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Does Blizzard care if you play Diablo 3 after buying the box?
Why or why not?
Yes -- They need the RMAH money to recoup development and ongoing expenses, they think engaged players will buy any planned expansions
No -- They already made their money and whatever they get from the RMAH is just gravy, plus millions will buy the expansions anyway
Comments
The way they are currently handling the game it appears as if they could care less about if you continue playing after your initial purchase. We shall see how the next year treats the game or if it is the same. I made my money back off the RMAH and enough to buy 2 other games when they are released (Torchlight 2, and GW2). If those games both fail I still have my original 60$ investment from Diablo 3 so I am perfectly satisfied currently. Haven't logged into Diablo 3 in about 2 weeks or so give or take a couple days, but I can't bash it due to what I came out of the game with.
Yeah, they easily gained the production costs a ridiculous amount of times over and over. That being said, I'm sure they're thrilled to see how much people are playing the game, too.
I don't think they care...
I don't think it's a matter of assumption at this point either. They haven't tried too hard to hide it.
They have damn near broken every way to have fun in the game short of finding some exploit, or coming out of pocket in the RMAH.
The numbers have dropped substantially, and no, I don't have some statistical website or link to give as "proof" because that is irrelevant. I know far too many people that are gamers, every single one of which who bought the game, every single one of which is upset and not playing anymore.
Too much news, too much public outcry and opinions for anyone to ignore the FACT that people don't like what Blizzard did to Diablo, yet... they won't change it. That says to me that they don't care.
I personally think they are being so bold as to call our bluffs. I think the people that make the decisions on the direction of Diablo development are sitting back waiting to see "everyone come back when D3 expansion launches" and I think they are in for a sad realization when those numbers aren't as high as they expected.
I think they are due for a real eye-opener to see what happens when you insult your entire playerbase and act as if it's ok.
let me bring you guys a bit back up to date. You guys still remember that advertisement on buy a WoW 1 year sub and get a box game free. Clearly, blizzard values you paying for sub games over a box game.
This topic ranks right up there with "wow clones", and fails as far as trains of thought we need to get rid of. Do people honestly think that people are intentionally making games that people are going to think of as no good?!?!?
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that most developers want the playerbase to love the games they create.
Blizzard is counting on the Battle.net/always connected/Every game will be able to access an RM shop to be their default game dynamic from here on out (look for another push to make Real ID mandatory at some point) so I don't think they need it for the success of Diablo 3 but they'd like it to be successfull for what it says about their future plans. Plus of course all the extra money.
I got the game played through until I got to nightmare mode, then de-installed. It was worth the 50 bucks I paid for it. I got a couple of weeks of game play.
I could care less what blizzard thinks about me, I paid for the box enjoyed the game, and said told them to get stuff about the rmah. End of story.
If they don't like it they can ban my account, they are not getting any more money out of me for it.
That's a rational and logical train of thought. In a different world I would absolutely agree. But with what I have seen with my own eyes for years, I just can't believe in that anymore.
RPG Developers used to be about creating their vision and making it as fun as they thought possible. It was Games for Gamers and we were all "computer nerds". Today, things are so twisted up with corporations in a billion-dollar industry that I just plain can't believe logical things on blind faith.
Things have changed.
The motivations of Devs are entirely different than the motivations of publishers/investors. At Blizz, the devs did the work, but the pubs/investors called the shots.
They only care if you want to use the RMAH. For them its better if other players quit.
Of course they do and not simply because of the RMAH.
Good point, actually...
They are probably happy that players like me left. People not about to spend real money on digital items that don't make much of a difference anyway in a game designed to punish you if you find a way to have fun or be successful at killing monsters.
I suppose, as you said, it's better for them that the server doesn't have to support any players who won't come out of pocket beyond box sale.
It is sad. But companies are often not very interested in customers that dont want to spend any money. They probably have no intention to make the game better for people that resfuse to use the AH and spend money. They would make less profit if they did that.
If you refuse to use the AH and complain all the time they will not think you are a very important customer. its much more important to satisfie people that spend money.
I haven't cared much to play it after getting it so I doubt they do either.
"I am not in a server with Gankers...THEY ARE IN A SERVER WITH ME!!!"
I got d3 as a gift from my wife, as it is now its a nice coaster and thats about it for me, in fact i was so bored waiting for a game to pass the time till i get TSW and then GW2, i started replaying X-com and Syndicate (the original syndicate).
D3 for me was about as interesting as watching stock reports.
Lolipops !
i agree though i doubt the real id thing its possible but more money in not pushing then bad pr
Blizzard, going the route of $0E and EA after it's "merger" with Activision no longer care about their playerbase.
We're just more cattle to milk and abuse.
I feel that there are very, very few companies or developers out there really interested in the entertainment value of their product or their costumer base. (Valve being one, perhaps Obsidian and MAYBE Bethesda).
The Blizzard we all knew and loved is dead - and Bobby Kotick killed it.
Pool is silly and flawed.
Sure Blizzard DO care if you play it or not. Not because they need to recoup expenses. (that was made multiple times over by selling 6,5 mln of boxes incredibly fast).
Because they WANT / NEED to earn more money to shareholders.
Even if they would earn 10 x times more than they did alrady, they would still want more.
Kinda obvious? There is no cap on how much anyone would want to earn on a game.
Weird question....
I laughed a little. No they dont, and if you aren't using the RMAH odds are you probably aren't still playing that pathetic excuse of a game. Im not the one to totally torch games but blizzard has been going down further and further in the quality of their products.
Played-Everything
Playing-LoL
Not really no.
It's going to take them up to two years to release a D3 expansion by that time most people that left will buy it anyway to see if it corrected the game.
Playing: Nothing
Looking forward to: Nothing
Blizard isn't the Evil Empire you kids like to think of them as. Of course they care about their playerbase. All sucessful business care about their customers. They want you to be happy and continue to be customers. People saying otherwise are utter buffoons.
I voted Yes, they do care, but it has nothing to do with recouping expenses through the RMAH. They just want to make a shitload of extra ca$h from the RMAH. It's a subtle distinction, but an important one. Your options were wrong in saying they don't care and the RMAH is gravy. OF COURSE they want you to play on and spend more money. It all about the $$$$$!
Same. Judging by the short campaign, the lack of polish, the sheer design flaws, there is no way production costs for this game were even in the tens of millions. They recouped their cost about 50 times over on the first day. Do they care? Yes, they want as much money as possible. They are also trying to indoctrinate as many people into RMT acceptance as possible, and they want to sell at least 1-2 expansion packs. So yeah, they boycotts will impact the future of this company... just not right now. So, if you plan to boycott, stick to your guns, spread the word intelligently, and remain vigilant... and sooner or later this company will collapse :-)Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
No
The game is simply not set up for longevity. Neither do they try to make it last longer.
I suspect they will just let people get very bored and than release expansion.
Yes. They need you to be dumb enough to buy RMAH stuff. They essentially tried turning D3 into the next cash cow with microtransactions. Unfortunately the game does not do enough to justify those transactions (in my view)
They need people on so that there is a larger chance that someone will buy from RMAH.
Play for fun. Play to win. Play for perfection. Play with friends. Play in another world. Why do you play?