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

[Tyris Flare]

Perhaps, but what do you want me to do about people who do dumb things? Just ban everything?

People who spend money on dumb things beyond their means will spend it on anything. The rest of us can't help that.

You can't stop it, and going full nanny state isn't a solution either. But you can certainly nip at the margins with regulations.

Beyond that, though, you can complain enough to change people's minds and change the external pressures on a company. It has worked before, like with Battlefront 2.

[Ghost of Cow]

"Poor people should be thankful they get anything at all" Certainly a stellar position.

Well, the point being that it's literally a free game. You can log in and play until you're not having fun anymore and then just stop. All without spending a dime.

Yes, these games are designed for infinite progression because they want to infinitely milk money from the whales. All of the gear that has been bought now will probably be outdated in a year, and there will be easier ways to get the current gear, while new gear is introduced for payers. People are literally throwing their money at an infinite progression system, where everything they buy will be shit in a few months, and I sit here and all I think is "A fool and his money are soon parted" or as Asmongold calls it, the "stupidity tax".

You're right, although I would argue that MMOs have actually been much worse for the industry in this regard.

[BeepBoo]

Perhaps, but what do you want me to do about people who do dumb things? Just ban everything?

Get upset and shit talk them (and the companies that are exploiting them) like the rest of us instead of seemingly celebrating their success?

The rest of us can't help that.

Contrary to popular belief, it's been shown numerous times throughout history that sentiments, desires, and other such things CAN in fact change with just such the actions you're reeling against. Astonishing!

[PsychoSe7eN]

Find a better revenue model that supports the current level of profits in the mobile game industry specifically and all video games generally. Laugh all you like but if you want change someone has to figure out what to change to. Meanwhile your hilarity is irrelevant since no, there's little anyone can do to change how these are made.

Remember, F2P with this revenue model has proven so far to be the most profitable way to publish games over the last few years. Suggest something better that doesn't look like you're asking for charity from for-profit businesses.

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Dude, I'm not the one claiming that Blizzard invented all of this and loot boxes. I'm also not the one expressing outrage because Blizzard has never done this before. Hearthstone and Overwatch would disagree with that.

EDIT: To be clear: I'm the one saying that Blizzard was never your friend and that Blizzard has always done what they see as best for Blizzard.

They are in the business of making money to continue making games. Times have changed. I ask again, why is anyone surprised? Why do you care? There is nothing we can do about it. The ship has sailed. Not just in games.

[Vasilisa]

Ok? Yes, don't do those things. What do you want me to say, that because people do dumb things we need to get rid of a video game?

Nope, I've never said that we need to get rid of it. A lot of people have problems with some actions like ex. aggression (that's what we have police for) or addiction (that's what specialized clinics are for). That's why have restriction on some things. Sadly there is none in mobile gaming.

Sadly I don't thing that right now there is anything more that can be done for D:I. They won't change the system and shop because it's guaranteed that they manged to hooked few whales who'll be paying enough for their salaries. I'd love if the game wasn't praying on primal instincts (lust for power) and would go for some non-essential things instead like Poe does. If you want an online game to keep getting updates, they need a stable cash resource but it can be done in more elegant way.

Alternatively Blizzard devs could have been more sincere with their audience so people would know what to expect. Wyatt Cheng lied through his teeth was he said recently that you won't be able to buy gear from store (technically you can't, in practice you won't be able to acquire best gems without the store).

[BeepBoo]

EDIT: To be clear: I'm the one saying that Blizzard was never your friend and that Blizzard has always done what they see as best for Blizzard.

I'd say that there was a time when what I wanted coincided with what was best for blizzard. There was a time when they were a small passionate starry-eyed development team who wanted to get on the map and make something they loved to share with the world just because they thought their idea was great and others would like it, too.

Alternatively Blizzard devs could have been more sincere with their audience so people would know what to expect. Wyatt Cheng lied through his teeth was he said recently that you won't be able to buy gear from store (technically you can't, in practice you won't be able to acquire best gems without the store).

No sincerity required. Everyone already knew exactly what to expect, hence the reaction to it at blizzcon leading to the infamous "UNOHAVEPHONE!?" comment.

[Vasilisa]

No sincerity required. Everyone already knew exactly what to expect, hence the reaction to it at blizzcon leading to the infamous "UNOHAVEPHONE!?" comment.

We already have politicians that specialize in the lying field, would be nice if other departments wouldn't be joining them so bluntly.

[tomten]

Don't drink, don't do drugs, don't smoke, don't spend money, don't hit other people when angry, don't start wars.... It's good that you don't have problems with that but some people do, quite a lot actually. And merciless companies are praying on them. They want players to become addicted (to some degree, we obviously can't compare this to a drug addict) and keep spending forever. Blizzard became such company, which shouldn't be a surprise. After all fish starts rotting from the head.

We absolutely can... Cocaine for example trigger dopamine receptors... Same that happens when beating a game, winning the lotto, getting that achievement etc.. or in this case, spending money on a whole game designed and engineered around triggering those exact same brain receptors as cocaine. Let that sink in for a while.

[Biomega]

We absolutely can... Cocaine for example trigger dopamine receptors... Same that happens when beating a game, winning the lotto, getting that achievement etc.. or in this case, spending money on a whole game designed and engineered around triggering those exact same brain receptors as cocaine. Let that sink in for a while.

And so does having a good time with friends, doing sports, and a gazillion other completely mundane things involved in incentive salience and pleasure learning physiology. You're blindly regurgitating a complete mess of incomplete and incorrect information about how these things work, and blatantly conflating things like appetitive and consummatory behavior - not to mention extraneous stimuli and direct chemical intervention.

I'm not saying Diablo Immortal doesn't have problems, but it's dangerously fallacious to simply equate substance additions with behavioral problems or incentives just because "lol dopamine". That's like saying love and heroin are the same thing, because "lol chemistry". It does. not. work. like. that.

[sensei]

Bobby's gonna have to start paying you guys for real. What day we on now with people defending one of the worst f2p models in recent history with a beloved once respected ip

Don't have any intention of playing this game, but honestly the model isn't any worse than a ton of other games out there. Just off the top of my head CookieRun Kingdom, a game my friend's kids are playing, comes to mind. Honestly the problem is that people play these mobile games like regular games, while they really are just time killers, something you do on occasion on your lunch break, waiting for your name to be called at the dentist or whatever. Funny thing is that when New World came out, which is B2P, people on this very website were literally complaining there wasn't enough shit to buy in the cash shop lol.

[RobertoCarlos]

Don't have any intention of playing this game, but honestly the model isn't any worse than a ton of other games out there. Just off the top of my head CookieRun Kingdom, a game my friend's kids are playing, comes to mind. Honestly the problem is that people play these mobile games like regular games, while they really are just time killers, something you do on occasion on your lunch break, waiting for your name to be called at the dentist or whatever. Funny thing is that when New World came out, which is B2P, people on this very website were literally complaining there wasn't enough shit to buy in the cash shop lol.

If this was also called Cookierun Kindom Hot shots part 2 then I probably wouldnt care. I'd still think its gross they out source to china to make their games now but its not surprising, I guess blizz studio is just a corporate cesspit on how to make money and not games.

But no they have to piggy back off the work of others that have since left the company using a popular IP like diablo that has sentiment and attachment from millions of players already instead of making something new

[Ghost of Cow]

We absolutely can... Cocaine for example trigger dopamine receptors... Same that happens when beating a game, winning the lotto, getting that achievement etc.. or in this case, spending money on a whole game designed and engineered around triggering those exact same brain receptors as cocaine. Let that sink in for a while.

The fuck kind of misinformative pseudoscience is this?

"Everything that might be enjoyable is cocaine now."

[MoanaLisa]

do you have an argument? or are you hoping Bobby Kottick see's your posts?


@monalisa I assume you agree that kids should not be allowed to gamble. any and all comments not related to that can be kept private.

No, kids should not be allowed to gamble. Blizzard, as we have been reminded fucking numerous times over the last dozen plus years, is not our parents, nor theirs. It's up to the parents in the home to have some say and control over what their kids do. Frankly, if some 10-year-old has access to his parent's credit card how they resolve that is up to them. It's not Blizzard's concern. Again, Blizzard is not the fucking parent here.

[Dhrizzle]

*spoiler alert*

When you get to Westmarch Charsi is there and she says "Good to see you." It's the best thing since they put Parvink in Tanaan Jungle, this game is now perfect.

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Playing it on PC is absolute bollocks. Plugging my phone into the monitor and using it as a controller has been interesting. Dunno if I'll be able to develop the muscle to use a touchscreen that way but if I can it will be pretty sweet.

Has anyone had any joy using a controller on the PC version?

[threads]

gameplay is actually really good. most phone games ive tried are shit but i played this one for a few hours on accident.

[pahbi]

No, kids should not be allowed to gamble. Blizzard, as we have been reminded fucking numerous times over the last dozen plus years, is not our parents, nor theirs. It's up to the parents in the home to have some say and control over what their kids do. Frankly, if some 10-year-old has access to his parent's credit card how they resolve that is up to them. It's not Blizzard's concern. Again, Blizzard is not the fucking parent here.

I wouldn't give a 10 year old access to milk and cookies, let alone a credit card.

I just read where some streamer spent ~$4000 to get some legendary gem and didn't get one. I hope he generates $4000 in streaming revenue.

The micro transaction game model just sucks, I hate it, I'd rather spend $60 up front and own something, than get nickel and dimed to death. But I can see why companies are so tempted by micro transactions. For some reason, its a ton easier to get someone to spend $500 a quarter at a time, than it is to get $500 all in one chunk.

[ifrah]

As the poster stated above, I'd rather know my price tag from the get-go, whether that's a monthly fee or a one-time payment.
Regarding this game, if you don't like this extreme milking p2w scheme, don't play the game. Don't even download it. Leave it. Otherwise there will be more.

[Caerrona]

This thread just confirms my theory that the VAST majority of blizzard gamer's have never once played anything but blizzard games.

Also, to all the people complaining I know i'd personally like to see links to all your other threads started or posted in on forums for other mobile games like arknights, genshin, raid shadow legends ect. x 100 to at least prove you are not a spineless piece of garbage whining about "blizzard bad".

[MoanaLisa]

This thread just confirms my theory that the VAST majority of blizzard gamer's have never once played anything but blizzard games.

Also, to all the people complaining I know i'd personally like to see links to all your other threads started or posted in on forums for other mobile games like arknights, genshin, raid shadow legends ect. x 100 to at least prove you are not a spineless piece of garbage whining about "blizzard bad".

Soon enough we'll be discussing the ethics of forcing Costco customers to walk through the entire store to pick up their $4.99 rotisserie chicken. The temptations...oh my.

[Darkeon]

Soon enough we'll be discussing the ethics of forcing Costco customers to walk through the entire store to pick up their $4.99 rotisserie chicken. The temptations...oh my.

Not, but we'll probably be discussing the ethics of Diablo 4 monetization.

That comparison makes more sense, but your disingenuous ass knew that already lol