Why do so many people think Blizzard is broke?

[MoanaLisa]

Wasn't that one of the complaints about Goblins and Worgen, that they were hardly featured in end-game content/lore?

Pretty much but at least both of those races had extensive presence and history in the game as NPC's/mobs, goblins more so than worgen. Pandaren, not really at all. There's really no way to bring them in without providing a ton of background and a place where all of that background and history occurred. And here we are because providing a comprehensive background like that is expansion-worthy.

Worgen was a missed opportunity really.

[Deadite]

Being a company that works for a profit doesn't immediately make you greedy, you should really look up the meaning of the word.

Yeah but adding nothing to a game for a year does. What did they do with a years worth off subs and cash shop sales? I know your the first to ride in on your white charger to defend Blizzard but really? Can you say you think that was ok?

[Metta World Peace]

but it takes 9 months for 9 woman to make 9 babys.
while it would take 81 month for 1 woman to make 9 babys.

but blizzard alrdy said that money is not the problem. finding the right people for the job is. and the people that got fired last year where not working on game content. they just fired a bunch of webmasters/gms/cleaners and other stuff.

---------- Post added 2013-03-15 at 02:58 PM ----------



where did they say there generated 120 mil from subs? just because they had 10 mil active accounts doesn't mean they get 10m x 12 a month.
because like 50% of the active accounts are from asia. they sure hell don't pay 12 dollar a moth to play wow. its more like 2 dollar a month maybe. so there goes 60m.
and income is not profit.

He left the part out where online subscription revenue now includes Call of Duty Elite and apparently Diablo 3 microtransactions. It's labeled Online revenue as a whole in Blizzard's quarterly report. $120 million sounds about right but no way that's WoW alone.

[Deleted]

But that was exactly my point and Blizzard has indicated this: new players simply are not coming into the game at the same rate as they were during BC/Wrath. You can't just blithely ignore the rest of the argument and say that they will. Market forces will squash quality every single time in mass market entertainment. If you want to propose that WoW could be made much better by narrowing the focus of the game to be much more to your liking, then you can't talk about comparing subs. Tailoring the game to specific tastes is one way to create a niche but that niche will inevitably be smaller.

Blizzard can replace old players with new ones if they stop being lazy and start making a good game again. They need to make a game that lasts as well.

Imagine WoW with modern day graphics for a start. Now imagine that it has a world again and much more to do.

You think some free to play game with Playstation 2 graphics is going to compete with that?

Actually, yes. Pandaren have been requested off and on since nearly the beginning. When a new race is added to the game is nearly always the raison d'etre and driving force behind the expansion. You're not going to just drop Pandaren into the middle of the Eastern Kingdoms without explanation.

No one asked for Blizzard to make an expansion set in Disneyland with talking pandas bouncing up and down. Pandaren may have been a requested race but no one asked for this. Blizz have just exploited their monopoly to the max and forced everyone on board because we have nowhere else to go.

So LFR is causing the story to not be serious?
Did you read the stories, did you read the lore or did you went all "LOL PANDAS, screw all lore and I will just assume it's not serious"?
Can I make my guess?
You should go back a page or 10 in the General-section and find the thread where people complained that a lot of things were too dark and serious.

Watch the intro for MOP to see what WoW lore has become. All I saw was an obese panda performing martial arts on a human and an orc to stop them from fighting.

That's not what I call dark.

Aah, sigh >.>
And I'm sure they added goblins with bikes in the game because the Hell's Angels were in the news and that's free advertisement.

They would if it was extremely popular.

Unless I have been playing a different expansion, most of the expansion is revolving around the Mogu and the Klaxxi so far.
I am actually amazed by the lack of "Pandaren-stuff" some of the time.

I see pandas everywhere.

Also, why build a wall if the Klaaxi can just fly over it?

Blizz just wanted to find any excuse they could to put the Great Wall of China in there.

[MoanaLisa]

Imagine WoW with modern day graphics for a start. Now imagine that it has a world again and much more to do.

There have been plenty of MMO's released in the last couple of years with better graphics than WoW. None of them have made a dent. So it's more than that. And there's plenty to do in any patch of 5.X.

Your basic argument is continue to beat on pandaren, which is both old, so last year, and by this time largely irrelevant. So you're unhappy that Pandaren got added to the game. OK. People don't have to play them and that about covers it.

[Deleted]

There have been plenty of MMO's released in the last couple of years with better graphics than WoW. None of them have made a dent. So it's more than that. And there's plenty to do in any patch of 5.X.

Your basic argument is continue to beat on pandaren, which is both old, so last year, and by this time largely irrelevant. So you're unhappy that Pandaren got added to the game. OK. People don't have to play them and that about covers it.

No I am saying that WoW can be improved. Graphics are one such improvement.

But you don't want WoW to have modern graphics?

All I am saying is WoW could be a lot better.

Dailies aren't content.

[Deleted]

But you don't want WoW to have modern graphics?

The WoW graphics engine is as up-to-date as it needs to be. You're confusing graphical quality with a deliberately cartoonish art style.

All I am saying is WoW could be a lot better.

In your opinion.

Dailies aren't content.

In your opinion.

[Deleted]

The WoW graphics engine is as up-to-date as it needs to be. You're confusing graphical quality with a deliberately cartoonish art style.

So you don't want better graphics?

[Deleted]

So you don't want better graphics?

Not particularly. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way the game looks now, unless you're playing on the lowest settings.

[MoanaLisa]

So you don't want better graphics?

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't mind better graphics however I don't think this would make any perceivable difference in subscription numbers. If the idea is that a total (and very expensive) overhaul of the graphic engine (with everything that would need to be done to adjust every single art asset in the game) would pay for itself in new subscriptions and returns, I don't see it.

On the other point, if dailies aren't content and dailies are quests, then the entire questing system isn't content? Either quests are content or they are not. Just because you don't like them does not mean that they aren't content. They are designed, written, populated with NPC's, have rewards attached to them, and require a certain amount of coding and development. By anyone else's definition, that's content.

It's silly and does nothing at all to help your argument when you pick out everything in the game that you don't care for and say it's not content. It may not be content for you, but it certainly is game content.

[Deleted]

Not particularly. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way the game looks now, unless you're playing on the lowest settings.

They can still be better. WoW just has such amazing art that it ages slower, but the graphics can still be improved nevertheless.

What is wrong with that intro?

It's about holding hands, not Warcraft.

Because the most dangerous ones cannot fly over it and there were more things besides the Mantid.

Blizz-logic.

Yes, they wanted a Great Wall in the game.
And because they wanted it so badly, they had to write a story about it.
The easy thing to do was to not have a wall at all.
But seriously, what the hell is wrong with Serpent's Spine? It really sounds like you are the one trying to find excuses, desperately trying to bash the game.

Are Japanese people racist just because they don't like World of Warcraft?

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't mind better graphics however I don't think this would make any perceivable difference in subscription numbers. If the idea is that a total (and very expensive) overhaul of the graphic engine (with everything that would need to be done to adjust every single art asset in the game) would pay for itself in new subscriptions and returns, I don't see it.

On the other point, if dailies aren't content and dailies are quests, then the entire questing system isn't content? Either quests are content or they are not. Just because you don't like them does not mean that they aren't content. They are designed, written, populated with NPC's, have rewards attached to them, and require a certain amount of coding and development. By anyone else's definition, that's content.

It's silly and does nothing at all to help your argument when you pick out everything in the game that you don't care for and say it's not content. It may not be content for you, but it certainly is game content.

They will upgrade the graphics eventually. When the power of average PCs improves dramatically, and it will, it will be easier to upgrade the graphics.

It was just one example of where the game can be improved.

[JhanZ]

Okay, we're on the subject of subs, right? Let me chime in. Here's how WoW would really, really gain subs:

1.) Become socially acceptable. The social norm.

This is extremely unlikely to happen. It's a fantasy game with swords and magic, not exactly "cool" with most teenagers/young adults. At least not openly. Call of Duty succeeded in being a social norm because it has guns and killing plenty. That's sadly cool and everyone looks up to the army as badass and all that. Assassin's Creed is the social norm. Halo 4 is the social norm. Why? Because they take the "rule of cool" to the absolute maximum.

How does Blizzard make WoW a social norm, or socially acceptable? I'm sure many people want to play WoW but are like "Man, my friends don't like it and I'd miss out on hanging out with them if I played a different game".

2.) We're in a world where consoles and even mobile gaming is becoming more and more popular. WoW is not as accessible as console games or mobile games, etc.

3.) How does WoW appeal to the -extremely- casual gamer? Obviously, it appeals to millions, but how could it appeal to so much more? Look at Pet Battles. Aspect aimed at the most casual of WoW's gamers. But hold up, why play that, a cheap knock-off when you can just play Pokemon? How do they respond to that? Again, I'm not seeing that much low level content in the game. A majority of it is meant to be played at max level. I suspect a dominant portion of the player-base isn't even playing at level 90.

4.) Make it more social. Facebook integration, all of that crap. I don't like it, you don't like it. But look at the things they are adding to the Playstation 4. Snap pictures and tweet/post it on facebook in a heartbeat. Things like that appeal to the average 18-20 year old. Not slaying monsters and topping damage charts.

5.) Successfully appealing to as broad an audience as possible. I've talked about appealing to the super casuals. But what about appealing to the guys who enjoy console games like Dark Soul, Revengeance on the hardest mode, Devil May Cry 3 etc. ? Heroic raiding sure, but the prep time spent to be able to do that is quite massive in comparison. Where as they can just pop the CD disc in for a console game and boom, 10 minutes later they are fighting a hard mob/boss.

What is their answer to that?

[Tomana]

4.) Make it more social. Facebook integration, all of that crap. I don't like it, you don't like it. But look at the things they are adding to the Playstation 4. Snap pictures and tweet/post it on facebook in a heartbeat. Things like that appeal to the average 18-20 year old. Not slaying monsters and topping damage charts.

This is quite probably in the agenda for their NextGen MMO (Titan or w/e it will be called )

[Tharkkun]

No I am saying that WoW can be improved. Graphics are one such improvement.

But you don't want WoW to have modern graphics?

All I am saying is WoW could be a lot better.

Dailies aren't content.

The graphics look very good if you actually turn things up to ultra. Also updated, crisp graphics don't make a game, otherwise Everquest 2 would have won hands down. Age of Conan and Rift would have slam dunked but graphics for the sake of graphics is garbage. It's the layout of the environment that makes things look good.

The reason Wow has a lot of success is because it can run on a 5 year old PC unlike some of the newer games that take a dump on anything two years or older.

[Tomana]

Blizzard can replace old players with new ones if they stop being lazy and start making a good game again. They need to make a game that lasts as well.

Problem is, MMORPG market is stagnating since 2009, so getting new players is harder and is done in part by churn from other MMORPGs.

[Tharkkun]

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't mind better graphics however I don't think this would make any perceivable difference in subscription numbers. If the idea is that a total (and very expensive) overhaul of the graphic engine (with everything that would need to be done to adjust every single art asset in the game) would pay for itself in new subscriptions and returns, I don't see it.

On the other point, if dailies aren't content and dailies are quests, then the entire questing system isn't content? Either quests are content or they are not. Just because you don't like them does not mean that they aren't content. They are designed, written, populated with NPC's, have rewards attached to them, and require a certain amount of coding and development. By anyone else's definition, that's content.

It's silly and does nothing at all to help your argument when you pick out everything in the game that you don't care for and say it's not content. It may not be content for you, but it certainly is game content.

He's the perfect example of a subscriber that can never be satisfied so it's best he isn't one.

[Deleted]

The graphics look very good if you actually turn things up to ultra. Also updated, crisp graphics don't make a game, otherwise Everquest 2 would have won hands down. Age of Conan and Rift would have slam dunked but graphics for the sake of graphics is garbage. It's the layout of the environment that makes things look good.

The reason Wow has a lot of success is because it can run on a 5 year old PC unlike some of the newer games that take a dump on anything two years or older.

If it wasn't for WoW's art, the graphics wouldn't impress many people.

Problem is, MMORPG market is stagnating since 2009, so getting new players is harder and is done in part by churn from other MMORPGs.

Free to play games are just graphically not bad in the eyes of many people and are, needless to say, free. That's why the market has shrunk. Next generation graphics will solve that problem.

He's the perfect example of a subscriber that can never be satisfied so it's best he isn't one.

Dailies aren't content. WoW needs much more group content otherwise we may as well play a single player game, which would have much better graphics.

[Tharkkun]

If it wasn't for WoW's art, the graphics wouldn't impress many people.



Free to play games are just graphically not bad in the eyes of many people and are, needless to say, free. That's why the market has shrunk. Next generation graphics will solve that problem.



Dailies aren't content. WoW needs much more group content otherwise we may as well play a single player game, which would have much better graphics.

You keep circling back to the original argument, repeating the same thing over and over again. It will never become true just because you want it to.

[Deleted]

Next generation graphics will solve that problem.

Perfect example of the wrong kind of mentality for game development. Some of the best games around at the moment have low-grade graphics (e.g. FTL).

Dailies aren't content. WoW needs much more group content otherwise we may as well play a single player game, which would have much better graphics.

Three misconceptions in one sentence:
1/ That dailies have to be done alone. I always do them in a group of 2-3, it makes them take a fraction of the time (most quests have shared credit).
2/ That just because you're in an MMO, you have to play with other people to have fun. Some people enjoy playing solo in a game populated by other people, without the need to play with those people directly.
3/ That WoW would have better graphics if it were single-player. There's no logic there. You might see higher framerates because there'd be fewer models to draw, but there's no reason reducing the number of players would have any effect on the engine.

[Deleted]

You guys are completely missing the point.

Why does it have to be "either or" with a company that has as many resources as Blizzard?

Like, "we can give you some 5 mans, but then we have to deal you a POS raid like Dragon Soul." You want an awesome raid? "Then we can only give you that raid and no 5 mans or simply reskinned content."

That's the issue.

With a company the size of Blizzard, there's no reason for them not to be delivering a daily hub, 5 mans, scenarios, and a new raid EVERY major patch.

This "either or" crap has now cost MoP any future 5 mans and is simply blizzard running a skeleton crew of developers so they can continue to put the bulk of their resources into other things.

they work around the clock and always tries to put out the content as solid as possible. The new 5 mans does not fit with the mop design idea as it would in reward either be pointless low item level gear or ruin the lfr gearup system which would lead to (nothing to do this patch is boring) for alot of people. Lots of customers me inc with them is tired of the mindless dungeon farm design i mean really was farming 2-3 dungeons over and over again really that fun? story telling and challenges can work better with the scenario system then dungeons. Adding new dungeons would keep you entertained the first week only utterly pointless to spend time to design for patches.