This isn't your average stock - no debt, tons of cash, and execs heavily motivated by options that don't really care if they report a pro forma loss, because it just means they can shovel that cash into buybacks.
That's why Kotick sold out with a big smile on his face. He knew he could redirect all those WoW billions into supporting his options packages, even if Guitar Hero etc faded and his military shooter studios faded or blew up.
In the big picture, D3 is a sideshow with a max revenue of 300 mil, and, as I've said before, one that could be really damaging to a WoW sub base which is already weakening. The more interesting question is whether or not sledgehammer can step up, and whether or not IW can be returned to something resembling its former glory. Down the road, watch for tension as console D3 goes nowhere due to Bliz's control freak nature that can't handle working with SNE or MSFT.
Indeed. Can't wait for the action-packed episode between 2004 and 2010 where they make wow patches... and expansions... and patches... and expansions...
I think that's just a reference to the stop-motion style stuff of the old Sinbad movies, which probably helped inspire some of the design of things like the skeletons. But whatever works as an excuse to piss on the grave of Blizzard North one more time, right?
... Oh... did not see that... well do you think its completely changed from that picture to how the actual act1 will turn out?
No, I just think it is funny with the art leak last week - the one side that claims that there was some penumbra of greatness with North even though none of the artists held up as an example of this actually had a credit on D2 (a mindset mostly seen at incgamers) versus the attitude here, which wants to believe that development actually started in 2006. Both perspectives are obviously absurd, and the date on this is a nice reminder of that.
But the real development started in 2005. Due to internal malfunctioning at Blizzard North with some people playing drama queens, they didn't get much done before the project was hauled to South.
As such, the game's been really in development for 6 years, and most of the early years were spent writing the engine and conceptualizing it.
Wow, Don, you really can't resist the revisionist history spin, can you? And, as always, you have zero links or really any form of documentation to back it up.
Here's the facts:
Almost all of the management left in June 2003, about two years after "Lord" shipped. This group was led by a guy who had come up from Irvine just a year or so previous to that.
At this point, the game had already had significant work done, and some features revealed in 2008 were familiar to at least one member of the team at that point:
"while some of the concepts we were developing definitely looks like it made it through to the version of the game they displayed..."
This group had two years before being shut down, and we have at least some concept art which clearly shows a date of "2004" which you yourself have posted.
So, two years with the old management, led by a guy who was recently shipped up from Irvine, and two years with this group with little management experience.
Now, six years later - more than three times the time either of those groups had, we're still no closer to release than we were at any point. That's despite seven billion dollars of revenue at least for B since then.
Still, you insist on slamming some of the guys that actually made Diablo II, calling them "drama queens". I understand fanboiitis - but it is genuinely disappointing to see someone as clearly bright as yourself act so low. Care to explain, or offer even one link supporting your character assassination?
And if we buy your "year zero" theory - which goes directly against images you yourself post here and the words of someone on the team - who do we blame, then?
Are you sayin the developers are doing this or the beta testers? This sounds like something for the devlopers so how does this effect beta length?
Basically, it's the same thing - but the feedback from the public is probably much more valuable to the engineers/programmers, while internal feedback is more important in terms of content. Of course, I don't know anything about their internal process, but their QA process is legendary in games, and I can't imagine any other approach, really.
In any of the creative arts, and even in things like industrial design or basic crafts, the great companies and great craftsmenm always step back and take a hard look at their work before they release it.
The way the DH is presented makes her a alien in diablo's universe.
Wheras somebody wearing a two foot mask uttering 'ooga booga' and making frogs fall from the sky and someone in a kung-fu movie robe shooting laser beams fit, right?
Just play a vanquisher in TL and see what you think - that's the obvious model for the DH.
It's pretty funny, this game has character design that incorporates bizarre african/polynesian stereotypes from goofy fantasy literature 150 years ago, and had exploding potions that were basically grenades in D2 - but use a 15th century adaptation of a portable tube and gunpowder and oooohnoooes it isn't fantasy anymore! :nuke:
At least TL (and WoW, with the dwarves/goblins) has fun with the cyberpunk stuff and does something original with it - D3 is bound by fantasy cliches in all the wrong ways IMO.
1
http://www.gamespot.com/shows/now-playing/?event=now_playing_torchlight_ii20110629
1
That's why Kotick sold out with a big smile on his face. He knew he could redirect all those WoW billions into supporting his options packages, even if Guitar Hero etc faded and his military shooter studios faded or blew up.
In the big picture, D3 is a sideshow with a max revenue of 300 mil, and, as I've said before, one that could be really damaging to a WoW sub base which is already weakening. The more interesting question is whether or not sledgehammer can step up, and whether or not IW can be returned to something resembling its former glory. Down the road, watch for tension as console D3 goes nowhere due to Bliz's control freak nature that can't handle working with SNE or MSFT.
1
Indeed. Can't wait for the action-packed episode between 2004 and 2010 where they make wow patches... and expansions... and patches... and expansions...
1
Well, it will have been at least nine years since the Flagship guys left, with billions of revenue since then, so it is kind of a mixed statement.
But I guess if you want a title like WoW to dominate, destroying all of the competition can be done both inside and outside the walls.
I think that's just a reference to the stop-motion style stuff of the old Sinbad movies, which probably helped inspire some of the design of things like the skeletons. But whatever works as an excuse to piss on the grave of Blizzard North one more time, right?
1
No, I just think it is funny with the art leak last week - the one side that claims that there was some penumbra of greatness with North even though none of the artists held up as an example of this actually had a credit on D2 (a mindset mostly seen at incgamers) versus the attitude here, which wants to believe that development actually started in 2006. Both perspectives are obviously absurd, and the date on this is a nice reminder of that.
1
Note the date on it on the top left.
1
Wow, Don, you really can't resist the revisionist history spin, can you? And, as always, you have zero links or really any form of documentation to back it up.
Here's the facts:
Almost all of the management left in June 2003, about two years after "Lord" shipped. This group was led by a guy who had come up from Irvine just a year or so previous to that.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6132807.html
At this point, the game had already had significant work done, and some features revealed in 2008 were familiar to at least one member of the team at that point:
"while some of the concepts we were developing definitely looks like it made it through to the version of the game they displayed..."
http://www.mikehuang.com/blog/2008/06/diablo-iii-announced.html
This group had two years before being shut down, and we have at least some concept art which clearly shows a date of "2004" which you yourself have posted.
So, two years with the old management, led by a guy who was recently shipped up from Irvine, and two years with this group with little management experience.
Now, six years later - more than three times the time either of those groups had, we're still no closer to release than we were at any point. That's despite seven billion dollars of revenue at least for B since then.
Still, you insist on slamming some of the guys that actually made Diablo II, calling them "drama queens". I understand fanboiitis - but it is genuinely disappointing to see someone as clearly bright as yourself act so low. Care to explain, or offer even one link supporting your character assassination?
And if we buy your "year zero" theory - which goes directly against images you yourself post here and the words of someone on the team - who do we blame, then?
1
Basically, it's the same thing - but the feedback from the public is probably much more valuable to the engineers/programmers, while internal feedback is more important in terms of content. Of course, I don't know anything about their internal process, but their QA process is legendary in games, and I can't imagine any other approach, really.
In any of the creative arts, and even in things like industrial design or basic crafts, the great companies and great craftsmenm always step back and take a hard look at their work before they release it.
1
Wheras somebody wearing a two foot mask uttering 'ooga booga' and making frogs fall from the sky and someone in a kung-fu movie robe shooting laser beams fit, right?
2
It's pretty funny, this game has character design that incorporates bizarre african/polynesian stereotypes from goofy fantasy literature 150 years ago, and had exploding potions that were basically grenades in D2 - but use a 15th century adaptation of a portable tube and gunpowder and oooohnoooes it isn't fantasy anymore! :nuke:
At least TL (and WoW, with the dwarves/goblins) has fun with the cyberpunk stuff and does something original with it - D3 is bound by fantasy cliches in all the wrong ways IMO.