What the hell happened to Blizzard?

[RoKPaNda]

So, again, you have really nothing to show.

I asked you to give me examples... and you haven't. Because if you want to "throw rocks", you won't be able to throw one without hitting a game that's so riddled with microtransactions that makes Blizzard's games feel completely free. You can't throw a rock without hitting a game that makes Blizzard games look almost like masterpieces.

My argument is that the industry has not changed for the better. Because we have many games in this decade that have really disappointed, and I even listed a few. While you, so far, has listed no examples of gaming companies "changing for the better".

But sure. Be my guest: bury your head in the sand and continue parroting to yourself that "the industry has changed for the better EXCEPT Blizzard."

So now we're discounting better games with more content and better content cycles and better balance because they have microtransactions? A bold strategy for sure. Again, you've listed a handful of games from a handful of companies over the course of several years as your evidence that the industry is shit or whatever point you're trying to prove and I'm telling you that aside from RTS games you can look at every single genre that Blizzard has a game in (So to recap for you: MMO, ARPG, Card game, Moba, and FPS) and find a few games that do it absolutely better than Blizzard does now or ever has.

When a company does something well and then the rest of the industry steps up that original company doesn't look as great and shiny anymore. It doesn't mean it got worse, it means that it was managed poorly and didn't adapt with the times. Look at Valve, Steam sales used to be amazing, but for the last several years they've seemed lackluster despite being the same because every other store copied the Valve sale model and Valve didn't do anything unique or interesting to make it better. Same with Blizzard, they continue to do what they've always done, release buggy unbalanced games and learn nothing.

[Zenfoldor]

I've been surprised by the consistant stream of bad content, yes. What is wrong with them? Perhaps they are no longer developing for the love of gaming? I don't know.

Edit: For those who say other companies are the same, no, imo. Some are but some aren't. To imply that bad content is okay because everyone else is doing it...well, as mentioned, just like any other time in gaming history, some developers(who care greatly about their games) are creating great content.

[Ielenia]

So now we're discounting better games with more content and better content cycles and better balance because they have microtransactions?

When the game is built around it, yes. But way to go to completely ignore (again, mind you) my contention to your original argument: the industry as a whole has not changed for the better. I've given several examples and all you did was double down on your original claim and focus solely on Blizzard, as if Blizzard is somehow the "odd one out" in the "triple-A" gaming industry.

I'm telling you that aside from RTS games you can look at every single genre that Blizzard has a game in (So to recap for you: MMO, ARPG, Card game, Moba, and FPS) and find a few games that do it absolutely better than Blizzard does now or ever has.

Way to undermine your own argument. I'm not saying that Blizzard is the best gaming company here. In fact, I don't think anyone is. The only thing I'm doing is contesting your claim that Blizzard is somehow "the odd one out in an industry that has changed for the better as a whole" by showing that the industry "as a whole" has not changed for the better.

[RoKPaNda]

When the game is built around it, yes. But way to go to completely ignore (again, mind you) my contention to your original argument: the industry as a whole has not changed for the better. I've given several examples and all you did was double down on your original claim and focus solely on Blizzard, as if Blizzard is somehow the "odd one out" in the "triple-A" gaming industry.


Way to undermine your own argument. I'm not saying that Blizzard is the best gaming company here. In fact, I don't think anyone is. The only thing I'm doing is contesting your claim that Blizzard is somehow "the odd one out in an industry that has changed for the better as a whole" by showing that the industry "as a whole" has not changed for the better.

You haven't though, you've again given a handful of examples of companies with a handful of flopped games over the last several years. That's not nearly enough to condemn an entire industry as not doing better.

[krouger]

its happening everywhere in the most game companies .... thing is game design used to be an art with not much profits during 80's and 90's so the people who really loved to do this was involved with the production of games but these days its just business and its all about money

[Evilfish]

Where shall I start?

Politics.

Corporate greed.

Lack of leadership in major departments.

Trying to please all vocal minorities. End up pissing everyone off.

An obvious loss of passion in many areas.

Christine Golden.

[Ielenia]

You haven't though, you've again given a handful of examples of companies with a handful of flopped games over the last several years.

While you have given a grand total of zero examples of Triple-A gaming industries and games.

That's not nearly enough to condemn an entire industry as not doing better.

Still a hundred times better than your "zero examples" claim that the industry is doing better.

[sephrinx]

2 words.

Internal Sabotage.

It's the most simple explanation.

[Alcsaar]

Activision-Blizzard and greed happened

- - - Updated - - -

You haven't though, you've again given a handful of examples of companies with a handful of flopped games over the last several years. That's not nearly enough to condemn an entire industry as not doing better.

The industry as a whole has gone down hill. Things like the widespread prevalence of MTX even in games that have a base cost/sub fee. RNG Loot boxes that you pay real money for just to get disappointed, not to mention it promotes gambling in children, etc.

[RoKPaNda]

While you have given a grand total of zero examples of Triple-A gaming industries and games.


Still a hundred times better than your "zero examples" claim that the industry is doing better.

That's not how math works. Now you're further moving the goalposts and I'd have to limit examples to only AAA games and companies. omegalul, as they say. Have fun pretending Blizzard was ever something other than what it is now.

Activision-Blizzard and greed happened

- - - Updated - - -



The industry as a whole has gone down hill. Things like the widespread prevalence of MTX even in games that have a base cost/sub fee. RNG Loot boxes that you pay real money for just to get disappointed, not to mention it promotes gambling in children, etc.

That's what consumers voted for with their wallets unfortunately. That doesn't change that quality overall has gone up.

[Unforgivenn]

this happened:

[Bumbasta]

I don't see any quality drop.

[alexs]

I don't see any quality drop.

"Should've gone to specsavers" is the quote I would use for this.

[Nyel]

I mean 2019 was financially a pretty bad year for Blizzard (for other gaming companies it would have been a good year but for Blizzard it was pretty telling and disastrous) but 2020? There’s nothing. Nothing. Q1 and Q2 will be incredibly rough for them and Q3/4 2019 were already really disappointing. This is just a downward spiral that will continue and Shadowlands is definitely no stop to this trend.

[Gimlix]

I don't see any quality drop.

Then you are lying. There is a quality drop in all their products.

[Stormspellz]

short answer: greed

longer answer: the original visionaries of Blizz have either retired or been pushed out of decision making, mostly they where very successful in keeping activison geed from intervening in the development process, that is no longer the case.

[A Chozo]

They've perfect their own money-making formula!

They work less and less on a product, and then they charge as much as they can for it. They've found a neat balance that keeps people paying for the product. The cost? Some fans got mad and stopped buying, but those people and their loyalty are irrelevant - the other players keep buying. The formula works!

Now go pre-order Shadowlands. I'm sure you'll think it's better.

[Soon-TM]

I mean 2019 was financially a pretty bad year for Blizzard (for other gaming companies it would have been a good year but for Blizzard it was pretty telling and disastrous) but 2020? There’s nothing. Nothing. Q1 and Q2 will be incredibly rough for them and Q3/4 2019 were already really disappointing. This is just a downward spiral that will continue and Shadowlands is definitely no stop to this trend.

Which leads me to think that, bar some kind of miracle happening, SL will also be rushed af and they will have to spend the first half of the xpac fixing random stuff that they couldn't or didn't want to address during beta. I'm really interested in the SL beta, since for better or for worse, it will be quite telling.

[Asrialol]

This is what happens when you have a bunch of shareholders to please.

[Daronokk]

This is what happens when you have a bunch of shareholders to please.

I understand shareholders don't care about players liking a game so long as it makes them money.

But I'm wondering what these shareholders are thinking when Blizzard loses a lot of players due to a bad reputation, which costs these shareholders money. What will they do then? Will they just sell their stock and be done with it or is it possible to make a company culture change?

Blizzard will go down a dark road if they continue like this.