Why is 6.1 considered a "content update?"

[MoanaLisa]

On top of that, I think something happened in the WoD development process, something big, where they had to scrap it and start over.

More likely it went from being an expansion that was rather small in scope with regard to systems to a more-or-less total reboot of the system pieces of the game. Which is what 6.1 is mostly about: finishing all of that up. GC was always careful about changing too much at once. Once he was gone, it's pretty clear that they took the opportunity to change nearly everything. I can well remember the consensus about the expansion prior to Blizzcon that whatever it was, MoP had the systems side in decent shape and didn't need a lot of tweaking. We ended up getting a year of confusion and terrible contradictory communication after GC left and nearly everything you can think of changed in some way. Plus they reorganized all of the teams. There's a lot of reasons that we actually do know from their words or simple observation that explain the lateness of the expansion. Maybe that's your definition of scrap and start over but scope creep is a thing in software development and this looks like a good example of it.

Concept art is one thing. You can draw just about anything in an afternoon. Getting it in the game is another thing entirely. Blizzard's expansion art books are full of art that never made it into the game as it is on the page. When you do concept you always do more than you can use. Just like films often film twice as much stuff as what actually makes it on the screen. So that's not going to tell you anything.

[Gadzooks]

It's not. Ion Hazzikostas said it wasn't a proper content patch in an interview. They expect BRF to be the content until the next raid.

Seems like a big gamble. They'll probably be bleeding casual players the whole time.

If raiding is the only content to follow until 7.0, they might do more than bleed subs. 6 months or more just to move the overall story forward? They may finally do the job killing wow that nobody else has been able to do so far.

And, the next raid better be the best, most epic, challenging, hardcore raid ever released, if all of their dev time is spent on it, and none on the rest of the game.

Reading their documents that they filed with the SEC, they said they need more new IP, and new income streams. But it would make no sense to kill the cash cow that is WoW, until they have games ready to ship. Maybe a decision was made at the executive level that they want to focus on new IP, and new games, spread the dev time around, and make the dev time and cost WoW gets the same as the other IPs and titles they have, thus a reduced, simplified game that caters to a smaller player base, with shop purchases to make up for the lost revenue from subs. But that's an enormous risk to take, given that HOTS is f2p, and Overwatch may be, too - and the StarCraft and Diablo franchises are getting outdated and there's no sign of a StarCraft 3 or Diablo 4 or new expansion. Hearthstone will never be a significant revenue stream. They need WoW right now, with as many players subbing as possible. It's not a good time to be gambling with their cash cow, it's reckless to be honest.

If the only significant content for wow until the next expansion is the next raid tier, and Overwatch isn't shipping by fall, and new IPs announced at Blizzcon this year (if they even do one), it might get very interesting down in Irvine.

None of it really makes sense.

- - - Updated - - -

More likely it went from being an expansion that was rather small in scope with regard to systems to a more-or-less total reboot of the system pieces of the game. Which is what 6.1 is mostly about: finishing all of that up. GC was always careful about changing too much at once. Once he was gone, it's pretty clear that they took the opportunity to change nearly everything. I can well remember the consensus about the expansion prior to Blizzcon that whatever it was, MoP had the systems side in decent shape and didn't need a lot of tweaking. We ended up getting a year of confusion and terrible contradictory communication after GC left and nearly everything you can think of changed in some way. Plus they reorganized all of the teams. There's a lot of reasons that we actually do know from their words or simple observation that explain the lateness of the expansion. Maybe that's your definition of scrap and start over but scope creep is a thing in software development and this looks like a good example of it.

Good points, they did change the file format of the asset files for WoD, but that would'nt have held up the art and story and quest guys.

By scrap, I mean I think they got to a certain point in the development, and someone high up in the food chain said "nope, we're doing something different", and they've been scrambling ever since. Ghostcrawler's comment that they were further along in dev at the Blizzcon when it was announced was either a bald faced lie, or he was referring to content that was changed or scrapped and started over.

I do agree 100% with the confusion and terrible communication since GC left - and that a lot of shuffling happened. I feel sorry for Bashiok, he's made comments, like the flying quest chain that would end in 6.1, that he's being burned at the stake for, but you have to remember, he's only allowed to talk about what the devs specifically tell him it's okay to talk about. Someone on the dev team gave him the green light to talk about flight in 6.1, and then something changed, and he's not spoken of it since, except for a lame "I went to Outland and forgot to fly" comment. Plus, the fact that the CMs have become virtual ghosts on the forums. I think GC represented a "talk to the players" faction, and that faction lost with him leaving. Now everything is a secret, nothing is discussed in depth, you get insulting comments from devs, like "rogues don't know how to spend their points yet", and the gutting of warlocks.

I've worked in the corporate world for a long, long time as a creative professional, and all of this smells familiar. There's one or more bad apples there, and it's showing. Something fundamental happened to the WoW team, and it's reflected in their communication, lack of it, and puzzling and disturbing decisions and activity.

Another aspect of all of this, is they "fixed" things that weren't broken. I just read this:
http://www.brianteeter.com/site/worl...at-dont-exist/
And he makes some valid points - many of the things they "fixed", weren't broken, and there was no clamor to fix:
•LFR
•Flying
•Professions
•Dailies (except for gating reps behind other reps, which they reverted)
•Valor
•Reforging

Concept art is one thing. You can draw just about anything in an afternoon. Getting it in the game is another thing entirely. Blizzard's expansion art books are full of art that never made it into the game as it is on the page. When you do concept you always do more than you can use. Just like films often film twice as much stuff as what actually makes it on the screen. So that's not going to tell you anything.

Perhaps, but it will say a lot if they got as far as fleshing out props and buildings and such for that zone. Concept art, sure, but they usually don't waste time on things like props, unless they're getting ready to or are building them.

[Paulosio]

Welp.. And that about wraps it up!

It doesn't. There's new battle pets being added to many of the Burning Crusade Raids like Black Temple etc. There's also plenty of other stuff he didn't list.

[Gadzooks]

It doesn't. There's new battle pets being added to many of the Burning Crusade Raids like Black Temple etc. There's also plenty of other stuff he didn't list.

Yes, that will keep 10 million players occupied for 3-4 months. Yep.

[Yriel]

Reading their documents that they filed with the SEC, they said they need more new IP, and new income streams. But it would make no sense to kill the cash cow that is WoW, until they have games ready to ship. Maybe a decision was made at the executive level that they want to focus on new IP, and new games, spread the dev time around, and make the dev time and cost WoW gets the same as the other IPs and titles they have, thus a reduced, simplified game that caters to a smaller player base, with shop purchases to make up for the lost revenue from subs. But that's an enormous risk to take, given that HOTS is f2p, and Overwatch may be, too - and the StarCraft and Diablo franchises are getting outdated and there's no sign of a StarCraft 3 or Diablo 4 or new expansion. Hearthstone will never be a significant revenue stream. They need WoW right now, with as many players subbing as possible. It's not a good time to be gambling with their cash cow, it's reckless to be honest.

If the only significant content for wow until the next expansion is the next raid tier, and Overwatch isn't shipping by fall, and new IPs announced at Blizzcon this year (if they even do one), it might get very interesting down in Irvine.

None of it really makes sense.

When they announced the cancellation of titan they said that they really don't want to do MMOs anymore. And i think that really struck a nerve.
I think they really don't like WoW anymore, they rather want smaller, finished games.
They tried making an MMO, it was a gigantic success, they still make a lot of money with it so they can't close it down but i think all enthusiasm that was there in the beginning is long gone.
WoW seems to be just an annoying big necessary thing that they don't want to but have to continue. And you notice that more and more in the game.

[Pua]

What the hell are you smoking?

I'm not smoking anything, you angry little man. I simply forgot about the PvP work that went in because I didn't play it. As such, it's fair for you to correct me on my earlier assessment.

As for my "cheap and simple" comment, the scenarios (normal and heroic) and moving on the Escalation story was cheap and simple. It all used existing art assets and, therefore, required no additional work. Truthfully, that's why I always thought scenarios would be here to stay; precisely because of the fact that they're easy to produce.

WoW seems to be just an annoying big necessary thing that they don't want to but have to continue. And you notice that more and more in the game.

That single sentence probably sums it up, actually. It'd explain the ludicrous decision to put Pandaren in the game, or to try and reboot Draenor in the most hatchet-jobbed manner possible.

There's just no design passion for World of Warcraft anymore.

[Moradim]

I honestly believe they took people off this game to work on other projects...no other explanation for so little content.