Is Blizzard still quality games maker?

[BenBos]

In the last quarterly report Kotick made a clear statement that Blizzard has complete control over its own production cycle.

Clear cut and easy to back trace even.

Long postponing of several Blizzard games shows proof of this all over the place.

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This is my opinion for the most part. Unfortunately for a company like Blizzard a "failure" isn't based on how many copies you've sold, but what most of the players think about the game.

The next game that I'm looking forward to that is currently being hyped is ESO, and I too have the "hope they don't mess it up" thoughts.

Most players in this case is the 234 posters on forums out of 14.5 million players.

Yep sure is representative.

Forums mean NOTHING, as the vast majority of posters ... don't even play Blizzard games ...and just repeat what they read from other hate trolls.

The fact I had to explain how D3 hardcore was played by me and many others (with back up avatars) shows the usual suspects didn't even touch D3 hardcore play...

But they just simply copy paste the next trash talk.

[Rizendragon]

Starcraft is still perfect. But Diablo III was crap and Warcraft has been slipping for years. All started with Activision taking control. Now we just get the same garbage dailies to do every patch while waiting for LFR instead of doing the real raids.

If you aren't raiding normals you have no one to blame but yourself. You have to take the time to commit to a guild to do a raid. Don't blame the financially controlling company for your unwillingness to play the game you want to.

[Danifilth]

onine is not DRM? how come i have to be online just to save my game or told that its been activated too many times? i know what year it is i play games that doesn't require me to log on or activate so i don't have to pay 192 dollars to install the game in my bedroom, entertainment pc in living with 42 inch tv with 1000W sony surround system and my laptop on the go. If i get tricked to buying games requiring activation then i have no choice but to crack the game i don't like to be treated like a criminal when i buy a product.

[jaber2]

No, they are mass game producer, not quality game maker.(if someone says quantity has a quality of its own I'm gona kick their ass)

[Wildmoon]

No, they are mass game producer, not quality game maker.(if someone says quantity has a quality of its own I'm gona kick their ass)

What is the measure of quality in the first place?

[Deleted]

What is the measure of quality in the first place?

That they innovate and dont put year after year about the same product like they do for call of duty and wow now.

[gee]

Starcraft is still perfect. But Diablo III was crap and Warcraft has been slipping for years. All started with Activision taking control. Now we just get the same garbage dailies to do every patch while waiting for LFR instead of doing the real raids.

Blizzard hasn't produced anything exciting in years. SC2 is just SC with better graphics, it's not like it's any different. Diablo III was a huge let down and their cash shop plans for Diablo didn't work at all. WoW has been a disaster since WotLK. the last good stuff that came out of Blizzard was TBC and to some degree WotLK, and that was 5 years ago.

5 years! And they achieved a big nothing.

[BenBos]

Blizzard hasn't produced anything exciting in years. SC2 is just SC with better graphics, it's not like it's any different. Diablo III was a huge let down and their cash shop plans for Diablo didn't work at all. WoW has been a disaster since WotLK. the last good stuff that came out of Blizzard was TBC and to some degree WotLK, and that was 5 years ago.

5 years! And they achieved a big nothing.

Diablo 3 hardcore doesn't even have a cash shop. Perhaps playing that game mode FIRST would help before spitting the copy paste nonsense. Perhaps softcore 3rd party hack websites were more your thing in the old D.

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As I said: your personal opinion about game play has nothing to do with high quality polish and smooth game play evalutions. Hearthstone will not be an RTS either.

The fact you confuse these things is telling everything.

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It is not because you don't like Pet battles in WoW or farms that it doesn't represent quality polish. Found already another game that blend seamless background loading open world play across servers without loading screens ? Of course not. But Blizzard simply delivers these Hi Tech things in spades.

Hearthstone stands miles above other card games on the iPad in polish and present day shown demos. But you confuse the liking of a game with production quality.

AND every industry branch Blizzard enters, they set the polish standards which others simply can't reach,

Be that RTS, ARPG, MMORPG and the next will be digital CCG's. And I am quite sure LoL will look like a clunky puppet gamette once Blizzard All Stars will launch.

How do I know? "Resources" is everything.

[Seefer]

Diablo 3 hardcore doesn't even have a cash shop. Perhaps playing the game FIRST would help before spitting the copy paste nonsense.

As I said: your personal opinion about game play has nothing to do with high quality polish and smooth game play evalutions.

The fact you confuse these things is telling everything.

It is not because you don't like Pet battles in WoW or farms that it doesn't represent quality polish. Found already another game that blend seamless background loading open world play across servers without loading screens ? Of course not.

Hearthstone stands miles above other card games on the iPad in polish and present day shown demos. But you confuse the liking of a game with production quality.

AND every industry branch Blizzard enters, they set the polish standards which others simply can't reach,

Be that RTS, ARPG, MMORPG and the next will be digital CCG's.

Game play does not make a game good, what makes a good game is the SUBSTANCE of the game and I am sorry Blizzard has lost SUBSTANCE for a long time.

[BenBos]

Game play does not make a game good, what makes a good game is the SUBSTANCE of the game and I am sorry Blizzard has lost SUBSTANCE for a long time.

another useless word.

game play first, engine, smoothness of combat/ mechanics and polish is unmatched.

in every industry branche they enter. be that mmorpg, arpg, rts or digital CCG's.

Anyone with 8 seconds of time can see it.

[Deleted]

Show me a game dev that's been in the business for several years, released several products, and hasn't stumbled once or twice.

D3 was Blizzard's stumble. Everything else they've released was fantastic. You might be able to count Cataclysm, but then that's what happens when Blizzard listens to all the community whines and tries to change the game to fit them. The quality of their games is still fantastic, it's just that some of their ideas about their target audience are a little off at the moment. They'll get it eventually.

i rather enjoyed D3, and the sales figures would point toward it not being a stumbling block.

[Trakanonn]

Name recognition alone will make their next few games a big hit, but I think they are nothing more than a cash cow.

e.g. The tier system of armor is a freakin joke and I cannot believe so many put up with 1 ONE SET OF ARMOR PER CLASS per patch. Im old school, I want a mix and match of armor, not a stupid tier set of identical armor that literally every other Hunter is wearing.

Thats just 1 thing out of dozens to give an example of why I hate BLizzard.

[Uoyredrum]

Game play does not make a game good, what makes a good game is the SUBSTANCE of the game and I am sorry Blizzard has lost SUBSTANCE for a long time.

What is the basis of a videogame, the very essence of them? Gameplay. Gameplay is the most important aspect of any game. Graphics, sound, story, etc. are all secondary to gameplay. Why would you ever want to play a game that looks great and has terrible controls and no depth? Why do you think games like Quake 3 were so popular? Gameplay IS the true substance of a game.

[BenBos]

What is the basis of a videogame, the very essence of them? Gameplay. Gameplay is the most important aspect of any game. Graphics, sound, story, etc. are all secondary to gameplay. Why would you ever want to play a game that looks great and has terrible controls and no depth? Why do you think games like Quake 3 were so popular? Gameplay IS the true substance of a game.

Exactly. People confuse video games with some kind of book reading. If I want VERY smooth combat, a VERY responsive game play and extreme polish AND long term support for say 10 years, I can't find another PC publisher.

And that in 4 DIFFERENT industry braches. You may not like certain games or mechanics, but you may never confuse the liking of a certain game with above mentioned standards of game play.

[Draahl]

Yes very much so. I know people consider Diablo 3 to be a flop, and to some extent i agree. I had higher hopes but its still a solid game for 50+ hours. I also think alot of angry anti-fanboy nose sniffers are bashing wow cause they cant find any fun in it anymore. The truth of the matter is wow has always lost a lot of subs, but it has gained new subs by word of mouth. The problem lately is that they are still loosing older subs, but arent getting as many new as they used too.

We all think "success" means something different, for some people its 100% personal. Even a game like Diablo 3 who sold 12 million copies are to some ppl considered a failure. And in this age of "we want longevity and endgame" even to non-mmo's we have to take a step back and consider that not all games will have endgame. Not all games will have the same level of fun as they did back when online gaming was young and fresh. The gaming industry has evolved(or devolved depending your view) and its something we have to live through.

I still think Blizzard is the #1 company out there right now, even tho i would like alot of changes in WoW and i also would like some sort of endgame i D3 besides grinding regular mobs or elite packs i still think those games are the two best on the market right now. Maybe beacuse i like to actually PLAY the games, and the gameplay of a game for me is 90% of the experience. If the controles are shitty, movement is bad and combat just doesnt have "unf" in it. It wont matter how great the game is otherwise, i will hate it. And lets face it, on those points Blizzard always hits the mark.

[LilSaihah]

They still make alright games, but they aren't the Blizzard of old. I don't think I'd call them any better than any other AAA production house; they're no longer producing genre-defining masterpieces, but are trying to keep up with the newer games' better features.

[BenBos]

They still make alright games, but they aren't the Blizzard of old. I don't think I'd call them any better than any other AAA production house; they're no longer producing genre-defining masterpieces, but are trying to keep up with the newer games' better features.

You have to compare apples with apples and not with fruit in general or bananas.

Let's take the bet:

YOU chose the genre in which Blizzard entered the market over these last 15 years and then lets check your theory ...

RTS ? on line Engine, smoothness, long life support, fluid combat ...

ARPG ? on line Engine, smoothness, long life support, fluid combat ...

MMORPG , Digital CCG upcoming.

Now you may try, I wish you good luck, you'll need it.

And btw ALL this from ONE company.

If you don't understand the banana thing: Hearthstone plays in the on line CCG competition NOT against COD or Skyrim...

[LilSaihah]

Now you may try, I wish you good luck, you'll need it.

try what
i'm not trying anything
i'm just giving my opinion

[BenBos]

try what
i'm not trying anything
i'm just giving my opinion

Well you just said they were "just trying to keep up" and so I asked with WHAT exactly in THEIR branches they compete in ...

the rest follows at how many miles ??? in each branche ... both in success (sales) as in the mentioned game play essentials like fluid combat and polish.

So no general fruit talk here: talk apples to apples and bananas to bananas.

RTS, ARPG, MMORPG and the upcoming CCG on line play ...

If you would take each branche and compare it with a race, the rest follows miles behind in both success rates as in general polish and long term support.

[Flutterguy]

It's easily my number one. I've yet to be completely disappointed in a game.