Should Blizz scrap HotS and try again?

monochrome19

I haven't played since the beta, so I decided to fire up HotS and try it out again. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it on Kotaku, especially about the new game mode. Well, it took 3+ mins to get a que, which is pretty long considering LoL takes 30secs-1min to find a game. The tourneys I see on Twitch are completely empty and now they are incentivizing players to recruit for them. Honestly, with all the money they make from WoW and HS this shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think Blizz should just admit this wasn't a success like their other games and finally listen to player feedback and do a revamp.

Yaevindusk

 

Heroes of the Storm is one of the rare Mobas that is actually more fun to play, than to watch.  This presents a problem in the esports scene that is already fairly big and settled as is with LoL and Dota -- of which, for all intents and purposes, are more fun to watch than to actually play.  This is in addition to it not quite getting the UI needed to really make it interesting to watch, the commentators that will keep the audience into it, and the established teams that are needed to acquire more interest (though some of them are already being formed).

 

That said, you can bet they are making bank on HotS with all their franchise heroes and sales.  Though I would personally change some maps, delete others and make more that resemble actual locations in Blizzard games.  This is where they're starting to head with the Battlefield of Eternity event and the map it came with.

 

In addition, I'd probably change the camera angle when watching on as a spectator to more reflect the same position the more popular games have, even if they don't change it in actual play.  The game itself seems to be trying to make itself into a game rather than just a spectacle with one map and watching people grind levels for a half hour; the amount of maps is pretty ridiculous as a whole (and one of their strengths) and allows for countless different tactics and synergies and learning new strategies per map.  This is another problem as they try to make the game more about fun than anything else (and I hope they don't stop adding maps provided that they are themed to their games).  Which directly conflicts with the norm for the established genre as a whole, as other MOBAs tend to do what WoW is now and half ass everything when compared to new competition what with HotS bringing constant and substantial content updates.

 

They will be added even more in the future.

Quizzical

No.

There's no sense in scrapping a released game and trying again unless there's a whole lot of obvious, low-hanging fruit that can be fixed by such an overhaul but can't be fixed without it.  For example, FFXIV.  And... well, pretty much just FFXIV.

Hrimnir

Originally posted by monochrome19

 I've heard a lot of good stuff about it on Kotaku

There was your first problem.

Axehilt

Originally posted by Hrimnir

Originally posted by monochrome19

 I've heard a lot of good stuff about it on Kotaku

There was your first problem.

While true, that doesn't change the fact that HotS is a completely enjoyable MOBA.  

The hero design is on par with LoL, and takes more chances with its heroes (Abathur, Vikings, Brightwing, etc.)  The removal of last-hits helps the focus be more on fighting your opponent than LoL (but not by much, since in late game it feels like there is slightly more PVE in HotS.)

It's a great game where I've heard heaps of praise from most who've played it, and rarely hear complaints. Some have been "OMG this is different! I can't handle change!"  Some have been "this is so easy" (and then you look up their ELO and they're hilariously low.)

TheBlackWolf

HotS is great and is making them quite a lot of money i'm sure, why would they scrap it again?

rojoArcueid

I stopped playing mobas because i dont like point and click. Plus, after the death of Dawngate and Infinite Crisis, if i have to pick a moba it would be HotS. But i wont because i dont like Point and click. For that reason alone, my moba of choice is Game of Glory on steam, it plays a bit like HotS but you can equip all sorts of weapons and use them in real time, and more importantly... it has WASD.

d_20

Originally posted by Hrimnir

Originally posted by monochrome19

 I've heard a lot of good stuff about it on Kotaku

There was your first problem.

What's wrong with Kotaku? It's as valid as any other game reporting sight, other than http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/

which is the best player-viewpoint site in my opinion or http://www.gamasutra.com/  for an industry perspective and news.

Soki123

Best MOBA I ve played ever. Not sure why you would scrap it at all.

Chrisbox

Me and my cousins have a blast playing hero league.  The meta right now of HOTS is significantly more fun than LoLs right now for me.  Not to mention the multiple map system is great.

kitarad

Yaevindusk slammed the nail on its head that the game is more fun to play than watch. This of course makes the twitch crowd watch it less and play more so this makes it harder to gauge. Would you consider a game more fun to play than watch a success? They would probably make more money if it was watched more because the people earning the money on twitch and their channels would probably promote it more but having a fun game seems to be the better gauge one should use as a gamer. Always better to be a participant than a spectator don't you think ?

Suntouched

Thats just ignorant to say they should scrap the game, its already very successful its on the top 10 most popular game on Twitch has millions of players and a very big team and budget behind it so it will grow.

It has a big following for a moba so new, it has alot of innovations to the genre and will introduce many new players to the moba genre. Blizzard are very good at what they do and how they do it.

I have only been playing the game for a month but its been very fun, my main Moba will still be Smite as point and clicking can never be that great for me, but i do enjoy the map varieties and the way they have handled alot of aspects that i find outdated and a barrier to mobas as a whole. 

 

Utinni

So your gripes about the game are the queue took too long and not enough people watch it on twitch?

Not sure I've ever had a queue over 1m on heroes, and my league queues are typically 3+, some people wait 20+ mins in queue on league.

hockeyplayr

I don't see how 3 minutes is too long.  I used to have to sit and watch TV waiting for a game in league to pop at times. 

nbtscan

I came to terms while trying out this game that I suck at MOBAs, but I didn't really notice anything wrong with the game itself so I don't know why they should give up on it.

fivoroth

Maybe the OP should just go back to LOL and play that? If you don't like the game, I am sure you can just go and play league. 

 

UnleadedRev

I think Blizzard should scrap all its games and do them over in the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K universes.

Otherwise, I am not interested in anything they do.

aesperus

The problem is w/ Blizzard/Activision's approach to their latest games. They take the top game(s) from other popular genres, and then dumb them down / simplify them to be as accessible as possible. It's a model that works if you want something to be popular (which they do), but it's not one that works well if you're trying to have an esport driven game.

HotS isn't a failure for what it was designed to be, but i'd honestly be surprised if it ever gets a decent e-sports presence without changes to the core gameplay. There's just not enough depth to their latest games to keep things interesting, so nobody really cares about those games on a competitive level. They are casual paradises to their core, and that's fine.

If they're trying to have an esports presence they need to go back to their roots w/ StarCraft 2, and start making games that are easy to play (accessible), yet difficult to master (high skill cap) again.

monochrome19

Originally posted by aesperus

The problem is w/ Blizzard/Activision's approach to their latest games. They take the top game(s) from other popular genres, and then dumb them down / simplify them to be as accessible as possible. It's a model that works if you want something to be popular (which they do), but it's not one that works well if you're trying to have an esport driven game.

HotS isn't a failure for what it was designed to be, but i'd honestly be surprised if it ever gets a decent e-sports presence without changes to the core gameplay. There's just not enough depth to their latest games to keep things interesting, so nobody really cares about those games on a competitive level. They are casual paradises to their core, and that's fine.

If they're trying to have an esports presence they need to go back to their roots w/ StarCraft 2, and start making games that are easy to play (accessible), yet difficult to master (high skill cap) again.

I like your response

Loke666

Originally posted by Quizzical

No.

There's no sense in scrapping a released game and trying again unless there's a whole lot of obvious, low-hanging fruit that can be fixed by such an overhaul but can't be fixed without it.  For example, FFXIV.  And... well, pretty much just FFXIV.

Well, there are other examples as well like the PC version of the latest Batman game, but yeah.

Anyways, scrapping it at this time would be a mistake. Improving it is the right way to go.

Besides, even Blizzard wont only make million selling games. Earlier they scrapped Starcraft: Ghost to avoid something that only would sell moderatley but I don't see Activision making the same call.

HoS can and will surely be improved, but starting from scratch again just ain't a good idea. In that case they could just make an entirely new game instead and take what income they get from HoS.

It wouldn't be the first Moba game not doing as well as expected.

Wizardry

I absolutely detest Moba's but to be fair i have not tried HOTS.I hear some people claim iot is different,i find that to likely be a very exaggerated statement.

However none the less,i am a bit bored,i will check it out and see where the game can improve.

Pyuk

HotS is actually a fun MOBA without (mostly) the socially challenged and perpetually virgined d-bags in it ripping on newbs.

fivoroth

aesperus said:

The problem is w/ Blizzard/Activision's approach to their latest games. They take the top game(s) from other popular genres, and then dumb them down / simplify them to be as accessible as possible. It's a model that works if you want something to be popular (which they do), but it's not one that works well if you're trying to have an esport driven game.

HotS isn't a failure for what it was designed to be, but i'd honestly be surprised if it ever gets a decent e-sports presence without changes to the core gameplay. There's just not enough depth to their latest games to keep things interesting, so nobody really cares about those games on a competitive level. They are casual paradises to their core, and that's fine.

If they're trying to have an esports presence they need to go back to their roots w/ StarCraft 2, and start making games that are easy to play (accessible), yet difficult to master (high skill cap) again.

How does your response make any sense. They need to go back to their roots but you say sc2 is a good competitive game. What else is there after sc2? Diablo 3 and hearthstone are not supposed to be competitive by their very nature. So it's just hots?

also LOL showed us that you can have a competitive game which is severely dumbed down. Or lol only dumbed down but hots gone too far? To me both games look dumbed down but at least hots is fun which is something I can't say of lol.

gervaise1

Reports suggest that the number of people playing on PC has fallen significantly since it was released on mobile - which now has several times the number of "accounts". Could be a factor assuming you were queuing on PC. 

kaz350

To be honest I'm SHOCKED they didnt go a 3rd person route like Smite.

FrodoFragins

scrap it?  LOL No.  the engine is fine.  They need to decide if they want it to be a real eSport and if so then add complecity with items and in game gold like true MOBAs.