Blizzard tells gamers to lower expectations for Diablo III

[TheWerebison]

The problem is that if players are being told to expect just a good game rather than a huge improvement over the previous ones,

This is the problem right here. He's NOT telling them to expect a good game instead of an improvement. He's saying, stop expecting stuff. Expectations are bad and very rarely fulfilled.

[MikeBogina]

swtor had too much hype

now look at it

I've played games that didnt live up to the Hype but still thought the game was worth buying it. But Swtor is a game that I wish I never wasted 80$ on. it didn't only live up to the hype, it didn't live up to my personal standards.

[Vargas]

He's telling the zealots and fanboy's that the game will not revolutionize the world, or bring about some huge fundamental change. Its a hack and slash RPG, so don't go overhyping the game because the more you hype and rhapsodize something the greater the odds of it not living up to your overinflated expectations.


Which really isn't the game's fault, its the gamer's fault. The game just is.

[Tastyfish]

Very odd comments from a game developer.

At least I'm getting D3 from the Annual Pass.

Odd how? Don't you find it refreshing that someone affiliated with a game is like, Hey don't buy into the hype and make this out to be more then it is, rather then toeing the line?


Edit: and the officials over at the D3 forum don't use blue text, or what? Because that article didn't seem to be quoting or showing the original, more like paraphrasing.

[Crookers]

I think he's just trying to dial down the fervour a notch, don't see it as an admission that it's going to suck, just that it's not going to change the world, which some people seem to think it might

[MoanaLisa]

Looking at recent events, SW:TOR has suffered from much the same thing. Really, when you think about it for a minute, anyone that truly and passionately believes that any game is going to kill off some other very popular game or be the greatest game ever are bound to be disappointed. Managing expectations is a smart thing to try to do (although difficult). Really, it's something that GW2 should start thinking about.

The sad thing is that games that would otherwise be considered pretty good get considered as failures if they don't meet up with expectations, realistic or not.

[Crookers]

Looking at recent events, SW:TOR has suffered from much the same thing. Really, when you think about it for a minute, anyone that truly and passionately believes that any game is going to kill off some other very popular game or be the greatest game ever are bound to be disappointed. Managing expectations is a smart thing to try to do (although difficult). Really, it's something that GW2 should start thinking about.

The sad thing is that games that would otherwise be considered pretty good get considered as failures if they don't meet up with expectations, realistic or not.

Yeah GW2 needs to turn down the hypemachine, people expect too much.

[MikeBogina]

This is the problem right here. He's NOT telling them to expect a good game instead of an improvement. He's saying, stop expecting stuff. Expectations are bad and very rarely fulfilled.

Expectations are bad? Whats wrong with expecting one of the greatest games to remain great?

We all have expectations whether you want to admit it or not.

[TrueProphecy22]

Just have to look at Duke Nukem Forever to see what heights gamers expectations can reach.

[Crookers]

I've played games that didnt live up to the Hype but still thought the game was worth buying it. But Swtor is a game that I wish I never wasted 80$ on. it didn't only live up to the hype, it didn't live up to my personal standards.

That's harsh, although it has been a disappointment, haven't been able to bring myself to log in for a week now.

[luckybeer]

The quote was taken out of context by an inexperienced moron who has no future in online journalism.

Bashiok was referring to the beta not the entire game.

[Marema]

well I had high hopes for TOR and was vastly dissapointed so I can see where he's coming from. Its like taking a really hot chick out for a date, having a great time, then getting her naked to find out its a guy.

could be another reason whey they included D3 with the annual pass; it probably won't be as good as we all think it will be.

[TheWerebison]

Here are the things you are allowed to expect about Diablo 3:

1) The title
2) Hackin' 'n' slashin'
3) Deckard Cain
4) Prime evil and (probably) Hell
5) Anything that's on their official site

That's it. You can expect that the things that will be in it, will be in it. Just don't expect that it will change gaming as you know it. Don't expect it to be more than it is.

People's expectations ruin things so much. There can be things you refuse to try, because you expect that you won't like it, such as with MoP or reading Harry Potter, or what have you. I used to refuse certain types of food, figuring "That sounds terrible, I'll hate that."

[Northy]

It's never a good sign when the company tells its buyers to "like....lower your expectations please."

/sigh

[TheWerebison]

Expectations are bad? Whats wrong with expecting one of the greatest games to remain great?

We all have expectations whether you want to admit it or not.

Oh sure, we all have them. That's different from saying that they're bad.

An expectation is a pre-conceived notion of how something is going to turn out before the fact. You could expect that a woman will reject you instantly if you ask her out, and therefore, you don't do it. You could expect that she'd instantly say yes, because you're a macho stud, and she turns you down flat, and your expectations and hopes get crushed. I'm not saying we don't do it. I'm just saying it's possible to curb your expectations a bit, and wait until you try something before thinking it'll be the best thing on Earth.

[ArmedInOz]

Maybe he woke up and realized he was owned by Activision and Kotnik and that the company and devs have no soul anymore.

[Klutzhoof]

He's obviously trying to tell us that it's... just a game. Alot of what's gone wrong with games in recent years has solely to do with people expecting way too damn much. In a world where there's little room left for original thought or premise, peoples' hunger for something new to astound and wow them leads them to some pretty strange places mentally.

What could be a very average-if-not-enjoyable game could end up being a real stinker in fans eyes just because it doesn't display 'amazing depth and design, with world-shattering gameplay.'

[Deleted]

Heh funny how that whole its done when its done mentality this company has for too long is biting them back in the ass.
For games taking insane develope time like this its only normal to think it must be something special and amazing for taking about 5x or so the normal develope time of the average game.
And with all the delays they think its weird people are expecting much?telling your customers to lower expectations?
DAFUQ! where the blizzard that gave a shit about quallity ?
Not to be a doomsayer but with the direction wow has gone into and how Diablo is being treated i just feel worried.
It would not surprise me if the delays and excuses are all for some console version being made for some quick cash.
But this comming from someone representing a company is just fkin akward and wrong imo.
And i think peoples expectations where already lower when they saw the artstyle the game got when it was first teased.

[iamdisappoint]

Would also be nice if the whole quote was there.



Above quote pulled from this topic: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/top...8863?page=2#36

What's been bolded changes the context of everything else he said in the quote. The post was about the Beta not the overall game. Over zealous reporter, is indeed over zealous and taking things far outside of context.

The part you bolded was in reference to the beta, the rest of it references the over-hyped expectations some are getting about the actual game ... new paragraph; new thought. He asked with cynicism to still buy the game, you can't buy beta, therefore obviously talking about the retail version.

I've been in beta for several months and so has my wife. She was super hyped and jealous when I got my invite because she played D2 and I had no idea about the games. I fooled around with it and thought it was ok. When she played it, she was happy at first ... disappointed in the length of the beta (so when she got her beta invite, she was not so thrilled). We haven't been playing it, but keeping up with the updates, when the changes they post don't sound fun to me, I discuss it with her and she reinforces it and bashes the decisions.

What I'm trying to say is ... I had no expectations, I thought it was an 'ok' game, I'm not really into that playstyle a ton (too spammy and i click the screen like a cracked out SC2 player), but it was a bit fun to play with her and I could see why people loved it; for my wife, she built up hype for herself, at first being able to play the beta was satisfying ... but that initial thrill quickly faded and the game is already not living up to the mild hype and excitement she had for it. Since we both have the free D3 thing, I just try to encourage her that it will be fine to play 'for free' and at least we won't be paying retail for something disappointing and not played much at all (like our 2 copies of Skyrim).

So, I agree with Bashiok ... calm down, look at it as a game of its own. If you expect too much from anything, nothing will ever live up to your idealist dreams. If you do this with people, you'll be lonely. If you do this with products, you'll feel ripped off. People and products can suck ... but if you expect perfection and infinite possibilities from even the best of them, they will let you down, not because they suck, but because you don't value something independently and for what it offers.

The best non-gaming product example I can give of this is hybrid cars. People expected them to do all the work for them and get 50 mpg. They feel ripped off because of it and try to slander the companies and technology. Those cars actually do exactly what they claim. They don't claim to be race cars ... so they accelerate steady and decent ... not like a 350 cid, but as good as anything else with a 4 cyl that isn't 'performance' oriented. They get their rated fuel mileage ... if you drive them as intended, but people stomp on the gas pedal and slam the brakes, not to mention excessive idling, bad roads, hilly terrian, extreme temperatures ... which in any car is a fuel waste. Accelerate, coast, lower speeds (<90 on interstates helps), ease up to a stop mildly, etc.; do those things and it will outperform its epa figures.

If you expect something to do more than it is designed to do, you will blame the product, not your thoughts. If you do something wrong, most people will still blame anything but themselves.

I've come to accept this, since our society is spoiled beyond belief. If you give someone $5, they will be mad you didn't give them $20.

[braxx]

hype does not make a game bad btw. Useless concepts and game designs do.