Ion on Raid Release Timing, Activision Blizzard Q3 2020 Investor Call

[apelsinjuice]

Launching but delaying the raid further would ruin overall pacing

Then why do LFR players not get the entire raid until February?

so they dont unsub after 1 month when "beating" the content

[Firebert]

so they dont unsub after 1 month when "beating" the content

Easy solution; add Normal raids to LFD

[LazuOG]

Launching but delaying the raid further would ruin overall pacing

Then why do LFR players not get the entire raid until February?

Why do people that want to buy the movie once it's become cheaper have to wait longer to watch it than those who watch it in cinemas?

[det]

I don't get the hate. Yes they fucked up with how they hyped up the announcement. But I am quite sure that the D4 announcement got postponed and they were left with only that. Since we are getting D4, what is the issue with a diablo mobile game?

Every larger gaming company needs to do that. Little team, huge profits.

Edit: And if it doesn't suck we can play diablo on a phone. I will not play it instead of the PC version, but being able to play it on a bus? That sounds nice to me.

No idea why that is. But I guess even Mario gets hate when it is not only on a Nintendo console but gets ported on a mobile device.

It is not like we don't also get D4 (with more complexity?) on PC. So...is it the "Don't you all have phones?" that still triggers people? In which case I can't help but suggest people try and be less of a cry baby. They can dish out their snarky and toxic comments, but can't take a retort? Oh...I know...boohooohoo..I am a customer, I can shit on a company, but a company must constantly suck my balls and cater to my every whimsical wish"

Seriously...do people have actual arguments against a mobile Diablo? And no..."It should not be a on a phone because it ruins the franchise" is not an argument. Nor is "They ruin it cuz muneyZ" ^^ - That is not even an observation. It is an opinion and can as such be listened to, considered, analysed and ignored - because it is vapid.

...and I won't even be playing Diablo Immortal...but boy oh boy...some gamers ...

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Why do people that want to buy the movie once it's become cheaper have to wait longer to watch it than those who watch it in cinemas?

Bit of apples and oranges, but I still like it

[lolmmofuture]

lol still just riding stupid HS and OW...

lol whats wrong with OW? its prob the future of blizzard lol

retail is whats stupid..

[Firebert]

Why do people that want to buy the movie once it's become cheaper have to wait longer to watch it than those who watch it in cinemas?

Raiding isn't analogous to watching a movie.

[tru]

Launching but delaying the raid further would ruin overall pacing

Then why do LFR players not get the entire raid until February?

They aren't real people?
But srs
It would prob be a whole nother level of Skipping blah blah and going straight to Rush lfr and the 40 difficulties afterwards
I still dont see why a whole premade cant be done for it tbh. Maybe you have an entire raid team that just wants to be chill and laid back and have an easy time in the content... you shouldn't be restricted on that. And who the hell wants to sit in que that long.

[Dracullus]

I wonder where this drop for Blizzard in MAU came from

In many countries Q2 was lockdown, Q3 summer - in Europe many people didn't give a shit about virus anymore and now we pay the price. I predict Q4 increase will be huuuuge - both because SL release and second lockdown.

(in know post compares Q2 to Q1 for some reason, but I think it's typo, this is Q3 call after all)

[Firebert]

It would prob be a whole nother level of Skipping blah blah and going straight to Rush lfr and the 40 difficulties afterwards

There's already "40" levels of dungeon content.

I still dont see why a whole premade cant be done for it tbh.

Look at the Premade Group finder; it's infested with WTS or "Curve or GTFO". Players can't be trusted to make groups just like it was mid-Cata.

And who the hell wants to sit in que that long.

What queue? Am tank.

[orsraunia]

Raiding isn't analogous to watching a movie.

It kinda is for LFR :P

[otaXephon]

There's already "40" levels of dungeon content.

Look at the Premade Group finder; it's infested with WTS or "Curve or GTFO". Players can't be trusted to make groups just like it was mid-Cata.

What queue? Am tank.

Genuinely curious: Do you have to insert your absolutely absurd opinion that all content should have queues into literally every thread that you come across?

[Firebert]

It kinda is for LFR :P

Raids don't get completed by everyone sitting and doing nothing for 90 minutes.

Movies don't require effort and reward you with pixels by going to the theater.

[MrDaemon]

lol whats wrong with OW? its prob the future of blizzard lol

retail is whats stupid..

I doubt it.

[Nize]

I don't know, they could have just released it 2-3 weeks later in december, that would have ment people get to play around with the normal stuff for 3 weeks in a manner that does not require a schedule and raiding starts early january. The comment about the patiently waiting people is a rather transparent move to rile up the single crowd that doesn't care about family, most of them could have leveled more relaxed during the holidays, especially after they blew up many people's vacation schedule already.

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Multiple reasons this can't happen.

1) Blizzard employees still need to be at work (even if remote) for a week or two after. Skeleton crew following that. They already go on vacation in mid-December, so it would still have to be early December regardless.

B) They don't come back from vacation until mid-January and need one week to settle back in and prepare for any sort of release. Thus, you aren't talking about an early January 5th or 12th release. You're talking earliest the 19th. Now we're more than a month past expansion release.

C) Mid-December release is happening during a time of shifted focus. People traveling, spending time with family (yes, despite COVID) and going through final weeks of stress means those who are more casual who haven't pre-purchased will probably be too busy to think about purchasing the xpac during its prime time of marketing.

[Kaver]

Launching but delaying the raid further would ruin overall pacing

Then why do LFR players not get the entire raid until February?

Because LFR is a secondary element.

[Eapoe]

No idea why that is. But I guess even Mario gets hate when it is not only on a Nintendo console but gets ported on a mobile device.

It is not like we don't also get D4 (with more complexity?) on PC. So...is it the "Don't you all have phones?" that still triggers people? In which case I can't help but suggest people try and be less of a cry baby. They can dish out their snarky and toxic comments, but can't take a retort? Oh...I know...boohooohoo..I am a customer, I can shit on a company, but a company must constantly suck my balls and cater to my every whimsical wish"

Seriously...do people have actual arguments against a mobile Diablo? And no..."It should not be a on a phone because it ruins the franchise" is not an argument. Nor is "They ruin it cuz muneyZ" ^^ - That is not even an observation. It is an opinion and can as such be listened to, considered, analysed and ignored - because it is vapid.

...and I won't even be playing Diablo Immortal...but boy oh boy...some gamers ...

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Bit of apples and oranges, but I still like it

Large part of it, in my opinion, is the self let down that triggered in people which led to a feeling of being betrayed. There’s no real reason to feel betrayed, but people still felt it. Based on information people had gathered the player base fully expected a Diablo 4 announcement. When they didn’t get what they wanted and thought was going to happen, instead of just being upset about it, they directed all of their hurt and upset at the developers even though it was the players who were at fault.
Just a parallel, imagine a couple that have been together for years. One of them thinks the other is going to propose because of the plans they see are put together. Night of the date comes along and the person they thought was going to propose gives them a necklace or earrings but no proposal. The person expecting it now becomes upset, hurt, and possibly angry at the other person even though the idea was only ever built up in their own head.
The difference in this scenario is one group loves each other and works it out in an adult manner. In the other instance it’s a consumer versus developer situation and the consumer just keeps looking for more reasons to hate the company and developer(s).

[Kaver]

Easy solution; add Normal raids to LFD

The majority of players who use LFD are extremely bad at the game so adding Normal raids to LFD would just result in groups unable to kill bosses. We already see this in LFR on bosses like N’zoth. LFD only works when the content is so easy that it’s almost impossible to fail.

[letssee]

I doubt it.

i feel like they want to make overwatch into its own mmo eventually, after titan failed.

[zantheus1993]

Easy solution; add Normal raids to LFD

are you serious???

we have lfr fail at skitra can you imagine if they did anything requiring actual coordination??

[Kaver]

are you serious???

we have lfr fail at skitra can you imagine if they did anything requiring actual coordination??

I actually almost want Blizzard to add normal raiding to LFD just so people like @Firebert can see how much of a disaster it would be.