Open Letter to Blizzard Entertainment from Mark Kern

[Scalen]

I suppose investing is just useless then because "no one can say for sure how many would come back and stay subbed".

Investing is a gamble we all know that. We won't know until it happens.

Blizzard thinks that gamble wouldnt pay off, so they are testing the waters with even mentioning pristine servers. One step at a time. But it seems you guys want a hail marry all in or nothing.

[Deleted]

And you don't understand that we want Blizzard to focus on the future of our beloved game instead of living in the past?

Demand is demand. I do understand in fairness, I admit. But stuff can be unfair.

[uopayroll]

A video full of opinion and assumption by a guy that has not done much lately and needs his name floating around again....

[Wolfheart9]

I suppose investing is just useless then because "no one can say for sure how many would come back and stay subbed".

Investing is a gamble we all know that. We won't know until it happens.

Actually you have data points where you can try and read the flow of the market for investing to make educated decisions, and yet it's still the choice of a company/person to deem something too risky to go into. I, personally, in my own opinion, do not feel there is enough of a true desire of 'I will pay Blizzard $15 a month to play on a stable Vanilla server that will never have any new content added to it and the servers will always remain full' to take that kind of risk. I however am not Blizzard, nor are you, nor is anyone here. They will do as they will do.

[Deleted]

Blizzard thinks that gamble wouldnt pay off, so they are testing the waters with even mentioning pristine servers. One step at a time. But it seems you guys want a hail marry all in or nothing.

I actually made a post in another thread explaining how this is a compromise and is the first step. I 100% agree with you.

[Reyzzz]

If it wasn't for him, WoW might have not even existed. Yeah, definitely a moron.

Getting voted out of the company he founded, yeah, a moron.

[Santoryu]

Because when he did get involved in the production of the game itself he was simply destructive. He would swoop in one afternoon and berate a series of features several teams had spent months on, declaring they begin again and LISTEN to what he told them to do.

Maybe he saw where the game was going and wanted to stop it.

Getting voted out of the company he founded, yeah, a moron.

So did Steve Jobs.

[Deleted]

Actually you have data points where you can try and read the flow of the market for investing to make educated decisions, and yet it's still the choice of a company/person to deem something too risky to go into. I, personally, in my own opinion, do not feel there is enough of a true desire of 'I will pay Blizzard $15 a month to play on a stable Vanilla server that will never have any new content added to it and the servers will always remain full' to take that kind of risk. I however am not Blizzard, nor are you, nor is anyone here. They will do as they will do.

Agreed. Runescape seems to be doing well with theirs though.

[Naturalight]

Does he think a legacy server will make him relevant again? Just another ego driven wash out trying to hitch his wagon to something he has nothing to do with.

He's always been an advocate for the gamers, a public figure that can focus our voice when we don't have the fame to be heard ourselves. Hitch his wagon to something he has nothing to do with?? Did you even do any research before making that comment??? He was on the lead dev team for Vanilla WoW.. the original form of the game that set it all in motion. Some people just spout crap I swear.

[Neteyes]

I don't think people are trying to prevent it, just saying it's unlikely to happen and they've seen it tried with other MMOs with little success. If they happened there may be a few people going 'Grr arg muh DMs!', but doubt there'd be much of a lash out against it.

I don't think I've ever seen legacy servers fail in any way, in those few instances I know of. Which MMOs are you talking about here?

[dorfeater]

I don't think I've ever seen legacy servers fail in any way, in those few instances I know of. Which MMOs are you talking about here?

Everquest had Classic and Progression servers, they were cool for about a week. It really depends on what your definition of failure is. They certainly didn't keep people around very long, or breathe new life into the game.

[Glaziola]

So in the time you dont get new content you want to play even OLDER content?

Yeah it has been 10 years for me, I would like to go back and experience the game like it was before a decade.

[Wolfheart9]

Agreed. Runescape seems to be doing well with theirs though.

People are still playing on the legacy set, but from my understanding it doesn't match the main game, it wasn't the 'most players want' that's going on here.

I don't think I've ever seen legacy servers fail in any way, in those few instances I know of. Which MMOs are you talking about here?

I think we have different terms for failure in this sense. Failure isn't 'It doesn't have anyone at all on it', it's 'it has a very small percentage of the total player base to not really warrant the effort put into it'. If you know of MMOs out there where the vanilla/legacy servers have.. we'll say at least 1/4 of the total population on them, I'll consider them worth while.

Everquest had Classic and Progression servers, they were cool for about a week. It really depends on what your definition of failure is. They certainly didn't keep people around very long, or breathe new life into the game.

This pretty much.

[Legion]

This has snowballed from it being just a 10 replies thread about a pserver shutting down to something akin to a revolution. We will be heard. Blizzard will kneel eventually. Mark my words. From the beginning I've been reading stupid replies from thick headed neckbeards saying that this will never amount to anything. First they were laughing claiming we will be ignored because only "2000" or so people play vanilla and only "because it was free". We were called "scum" and "thieves". Now they are frustrated and angry cause their opinions have been proven wrong. They never expected our movement to be this strong and this unified, even for something as trivial as a game. It is about passion. Play your arcade facebook game. Watch the true version of the game reduce yours to bad memories. We will run you into the ground from within and through sheer dedication to real gaming.

[Wolfheart9]

This has snowballed from it being just a 10 replies thread about a pserver shutting down to something akin to a revolution. We will be heard. Blizzard will kneel eventually. Mark my words. From the beginning I've been reading stupid replies from thick headed neckbeards saying that this will never amount to anything. First they were laughing claiming we will be ignored because only "2000" or so people play vanilla and only "because it was free". We were called "scum" and "thieves". Now they are frustrated and angry cause their opinions have been proven wrong. They never expected our movement to be this strong and this unified, even for something as trivial as a game. It is about passion. Play your arcade facebook game. Watch the true version of the game reduce yours to bad memories.

.... Wow. Don't forget your Guy Fawkes mask.

[Deleted]

So did Steve Jobs.

Who was equally a moron? A moron who could market the shit out of well shit, but a moron nontheless.

[Natiry427]

People are still playing on the legacy set, but from my understanding it doesn't match the main game, it wasn't the 'most players want' that's going on here.




I think we have different terms for failure in this sense. Failure isn't 'It doesn't have anyone at all on it', it's 'it has a very small percentage of the total player base to not really warrant the effort put into it'. If you know of MMOs out there where the vanilla/legacy servers have.. we'll say at least 1/4 of the total population on them, I'll consider them worth while.

Actually, you're wrong. The Runescape legacy game (OSRS) is the larger game atm. Right now, 55% of the people playing Runescape are playing OSRS, go to their website and see for yourself. I play OSRS, and I can guarantee you it's farrrr more active than the main game and streamed more as well.


To your second point, I think if you told any gaming company that they can increase their player base by 25%, they would be on their knees begging you to tell them how. That's not a failure by any means, that's 25% more profitability.

[Eliseus]

The stats and numbers have been ran over and over by Blizzard, their is and has been as it always has: No..

Again, there those words, stats and numbers, but nothing to back it up off of. After reading that responds from a Blizzard GM in fact internally they were surprised there was such massive interest. There is no numbers. Someone saying they feel something may not be profitable isn't an indication of having numbers. They took a risk creating WoW, Their expectation was off fabricated numbers. You don't think they are doing the same thing? I want to see these numbers that you speak of, since NO ONE on this entire website can five any factual information of ever being in some study group or something for the wants and needs for this number. Are they polling random people on the streets? The homeless dude over there?

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Would leave this one be and not engage in trying to say anything other than what he is, you'll thank me for it later.

Yeah, ignore people with logical info.

[Deleted]

A total waste of resources, code, and dollars. Y'all are clinging onto an "idea/feeling" that will never come back.

It did come back.

That's a fact.

We went ahead and tried it. We were right back there, as if in 2005, having the time of our lives with our 39 friends killing Ragnaros for the first time (in this decade, anyway).

That much is indisputable. As for the dollars, one can only guess. But taking one look at the absurd popularity of a long list of private servers and then at the ever declining subscriber count to retail... It paints a pretty clear picture, even if its a partial and biased one.

Considering it requires no further development, the "waste of resources" doesn't really ring true.

The code is already made. Nostalrius devs publish it on the 30th, if they keep the deadline. They probably won't keep the deadline, but as you may or may not know, this is a hobby-based project on their part and they likely have other things to worry about right now. They've missed deadlines in the past. They're not infallible, by any means, but they did provide a 10/10 quality experience that I am very grateful for. Hence me being here.

[Legion]

.... Wow. Don't forget your Guy Fawkes mask.

Wearing it as we speak.