Shadowlands Pre-Patch Release Date - October 13, Shadowlands Launch Delayed

[THEORACLE64]

Yes and by the time they announced the date for Shadowlands, which was in August, they should have had a pretty good idea of whether they would still be able to make the date. Covid and the shutdowns and all that happened in February and March. There is no excuse for announcing the release date for the game in August and then delaying it in September. You can't blame it on Covid. Because Covid didn't just happen in those 4 weeks in August and September between announcement and delay.

Once again, here we are with the repeating thing again, it would have been fine if they didn't have the response that they did from players surrounding the current issues. I say the term "threw a spanner in the works". The same would have happened with BfA if they listened to feedback, but they didn't and what happened happened. They obviously thought they were working within a workable timeframe, but they were wrong and that's fine. They were obviously delayed from Covid, but still thought they were releasing on time. They got it wrong, but so what? I'd rather a good experience than getting it a month or so earlier and not.

[Dundebuns]

Just reading this makes me feel ill; the spokesperson can't even ariculate the message in proper english. Blizzard has been completely buttcucked by the top level of management. I fear for WoW over the next expansion.

[Josyel]

Which players should they listen to? There's no consensus on anything in wow with the player base. Even the smallest of things have people at each other's throats let alone core expansion design issues.

Players that report bugs are good enough for you? There are bugs in the game from 5-6 years ago. Redridge dragon quest, Warlock class hall portal not loading in Dalaran, etc etc.

[Cavox]

I wouldn't be shocked to learn there are like 20 people working on WoW at this point who do actual work and aren't from PR and financial departments. The game is extremely neglected - there are unfixed bugs from few years back, assets are being constantly re-used, the content is designed as treadmills just to keep people occupied while they're "working" on the next big thing.
You remember how ACTIVISION-Blizzard (and don't you forget it) said that when they're releasing an expansion they're already working on the next one? I sure wish they'd focus on the current one so it's actually finished on time.
I feel sorry for everyone expecting anything good out of Shadowlands. There's not one feature that looks exciting. Torghast looks like a minigame that'll get boring after a month, covenants and soulbinds have been proven to be an unbalanced clusterfuck - the whole IDEA of covenants seems stupid and limiting for no reason. As someone stated - they're putting hundreds of workhours into solving problems they've created themselves.
Usually when I talk with people they're just happy they're leaving BfA behind and they're getting previously removed things back. Activision-Blizzard would need another 6 months minimum to re-design the expansion, they won't do shit in 1-2 months more. Maybe fix some game-breaking bugs and crashes - something they could be sued for. Don't expect Shadowlands to be good.

[Shaetha]

I wouldn't be shocked to learn there are like 20 people working on WoW at this point who do actual work and aren't from PR and financial departments.

There are probably more than 20 people just making spell effects, to give you an example of how far off your concept of scale is.

the content is designed as treadmills just to keep people occupied while they're "working" on the next big thing.

This is kind of how everything in the entertainment industry works. People don't repeatedly buy the same product in entertainment, so you have to keep making new things.

[vashe9]

unpruning is the most stupid thing they've done in a while. I dont get why some people like that, I'm sure they'll remove some spells again in next xpack ...

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Once again, here we are with the repeating thing again, it would have been fine if they didn't have the response that they did from players surrounding the current issues. I say the term "threw a spanner in the works". The same would have happened with BfA if they listened to feedback, but they didn't and what happened happened. They obviously thought they were working within a workable timeframe, but they were wrong and that's fine. They were obviously delayed from Covid, but still thought they were releasing on time. They got it wrong, but so what? I'd rather a good experience than getting it a month or so earlier and not.

simple, talents (not vanilla talent), classes set, legendaries. WHY MORE. Why do we need more specializations things ? why !

Even the essences was a good idea if you decouple it from the neck. just make essences a choice, like talents... Why did they have to scrap everything for these stupid convenants

[Cavox]

There are probably more than 20 people just making spell effects, to give you an example of how far off your concept of scale is.

Well then you tell me why it takes them such a long time to make changes, fix bugs, add content and react to playerbase feedback? Also why would you need more than 5 people to make barebone spell effects which re-use the same skeletons and animations anyway?

[Martymark]

I'm honestly shocked. They aren't putting short term shareholder value first?

[javierdsv]

Well then you tell me why it takes them such a long time to make changes, fix bugs, add content and react to playerbase feedback? Also why would you need more than 5 people to make barebone spell effects which re-use the same skeletons and animations anyway?

Because Activision. I mean, they can only have so many of their people working on certain projects at the same time, same goes to the budget available. The enterprise got to squish their employees as much as they can.
And also, lol, you have no idea how designing and implementing spell effects really work.

[meowfurion]

I'm just sick of reputations and "faction wards."

I think what it is, is people are generally becoming tired of MMO's and what they offer. "Other people" usually just suck....That's why I prefer ARPG's by myself or with like 2 other people these days.

That, and feral druid gameplay is unrewarding now.

[Jamesadams1988]

Everyone needs to understand this message isn't to the player base, It's meant to ease investor worry about the delay.

We hear you (the players), were making changes because there has been alot of negative concern related to this expansion and its myriad of systems.

We delayed because of work from home not because of these issues.

We are throwing you a bone to keep subs up in the form of the prepatch.

Stay tuned to more ways we elongate your play to generate more profit from you.

[Shaetha]

Everyone needs to understand this message isn't to the player base, It's meant to ease investor worry about the delay.

We hear you (the players), were making changes because there has been alot of negative concern related to this expansion and its myriad of systems.

We delayed because of work from home not because of these issues.

We are throwing you a bone to keep subs up in the form of the prepatch.

Stay tuned to more ways we elongate your play to generate more profit from you.

The game wasn't finished, so it was delayed.

In your mind this is a bad thing for players? Anything you need to do to make Activision a bad guy, I guess, but this is an even more desperate stretch than normal.

[MrFawlty]

The game wasn't finished, so it was delayed.

In your mind this is a bad thing for players? Anything you need to do to make Activision a bad guy, I guess, but this is an even more desperate stretch than normal.

He didnt say it was bad for the players.

[toffmcsoft]

Um... what? I know opinions are opinions and all that, but... I have to say you're wrong there, and that is not an opinion, but fact.

Classic WoW did not kill modern WoW, in any sense of the word. Just look at these two simple facts:
• One, the amount of servers Classic has vs the amount of servers Modern has;
• Two, the amount of high/full pop servers Classic has vs the amount of high/full pop servers Modern has.

You do realize the # of servers has nothing to do with the population on those servers?
Retail high pop does not equal Classic high pop.

It's completely different.

Classic has been great but TBC is really where the game was at it's pinnacle.
Once it's announced the hype train is gonna be STRONG.

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Classic did no such thing. Last I checked, retail is still alive and classic is nowhere near what it was when released. TBS will be no different. A lot of hysteria to start, then the numbers will dwindle as times goes on.

Yes, tell us more about how great BFA is.

[Ielenia]

You do realize the # of servers has nothing to do with the population on those servers?
Retail high pop does not equal Classic high pop.

It's completely different.

And your source for that is...?

And even if we grant you that assumption as true, how can you prove that "high pop" means more for classic WoW than for modern WoW? Are you somehow implying that classic servers have greater capacity than modern servers?

Classic has been great but TBC is really where the game was at it's pinnacle.

You mean the expansion that started the "X expansion has killed WoW" threads?

Yes, tell us more about how great BFA is.

Tell us how great Classic is, with day one raid clears.

[rrayy]

You do realize the # of servers has nothing to do with the population on those servers?
Retail high pop does not equal Classic high pop.

It's completely different.

Classic has been great but TBC is really where the game was at it's pinnacle.
Once it's announced the hype train is gonna be STRONG.

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Yes, tell us more about how great BFA is.

It's not about how great BFA is. It's about you massively overrating Classic and making factually incorrect statements because of it. TBC will be no different. Hype for a couple of months than it will die way down.

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Because Activision. I mean, they can only have so many of their people working on certain projects at the same time, same goes to the budget available. The enterprise got to squish their employees as much as they can.
And also, lol, you have no idea how designing and implementing spell effects really work.

Again, ACtivision makes no decisions for Blizzard. Activision and Blizzard are two SEPARATE companies under one roof.

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Gross, none of that is good for you!

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With the refunds coming, looks like we'll have a January or February release date for Shadowlands.

And you know that how? They gave refunds because they delayed the release and in no way means the game won't be out until 2021. They are still commiitted to 2020 and a December launch is highly likely

[rrayy]

And you know that how?

Becuse that is how business operate. Blizzard could not meet the promised date of Cct 26. It is SOP to offer refunds when you can't deliver on time. How long the delay is for is irrelevant.

[javierdsv]

Again, ACtivision makes no decisions for Blizzard. Activision and Blizzard are two SEPARATE companies under one roof.

Yeah, sure mate. 0 influence.

[rrayy]

No, how do you know it's coming out in December? There's still a LOT of work to be done, and many companies will likely close up early this Fall for the holidays. January/February is not far-fetched. I thought November/December first too, until the refund dealio!

How do you know there is a LOT to be done? In fact, when they announced the delay, they outright stated that a great majority of the game was ready to go. Unless you are BLizzard, you have no idea where they stand with the game right now. And again, they are giving refunds because they couldn't deliver on their promise of Oct 26th. That is SOP on those matters. ANd how do you konw they will close up shop early. Most don't close up shop for the Holidays until mid-December. Since they are already working from home, this is completely irrelevant to begin with. The fact they are releasing pre-patch Tuesday tells me it will be out before the end of the year. Delaying until 20201 means it will be 12 weeks of pre-patch. They aren't going to let it drag on that long.

They said it would be out later THIS YEAR. They are not going to delay it again and they sure as hell don't want that PR fiasco and the bigger money loss that will come with it,. This will come out in December at the latest.

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Yeah, sure mate. 0 influence.

They don't. Activision is use as the boogeyman for those that are ignorant of how the business is actually set up. Actvision-Blikzzard is the parent company. They own two companies, Activision and Blizzard. Both Activision and Blizzard have their own CEO's. Those CEo's report to the CEO of ACtivision-Blizzard, Bobby Kotick. So, Activision does not in any way make decisions for Blizzard and vice versa. Those are the actual facts, not the ones that "Activison is the boogeyman" brigade have pulled out of their rears.

[Foszil]

so excited