Oh Blizzard, how you have fallen (Diablo Immortal).

[arkanon]

What's up with these absurd statements that supposedly indicate panic?

At this point we will soon have "A gaming company is releasing a new game that's been in normal development time for 4-5+ years because they panic".

"X company is in panic mode as they announce a new game to be released in 5 years because they need to make a product".

"X company is in panic mode because they made a fun game showing they are desperate to gain customers".

"X company is asking $799.99 for the base game, and you have to pay another $99 per level to get to level 100, at which point the actual endgame begins, but, each item costs $299 and you need a full set of 12 to start the first tier of 25 tiers"

players: "if you dont like it, just dont play, but you will be missing out, its a great game!"

X company demands 1/3 of your bodies blood as payment........gamers "thats fine, your body will make more blood whats the big deal?"

The point im making is, as usual, people are making excuses for anything and everything in the name of fandom, and others will attack even the most asinine things.

[MoanaLisa]

That's true, in principle - there's a reason a McDonald's makes more money than any 3-star restaurant ever could.

But time is a factor. Many investors these days are looking for strong gains in the short to medium term. They don't really care about a game's longevity - they want their money ASAP, and then move on to the next thing. To them, a rapid influx of cash during the release window is often much more attractive than the prospect of more money over a long period of time - doubly so because of the uncertainty, as it's much easier these days to have a strong release than it is to retain users over time.

ATVI investors at this point only care that the stock price doesn't go over the $95.00/share offer that Microsoft made. They can sit pat and do nothing.

Once Activision/Blizzard is absorbed by Microsoft, Blizzard will be a very small and relatively insignificant piece of Microsoft's share price. People need to start getting used to that idea as well as the possibility that quarterly reports are likely to disappear altogether once the deal is completed. ATVI made a press release out of the last quarterly results and that seems likely to continue.

In any case Blizzard is the smallest of the three ATVI divisions with King and Candy Crush dwarfing Blizzard's revenues. That's unlikely to change and if investors are looking at anything they are looking at the pieces of the company that can move the stock price. That's no longer Blizzard and D:I is unlikely to make much of a long-term difference either way.

[Biomega]

ATVI investors at this point only care that the stock price doesn't go over the $95.00/share offer that Microsoft made. They can sit pat and do nothing.

While that's true, this likely wasn't a consideration for DI's design, which happened years before this deal was a thing.

In any case Blizzard is the smallest of the three ATVI divisions with King and Candy Crush dwarfing Blizzard's revenues. That's unlikely to change and if investors are looking at anything they are looking at the pieces of the company that can move the stock price. That's no longer Blizzard and D:I is unlikely to make much of a long-term difference either way.

It still matters, because stock price isn't the only thing investors care about. They look at many metrics, and the profit-earning profile of singular products is often one of them. Let alone that aside from the actual stock price there's also the profit-sharing in the form of dividends, so even if the stock price doesn't move considerably because of a product like DI it will likely increase profit, and therefore dividend payout.

[Elim Garak]

"X company is asking $799.99 for the base game, and you have to pay another $99 per level to get to level 100, at which point the actual endgame begins, but, each item costs $299 and you need a full set of 12 to start the first tier of 25 tiers"

players: "if you dont like it, just dont play, but you will be missing out, its a great game!"

X company demands 1/3 of your bodies blood as payment........gamers "thats fine, your body will make more blood whats the big deal?"

The point im making is, as usual, people are making excuses for anything and everything in the name of fandom, and others will attack even the most asinine things.

Your point is moot because, seriously, just don't play it. Whatever they demand as a sacrifice. Your first born? Just don't play it.

[Lolites]

Whatever they demand as a sacrifice. Your first born?

well if you neither have nor plan to have kids this could be nice last resort if you have "accident"

[Cthulhu 2020]

That's basically marketing. Sales. Demo weapons. Nothing special. You play the game see a weapon you like - want to buy. And the last thing you want is for the player to buy the weapon and then go into a match that is that weapons nemesis and upset the player, which will obviously reduce any chances of them buying anything again.

But you of course can read it in a sinister voice with a mwuahahaha at the end and Bobby doing kaching.

No surprise that you shamelessly defend shameless cash grabs and predatory monetization.

This is literally a thing. You trying to hand wave it doesn't mean it isn't.

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Everyone i know personally, loves it. Something tells me we’re going to hear a lot of bragging about DI at investor calls. I feel like DI is probably the best thing to happen to the Diablo IP since before Diablo 3 was launched, and I suspect many others feel the same way.

It's going to be a huge spike for a month then everyone's going to quit. There's no long term vision for this game that is sustainable. The 0.1% of the population that actually likes this dumpster fire is going to move on to the next big thing in a couple of months and all of the money they spent will be gone.

The saddest part is that many people who whale on these games can't even afford it. They go into debt to get the sweet legendaries and worry about the consequences later.

"It's not the company's fault people are bad with money!" When your game is filled with psychological tricks to get people to spend, and spend LOTS, yes it is.

[crusadernero]

This would be an adequate argument if it worked back at the very beginning with subscription models/MUDs having insane MTX options. These parasitic corporations have continued to suck more and more and are still making frankly disgusting revenue, while moving more towards predatory systems. Thinking D:I paywalls are okay only speak for how apathetic or, worse, accepting of them.

No, I won’t respond to absolute drivel involving dopamine, introverts, “wow was grindy so diablo can be grindy” while avoiding that one is a game+sub and the other has a LIMITLESS cost ceiling. People can be “fine” with this and other dogshit predatory cash-fleecing schemes, but that’s more of a window into your morals than anything else.

Those people think of nothing else than themself and view the entire world and every situation with that viewpoint. "Am I affected by this?", "Will I spend alot of money on this?", "I can just choose not to play it.". This sort of thinking.

Anything beyond that is way, way beyond the capability of theyre own mind. Center of it all, its themself. Everything else is circling around them. Will never care, bother or look any other way. If it doesnt 100% directly affect them, they cant give a shit about it.

The scary part? Theres many of them.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Its not activision. Blizzard did it themselves.

Except ex Blizzard devs have often said that Activision was breathing down their necks about monetizing. Blizzard is if course complicit.

Diablo Immoral monetization doesn't even feel like typical Blizzard monetization. It feels like cheaply made korean MMO cash grab and has Activisions grubby finger prints all over it.

[crusadernero]

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It's going to be a huge spike for a month then everyone's going to quit. There's no long term vision for this game that is sustainable. The 0.1% of the population that actually likes this dumpster fire is going to move on to the next big thing in a couple of months and all of the money they spent will be gone.

The saddest part is that many people who whale on these games can't even afford it. They go into debt to get the sweet legendaries and worry about the consequences later.

"It's not the company's fault people are bad with money!" When your game is filled with psychological tricks to get people to spend, and spend LOTS, yes it is.

This game wont be relevant in a months time even. Soon enough its forgotten about and everyone moves onto the next thing. While leaving players behind that left X amount of money on digital goods that is of quite literally no use whatsoever.

If people only started to realise that these MTXs schemes is only there to scam you out of money + these items are literally pointless. These kind of games live and excists of the idea that digital assets are somehow valuable, instead of actually a good game.

[Cthulhu 2020]

The incredible thing is people actually take metacritic seriously, especially when streamers have been cashing in on the controversy and telling their followers what to think.

The hilarious thing is that people can't see rating sites for what they are, and hand wave them away because they know acknowledging rating sites would mean their fap-to game is unpopular.

The other hilarious thing is unimaginative shills who think others get opinions from youtube, when opinions are formed long before youtubes are watched, and youtubes are simply linked to prove points, since the youtubes have a whole lot of facts in them. Facts that people who go "DERRRR HURRRRRRRRRRR DERPA DERPA DOOOOOO YOU GET YOUR OPINION FROM STREAMERS HURRRRRRRRRRR" can never refute. Knowing that they can't refute the facts presented in the videos, they resort to ridiculing people from "getting their opinions from youtube" because they themselves lack imagination, and often get their own opinions from youtube.

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...1#post53702229

Youtube is a tool, one which many people use. It's pathetic, disgusting, and you should feel ashamed of yourself and do a lot of self introspection for your ignorance.

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This game wont be relevant in a months time even. Soon enough its forgotten about and everyone moves onto the next thing. While leaving players behind that left X amount of money on digital goods that is of quite literally no use whatsoever.

If people only started to realise that these MTXs schemes is only there to scam you out of money + these items are literally pointless. These kind of games live and excists of the idea that digital assets are somehow valuable, instead of actually a good game.

Pretty much. There are a lot of vices, but pay to win mobile gaming is probably one of the worst, just above gambling. At least in other hobbies when you spend tons of money, you have something to show for it, something of value. If you whale in Diablo Immortal with $20k, what do you have?

And let's not forget, the way these mobile games work. If you stop playing and/or paying for a time, power creep becomes a thing, and that godly set of armor you spent $20k to get becomes useless.

A fool and their money are soon parted.

[Kumorii]

At least in other hobbies when you spend tons of money, you have something to show for it, something of value. If you whale in Diablo Immortal with $20k, what do you have?

Disposable income
Or in streamers case, spending money on games is an investment of sorts.

Just being pedantic

[Dhrizzle]

The hilarious thing is that people can't see rating sites for what they are, and hand wave them away because they know acknowledging rating sites would mean their fap-to game is unpopular.

The other hilarious thing is unimaginative shills who think others get opinions from youtube, when opinions are formed long before youtubes are watched, and youtubes are simply linked to prove points, since the youtubes have a whole lot of facts in them. Facts that people who go "DERRRR HURRRRRRRRRRR DERPA DERPA DOOOOOO YOU GET YOUR OPINION FROM STREAMERS HURRRRRRRRRRR" can never refute. Knowing that they can't refute the facts presented in the videos, they resort to ridiculing people from "getting their opinions from youtube" because they themselves lack imagination, and often get their own opinions from youtube.

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...1#post53702229

Youtube is a tool, one which many people use. It's pathetic, disgusting, and you should feel ashamed of yourself and do a lot of self introspection for your ignorance.

Oh my goodness you are hilarious! I can't believe after searching my post history you thought it was relevant to compare a designer's insight on a product he worked on to click bait streamers who's business model requires latching on to controversies. Good work!

[crusadernero]

Pretty much. There are a lot of vices, but pay to win mobile gaming is probably one of the worst, just above gambling. At least in other hobbies when you spend tons of money, you have something to show for it, something of value. If you whale in Diablo Immortal with $20k, what do you have?

And let's not forget, the way these mobile games work. If you stop playing and/or paying for a time, power creep becomes a thing, and that godly set of armor you spent $20k to get becomes useless.

A fool and their money are soon parted.

Yeah I agree, this is probably worse than gambling. At the very least,its up there. Its predatory and feeds on peoples weaknesses in a unhealthy way. People gotta realise that if you put 1k(example) in DI today, it will be worthless from the second you buy it. Soon enough most people have moved on from the game and does other things. So there you are, sitting in DI with 1k spendt for no real purpose.

Im also very disappointed in many streamers out there who openly support this business practice, talking about it like its some kind of law of nature. Like this is how mobile games always have been, therefore its ok. Its alyways been this way, so its only natural it has to be like that. So weird take.

Theres also streamers out there who thinks nothing will be done about this, again - like a law of nature. Thinking nothing can be done to stop it, or to regulate it. But, I do believe that one day this will be regulated and stopped by govs around the world. Its coming in EU, sooner rather than later.

[Elim Garak]

It's always fun to see poor people's disdain towards rich people's money spending habits.

[Lathspell]

Pretty much. There are a lot of vices, but pay to win mobile gaming is probably one of the worst, just above gambling. At least in other hobbies when you spend tons of money, you have something to show for it, something of value. If you whale in Diablo Immortal with $20k, what do you have?

And let's not forget, the way these mobile games work. If you stop playing and/or paying for a time, power creep becomes a thing, and that godly set of armor you spent $20k to get becomes useless.

A fool and their money are soon parted.

The amount of people paying even 100+ $ is probably very very small. People with more money than sense spend on all kinds of stupid and useless crap, so why not whaling a mobile game.

[Lolites]

The hilarious thing is that people can't see rating sites for what they are, and hand wave them away because they know acknowledging rating sites would mean their fap-to game is unpopular.

no, we handwave them bcs majority of "ratings" are bullshit...
do yourself a favour and check more than number, you will find gems like people braging not even playing the game and rating it, how is that anything more than trolling?

if someone makes review commenting on all the aspects of game, and close with "BUT due to monetisation its 0/10" i think its unfair but i respect such review

if someones review is "i havent played but i heard..." or "p2w p2w p2w p2w" (yeah thats whole review you can find there, just shortened) or whole "review" mentioning nothing but the monetisation it becomes quite clear the score is pointless

[Osmeric]

no, we handwave them bcs majority of "ratings" are bullshit...

Undoubtedly the rating sites have biases, but the relative ratings of games on each site are still informative and cannot just be handwaved away.

[Elim Garak]

Undoubtedly the rating sites have biases, but the relative ratings of games on each site are still informative and cannot just be handwaved away.

A critics rating is high? They've got paid.
A critics rating is low? They haven't been paid.

Tells you nothing about the game, though

User rating is high? Hype bomb train
User rating is low? Controversy/hate bomb train

Says nothing about the game, though

Ratings are for ratings minded people. You should read the actual reviews.

[Ghost of Cow]

Oh my goodness you are hilarious! I can't believe after searching my post history you thought it was relevant to compare a designer's insight on a product he worked on to click bait streamers who's business model requires latching on to controversies. Good work!

Well, consider the source.

[Dhrizzle]

Undoubtedly the rating sites have biases, but the relative ratings of games on each site are still informative and cannot just be handwaved away.

The idea that a game can be boiled down to a simple numeric score is silly.

The idea that an aggregate of scores makes the situation better is ridiculous.

Trusting the aggregate when you know people can easily be motivated to boost or wreck the score using relatively small numbers is ridiculous.