What happened to Jay Wilson?

[Instructor Soki]

Yeah, how dare he answer a question and not say that Blizzard are the greatest thing ever! What a loser!

Yeah, fuck him.

[NoiseTank13]

He could have answered the question without the underhand "I'm secretly kinda happy people don't like the new d3 because it reflects on how good a job I did first 2 times around" comments and if thats not how you're interpreting the words he said thats cool; but that is pretty much what he said. He could have left it at the first 2 paragraphs but felt he wanted to twist the knife a little. His "opinion" fine; but well deserving of a "Fuck that loser" especially as Rhorle pointed out, when he failed to make anything as popular since.

"I am also a little happy, which I hate to say, it shows that the people that were involved in Diablo really did matter, and so I am happy that it has come to light that how talented that group was and how unique and special that group was."

I.E. "The cock up of d3 shows that the team I lead making d1 and d2 were much better /snark"

Not even close.

[AeneasBK]

He was asked his opinion. He gave it, along with examples, that were factually correct. Someone on the D3 team took it personal, and Jay Wilson made his error.

*shrug* I'd say it was less professional, and more douchey to be slagging off former colleagues in an interview with a gaming website; than on a facebook comment; but hey, Brevik made Diablo 1 he must be gods gift to gaming eh?

- - - Updated - - -

Not even close.

Question : As you created Diablo, how do you feel about it? Do you feel a little let down that the legacy has kind of been mashed up?

Answer: "I am also a little happy, which I hate to say, it shows that the people that were involved in Diablo really did matter, and so I am happy that it has come to light that how talented that group was and how unique and special that group was."

Sorry what?

[NoiseTank13]

Question : As you created Diablo, how do you feel about it? Do you feel a little let down that the legacy has kind of been mashed up?

Answer: "I am also a little happy, which I hate to say, it shows that the people that were involved in Diablo really did matter, and so I am happy that it has come to light that how talented that group was and how unique and special that group was."

Talking about how the D1/2 teams were. But if you want to inflect that it was an insult to the D3 team go for it.

[AeneasBK]

Talking about how the D1/2 teams were. But if you want to inflect that it was an insult to the D3 team go for it.

But his comparison is directly saying "The mash up of d3 showed how good my teams were at making d1/2".

I'm not disputing that he was praising his teams but he was doing it by comparison to the current team. "It has come to light how talented we were because look at the pigs ear this lot made of it"

[Beazy]

I think its funny that people think Bervik is responsible for making Diablo what it was.

Thats the biggest joke of the thread.

[Tharkkun]

Oh so he should have lied to save hurting Blizzard's feelings? What does how his game turned out have to do with answering a question?

He did not say that all.

"I have very mixed emotions about it (laughs). On one hand I am sad that people haven't enjoyed Diablo because it's a love, a passion, and its obvious people still have a giant love and passion for Diablo and they are speaking out about it because they have such love for it. That makes me feel great.

I am sad because people are outraged and, you know, some of the decision they have made are not the decisions I would make and there have been changes in philosophy and that hasn't gone over very well. I think in that way I am a little sad.

I am also a little happy, which I hate to say, it shows that the people that were involved in Diablo really did matter, and so I am happy that it has come to light that how talented that group was and how unique and special that group was. I am hoping that, as this happens very often in the industry, you see it with Call of Duty and things like that , when the people leave the game changes and it shows how critical people are in this industry."

He does not once say that he is happy that D3 did not do well, in fact he says the very opposite, he say that he is happy that complaints show what a good job his team did in the past. If they (him and his team) had not set the bar so high there would not have been so many complaints this is very different from what you claim he said.

Based on Wilson's response it's obvious there's bad blood between Brevik and Blizzard still. So we can infer the comment was made as a cheapshot towards Blizzard's launch. Too bad they outsold both his games. Neither Brevik or his counterpart have had very successful games outside of Torchlight since they left Blizzard. Hellgate London anyone?

[Zaqwert]

[arcaneshot]

The team was already getting shelled from high heaven by customers/fans/malcontents. Brevik's statement was the feather that broke the camels back.

Wrong. The whole Jay Wilson "Fuck that loser" post came from Diablo 3 team members linking the article on Facebook. It was in direct reaction to that.

You can pretend it wasn't all you want, but if you dig up the "Fuck that loser" post (of which pictures of it still exist even if the post itself doesn't) it came from Facebook.

[rhorle]

You actually put in an analogy for David Brevik with Bernie Madoff.

It was an analogy for how your acts after a certain point in time are relevant. Before Bernie Madoff was discovered to be a fraud everyone thought he was an awesome investor. You take offense at my analogy but don't see how apt it is to this situation. You are holding Brevik to a past act while dismissing his current acts. While at the same time saying my analogy isn't apt while judging Bernie Madoff for his current acts and not his past acts.

I'm not making Brevik into the bogeyman. I'm putting blame where it is due, on both parties. He gave his opinion but he didn't have to insult the Diablo 3 developers and Blizzard South. I never said it was all Brevik's fault. Why are you shifting Brevik is at fault to Brevik is the only one at fault? I guess thats why its easier to say I am wrong and leave it at that because that is all you actually are doing.

[Thimagryn]

http://www.gametrailers.com/full-epi...tive--part-one

I found it interesting that the Schaeffers and Brevik originally wanted Diablo to be Turn Based, like X-com. We could have gotten something completely different if the rest of the team didn't push for a real-time system.

[rhorle]

Talking about how the D1/2 teams were. But if you want to inflect that it was an insult to the D3 team go for it.

Who were the ones that developed Diablo 3 to screw it up in Brevik's eyes? Who were the ones that weren't his special team of Diablo 1 and 2 that were shown to be extremely talented? Who were the ones he said were not experienced enough to create an ARPG because, and only because, they came from Blizzard South?

[NoiseTank13]

Wrong. The whole Jay Wilson "Fuck that loser" post came from Diablo 3 team members linking the article on Facebook. It was in direct reaction to that.

You can pretend it wasn't all you want, but if you dig up the "Fuck that loser" post (of which pictures of it still exist even if the post itself doesn't) it came from Facebook.

What are you talking about? I'm well aware of the facebook post.

Were you around the D3 forums in the months from release? It was non-stop negativity.

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http://www.gametrailers.com/full-epi...tive--part-one

I found it interesting that the Schaeffers and Brevik originally wanted Diablo to be Turn Based, like X-com. We could have gotten something completely different if the rest of the team didn't push for a real-time system.

Which goes to his point- the uniqueness of ideas in his team and compromise in making games, and it turned out unique. I just find it sad that the D3 team had to re-learn everything that the D1/D2 teams did in improving the original game when they had all the notes right at their fingertips.

[Sorshen]

Since nobody has posted this yet... a look back at Jay Wilson's "achievements"

(disclaimer: April 1st video)





Also tackles the "fuck that loser" episode.

[rhorle]

Were you around the D3 forums in the months from release? It was non-stop negativity.

It was non-stop negativity prior to release as well.

[Sorshen]

It was non-stop negativity prior to release as well.

Maybe cause the people in beta warned the team about the shit they were going to release.

[rhorle]

Maybe cause the people in beta warned the team about the shit they were going to release.

Okay, I'll go one further. The Battle.net forums were a cesspool as well. The Diablo community was never one known for being positive. Furthermore look at all the negativity in the WoW forums and they are not a failure. There exists negativity in any large community and the negativity always stands out.

[MoanaLisa]

Brevik was fine although generally designers don't diss one another's games or say anything that could be construed as such. The rule about "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything" is practically canon in the game designer community.

Wilson was completely out of line and was sent to Blizzard Siberia for a while to cool off which is altogether fitting and correct. It would surprise me greatly if he's ever game director for anything at Blizzard again.

In any case it's well to remember that Pardo was the one that gave the go on D3 launch, something that he admitted to and for which he took public responsibility. It was a terrible mistake as it trashed their "We'll release it when it's ready" philosophy that they had been nurturing for a couple of decades. That's in ruins even now and will take another 10 years or so to rebuild. The years between Cataclysm and D3 weren't good ones internally at Blizzard.

[NoiseTank13]

Since nobody has posted this yet... a look back at Jay Wilson's "achievements"

(disclaimer: April 1st video)


Also tackles the "fuck that loser" episode.

I got to the 'our hardcore testers were inferno' before I started to laugh uncontrollably.

[Gumboy]

He faded into the mists of blizzard, never to be seen or heard from again.