Blizzard to Old Fanbase: Go Away

[Yarathir]

....who cares? Are we just going to ignore that these same people have been actually in the industry before working at Blizzard or just dishonestly frame it?

Dont say youre not doing the latter either, the "four years" thing is really telling you are try to sway that these people are "new" even though that these same people have public LinkedIns that show occupation history prior to Blizz.

Yes I am actually coming down on them for being there for four years and deciding they want to be the ones to steer the game away from the big bad scary innuendos, double entendres and flirts.

What are you gonna do about it?

[Demithio]

Its just a sign of the times... wow came out when the internet was free after religious censorship fell out of favor and everyone had a do what you want mentality. Now we are in a age of corporate censorship where the goal is to not offend the weakest most deviant of society since those types tend to build their identity around consumerism. This age is fading though and a new one is starting. Each age always lashes out when it is in decline much like religious zealots burning children's toys those who worship consumerism will try to destroy current entertainment..

Still no matter what seasons change and tyrants die. Just remember this to will pass.

Well, I hope you're right, because it sure as f*ck has been screwed up for a while now in this industry.

[TidalConflux]

These changes don't really matter and are time wasters in of themselves. They herald a coming shitstorm. If you don't violently shut down people like this they posion everything they touch till they kill it then move on.

"They are POISONING THE GAME"

"How?"

"They are changing names and references away from overtly on the nose sex/dick jokes"

"Ummm......how is that going to kill the game?"

"YOU DONT UNDERSTAND -- THESE PEOPLE WILL KILL THE GAME"

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Yes I am actually coming down on them for being there for four years and deciding they want to be the ones to steer the game away from the big bad scary innuendos, double entendres and flirts.

What are you gonna do about it?

Laugh at you. So how many years do they need to change the game if you want to set up artificial goalposts?

[Ragerre]

So, the make up of a company's development team has changed over time, and they are now gradually making changes that fit their sensibilities and those that operate in their social/cultural bubble.

Color me shocked.

Would be interesting to see the new team produce their own game and try and compete with WoW.
Guess that would be unfair.
Oh well, they can still milk work of others and call the creators trash, while removing all references to them.
There's always that part of audience, that will stay anyway, no matter what you do with the game. Very reliable guys.
Sunk cost fallacy can be cruel, doubly so if it's 15 years in question.

[Razorice]

Between the recent changes to old content in WoW Retail and the inclusion of Classic (plus ways to keep Classic refreshed) it seems like Blizzard is telling its aging playerbase to fuck off from Retail in an appeal for new fans from a modern age with different social sensibilities and values.

Considering how much of the “aging fanbase” exists on this site, how do you feel about this?

Blizzard changing some emotes is them telling us to fuck off? your point seems a bit radical. If you're as "mature" as you say you are you wouldn't care about some emote changes lol

[Empower]

"They are POISONING THE GAME"

"How?"

"They are changing names and references away from overtly on the nose sex/dick jokes"

"Ummm......how is that going to kill the game?"

"YOU DONT UNDERSTAND -- THESE PEOPLE WILL KILL THE GAME"

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Laugh at you. So how many years do they need to change the game if you want to set up artifical goalposts?

They change the theme of the game slowly over time. Every concession leads to another and then another. You can look at past trends in this game alone. The game has gotten lighter in overall tone since cata. The writing has been edited and changed to the point characters are being retroactively changed to be made misunderstood.

I admit it takes seeing a bigger picture beyond your limited perception but we are already in the middle of its effects.

[Yarathir]

Laugh at you. So how many years do they need to change the game if you want to set up artificial goalposts?

Artificial goalposts?

Sorry my man I don't speak reddit.

[TidalConflux]

They change the theme of the game slowly over time. Every concession leads to another and then another. You can look at past trends in this game alone. The game has gotten lighter in overall tone since cata. The writing has been edited and changed to the point characters are being retroactively changed to be made misunderstood.

I admit it takes seeing a bigger picture beyond your limited perception but we are already in the middle of its effects.

"Lighter in tone". Yes, because the story tones of Mists of Pandaria, WoD, Legion, and BFA were all so light in tone amidst stories of war, conquest, war crimes, and genocide.

That sounds like fake outrage.

Artificial goalposts?

Sorry my man I don't speak reddit.

"People that disagree with me must be from Reddit". You said 4 years isnt enough, how many years is okay with you?

[Yarathir]

I find it funny that those who proclaim to be all for removing these things for being cringy and "puerile" also seem to be rushing to the defense of a story that speeds more towards being a third-rate copy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a Warcraft skin with every passing patch.

[TidalConflux]

I find it funny that those who proclaim to be all for removing these things for being cringy and "puerile" also seem to be rushing to the defense of a story that speeds more towards being a third-rate copy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a Warcraft skin with every passing patch.

"These people who say that people are being cringey about the removal of things must like Shadowlands story too".

0/10 attempt. Try again.

[Yarathir]

"People that disagree with me must be from Reddit". You said 4 years isnt enough, how many years is okay with you?

Probably more than what in game company terms makes you a baby. 4 years means around end of Legion start to mid BfA time just off the top of my head.

One, max one and a half expansions of being part of a development team doesn't actually make me feel comfortable about your respect for the game.

[Grimbold21]

Artificial goalposts?

Sorry my man I don't speak reddit.

Remember the 90s when christian conservatives were going on tirades about certain kinds of music, and moms (and the media in general) worried about kids becoming violent (and pervs) because entertainment - including video games - had lots of violence and sex?

Hop on over to today, and we see the removal of language and imagery because it'll foster a bigoted society, really just have an "-ist" of your choice.

I wonder how it feels to become modern day puritans.
@TidalConflux https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news...lhalla-2814871 , remember this one?

[Yarathir]

"These people who say that people are being cringey about the removal of things must like Shadowlands story too".

0/10 attempt. Try again.

Any shoe fitters? Any at all?

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Remember the 90s when christian conservatives were going on tirades about certain kinds of music, and moms (and the media in general) worried about kids becoming violent (and pervs) because entertainment - including video games - had lots of violence and sex?

Hop on over to today, and we see the removal of language and imagery because it'll foster a bigoted society, really just have an "-ist" of your choice.

I wonder how it feels to become modern day puritans.
@TidalConflux https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news...lhalla-2814871 , remember this one?

No it's different because ackchually this time it is true uhm.. JUST BECAUSE, OK?

When those icky sticky conservatives did it it was bad, dumb, oppressive and conspiratorial, but now it's good and smart and empathetic because it's my team doing it.

[Dhrizzle]

They change the theme of the game slowly over time. Every concession leads to another and then another. You can look at past trends in this game alone. The game has gotten lighter in overall tone since cata. The writing has been edited and changed to the point characters are being retroactively changed to be made misunderstood.

I admit it takes seeing a bigger picture beyond your limited perception but we are already in the middle of its effects.

So you're saying it's a process that started before a lot of these devs started working on WoW and was probably spearheaded by some of the original devs to match their own changing attitudes and those of society? Wasn't it Chris Metzen who wanted Sylvanas changed so she wasn't going into battle with her belly exposed?

[TidalConflux]

Probably more than what in game company terms makes you a baby. 4 years means around end of Legion start to mid BfA time just off the top of my head.

One, max one and a half expansions of being part of a development team doesn't actually make me feel comfortable about your respect for the game.

Thats fair, I just wanted to see what your opinion was. I agree with you that these people probably should have a bit more experience before making more sweeping changes -- but I dont envision these as large changes at all.

[Dhrizzle]

Remember the 90s when christian conservatives were going on tirades about certain kinds of music, and moms (and the media in general) worried about kids becoming violent (and pervs) because entertainment - including video games - had lots of violence and sex?

Hop on over to today, and we see the removal of language and imagery because it'll foster a bigoted society, really just have an "-ist" of your choice.

I wonder how it feels to become modern day puritans.
@TidalConflux https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news...lhalla-2814871 , remember this one?

You mean when they were pushing for regulation and making spurious claims about cause and effect with regard to violent incidents? Yes that was completely different to content creators deciding to make changes of their own accord.

[Grimbold21]

Any shoe fitters? Any at all?

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No it's different because ackchually this time it is true uhm.. JUST BECAUSE, OK?

When those icky sticky conservatives did it it was bad, dumb, oppressive and conspiratorial, but now it's good and smart and empathetic because it's my team doing it.

The only reason they get away with this is because how they masquerade this as support in the fight for equality and agaisnt prejudice. And companies give in because of their ESG score, I suppose.

[Yarathir]

Thats fair, I just wanted to see what your opinion was. I agree with you that these people probably should have a bit more experience before making more sweeping changes -- but I dont envision these as large changes at all.

They're not large, but they compound. It's not one small change, two small changes. It's one minor patch and we already have a laundry list of, let's be honest, mostly innocuous stuff being removed or altered. A "your momma" joke, really?

I don't think many people had a problem with the removal of Afrasiabi stuff. I had slight issues with Mac Aree because I felt like Makari would've been a better change and require less work, but overall, those were changes I could understand.

Turning a painting into fruit, or changing an innuendo that is also a Diablo reference is just silly to me, and clearly people cared enough to want and get it changed- a few of them, as we just covered, even came out and admitted that they were the ones to push for these changes.

Point being, this doesn't happen in a vacuum. We don't just see the removal of one piece of quest text, we see the removal of a bunch of stuff in the same patch for at this point honestly clear ideological reasons. It's disappointing.

[TidalConflux]

@TidalConflux https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news...lhalla-2814871 , remember this one?

No, because I didnt follow the news of AC: Valhalla religiously and thought the game was terrible and boring. From the article, the outrage seems dumb though -- since the character is a fully helmed character who serves as a boss for the fight. The change doesnt affect the bad gameplay.

Is the change dumb? Sure. Does it affect your overall enjoyment of the game? No. Should it? No.

Point being, this doesn't happen in a vacuum. We don't just see the removal of one piece of quest text, we see the removal of a bunch of stuff in the same patch for at this point honestly clear ideological reasons. It's disappointing.

See, I dont see it that way -- I feel like thats just boxing at shadows where there isnt anything there. It may be disappointing to see the changes made, but it isnt going to affect my overall enjoyment of the game (whether positive or negative).

[Empower]

"Lighter in tone". Yes, because the story tones of Mists of Pandaria, WoD, Legion, and BFA were all so light in tone amidst stories of war, conquest, war crimes, and genocide.

That sounds like fake outrage.


"People that disagree with me must be from Reddit". You said 4 years isnt enough, how many years is okay with you?

Yeah it really is... classic dealt with war crimes and children being tortured and went into detail about...hell they lobotomized people to permanently make them living slaves never mind naxx lore.

I admit my memories of tbc are dodgy but you can see them changing it right now.

I always find it weird for something to happen then immediately people claim it wont happen...

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So you're saying it's a process that started before a lot of these devs started working on WoW and was probably spearheaded by some of the original devs to match their own changing attitudes and those of society? Wasn't it Chris Metzen who wanted Sylvanas changed so she wasn't going into battle with her belly exposed?

Why do you think I care about the opinions of devs? I don't want things I enjoy constantly being made infantile. I couldn't give two shits about what the code monkey wants.