With Legion's Launch Seven Months Out, Will Blizzard Make It?

SBFord

With Legion's Launch Seven Months Out, Will Blizzard Make It?

With the World of Warcraft: Legion alpha back in service, we had the chance to hit the ground running in the newest build. Three areas are open and we took a trip through two of them: Highmountain and Stormheim with Suramar yet to go. Taking into account Blizzard's projected release of "summer 2016" which can mean any day up to September 21st, and with the alpha in its current state, one has to wonder, "Will Blizzard make it?"

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Hatefull

@Suzie Ford, I generally like and appreciate your articles. This one strikes me as a slow news week? It's Blizzard...they have more cash and resources than the Saudi Arabians. That is an over-exaggeration obviously however, my point is; If Blizz want's it to happen, it will.

goobsnews

lol, can't tell if this article is serious or not. This isn't Star Citizen, Blizzard will release it when they say they will and it will most likely bring back a huge amount of players.

mnemic666

Hatefull said:

@Suzie Ford, I generally like and appreciate your articles. This one strikes me as a slow news week? It's Blizzard...they have more cash and resources than the Saudi Arabians. That is an over-exaggeration obviously however, my point is; If Blizz want's it to happen, it will.

All that money and they still have 12+ month long content gaps between the final patch of an expansion and the launch of the next. All that money and they put out WoD with a single post-launch content patch (no, selfie can in 6.1 isn't content).

I have no doubts they'll make their release window. The question will just be how much are they going to cut to make it? Because we all know that plenty that was initially planned/outlined as part of WoD launch never actually made it into the game.

Nepheth

Is this article a joke?

Lyrian

At this point in their content cycle they should be starting develop the next expansion, in addition to finishing this one.

Geddon95405

of course its gonna "make it"

Lose some subs but a ton will sign up for Legion. WoW has other probs like bots/cheaters plaguing the pvp system to its core. The ladders are a joke because of it.

Phry

/facepalm

Seriously, is this article even asking a serious question?
Blizzard will do their usual thing, and they will release it when its ready, if they were going to cancel it, they would have done that already, before people even got to try the Alpha.
I agree with Nepheth, the question this article is asking must be some kind of joke.

sipu

Well.... I wouldn't be so sure about those huge amount of resubs. Blizzard raped all hopes with the WoD... thing. They totally lost my attention (I've played 10 years, day by day, I never had longer break than 1-2 weeks for my vacations - I stopped in the middle of WoD). The same claim my friends who have found their new games already. I'm afraid it's too late, at least for us. But HF for you, fellow brothers.

Rzep

mnemic666 said:

Hatefull said:

@Suzie Ford, I generally like and appreciate your articles. This one strikes me as a slow news week? It's Blizzard...they have more cash and resources than the Saudi Arabians. That is an over-exaggeration obviously however, my point is; If Blizz want's it to happen, it will.

All that money and they still have 12+ month long content gaps between the final patch of an expansion and the launch of the next. All that money and they put out WoD with a single post-launch content patch (no, selfie can in 6.1 isn't content).

I have no doubts they'll make their release window. The question will just be how much are they going to cut to make it? Because we all know that plenty that was initially planned/outlined as part of WoD launch never actually made it into the game.

There are no content patches because Blizzard does not care, not because they can't develop them in time. The same will go for the expansion. If they want WoW to keep going they will release what was advertised. If they care even less than I think than they will do the usual thing and cut content. 

In the end, WoW is a lot of work and apparently Blizzard does not think it is worth it to put more effort and money into it. Hots is easier money and Hearthstone is a goldmine with just a tiny bit of effort needed to make it work for them.

KalebGrayson

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

SBFord

KalebGrayson said:

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

I don't think worry is the right word. We know for a fact that many things were cut out of Warlords and, while I actually believe that Legion will make its target date, I wonder how many features will be cut to make it.

GeezerGamer

And so what of this article if they do make it?

Xiaoki

SBFord said:

KalebGrayson said:

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

I don't think worry is the right word. We know for a fact that many things were cut out of Warlords and, while I actually believe that Legion will make its target date, I wonder how many features will be cut to make it.

Like what? What was a promised feature that is currently not in the Alpha and you feel could be cut?

Oh, all of the promised features are currently in the Alpha?


Bad article based on nothing. Yeah, probably a slow news day and I guess they figure they can get people commenting or something if they do a negative WoW article.

pinktailz

recycled textures and shapes everrrywhere again, let it die already for the love of god

GeezerGamer

pinktailz said:

recycled textures and shapes everrrywhere again, let it die already for the love of god

Who does that benefit?
Those who want to play WoW or those who don't?

SBFord

Xiaoki said:

SBFord said:

KalebGrayson said:

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

I don't think worry is the right word. We know for a fact that many things were cut out of Warlords and, while I actually believe that Legion will make its target date, I wonder how many features will be cut to make it.

Like what? What was a promised feature that is currently not in the Alpha and you feel could be cut?

Oh, all of the promised features are currently in the Alpha?


Bad article based on nothing. Yeah, probably a slow news day and I guess they figure they can get people commenting or something if they do a negative WoW article.

We may never know since they got burned badly in Warlords by promising what they didn't deliver. Rather than being "out there", they are taking a different, and very silent, approach by not speaking of anything.
 
Cut from Warlords:

Garrisons in different locations throughout Draenor
Customizable garrisons
Alliance and Horde capital cities that were exchanged for Ashran bases
"Relics" like scabbards, quivers, etc. that have obviously morphed into artifacts kind of
Ogre continent, Faralon (sp?)

This is to name a few. Go back and watch the presentations from Blizzcon 2013 if you're interested.

I love WoW and am a subscriber and an alpha tester. I want Legion to succeed and this is in no way a negative article, but one that asks for realistic thinking. There is a lot of potential here but so many huge changes that affect every single game system that need copious amounts of testing and it all seems a daunting task to complete in the allotted time frame.

Thorkune

Blizzard is the only thing that can kill WoW. If they see it as a sinking ship, they will do evasive maneuvers and will change direction to breath new life into it. Besides, it's still the most solid MMO on the market right now. They just need to bite the F2P bullet and fill that cash shop up like the MMO's that are pulling from the WoW population is doing.

Kajidourden

MUST be a slow news week.  May as well be "With the new Iphone X years away, will Apple make it!?!?!"

spidii

Anyone else think this write-up was going to be about how Blizzard makes it in it's current state all the way through to September? With no new content for so long I'll be surprised if anyone sticks around. Now it sounds like people can stick around for a half-assed expansion again.

mnemic666

spidii said:

Anyone else think this write-up was going to be about how Blizzard makes it in it's current state all the way through to September? With no new content for so long I'll be surprised if anyone sticks around. Now it sounds like people can stick around for a half-assed expansion again.

Erm, they've done the exact same thing with 12+ month content droughts between LK->Cata->MoP->WoD.

They'll lose a lot of subs but there will still be plenty around.

jesteralways

SBFord said:

KalebGrayson said:

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

I don't think worry is the right word. We know for a fact that many things were cut out of Warlords and, while I actually believe that Legion will make its target date, I wonder how many features will be cut to make it.

And what exactly was "cut" from WoD? All these talk about "cut content" is nothing but nonsense. They said they were working on some cool new features like alternative progression system, a outfit designer system, a fashion show sort of thing that will let players show off their outfits, dance studio and several other stuff and players decided to assume that they were all being added with WoD. So whose fault it is for being disappointed?

Sure with the money they are making all of those features above should already be in game but that is another topic. Fact is they never said those above mentioned stuff were going to be added with WoD.

And if we are talking about dungeon and raid being cut from WoD after watching some datamined info then it is even more pathetic. There is no argument that WoD was a disappointing and content short expansion but complain about cut content and feature is just player made assumption being shot down, nothing more.

mnemic666

And what exactly was "cut" from WoD? All these talk about "cut content" is nothing but nonsense. They said they were working on some cool new features like alternative progression system, a outfit designer system, a fashion show sort of thing that will let players show off their outfits, dance studio and several other stuff and players decided to assume that they were all being added with WoD. So whose fault it is for being disappointed?



Sure with the money they are making all of those features above should already be in game but that is another topic. Fact is they never said those above mentioned stuff were going to be added with WoD.



And if we are talking about dungeon and raid being cut from WoD after watching some datamined info then it is even more pathetic. There is no argument that WoD was a disappointing and content short expansion but complain about cut content and feature is just player made assumption being shot down, nothing more.

See her later post about content that was initially outlined/discussed but was cut from the final release. Those were all outlined/discussed at Blizzcon and in subsequent communications, only to be cut before launch. This is not datamined stuff, this is stuff from official communications.

Xiaoki

SBFord said:

Xiaoki said:

SBFord said:

KalebGrayson said:

Now I am getting worried after reading this article...

I don't think worry is the right word. We know for a fact that many things were cut out of Warlords and, while I actually believe that Legion will make its target date, I wonder how many features will be cut to make it.

Like what? What was a promised feature that is currently not in the Alpha and you feel could be cut?

Oh, all of the promised features are currently in the Alpha?


Bad article based on nothing. Yeah, probably a slow news day and I guess they figure they can get people commenting or something if they do a negative WoW article.

We may never know since they got burned badly in Warlords by promising what they didn't deliver. Rather than being "out there", they are taking a different, and very silent, approach by not speaking of anything.

So, your whole premise for this article is that their may or may not be some secret unannounced features that may or may not be cut from Legion because some features were cut from Warlords.

Well, when you put it that way ....

I would facepalm but why bother.


At that point why not write an article about how WoW may or may not be turned into a golf game? Blizzard hasnt said that they wont turn WoW into a golf game so it is possible.

mnemic666

Xiaoki said:
So, your whole premise for this article is that their may or may not be some secret unannounced features that may or may not be cut from Legion because some features were cut from Warlords.

Well, when you put it that way ....

I would facepalm but why bother.


At that point why not write an article about how WoW may or may not be turned into a golf game? Blizzard hasnt said that they wont turn WoW into a golf game so it is possible.

No, it's the announced features/systems that she's talking about. The article itself does a poor job of this IMO (seems like she wrote about the game possibly not making the launch window but is now pivoting to discuss features not making the launch of Legion), but it's a valid discussion to have. WoD was hardly the first expansion to see major features/systems and chunks of content that were discussed/promoted at Blizzcon and during beta get axed from the launch (see her earlier post about some of the things cut from WoD). These were things used to help sell the game initially during the early preorder days of the expansions.

And it's a valid discussion to have, especially since we're barely 7 months before launch and the game is very much in alpha with what, about half the specs in the game and huge chunks of content still not ready? It's still got months of alpha testing plus beta testing to go before making its September launch window. So either Blizzard is going to have to cut things to make the window, or they're going to have to work much faster than they've historically worked, especially in the past 5+ years.

jesteralways

mnemic666 said:

And what exactly was "cut" from WoD? All these talk about "cut content" is nothing but nonsense. They said they were working on some cool new features like alternative progression system, a outfit designer system, a fashion show sort of thing that will let players show off their outfits, dance studio and several other stuff and players decided to assume that they were all being added with WoD. So whose fault it is for being disappointed?



Sure with the money they are making all of those features above should already be in game but that is another topic. Fact is they never said those above mentioned stuff were going to be added with WoD.



And if we are talking about dungeon and raid being cut from WoD after watching some datamined info then it is even more pathetic. There is no argument that WoD was a disappointing and content short expansion but complain about cut content and feature is just player made assumption being shot down, nothing more.

See her later post about content that was initially outlined/discussed but was cut from the final release. Those were all outlined/discussed at Blizzcon and in subsequent communications, only to be cut before launch. This is not datamined stuff, this is stuff from official communications.

Umm...no, they did not say "we will be adding these", they said "we are working on ideas like these.." and it is part of developing game that not all ideas are made into content proper, more often than not ideas are scrapped completely. They said it in official forums again and again all of the things they showed in blizzcon presentation did make it in game, what did not make it in game were their extra remarks regarding each feature like : "we are currently working on an idea about how to customize garrison and multiple garrison on each zone" etc. People just decided to listen "we are most definitely going to add this" instead of "we are working on some additional ideas".