Diablo 3 Discussion

[Drowsy Emperor]

They aren't killing off anything but they are shaping the tastes of the newer generations of players due to their success, and influencing the market. Its not a coincidence that there are so many diablo clones, and attempts to emulate WoW. Its pushing the traditional RPG ever more into fringe territory as a product that is desired by a small crowd of people, hence less attractive to invest in.

[Gizmo]

It is another nail; Now we know how Betamax and HD-DVD owners felt; (and for similar reasons ).

How's that any way related ?

Everyone, the industry and consumers, benefitted from having one standardized storage medium instead of two competing ones.

Because they were better. (Do you disagree?)

 

** Consider the HD player: Every one of them was designed to update online, and the spec ensured that every HD player would play every HD disc... Was that true of Blu-ray? (rhetorical).

Edited August 22, 2011 by Gizmo

[trulez]

Because they were better. (Do you disagree?)

 

** Consider the HD player: Every one of them was designed to update online, and the spec ensured that every HD player would play every HD disc... Was that true of Blu-ray? (rhetorical).

I can agree with that, sure. But RPGs are not going vanish like HD-DVD did, they're evolving and merging with other traditional game types. Edited August 22, 2011 by trulez

[Drowsy Emperor]

Oh they're not going to vanish they're just going to be released with increasing rarity, and not with an AAA treatment.

Like adventure games.

[entrerix]

Oh they're not going to vanish they're just going to be released with increasing rarity, and not with an AAA treatment.

Like adventure games.

 

 

this is the future i foresee as well.

 

all mainstream "rpg's" will just be action games with level-ups and dialogue.

 

that said, i loved fallout new vegas. and the above description fits that game, so its not all doom and gloom from my perspective. the last traditional rpg that i truly truly loved was planescape: torment... not exactly a recent title. every other more traditional rpg since then has been less than amazing.

 

its possible though we might see a resurgence at some point, rpg's don't need great graphics imo, so its very possible a small but dedicated team could put together a great indie rpg some day.

[pmp10]

Blizzard on Diablo 3 online requirement

But what about those without a stable internet connection? What should a player do if, say, the internet wiring in his house is flawed?

 

“Erm… upgrade the wiring in his house?” suggests Wilson. “I mean, in this day and age the notion that there’s this a whole vast majority of players out there that don’t have online connectivity – this doesn’t really fly any more.

 

“I mean, at our hotel, there’s nine wi-fi networks that I can access. Just from the hotel! And they’re all public – they’re all paid – but they’re pretty cheap, and they’re all publicly available. So the notion that there’s just tons and tons of people out there that aren’t connected – isn’t… I don’t think is really accurate.”

I guess Blizzard is not a proponent of gaming on laptops.

Edited August 22, 2011 by pmp10

[entrerix]

maybe this is just a trick to get pc users who don't have internet to wait for the console version to play diablo 3 offline

[Gfted1]

maybe this is just a trick to get pc users who don't have internet to wait for the console version to play diablo 3 offline

 

This lone person died in 1992.

 

And what does a laptop have to do with online connectivity?

[entrerix]

really though, there are very few games i'm excited enough to play that i would still buy it if it required constant internet connection as drm. but diablo 3 definitely is one of those few.

[greylord]

Blizzard on Diablo 3 online requirement

But what about those without a stable internet connection? What should a player do if, say, the internet wiring in his house is flawed?

 

?Erm? upgrade the wiring in his house?? suggests Wilson. ?I mean, in this day and age the notion that there?s this a whole vast majority of players out there that don?t have online connectivity ? this doesn?t really fly any more.

 

?I mean, at our hotel, there?s nine wi-fi networks that I can access. Just from the hotel! And they?re all public ? they?re all paid ? but they?re pretty cheap, and they?re all publicly available. So the notion that there?s just tons and tons of people out there that aren?t connected ? isn?t? I don?t think is really accurate.?

I guess Blizzard is not a proponent of gaming on laptops.

 

I just read that interview. As one of those that have stated I am greviously disappointed, that I probably would not buy MANY copies like I did with Diablo 2, BUT I WOULD STILL BUY a copy of Diablo 3...I'm starting to rethink that idea.

 

I love the Diablo series thus far, I'd say I have been pretty much a locked in buyer from the day they announced Diablo 3...you can even check the earlier thread on this. I'm pretty anti-DRM HOWEVER REGARDLESS I still planned on buying a copy.

 

Still, tentatively do...BUT I'm starting to be put off by the entire arrogance of the people running Blizzard these days. That guys arrogance is actually somewhat infuriating. Suggesting someone rewire their entire house (a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollar job) because he, in his infinite wealth thinks everyone should be able to do that!?

 

I'd like to kick him to the middle of the Congo for a month and then then ask him why he wasn't online for so long...did he just need to rewire his house or something?

 

WOW...talk about his audacity...that entire rewire holds for swaths of the US in some rural areas...they don't just have to rewire their house, but the lines leading to the house as well.

 

I still am buying a copy of Diablo 3 at this point, and hope this guy's arrogant take and simply ridiculous sneer was out of the ordinary...but if this is the type of attitude they are going to cop...I don't care who they are, they deserve a good swing at the face or at least allowed to fail miserably at whatever they are trying to force someone into. They keep up that type of..."We know all our hardcore fans will buy it no matter what we say or how we treat people" and I have to admit, even if I want to play, I might not buy it simply on principle that I find that type of behavior towards customers or even potential customers as so off putting that they don't need my business.

 

If they truly feel they can treat people like dirt underfeet and not even sort of speak politically nice...well I guess they don't need people playing their games like me either.

 

I'm probably simply unique in that, I planned on buying the game even though I don't agree with the DRM thingy...so even that wasn't enough to stop me...but start treating and talking down to me like your a king and we are peasants...I'll simply chuck your game and ideology out to the curb and find some other entertainment.

 

If I'm NOT unique however in disliking being spoken to like chattel, I don't understand their strategy because it's going to kill sales, and if that happens and it sales terribly they'll blame Pirates or something else other than their AH/RMT/DRM...and especially probably won't remember that they probably pissed off many potential buyers simply because of this...I'm better than you attitude.

[entrerix]

i dont think its necessarily arrogance, they have what like 10 million WoW players? all those people have internet, and they play from lots of different countries. i think he genuinely expects all those 10 million people to have internet. maybe even more than 10 million.

 

edit: i think most of the people saying "what if the internet goes out, or what if i dont have internet" are being a bit much. the bigger concern should just be: why should i have to connect to your servers to play my game by myself? its draconian and controlling.

 

bringing up the "no internet" situation just distracts from the important part of the issue imo

Edited August 22, 2011 by entrerix

[greylord]

i dont think its necessarily arrogance, they have what like 10 million WoW players? all those people have internet, and they play from lots of different countries. i think he genuinely expects all those 10 million people to have internet. maybe even more than 10 million.

 

edit: i think most of the people saying "what if the internet goes out, or what if i dont have internet" are being a bit much. the bigger concern should just be: why should i have to connect to your servers to play my game by myself? its draconian and controlling.

 

bringing up the "no internet" situation just distracts from the important part of the issue imo

 

No, the arrogant part is his comments.

 

Question to Mr Wilson: What happens if you don't have a good internet connection...

 

His answer: Rewire your house (and pay a couple thousand dollars for the pleasure of allowing you to play my $60 game)

 

He should have said something more like: We balanced the pros and cons and found that to ensure a solid experience we needed the always on internet...so you won't be able to play if you don't have that requirement.

 

Much more polite and nice.

 

Question to Mr Wilson: What if people don't want to play the game online in singleplayer

 

His answer: (you IDIOT!) You're playing the game completely wrong (and have been for the past 15 years you fools), you play it our way, or you can forget about it.

 

He should have said something more like this: While we understand the concern of everyone, We want to make the game as good as possible for everyone, even the Single Player game. Unfortunately, the best solution we've found to ensure that there is a good Multiplayer aspect where people can't hack the server and the code is to also have the Single Player online.

 

More wordy? Yes...but also much more acceptable.

 

I don't give a dang how "correct" he may think he is, I'd give him a good one/two to his face if he talked to me like that in a bar. He comes across as a VERY arrogant prick. His attitude seems more like... you'll take it up the rear end and like it...because I SAID you will like it...who cares what you think.

 

And that attitude is sort of the exact type to make me simply say, I don't need to put up with that from anyone, much less someone trying to sell me something.

 

As I said, I hope this is an isolated incident. It's not enough to put me off from buying the game, but a few more episodes like that, showing that sort of arrogance...well...I'm a customer...I don't need to put up with someone being a smart alek to me...I'll just let them play by themselves.

[entrerix]

well, i can definitely agree that telling your fans they are idiots and are "doing it wrong" is a pretty stupid thing to say in an interview promoting your new game.

[Gizmo]

If they truly feel they can treat people like dirt underfeet and not even sort of speak politically nice...well I guess they don't need people playing their games like me either.

 

I'm probably simply unique in that, I planned on buying the game even though I don't agree with the DRM thingy...so even that wasn't enough to stop me...but start treating and talking down to me like your a king and we are peasants...I'll simply chuck your game and ideology out to the curb and find some other entertainment.

Alas, I was a locked in buyer as well, and have played since the first game; and was looking forward to it additionally, because Leonard Boyarskiy was a lead developer on it... But I have already decided to let it pass by due to the internet demands and the single-player saving my games on their server requirement. I've got plenty of other games I've bought and not finished to last me a few years.

 

I won't even bother with Diablo3 except to admire the game on Youtube.

[trulez]

I'd like to kick him to the middle of the Congo for a month and then then ask him why he wasn't online for so long...did he just need to rewire his house or something?

I didn't know Congonese were PC gamers with their $40 monthly wages and all, I guess you learn something new everyday.

 

If you guys REALLY wanted to play D3 in the first place the internet requirement wouldn't deter you away.

 

You remind me of:

 

"Maan, this ain't no single player, this is a facist internet game, Diablo 3 to the ground!"

Edited August 23, 2011 by trulez

[Gfted1]

Its interesting watching the haters paint themselves into a corner. They have to come up with more and more outlandish excuses...."but my laptop doesnt get internets in outer space!!!uno!11"

[Blarghagh]

I feel awkward because back when SC2 came out I was all hatin' it over similar reasons, but after a while I realized most of these things only made the game better for me. For example, because it holds on to my progress, I can just uninstall the game whenever I need some extra space (I work with enormous video files) and when my space is free again I can just reinstall it and continue.

[Malcador]

Will suck to get an ISP outage, heh. Just a bit dumb to require this for a SP game, but the gaming public, heh, are cool with it so eh.

[Drowsy Emperor]

I feel awkward because back when SC2 came out I was all hatin' it over similar reasons, but after a while I realized most of these things only made the game better for me. For example, because it holds on to my progress, I can just uninstall the game whenever I need some extra space (I work with enormous video files) and when my space is free again I can just reinstall it and continue.

 

But it is uncomfortable, the idea at least, of having a single player game you can't play without going online.

Or at least not having the choice to do so, if you want to.

[Gizmo]

I feel awkward because back when SC2 came out I was all hatin' it over similar reasons, but after a while I realized most of these things only made the game better for me. For example, because it holds on to my progress, I can just uninstall the game whenever I need some extra space (I work with enormous video files) and when my space is free again I can just reinstall it and continue.

 

But it is uncomfortable, the idea at least, of having a single player game you can't play without going online.

Or at least not having the choice to do so, if you want to.

Absolutely agreed.

[greylord]

I'd like to kick him to the middle of the Congo for a month and then then ask him why he wasn't online for so long...did he just need to rewire his house or something?

I didn't know Congonese were PC gamers with their $40 monthly wages and all, I guess you learn something new everyday.

 

If you guys REALLY wanted to play D3 in the first place the internet requirement wouldn't deter you away.

 

You remind me of:

 

"Maan, this ain't no single player, this is a facist internet game, Diablo 3 to the ground!"

 

They actually have gamers everywhere believe it or not. that's of course disregarding the ENTIRE fact that you pointedly missed the entire point of my post...but hey...

 

Haters are going to hate...and that goes for those that are defending Wilson's derogatory comments (much of which people focused on the No internet thing, I was looking at his sarcasm...and made me simply want to put him in his place) to...well...everyone.

 

Congo's too far out for you...How about Montana outside of the city (which is only about 90% of it granted...the other 10% are all gathered in nice internet hotspots).

 

Probably around 50% of the US would count as well landwise...is that a good enough nation for you? Just put him out in one of the far rural areas and tell him he can't leave until he rewires to get high speed internet...and he has to do it on a job he can find there (so no using his savings or anything else). Considering some of those places require that you not only rewire the house...but lay the actual cable down in the first place...let's say he even get's to be a manager (since he won't own any land starting off), at 60,000, the 20,000 to rewire his house won't be too hard...the 6 million to lay cable to where he lives...well...if he puts his entire salary towards it and only lives on grass and water...that should only take him 100 years to pay for it.

Edited August 24, 2011 by greylord

[trulez]

They actually have gamers everywhere believe it or not. that's of course disregarding the ENTIRE fact that you pointedly missed the entire point of my post...but hey...

 

Haters are going to hate...and that goes for those that are defending Wilson's derogatory comments (much of which people focused on the No internet thing, I was looking at his sarcasm...and made me simply want to put him in his place) to...well...everyone.

 

Congo's too far out for you...How about Montana outside of the city (which is only about 90% of it granted...the other 10% are all gathered in nice internet hotspots).

 

Probably around 50% of the US would count as well landwise...is that a good enough nation for you? Just put him out in one of the far rural areas and tell him he can't leave until he rewires to get high speed internet...and he has to do it on a job he can find there (so no using his savings or anything else). Considering some of those places require that you not only rewire the house...but lay the actual cable down in the first place...let's say he even get's to be a manager (since he won't own any land starting off), at 60,000, the 20,000 to rewire his house won't be too hard...the 6 million to lay cable to where he lives...well...if he puts his entire salary towards it and only lives on grass and water...that should only take him 100 years to pay for it.

Fine, I'll bite.

 

The US has a population of 308,745,538. According to this paper 72% of US citizens play video games (this includes everything from handhelds to consoles and PCs alike) so that would be 222,296,787 individuals. Do you know how many of those live in Montana ? 0,4 %

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_...e_United_States

As of 2011, about 250 million Americans live in or around urban areas. That means more than three-quarters of the U.S. population shares just about three percent of the U.S. land area.

So yes, it is perfectly fine for Mr. Wilson to COMPLETELY ignore the whole state of Montana and still be successful in his business.

Edited August 24, 2011 by trulez

[Gizmo]

So yes, it is perfectly fine for Mr. Wilson to COMPLETELY ignore the whole state of Montana and still be successful in his business.

Not fine, just legal. The world is full of jerks that get by on that.

 

**There is a flip-side though (and it can be equally abusive). I worked in a "central business district" that was primarily non-residential, and did not offer cable tv or internet, because there were no lines laid, and too few customers to justify the expense. My boss's nephew came to work for him and was to share the upstairs mini-apartment in the warehouse. He flipped at learning there was no cable and them refusing to supply service; Somehow he learned the conditions of the cable company's arrangement with the city, and that it stipulated that they MUST provide service to anyone within the city limits who asks... So after a letter threatening to put his complaint into the local newspaper. the cable company agreed ~and tore up parts of the street for several blocks. They laid the line, and the supplied service; (And he was only staying in town for two months).

Edited August 24, 2011 by Gizmo

[greylord]

They actually have gamers everywhere believe it or not. that's of course disregarding the ENTIRE fact that you pointedly missed the entire point of my post...but hey...

 

Haters are going to hate...and that goes for those that are defending Wilson's derogatory comments (much of which people focused on the No internet thing, I was looking at his sarcasm...and made me simply want to put him in his place) to...well...everyone.

 

Congo's too far out for you...How about Montana outside of the city (which is only about 90% of it granted...the other 10% are all gathered in nice internet hotspots).

 

Probably around 50% of the US would count as well landwise...is that a good enough nation for you? Just put him out in one of the far rural areas and tell him he can't leave until he rewires to get high speed internet...and he has to do it on a job he can find there (so no using his savings or anything else). Considering some of those places require that you not only rewire the house...but lay the actual cable down in the first place...let's say he even get's to be a manager (since he won't own any land starting off), at 60,000, the 20,000 to rewire his house won't be too hard...the 6 million to lay cable to where he lives...well...if he puts his entire salary towards it and only lives on grass and water...that should only take him 100 years to pay for it.

Fine, I'll bite.

 

The US has a population of 308,745,538. According to this paper 72% of US citizens play video games (this includes everything from handhelds to consoles and PCs alike) so that would be 222,296,787 individuals. Do you know how many of those live in Montana ? 0,4 %

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_...e_United_States

As of 2011, about 250 million Americans live in or around urban areas. That means more than three-quarters of the U.S. population shares just about three percent of the U.S. land area.

So yes, it is perfectly fine for Mr. Wilson to COMPLETELY ignore the whole state of Montana and still be successful in his business.

 

What!?

 

Do you really want me to go down listing all the states which lack high speed internet in their Rural areas? Or did you REALLY think Montana was the ONLY place? It may have one of the larger areas without high speed internet (however it's not the largest, NOR the one with the most area without high speed internet) in the US, but it's not the only place by far. I used it as an example.

 

Those without a constant High speed internet connection (aka, one that actually is always on and never has a break in service...aka...thunderstorms knock it out for an hour or other accidents) actually comes close to zero.

 

We could simply put Mr. Wilson in New Orleans or Miami (big cities actually) right when some cat 4 or cat 5 hurricanes hit and knock out the power for a day or two and the internet for longer. That's probably when I'd be primarily playing Video games.

 

As for 200 million plus Americans playing Video games...you really think that's the PC gamer (not the light games like Bejewelled, but the heavier PC gamer market that would play Blizzard games) market for Blizzard? I'd put the market as primarily male between the ages of 12 and 50, with another major demographic (but probably lower then 25%) being female between the ages of 18 and 40...many of them with a liking of Fantasy or Science Fiction and a PC that actually runs PC games.

[trulez]

Do you really want me to go down listing all the states which lack high speed internet in their Rural areas?

That's kinda the idea, I mean it's you who's trying to make the case that these mythical gamers without INTERNET are out there. I'm only responding to what you claim.

 

The original question was "But what about those without a stable internet connection? What should a player do if, say, the internet wiring in his house is flawed? ", I don't see any mention of BROADBAND. And that's because you do not need broadband to play online, don't try to shift the argument to something it wasn't in the first place.

 

Here's a study about internet usage in the US during 2010:

http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm

 

Users with any type of access: 239,893,600

Users with broadband: 85,287,100

Edited August 24, 2011 by trulez