin. They are creating new models, too. When people say "reskin," they sometimes aren't literally talking just about skins. Rather, they are talking about making another game on top of the same basic engine that exists in other games. And considering who Blizzard is partnering with to make this game and the other games they've put out, you can see there point.
I'm not that familiar -- but isn't it possible that the die hard fans who show up to a convention are more likely to be PCMR/console types who don't like the idea of a watered-down mobile experience?
And maybe successful COD example is due to the more casual gamers who wouldn't attend a conference (given that there are many more of them, it doesn't take as much engagement for financial success. )
And maybe successful COD example is due to the more casual gamers who wouldn't attend a conference (given that there are many more of them, it doesn't take as much engagement for financial success. )
>The explosion of outrage has many on social media discussing the extent to which video game culture enables entitlement. It’s not surprising, after all, that there’s been some pushback on the idea of a mobile Diablo game. What’s shocking here is the sheer amount of molten vitriol that’s pouring in over what seems to be a pretty cut-and-dry situation: A proper new Diablo has been and continues to be in the works, and Diablo Immortal is its own thing that’s not detracting from that. Also, the game itself is fine, if a little too shallow. No harm, no foul—aside from maybe some hurt feelings over unfulfilled expectations. And yet, people have decided that this is the ultimate betrayal, all because a single game isn’t hyper-focused on the diehard PC and console crowd. It’s fine and understandable to be skeptical of a big company, but the reaction here is wildly disproportionate to what Blizzard’s actually done.
Or see Mashable https://mashable.com/article/diablo-immortal-hands-on/
Or this https://twitter.com/WillJPowers/status/1058446033724694528
Gaming journalism is just terrible trash. The fact that these companies are trying to be immune and there are people who get paid to defend them is outrageous. No other medium does that.
And people wonder how the hell do they get away with p2w and gambling mechanics in games.