Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[rhorle]

Lich King Classic releases in November. They won't slam two games out at the same time, especially especially since it would mean rushed shit for Dragonflight.

They are supposed to be two different teams. Sure they likely share resources during crunch or what not but I don't think Classic would really take that much from retail development.

[huth]

They are supposed to be two different teams. Sure they likely share resources during crunch or what not but I don't think Classic would really take that much from retail development.

Sure, but these games directly compete for attention. It doesn't economically make sense to release them close together.

[rhorle]

Sure, but these games directly compete for attention. It doesn't economically make sense to release them close together.

It is all one subscription. The economics of it doesn't matter because either way they are getting a MAU. If a user plays retail and classic they are counted as two users. So either way they get counted. The Quarterly Report conspiracy was always thin at best and now doesn't even matter with the merger approved by share holders and just waiting to close.

[AngerFork]

It is all one subscription. The economics of it doesn't matter because either way they are getting a MAU. If a user plays retail and classic they are counted as two users. So either way they get counted. The Quarterly Report conspiracy was always thin at best and now doesn't even matter with the merger approved by share holders and just waiting to close.

All one subscription, sure...but there's only so much time to play each game & financially the sub price is the same for either. Releasing them both together means players tend to focus more on one, then fall behind and/or put off trying the other one. However, releasing them a couple months apart gives a nice ramp up to keep players subbed. If Blizz hypothetically went with WotLK Classic in November with an update to Winter Veil followed by a January pre-patch into a late Feb/early March release, that's likely to stretch those same subs out over 4-5 months rather than just 1-2.

[rhorle]

However, releasing them a couple months apart gives a nice ramp up to keep players subbed.

So how is that different from releasing normal content updates? It also doesn't account for classic players that don't play retail or retail players that don't play classic. That is the flaw here. You are only focusing on one side of potential players with out focusing on the drop that will occur. There has never been anything to indicate that Blizzard has purposefully delayed or rushed content just to release classic or retail in different months/quarters. We have evidence that they will launch both Classic and Retail content in the same month. TBC Classic was on June 1st with Patch 9.1 on June 29th.

[huth]

It is all one subscription. The economics of it doesn't matter because either way they are getting a MAU. If a user plays retail and classic they are counted as two users. So either way they get counted. The Quarterly Report conspiracy was always thin at best and now doesn't even matter with the merger approved by share holders and just waiting to close.

Which is precisely why it makes sense to spread them out. Having them all bunched makes you lose out on MAUs in later months.

- - - Updated - - -

So how is that different from releasing normal content updates?

New expansions have much bigger pull than patches. That's not exactly news. The flaw is in your argument.

[rhorle]

Which is precisely why it makes sense to spread them out. Having them all bunched makes you lose out on MAUs in later months.

How are you losing out on a MAU when both Retail and Classic get counted separately? If a person only plays one then they will still only play one later, right? So either way they are only going to be counted as 1 MAU.

New expansions have much bigger pull than patches. That's not exactly news. The flaw is in your argument.

It is amusing how you arbitrarily decide that the economics no longer apply. Isn't it strange how you turn their importance on and off based on when it will help or hurt your conspiracy?

[Lady Atia]

So how is that different from releasing normal content updates? It also doesn't account for classic players that don't play retail or retail players that don't play classic. That is the flaw here. You are only focusing on one side of potential players with out focusing on the drop that will occur. There has never been anything to indicate that Blizzard has purposefully delayed or rushed content just to release classic or retail in different months/quarters. We have evidence that they will launch both Classic and Retail content in the same month. TBC Classic was on June 1st with Patch 9.1 on June 29th.

This. I couldn't care any less for classic besides the mount you will get for the digital deluxe edition of it. Sucks to have to wait with retail stuff just because classic exists.

[huth]

How are you losing out on a MAU when both Retail and Classic get counted separately? If a person only plays one then they will still only play one later, right? So either way they are only going to be counted as 1 MAU.

Is it really that hard to understand for you? For anybody playing both, having both release at the same time means they sub for x months. Having them release seperately means they sub for 2x months. For those that don't play both, it doesn't really matter. So having them release together is a net loss.

You keep talking about economics yet you completely fail to grasp the very basics.

[Ersula]

It was annouced in August 2015. Blizzcon wasn't until November 2015. The Alpha did go live shortly after Blizzcon but Beta didn't start until May. There really isn't that big of a difference between then and now in terms of information released.

Only if you pretend Dragonflight's announcement wasn't 5 months late.

A lot of you are pretending Shadowlands is naturally a 30 month expansion when all other expansions have been about 24-25 month rotations.

[rhorle]

Is it really that hard to understand for you? For anybody playing both, having both release at the same time means they sub for x months. Having them release seperately means they sub for 2x months. For those that don't play both, it doesn't really matter. So having them release together is a net loss.

And those who only play one don't sub for 2 months. Strange how you fail to grasp the very basics as well, right?

- - - Updated - - -

Only if you pretend Dragonflight's announcement wasn't 5 months late. A lot of you are pretending Shadowlands is naturally a 30 month expansion when all other expansions have been about 24-25 month rotations.

Why does it being "late" have anything to do with the information once an expansion is announced? You are just looking for ways to be negative while at the same time want every last drop of information. It is a strange dynamic.

[huth]

And those who only play one don't sub for 2 months. Strange how you fail to grasp the very basics as well, right?

Neither do those that play both if they both release at the same time. Your point continues to remain irrelevant.

[Ersula]

Why does it being "late" have anything to do with the information once an expansion is announced? You are just looking for ways to be negative while at the same time want every last drop of information. It is a strange dynamic.

Because I was saying it's late & you've been saying it's not late.

It's late.

[rhorle]

Neither do those that play both if they both release at the same time. Your point continues to remain irrelevant.

It is amazing how you dismiss something as irrelelvant just because it points out the flaw in your argument. Delaying content for retail or classic just to stretch out MAU also means you can lose MAU by having no content for retail or classic. Which means it is relevant to discussions of maximizing MAU, right?

- - - Updated - - -

Because I was saying it's late & you've been saying it's not late.

It's late.

Legion was a late expansion & we already had way more info for that expansion than we have now, if we compare that cycle to this one.

I haven't said its not late. I have said the information we have received about Dragonflight is the same as we have received in past expansions including Legion. If we don't have more information in 2-3 months then your statement will be correct. It is not correct now however.

[Dracullus]

Only if you pretend Dragonflight's announcement wasn't 5 months late.

A lot of you are pretending Shadowlands is naturally a 30 month expansion when all other expansions have been about 24-25 month rotations.

I know this will be hard, but I will try one last time.

Intened release day is usually year after reveal (+- few months). If Dragonflight would be revealed without delays on normal Blizzcon last November, we would looking forward to November '22 release.

We are not discussing if Blizzard gave enough info post launch for November '22 release. We are discussing if Blizzard give enough info (or in other words, is ready) for March/April release.

You can't expect amount of info like we were 5 months after reveal, but acknowledged expansion won't come before ~March/April (year after reveal) at same time.

[huth]

It is amazing how you dismiss something as irrelelvant just because it points out the flaw in your argument. Delaying content for retail or classic just to stretch out MAU also means you can lose MAU by having no content for retail or classic. Which means it is relevant to discussions of maximizing MAU, right?

Most players are already cyclical anyway. You are far more likely to lose MAU by having them release together, while stretching it out is unlikely to have much, if any effect. The impatient bunch here is not the average player.

[Arafal]

Blizzard is not going to have 2 game releases (Which are both of the same franchise and literally share the playerbase) compete with each other.

[Chickat]

Only if you pretend Dragonflight's announcement wasn't 5 months late.

A lot of you are pretending Shadowlands is naturally a 30 month expansion when all other expansions have been about 24-25 month rotations.

Theres plenty of evidence this expansion will be 26 months minimum if not 28. I personally think it will release in March, but we shall see.

I hope they plan on having a long alpha/beta for feedback. 8+ months.

Alpha- mid to late June
Beta- August
Prepatch on ptr late November.
Prepatch live mid Feb to Mid march
Dreagonflight live Mid march to late March.

8-9 months of testing.

[rhorle]

Most players are already cyclical anyway. You are far more likely to lose MAU by having them release together, while stretching it out is unlikely to have much, if any effect. The impatient bunch here is not the average player.

Not if most players are cyclical right? Because that means they will come back for the content that is released for the product they want to play. Why would stretching it out have little to no effect if most players are cyclical? That would mean that by delaying one it increases the length of low MAU in the cycle. If they release both in the same month they they can count any who plays both as 2 MAU instead of one.

So if Blizzard only cared about the economic of MAU then releasing for both Retail and Classic in the same month would be the way to go. As they can double dip when players come back as part of "the cycle", right?

[Dracullus]

Blizzard is not going to have 2 game releases (Which are both of the same franchise and literally share the playerbase) compete with each other.

Games of course not, but Season 4 and Lich King with ~4 weeks between wouldn't be surprise at all. But probably not Nathria/Naxxramas scenario.

And of course this discussion will soon end, Lich King launch is last thing on Classic that could spark interest bigger than major retail patch.