Is Blizzard still a 'cool' company?

[Caerrona]

The idea that some people love what they do is that foreign to you? Obviously they hoped to make money too, but the point was that they were uber-nerds who wanted to make the best games they could, and loved making those games.

I guess the difference is - those guys made games because they loved it, and wanted to create something they themselves could play. The guys now make games for someone else (stockholders, fans, the "masses"), meaning the heart isn't really there.

Why was there a subscription then? Lookouts on raids? Cds on crafting mats? Horrendously low drop rates on everything in the game?

I know if i ever created a game that i loved and wanted to play the shit out of i wouldn't be like "hmmmmm ill make so i can only have fun once a week then have to come back next week".

Looks to me like vanilla devs were padding that "engagement" meter.

[Grubenwolf]

In the 14 years I've been playing this game I never really cared much about Blizzard or gave much thought about them, I just loved WoW. It wasn't until WotLK I think that I started to think less of them because I will never forget them advertising aerial PVP combat showing a character in a jet shooting fireballs out of it right on the box but it was never actually a thing in the game. Not that I ever really played PVP much but it was the principle of falsely advertising something that's not even in the game.

When their in-game store crap came out that's when I really started to dislike Blizzard as a company. From then on they just seemed to be a greedy company that cares about nothing but milking the game for as much money they can get out of it. Then of course how they handled the whole Blitzchung thing and showing more of their colors and how much they love kissing China's ass.

Also, not to mention their way over priced character services and in-game shop. Their pricing is one of the worst I've ever seen in any online game. I mean for a game that already has you buying the game itself and then paying an additional fee for subscribing to it you'd think they'd have these services for free or at a much lower cost at least. $5 for a name change and $10 for a server change, fine but how they have it now? It's ridiculous. Same for their in-game shop items. $5 for a pet and $10 for a mount would be decent. The prices they're at now are just disgusting.

I wish I could love this game and the company behind it but I can't. Blizzard, as a whole, is just another greedy ass company out for your money.

[zhero]

I will never forget them advertising aerial PVP combat showing a character in a jet shooting fireballs out of it right on the box

those clearly weren't character's casting fireballs, it was canon fire. and we technically did get it, just not the way we hoped.

[Mamut]

There is no such thing as a cool company

All companies exist to get your money - this does not make them bad but it's important to remember that ultimately they don't care about you or your opinion, just your wallet. You should never worship a company, it is only worth the product it has to sell you

Blizzard currently sells games I want to play, so I pay them. That's as far as the relationship can and should go

I agree so much with this. I never understand people who think companies own them something. If I like products offered by the company I buy and use them, if I dont like them anymore I just dont buy it.
Is not this simple? Theres so much games around if you dont enjoy WoW anymore. Dont act like some drug addict who cant control himself.

[tamarin]

There's no such thing as a "cool" company. "Coolness" is only ever a marketing ploy and nothing more.

[Grubenwolf]

those clearly weren't character's casting fireballs, it was canon fire. and we technically did get it, just not the way we hoped.

Yeah that's what I meant, guess I worded it wrong. The jet shooting it's "cannon fire" looked just like a mage's fireball.

[Portlandia]

well they're called blizzard so wouldn't that mean its cold there? so yes they are a cool company.