140°

Blizzard to announce their next game at PAX East! (NOT sequel or expansion)

it's really an interesting bill that one company has 3 extremely successful games in 3 completely different markets. It will be even more interesting if they can go into a 4th market of gamers.

Read Full Story >>
masterofwarcraft.net
MagneticDeath24053d ago

It says it not the rumered next gen mmo on the announcement. Says something different then what they usually make. Im still waiting for Warcraft 4 RTS.

fermcr4053d ago

Please not another MMO. There are already way too many MMO's.

Christopher4053d ago (Edited 4053d ago )

To be honest, I've given up on Blizzard. Since WoW, the way they make and put out games has changed greatly and I'm just not interested in what they'v been offering. WoW was a disappointing MMO from this MMO-freak and Diablo 3 felt very dumbed down and greatly restricted by their desire to focus on a cash generating auction house. Can't say their next game will be something I follow or really care about until they prove they've gone back to their origins (and I don't mean EA's Origin).

Hydralysk4053d ago (Edited 4053d ago )

While I'd agree with you in terms of their Warcraft and Diablo franchises, I think they've done an admirable (if slow) job on the Starcraft series.

Great (OPTIONAL) online functionality, high production values, and more varied campaign missions than any other RTS campaign I can think of impressed me. I'm obviously biased as Starcraft was one of my childhood favorites (though the same could be said of D2), but unlike what they did to D3, the SC2 games feel like the original Starcraft.

grailly4053d ago

I'de say SC2's campaigns are more varied than any other game period.

still, I'm not convinced they are at the same quality standard as they were in the days.

Hydralysk4053d ago

I'd have to disagree.

Most SC missions were the standard build base/troops -> send at enemy, like a multiplayer match except the enemy starts with a huge base and doesn't attack as aggressively. There was also usually 1-2 'hold for reinforcements' missions and 1 infiltration mission per campaign. Starcraft 2 goes out of it's way to mix up the formula by designing mechanics often used only for a single mission.

In terms of story, Starcraft 2 took the cast of characters we were familiar with and expanded upon it, and the story as a whole seems to have shifted more towards a character driven narrative.

This is of course a matter of preference, but those were the two elements that stuck out when I played it, and I personally feel they were a big improvement to the franchise.

ThanatosDMC4053d ago

HotS has some mechanics just like Diablo 3. That was sad. Remember Belial fight? It's in HotS.

spatt4053d ago

Blizzard stated on twitter that it is not Titian. So there is a 99.99% chance it is Blizzard All Stars.

grailly4053d ago

I hope it's not blizzard all stars, if there's anything we need less than another MMO it's another MOBA

LightofDarkness4053d ago

I'm going to go with mobile. It will be a mobile game.

MoveTheGlow4053d ago (Edited 4053d ago )

Considering the indie-friendly venue, that is a possibility. I'm hoping it's a smaller project that allows some of the devs who slave over WoW expansions to break out of their shells and have fun. That could only mean great things for gamers, IMO.

Timesplitter144053d ago

Hopefully they'll get it out on PS4 too.

I'll most likely get their game on PC though, unless it has local co-op on PS4

Show all comments (29)
260°

Microsoft has ‘let Blizzard be Blizzard’ following its acquisition, studio says

Microsoft has 'let Blizzard be Blizzard' following the acquisition of the veteran developer according to World of Warcraft's executive producer.

Read Full Story >>
videogameschronicle.com
Kaii1d 20h ago

Diablo 4 storefront being a cash grabbing shitshow does unironically attest to that, kudos.

kythlyn14h ago

Microsoft needs to be guiding Blizzard to be what it USED to be, not allowing it to continue to be the greedy bastardization of itself that it has become.

XiNatsuDragnel1d 18h ago (Edited 1d 18h ago )

Okay i will be interested if they become old Blizzard but might as well be dead.

Rynxie1d 3h ago

They will never be old blizzard. Most of all the OG's left from developers to those on the top (even some decision making folks left).

Vits1d 18h ago

Shame most of the people that made Blizzard what they were, have already left a while ago.

ApocalypseShadow1d 18h ago

I was about to say this. How can they be blizzard when they're no longer blizzard from yesteryear?

Hofstaderman1d 8h ago

Just like Rare and Bioware...

blacktiger1d 8h ago

Rare was the thing I lost heart

victorMaje1d 5h ago

Exactly. Blizzard hasn’t been Blizzard for a long time.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Knightofelemia1d 14h ago

Blizzard is not the same Blizzard like it use to be.

PassNextquestion1d 8h ago

Were you expecting Microsoft to hire everyone that had left Blizzard long before they purchased the company...

Microsoft has let the Blizzard company they purchased continue to be the Blizzard company they purchased.

thesoftware7301d 2h ago

Wow, PassNextquestion,

You fully understand what that saying means, unlike some people on here who just have to say negative garbage talk.

When someone says, "Just let *blank* be *blank*, "they are just letting them operate how they operate.

It's pretty much how Sony "let Bungie be Bungie."

This comment section is full of outright haters, but you have to "let N4G be N4G"

GamerRN23h ago

This site leans so heavily in one direction...

BISHOP-BRASIL15h ago

I don't think people commenting are necessarily blaming MS for anything here, this is just collective longing for what Blizzard/Vivendi was before Activision's meddling.

Show all comments (43)
390°

Former Blizzard President Suggests Players Should Have Option to Tip Developers

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra recently suggested an interesting concept that has sparked a debate among gamers - the idea of being able to tip developers after completing a game.

LG_Fox_Brazil4d ago

If I had a 100% way to be sure that this money would go to a fund or a reserve dedicated only to the guys who develop the games, be them designers, artists, programmers and so on, I could think about it.

But we all know that this 'tip' would only end up in a publisher's CEO pocket to buy a new yacht, so, no, I ain't tipping anyone anytime soon on this industry

neutralgamer19924d ago

Exactly these companies were raising money for good causes and gamers were donation and come to find out they are keeping a good chunk of be pie

PapaBop3d ago

Yeah tip your developer, 5% proceeds go to developer, 95% to the publisher or whoever. Isn't tipping for staff not making minimum wage? How about they just pay their developers properly and like you know, give them fair bonuses? Too much to ask from Blizzard these days, Kotick saw to that and is now laughing all the way to the bank.

MrDead4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

It's the t**ts at the top looking at ways to cut devs wages and get the players to tip them like waiting staff, and I'll guarantee a percentage is skimmed and kept by Activision Blizzard. This is 100% for shareholder and CEO playouts.

Popsicle4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I have to agree with this. On the surface tipping devs sounds like a great idea, but in the end it leads to pay cuts and subsidization of pay. Tips then become an expectation or the devs “can’t make a living.” Lastly, especially in the US, tip culture has gotten out of control, and it serves as an excuse not to properly pay employees. Sounds good but doesn’t end well.

drizzom3d ago

@ Popsicle

I think your right on the nose with how much tipping has become rampant. Instead of it being a relationship directly between the customer and the developer or employee, it now has a middle man ingrained in the system. DoorDash is one example. It ends up becoming a metric where the company can measure 'just how much more money you are willing to part with' before raising the price on the main product.

1Victor4d ago

Uh so they’re trying triple dip or more we buy the game that they’re already withholding/cutting content for dlc we was told that season pass would help the developers thrive we felt for it.
Now on top of all that plus their sales bonus they want tips enough is enough whatever happens to you create/built a good game get a bonus for sales milestones you care about your game and community we reward you with more sales not for doing 3/4 of a game then save the other 1/4 for dlc and passes after

raWfodog3d ago

The 'tip' is me buying your game in the first place.

S2Killinit3d ago

Very well said. If it was possible to send the money to either the developer or some organization for the betterment of gaming, sure. But we all know that will not be the case.

Rynxie3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

No, it would go to those on the top. They will still fire developers, have a bunch of microtransactions, raise prices of games and so on.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 3d ago
H94d ago

So they eventually don't pay their workers and depend on our tips to pay them like the case with waiters!

Deeeeznuuuts4d ago

That kind of practice is only normal in the states, as far as I know anyway, what a backwards system

H94d ago

No it's as well in a every country that wants to amercanize

bloop4d ago

Ireland is literally the first stop across the pond and we don't have a tipping culture. The only establishments here that would expect a tip are the tourist haunts that Americans visit. Other than that, you might tip in a restaurant as a sign of gratitude for great service and waiting staff would be paid a full wage anyway.

Rebel_Scum3d ago

Tipping is not customary iin most countries dude. Get a passport lol.

Jin_Sakai4d ago

Is this a joke? How about the big wigs giving up some of their pay for their hard working developers.

MrBaskerville4d ago

Maybe the CEO could earn his money based on tips.

mastershredder4d ago

good god. The devs are not baristas dude. Total 1% ideals. Fing Chadosaurus.

Show all comments (76)
50°

Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase Renew Agreement to Bring Titles Back to China

Blizzard and NetEase have announced that Blizzard's games will return to mainland China under a new publishing agreement.

Read Full Story >>
blizzard.gamespress.com
AdonisIsBeast6d ago

Chinese propaganda incoming. Thanks Microsoft!