Insider peek

[Deleted]

Tbh, why should we believe you Op?
If you at least provided a screenie with the chat with censored name or something... I mean first it's just random writing, and even if there was a conversation we only get your interpretation of it. You must understand why people don't really buy your post as something true?

I think a lot of people want to work at Blizzard because they love world of warcraft, and I think that with the lore and the world there are enough ideas and excitement to keep good enough people caring for the game. However, working at customer support with little to no abilities to affect the game, just listen to customer whining all day... makes people a little tired, no matter what kind of customer support business it is.

And can we blame them for wanting to play the new games, and want to develop them to work well? The new games are the future games, they can only grow in popularity while with wow it's just about maintaining... and grass might look greener on other side for some people. And sure, wow might not get same attention as it did in the past, but it's probably getting attention enough, even though it might not feel like it in game atm and in upcoming patch... we don't know what future holds for wow, and neither did your friend it seems... since it was just about upcoming patch which there is a lot of dissatisfaction for on this forum, and also adds another probability that you are posting a somewhat not thrustworthy post, because you aren't really happy with the game atm.

[Deleted]

You never work for a big company? Water cooler chats. Often times the lower employees knows whats going on before their managers (like what the military calls the Private Underground). The big bosses have aides and secretaries, who talk to others. Which gets passed around even more. It happens quite often.

Not in this case. I know of watercooler magic, but it's not what I got. Again, I talked about the life in the office, fears and hopes, fun and unfun.
I wouldn't even ask about watercooler magic stuff because I would feel very awkward if a pal asked me about sensitive info regarding upcoming releases of my company's product (we do only one).

[Netherspark]

Yes, I did notice that fanbois going above strawmen and insults are white ravens, but I do agree painting another self-portrait in excrement is not too bad an activity for a creature like you. Keep up the good work.

Called someone a "fanboy", spelled with an 'i' no less. Insults people who disagrees with him. Uses the term "strawman" without knowing what it means.

Yep. Your posts and opinions are now invalid. (Not that they were valid to begin with..)

[Deleted]

Tbh, why should we believe you Op?

Believe in what? The subjective impression of how Bliz folks feel about WoW and their other products? Which part of the disclaimer did you choose to ignore?

If you at least provided a screenie with the chat with censored name or something...

Why, to enrich the strawmen and other "rebuttals" with shocking revelations that some people know what Photoshop is?

I mean first it's just random writing, and even if there was a conversation we only get your interpretation of it. You must understand why people don't really buy your post as something true?

Oh I do. Not that I would paste the screenie anyway, but how many languages do you speak?

I think a lot of people want to work at Blizzard because they love world of warcraft,

Of course. This is actually how my lass got there in the first place. It was a couple years ago though and now it feels very, very different.

And can we blame them for wanting to play the new games, and want to develop them to work well?

I don't, especially after reading your thoughts on possibility of customer care folks getting tired by the very specificity of their job.

we don't know what future holds for wow, and neither did your friend it seems...

Come to think of it, her feeling of WoW's rather close demise was tangible. Maybe there was some watercooler magic here after all.

since it was just about upcoming patch

It wasn't. Again, just soft stuff. What's fun and what's not, what's exciting and what isn't... and that "WoW has to die of something" coupled with suggestion of it happening rather sooner than later and a sense of relief due to that...

another probability that you are posting a somewhat not thrustworthy post, because you aren't really happy with the game atm.

Oh I am unhappy with the game indeed. Enough to have unsubbed. However, here's another twist. When I was unsubbing I still kinda believed that the community managers are really that retarded and simply crap all over the strategic goals for the game while higher management is too disconnected from them and excited about Twitter integration (that shit actually earned a proud mention in CEO's quarterly speech mind you!) that they don't realize what's happening. My opinion is now very different and the point of my OP was to express it and...

hopefully to elicit a response like yours. Fuckwits racing each other for the title of the best liar and most trivial insults of the day are fun, but an actual piece of mind is so much better

[Bigthumbb]

Even with your evidence, OP, I think you are completely off-base. I have my own theory about Blizzard and its approach to WoW:

With HS and HotS being so popular (and Overwatch on the way), Blizzard is naturally a more diverse and financially stable company than it was before. No longer does WoW NEED to be the flagship game that carries the company. That's a very good thing. As the company's profit areas are more diversified, that means that any one game taking a hit or profit loss is not so much of a big deal - of course, this applies to WoW. So, given that leeway, I think Blizzard are finally comfortable with pushing the vision for WoW they've had for the past several years but have been afraid to pursue. Reasons for Blizzard's "meh" in the face of a 3 million sub loss are two fold: first, relative to the company's total profits, that kind of loss means less than it has in previous years, and second, it's seen as mostly necessary and unavoidable as part of bringing WoW to where they want it to be.

For example, Blizzard have wanted flying gone for years, but have always been reticent to make any major changes - they knew that it would be an unpopular decision. When WoW was solely what kept Blizzard afloat, the sub loss that would come with removing flight probably dissuaded them from going through with it. Yet keeping it in the game was always against their vision - they didn't exactly design any compelling flight-based content in MoP(or ever, really), did they? I think they finally decided that come WoD, the time was ripe to start doing things their way.

Basically, Blizzard has a vision for WoW they want to pursue. They know that it's going to come with sub losses, but since Blizzard's profits are now diversified across several successful games, the sub losses that come with the implementation of this vision are not of great concern. Whether or not you agree with blizzard's direction with WoW, they are not letting WoW die, they are just exercising greater freedom with the game's direction with less regard for profit loss.

[Exerionx]

Oh I do. Not that I would paste the screenie anyway, but how many languages do you speak?

So you're a liar, a troll and you're also a jerk. You're quite the catch.

Mod Edit: Please report people you believe are breaking the rules rather than responding with insults, which are not permitted here.

[Life-Binder]

Even with your evidence, OP, I think you are completely off-base. I have my own theory about Blizzard and its approach to WoW:

With HS and HotS being so popular (and Overwatch on the way), Blizzard is naturally a more diverse and financially stable company than it was before. No longer does WoW NEED to be the flagship game that carries the company. That's a very good thing. As the company's profit areas are more diversified, that means that any one game taking a hit or profit loss is not so much of a big deal - of course, this applies to WoW. So, given that leeway, I think Blizzard are finally comfortable with pushing the vision for WoW they've had for the past several years but have been afraid to pursue. Reasons for Blizzard's "meh" in the face of a 3 million sub loss are two fold: first, relative to the company's total profits, that kind of loss means less than it has in previous years, and second, it's seen as mostly necessary and unavoidable as part of bringing WoW to where they want it to be.

For example, Blizzard have wanted flying gone for years, but have always been reticent to make any major changes - they knew that it would be an unpopular decision. Keeping it in the game was always against their vision - they didn't exactly design any compelling flight-based content in MoP, did they? (or ever, really) I think they finally decided that come WoD, the time was finally ripe to start doing things their way.

Basically, Blizzard has a vision for WoW they want to pursue. They know that it's going to come with sub losses, but since Blizzard's profits are now diversified across several successful games, the sub losses that come with the implementation of this vision are not of great concern. Whether or not you agree with blizzard's direction with WoW, I think this is what they're doing. They are not letting WoW die, they are just exercising greater freedom with the game's direction with less regard for profit loss.

but do they do this knowing that it will net them LESS subs ? if so - why on earth would they do that ?

the only reason would be that "their vision" is substantially less resource intensive to make

[Deleted]

Even with your evidence, OP, I think you are completely off-base. I have my own theory about Blizzard and its approach to WoW:

With HS and HotS being so popular (and Overwatch on the way), Blizzard is naturally a more diverse and financially stable company than it was before. No longer does WoW NEED to be the flagship game that carries the company. That's a very good thing. As the company's profit areas are more diversified, that means that any one game taking a hit or profit loss is not so much of a big deal - of course, this applies to WoW. So, given that leeway, I think Blizzard are finally comfortable with pushing the vision for WoW they've had for the past several years but have been afraid to pursue. Reasons for Blizzard's "meh" in the face of a 3 million sub loss are two fold: first, relative to the company's total profits, that kind of loss means less than it has in previous years, and second, it's seen as mostly necessary and unavoidable as part of bringing WoW to where they want it to be.

For example, Blizzard have wanted flying gone for years, but have always been reticent to make any major changes - they knew that it would be an unpopular decision. When WoW was solely what kept Blizzard afloat, the sub loss that would come with removing flight probably dissuaded them from going through with it. Yet keeping it in the game was always against their vision - they didn't exactly design any compelling flight-based content in MoP(or ever, really), did they? I think they finally decided that come WoD, the time was ripe to start doing things their way.

Basically, Blizzard has a vision for WoW they want to pursue. They know that it's going to come with sub losses, but since Blizzard's profits are now diversified across several successful games, the sub losses that come with the implementation of this vision are not of great concern. Whether or not you agree with blizzard's direction with WoW, they are not letting WoW die, they are just exercising greater freedom with the game's direction with less regard for profit loss.

Holy shit, that's 4 humans in one MMO-C thread already, I'm getting a bit scared.
Thanks for your thoughts,
although! Your interpretation holds only if you completely dismiss my Insider Peek story which is at least half of my point, thus making your response kinda orthogonal

[Bigthumbb]

but do they do this knowing that it will net them LESS subs ?

Yes, they do. That's what I was attempting to explain with that whole post. At this point, they're comfortable with less subs. They have other games that will make them money. A better WoW (in their eyes) will come with sub loss, but those sub losses won't impact them much anymore.

Now, whether or not they're succeeding in making a "better WoW" is up for heavy debate. But I believe that they are legitimately trying, and they're just stumbling a lot.

[Deleted]

So you're a liar, a troll and you're also a jerk. You're quite the catch.

And a frog.
I refuse to paste a screenie which could easily be photoshopped so I'm clearly just that and more
Yes, you are, indeed, quite a catch, but know what?
The few responses I got from humans here are much better. Like a greasy doner kebab when you're overhung vs. a nice pad thai in a resto with the missus.

[NoRest4Wicked]

They need to open a Diablo 3 cash shop to help counter their sub losses. I need more stash room and xmogs please.

[Life-Binder]

Yes, they do. That's what I was attempting to explain with that whole post. At this point, they're comfortable with less subs. They have other games that will make them money. A better WoW (in their eyes) will come with sub loss, but those sub losses won't impact them much anymore.

Now, whether or not they're succeeding in making a "better WoW" is up for heavy debate. But I believe that they are legitimately trying, and they're just stumbling a lot.

but the execs and such would never be ok with sub losses if this "better WoW" still costs them the same to make .. its a pure money loss then

and how could they consider it the "better" version if it has less subs ? Subs reflect how much people like the game ..


I believe its all about minimizing amount of resources and manpower spendage on WoW (and relocating those people onto new projects instead of hiring even more people), while still keeping it afloat


or, they are still doing what they always did and just (mostly) failed with WoD, but dont wish to admit that publically

and frankly, their subs have already been as low or even lower during some of MoP and Cata, so they may not even think its a huge deal (and the 3m drop sorta came naturally after the 3m increase for WoD launch)

[Cracked]

It's no wonder. Developing this game must be hard, because getting excited to work on a 11 years old game must be impossible.

[Rhae]

Interesting, so with all the extras they put into the advertising, the cinematic/in-game cinematics, the upcoming movie, Lords of War series, and everything else. They just decide to say nope, I'm out. Okie dokie artichoke.

[Granyala]

I agree with Bigthumbbs assessment. They try to bring WoW back to a vision they have for it, sub losses be damned, since other games give them the necessary leeway.

Now whether that vision is based on "Artistic integrity" like Bashiok claims or whether they truly do want to reduce effort invested remains anyone's guess at this point.

If the next expansion consists of fake 3D landscape and more cut corners, then we know it's the latter.

[Deleted]

but the execs and such would never be ok with sub losses if this "better WoW" still costs them the same to make .. its a pure money loss then

Or, in their own eyes, an investment. As I said, if you dismiss the Insider Peek story completely, his interpretation makes perfect sense.

and how could they consider it the "better" version if it has less subs ? Subs reflect how much people like the game ..

Actually this put some new doubts in me. I think they could. Blizdevs heavily favour hardcores and snowflakes and seem to share their mindset. For people like this, 10M playerbase is a curse.

I believe its all about minimizing amount of resources and manpower spendage on WoW (and relocating those people onto new projects instead of hiring even more people), while still keeping it afloat

or, they are still doing what they always did and just (mostly) failed with WoD, but dont wish to admit that publically

and frankly, their subs have already been as low or even lower during some of MoP and Cata, so they may not even think its a huge deal

Again, there's always that alternate tinfoil hat: people who make WoW could prefer it to be a very different, and a much much smaller, game.

[Deleted]

I'm going to close this. Claiming controversial inside information without any evidence at all ends up leaving the thread as a conspiracy discussion. This one has already been filled with insults and bickering.