Well, they could had done experiments using experimental mode. They just got rid of their own “legacy”
Also trashed most of the arcade modes while doing it.
Sincerely I think is the result of actual lack of communication on those decisions.
Both engines were compatible, at least revampes TED was backwards compatible with the older one. While newer stuff wouldn’t. So the port from the old would be fine.
They also could work in several patch versions depending on the mode. Meaning they could had as experimental until fix things up
It’s Blizzard, communication will forever be their biggest problem.
I think they are pinning their hopes on the PvE, and they want the engine begin used, so they can file off the rough edges before that lands.
I have no idea how good PvE will be, but Blizzard has put an awful lot of resources into it, so they I guess must rate it highly enough to keep going with it.
I suspect Blizzard realizes how fragile their position in the PvP market is. This is going to sound REAL weird, but fornite’s creative mode, with the new UE code platform for it, is going to yield a lot of new games and game modes in that space.
If so, I’m really concerned about how polished and well made the PvE will be. Their record since OW aren’t stellar. The last 6 years their releases and launches got worsened than the old days, by a fair margin. The least thing they need is a bad PvE also, due right now they simply don’t care to casuals on PvP and competitive is a joke.
Didn’t much favors on their releases neither got in a good state for awhile.
D2r got a decent spot right now, but is a outdated game with fancy graphics and some QoL at end of the day.
With low wages and lack of Q&A doesn’t give much confidence. Paired with several folks who did made blizz be known by what it’s values were, are long gone. With a small few exceptions. Also got rid some bad folks in the middle.
I don’t think so, their reward system and incentives are plainly bad, even for folks who buys BP. Everything on the game screams “I couldn’t care less”.
If there is one thing I have learnt from development, it is you do always care.
I am sure the devs actually care about the game deeply, but I think a lot of the problems they face a hard ones. (including dysfunctional Blizzard problems).
I don’t think they don’t care, I think they are just a mess, and that makes it look like they don’t care.
There is a difference, I mean not to us the players I guess, since the output looks the same. Lack of patches, problems persisting, them struggling which stuff which looks easy from the outside, etc.
If you have a look at all the stuff which has happened to Blizzard in the last year, I’m still surprised they are even still a thing. There should be a smoking crater where they are, and yet, updates are still coming out of them.
I suspect once they are absorbed into microsoft for a year, there will be period of stability, which, I suspect they need.
If they end up being brought by Microsoft, because If I was MS, I would be working with the antitrust people to find an exit out of that deal.
The only reason they would go though with it is if the activision side of things was doing really well.
Even Microsoft can’t afford to keep the game devs they have. Swallowing Activision/Blizzard as well, is a hell of a thing.
NetEase livestreamed it tearing down a World of Warcraft statue outside its headquarters, and I don’t think people really realize how much of a big deal that is.
Blizzard is in serious trouble right now, and I am SURE they have a bit of “stress” going on internally.
I don’t even know how they are as functional as they are right now given the (yes self inflicted) mess they are in.
Given meta verse and 3 d world creation and gaming are going to be the services of the next decade, blizzard even in its current state is a grab just for its ip and tech.
Cod wow overwatch is too powerful a Trinity not to mention StarCraft and candy crush.
First part, tbh was a bad deal to MS, but they have cash and want enrich their “cloud”/“live gold”. So, I would argue that could savage something.
MS itself right now is running to lose less money, but as a player I wouldn’t be happy with the acquisition. MS perform poorly on gaming outside US. The AWS change to Google Cloud didn’t helped blizz either globally.
They can, just often don’t produce much. While I don’t think was a good deal for gamers in general, the dominance on gaming market would be a bit oppressive.
Tbh, blizz statues in the past had meaning. Due their values. These days? A fancy monument at best.
Which is why, the folks at the top of the food chain, should be blamed and hold accountable. Don’t get me wrong, but for projects go south both the direction, coordinators and CEO and others are the ones to blame and be punished.
They’re in a mess, but they’re in this mess for more than 2 years already. So, I would argue that is plainly incompetence at this point.
Risk management, roadmap, goals, quarterly updates and so on. Check the Diablo4 and you will see at least a better management than OW had since Jeff left, while Jeff wasn’t a stellar director, he at least took the blame and showed his face to take most of the hits when things went south.
Aaron did something similar, but isn’t nowhere as charismatic or present as Jeff was.
He feels more like a good coordinator but lack leadership skills, I don’t have anything against him, just feels he doesn’t have “firm stance”. Which led to those things being handled the way it is. Jeff at least put the foot on the door and hold some “line”.
Indeed, this year is going to be absolutely huge for them.
An eye watering amounts of devs released from the major studios, and them really hitting their stride in the game engine area ready for them to all start forming smaller companies and using it?
Add in their new coding language (as mind bending as Verse is, it is a hell of a thing) - and them putting out their “so you want to mod fortnites engine to put out your own game, let us help you with that, there is a special modding kit for it”.
It is going to be pretty wild.
I don’t even go game dev any more, and I’ll be picking it up and seeing how far I can push it.
!! - I know you know what I mean there.
I mean, Blizzard has just started performing REALLY poorly outside of the US. They have really shot themselves in the foot there.
Does anyone know if Immortals is going to stay up in China, I know WOW and OW is not.
Microsofts gaming division has been pretty good for the companies which ended up under it, at least up till this year.
I don’t think you get what happened there. Contract negations broke down, to the point where there is no fixing the bad blood between netease and Blizzard.
This means Blizzard has just lost the China market, all of it, all at once.
It is huge.
Totally.
I think it is something else, in that the board made a bad deal, and it became in some peoples best interests to burn the entire company for any short term profit they could get.
And burn they did.
Diablo4 is in development hell I thought?
It is true.
Founders of projects usually have clearer visions than the ones which follow them.
They’re part of a different deal, until it “ends” will stay the same on that regard.
Theh own too many IP and barely release anything. Most of the things they released afterwards were flop.
Got knew as “IP cementery/graveyard”.
With China laws about gaming and controversies of HK and others. Blizzard was on a rough relationship with chinese market, even Immortal took awhile to actually be released in there.
The good old buddies day on china was long gone.
I really don’t think so. The things I heard or saw so far are really promissing. Even with the leadership changes due the harassment cases. They’re rock solid on their plans as far I know. Heck they kept showing progress and info as their intended roadmap.
They’re, as far I’m aware, right on track. I mean, if they were on dev hell wouldn’t “deliver” on the promised date roughly 9 months ago. On MS conference stating “within an year”.
I think aaron is in the team almost since the beginning. Not sure tho. But he feels more a coordinator than a boss tbh.
About unreal, my guess is tencent eating the pie when sweeney leaves. I would say in about 10 years.
They already have a large chunk of it anyways. Epic Games eventually will be handled by tencent.
Unreal got nice improvements for sure, but I hope the competition keep fighting back. World doesn’t need another “chromium” dominance but on game development. More engines means more diversity ID engine is heavily optimized by example.
I completely forgot about clans and guilds. Til this video. Why isn’t this in. Wasn’t this hinted at being worked on for years. So were the dev’s lying this whole time?
!! - I know you know what I mean there.
