How can Blizzard instill new confidence? Opinion Thread.

[Jikate-Stormrage]

So I'm sitting here thinking to myself "Don't get over hyped about anything they say, it can potentially all change before they launched the next expansion.". So I sat down and tried to think of how they could safely guarantee my confidence in purchasing their next installment. After all, frankly speaking for only myself... I've lost a great deal of confidence that they can deliver. I thought they got caught with their pants down with the roll out of WOD. It was admittedly (by them) a "launch now in its current form or take even longer thus elongating the "dry spell". Then after it was rolled out, we've gotten nothing but mislabeled (read: small) content patches, lost content (its debatable whether it was promised or not) and one other patch. I say this because the other "raid patch" was supposed to be released with the initial content.

What they could do to help me (the consumer) feel somewhat confident with their next installment:

1.) Only announce features that you have already coded and tested, so there is no more removal or changes to them other then small tweaks.

2.) Launch the next "expansion" at no cost to the consumer. Included will be the leveling process to either 105/110. Also include all class changes. This will allow consumers to get the feel of their favored classes and allow for an adjustment period. It also hands the consumer content to complete until the raids come out.

3.) Internally test future raids. What do people do when they go to enter a raid (at least on normal +)? They hop online looking for videos. Most "elite" guilds have an unwritten rule. They won't release kill videos until after the first five kills. This not only prolongs the "race' (which not a whole lot of consumers are invested anymore). But it also naturally prolongs the content life.

4.) You can sell the "Raid Patches" for $10/per (or its equivalent in Euros). What this does is stop the urge to put out expansions faster with less content in between. Now you can fully tell the ENTIRE story start to finish. Who gives a damn if an expansion lasts 3 yrs??? Your getting small, cheap hopefully worthwhile content patches the entire time. This allows them to take the time to really flesh out the storyline etc. And it gives them time as well to work on future installments. No real reason to wait until the last minute to throw it all together, so it should also naturally close the droughts of content between installments.

5.) Actually listen to consumers. Hey look, I love wow as much as I can only assume you, as Developers etc do. You do not HAVE to listen to all feedback in the sense of changing from your "intended path/wishes" for YOUR game. However I do URGE you to listen to proper feedback. I DO NOT want faster expansions. I truly only want engaging, entertaining and immersive gaming. I don't want Content Droughts, but I don't want to leave an expansion behind feeling like I've spent more money and gave up on a lot of quality. The answer isn't faster expansions, the answer is finding patches, content etc to fill the gap between your INTENDED expansions. There's no rule that an expansion should have x amount of patches etc.

6.) Use shit you already made! Would've rather chose two of my followers and actually ran a weekly scenario with them. Would've rather handed my followers my old hand me down gear and gear them that way vs. handing them a token. Just MY OPINION though. Basically this is where you throw in any content not having to do with a damn raid. Sad, I actually love raiding, but damn. I can't raid all day so I need other things to do.

These are just a few things, I in MY OPINION feel they would have to assure me of, or take steps to model after if they want my business in the future. I don't feel I'm asking a whole lot to be honest. I strongly feel they need to assure their consumers they are serious about the future. This is strictly not a "trust us" type of situation. And honestly, I just don't feel that they have given a appropriate apology as a company for the crap expansion we're currently in.

[Morbownz]

Stick another pet in the cash shop! Or a mount with a completely new model yet to be seen in game!

[anaxie]

They can instill confidence by standing their ground. Blizzard are making hugely successful IP one after the other with huge profit gains year after year. Wait till overwatch launche . Bli$$ard. WoW isn't their only game you know.

Protip blizzard is not just WoW.

[Jikate-Stormrage]

WoW might not be their only IP, but it is the only one I devote so much time to.
Making many successful IP's =/= a solid expansion yet to come. A year ago would you have guessed they would be down 4.5 million subs in less then one year after a expansion launch? Even as confident as you may be, I would say you probably never would've guessed that.
Now I'm not yelling the sky is falling, but damn! I do look to them to assure me in some way that the next expansion will not follow the trend of the current one (content wise).

[MoanaLisa]

Do a good job. Build a good expansion. Decide on a direction for the game that will hold for a few years. Go for it.

The only thing that matters is results.

[Jikate-Stormrage]

I 100% agree MoanaLisa. To be completely honest, I don't care who the new antagonist/villain is or what the story is. Just do it well. Take the time to tell the story. If it takes you 3 years then so be it. I'd rather have unique classes then "balanced" ones. PvP has struggled and has been purely carried on the backs of PvPers for a long time IMHO. They are really the forgotten consumer so to speak. Those of us who play PvE get a great deal of updates/content etc via patches (current expansion excluded). However PvPers may often only get a new battleground/arena and upgraded gear.... that's it. It's oversights like that, that hurt in the long term. The removal of immersion because it's not convenient. Trying to balance 30 some specs (which just isn't possible, even with the complete homogenization of the specs has proven non balanceable). I wish them the strength to accept the facts, the creativity to make those discrepancies matter less and the wisdom to make the right choices to make their game and ours last longer and be more healthy.

[Steampunk]

Develop a plan that can absolutely be: followed, played, tested and developed throughout an entire expansion lifespan; while avoiding the "nothing but raids" formula.

No surprise tiers that don't make sense. Focus on the best experience, not the best mechanics alone.

Build a solid foundation for the next five years off that original plan.

Stay on that path, no matter what the forums say.

We're getting to the point that a good expansion could "save" World of Warcraft, in the eyes of MMO-Gamers.

[thilicen]

Simple: Make the next one good, or better.

[ro9ue]

I'll wait until like 3 months after release and see if my friends who bought the game are still having fun. If they are, I'll buy it.

[Maneo]

People feel burnt lied to and misled, they want to restore faith in them they will have to do what Mona Lisa said but even that won't bring back but a small percentage of what left.

Free expansion do what Microsoft did w/Windows 10
Free upgrade to collectors edition maybe
Maybe a free trial of the new expac

They need to do something to make the people that feel scorned willing to give them another chance.

[Baine]

Sadly, words cannot give confidence anymore. They just have to deliver. This way, I am not sure they can get boosts like they got for the launch of Warlords (3 M subs). but who knows.

[dope_danny]

Make a good product worth the money, simple.

[Miralynn]

At this point, I think the only thing that's going to restore confidence is actually delivering on what they promise at the reveal. Every feature that's discussed in the announcement that doesn't show up at launch time is going to be held against them, and hard.

[MoanaLisa]

Just as a footnote to my other post: I'd start giving them demerits if I could every time they use the word "awesome". They say it constantly and honestly, awesome is something that is experienced. No gets to tell me what is and isn't awesome. I get to decide that for myself. It's actually gotten to be annoying.

[Morbownz]

Just as a footnote to my other post: I'd start giving them demerits if I could every time they use the word "awesome". They say it constantly and honestly, awesome is something that is experienced. No gets to tell me what is and isn't awesome. I get to decide that for myself. It's actually gotten to be annoying.

Couldn't agree more. I thought I was alone in the world until I read your post.

[Miralynn]

Just as a footnote to my other post: I'd start giving them demerits if I could every time they use the word "awesome". They say it constantly and honestly, awesome is something that is experienced. No gets to tell me what is and isn't awesome. I get to decide that for myself. It's actually gotten to be annoying.

Ugh, yes. I could happily go the rest of my life without hearing Metzen repeat ad nauseam for 30 minutes how 'awesome' something is.

[Stormspark]

1) A SIGNIFICANT price reduction of the new expansion. Ideally it should be free to make up for WOD, but it could probably go up to about $15 max. If expansions are going to be yearly rather than every 2 years, they should be no more than $15-$20.
2) Content at least equivalent to WOTLK in quality and quantity.
3) A severe reduction in the amount of hype, instead showing what will actually be there.

Right now, this is the amount of credibility Blizzard has.

[MoanaLisa]

Ugh, yes. I could happily go the rest of my life without hearing Metzen repeat ad nauseam for 30 minutes how 'awesome' something is.

It's not just Metzen, it's all of them but Metzen is one of the worst. I'd make it a drinking game but I wouldn't last past the opening ceremonies. Ba-da bing! Anyway, they should just stop with that like it's the only adjective they know.

[dope_danny]

Just as a footnote to my other post: I'd start giving them demerits if I could every time they use the word "awesome". They say it constantly and honestly, awesome is something that is experienced. No gets to tell me what is and isn't awesome. I get to decide that for myself. It's actually gotten to be annoying.

I'd say they ran 'epic' into the ground to the point they rendered it without meaning anymore.

[anaxie]

1) A SIGNIFICANT price reduction of the new expansion. Ideally it should be free to make up for WOD, but it could probably go up to about $15 max. If expansions are going to be yearly rather than every 2 years, they should be no more than $15-$20.
2) Content at least equivalent to WOTLK in quality and quantity.
3) A severe reduction in the amount of hype, instead showing what will actually be there.

Right now, this is the amount of credibility Blizzard has.

Lol no. Free expansion?, WoD is still 100x better then 95% of the regurgitated garbage in the gaming industry. Never gonna happen