• remotelove@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 years ago

      Blizzard was (still is?) Activision for a number of years as well, so that didn’t help. There is much more to blame and I can’t even begin to pretend like I know all of it, though.

      My own complaint is similar though. When “profit at all costs” takes over, and knowing how to make a quality game is lost, there is usually little hope left.

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      2 years ago

      The people that made blizzard are all gone, there’s several newer studios that haven’t released much of anything yet. Frostgiant, warchief gaming, dreamhaven, imagendary studios are all offshoots of former blizzard employees.

      • ignism@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 years ago

        Although Metzen is back, Blizzard will never be the Blizzard of old. They are just too big now. I am very curious to see what Morheim will bring to the table though.

  • kaitco@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    46
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 years ago

    Too bad they didn’t have this attitude before cutting 1900 jobs, most of them Blizzard employees and making the cut after promising not to make massive cuts.

  • Lols [they/them]@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    40
    ·
    2 years ago

    im so glad that blizzards internal culture and conduct align with microsofts values enough for them to skip the hands-on approach theyve shown with other subsidiaries

  • Ephera@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    29
    ·
    2 years ago

    Interesting thing to say, with lots of the public expecting Microsoft to uproot the abusive work culture. I mean, you probably can’t say anything right in that regard, nor is not talking about it going to look good, but yeah…

    • micka190@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      30
      ·
      2 years ago

      “The breast milk snatcher will be caught”, a Microsoft representative assured the New York Times before taking a deep, long slurp of their milkshake, their eyes closed in apparent bliss as shivers ran down their spine. “Your days are numbered!”

    • RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      Out of the loop here, but my recollection was WOW printed money because they were a subscription service before it was cool. I can’t say I’m surprised, but are they really doubling down with MTX?

      I feel like the justification for subscriptions is “this way we can afford to keep adding new content.” To turn around and go “oh, BTW, you have to pay separately for that new content you’re subscribing for” just feels like an extra slap in the face. But I guess you do you WOW players. They’ll keep pulling this kind of BS as long as folks keep paying for it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 years ago

        The sub is great for their bottom line. The current state of the game is selling carries for everything from pvp, ranked, raids, dungeons, even leveling. To fund these legal in game purchases blizz will sell you gold for money. They also introduced a cosmetic store with in game currency which you earn by keeping the sub active. Then finally they have their normal store of mounts and pets for cash.

      • Cyberspark@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 years ago

        Subscriptions are to keep the lights off, servers on and server maintenance and improvement. Then purchases of expansions covers the cost of development.

        MTX in such a game is a bit weird, but it does give something for extra asset creation and animation. I suppose if they make something that doesn’t end up being used they can repurpide it as a pet or mount.

        It’s the trading money for gold and the effects of the economy in wow that put me off.