5 ms·

So while I agree the Twitter post about toxic masculinity is both a HUGELY weird leap and a further sign of the times, Kotaku's take on the situation seems (at

So while I agree the Twitter post about toxic masculinity is both a HUGELY weird leap and a further sign of the times, Kotaku's take on the situation seems (at least the quoted bit, I didn't read the whole article) a perfectly reasonable and even the "proper" take on the situation. Perhaps barring the "video game culture enables entitlement" bit. It's a shame watching the quite literal rage that has come about from a company announcing a product decision that wasn't the one that some portion, however large, of the community wanted. Assuming Kotaku is correct and there is still a new Diablo separate from this in the works, then it's a societal disgrace to watch grown adults raging out over a mobile game being announced ESPECIALLY in the context of the game that they actually want is ALSO in the works. I find it odd that you demand some sort of standard from the game journalism community but find no need to expect a reasonable standard from the gamer community.

slothtrop 8y ago
> some portion, however large The largest, from what I gather. Speaking as a non-fan, it was an egregious mistake to announce it at a conference geared toward hardcore Diablo consumers. This is conspicuously glossed over in social media commentary: had they announced it online in business-as-usual fashion no one would care. Instead we're directed to shame fans about not collectively giving a fuck about mediocre cash grabs.
BoiledCabbage 8y ago
It truly is the bratty self-centered rage that's incredible to witness. "Hey, we're working on the game you want. In the mean time here's another game for different users." "Noooooo! I've been betrayed! This is the ultimate insult!!!!" And as much as people don't want to admit it, gamergate was the same thing. I've spent a lot of time gaming in my past, but there's something unhealthy floating around here. If you saw this own behavior in your own son or daughter you'd recognize it instantly. And now to take this one step too far, to where I'll get negative responses: It's almost as if the hundreds of hours spent in online cultures where flaming vitriol is spewed at the smallest slight has developed a subculture where (obviously not all) but a significant group of people can't handle when things slightly deviate from their wants. It's funny, but I'm reminded of Willy Wonka's factory tour.
- gleed 8y ago
  The mobile game itself is not the problem - for all we know it might be the best mobile game ever invented. The problem is the context in which it was presented. The one big new game announcement at Blizzcon is an important event for all those people watching - the actual people in the audience for example pay a lot of money to go there partially for that experience. You watch Blizzcon expecting an announcement of a big game of one of their major existing franchise or a new one. So you wait until the end for that hype reveal, you wait for the next entry in one of your favorite games, be it Diablo 4, Warcraft 4, Starcraft 3, something Overwatch related or whatever it is. And then it turns out it's a mobile game that certainly does not speak to the majority audience actually watching, in fact quite the opposite, and it's not even an inhouse developed one but one outsourced to a chinese pay to win clone developer. And then the presentation ends. Everyone is left disappointed and Blizzard eventually showed the finger to most people watching because they gave the most important spot in their presentation to that, showing a complete misunderstanding of what their actual fans are after. It doesn't help that Diablo Immortal is a literal reskin of Netease's other game 'Endless of God' which in turn is a clear copy of Diablo 3. Regarding your overall point of the reaction being some sign of bratty and self centered behaviour - that's honestly quite silly. The game developer puts a game product out there in a huge showing clearly wanting a reaction. Not for no reason either, they want money for this thing, they want to get rich off of it. Then when the reaction is an exceptionally negative one it makes people self centered and bratty? Your view on the matter makes no sense.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 8y ago
  What's your expectation? Blizzard released their games (the Blizzard-specific ones) only for PC for ages. Only recently, they released them on console too. Bet what? ALL their fans are pc gamers. All the 10m people that bought diablo 3 on day one are pc gamers. You know what pc gamers don't like? Pay2win. And any business model that usually runs on mobile that is not buy once (or monthly subscription), because in any other situation, the game is focused on pulling more money for you. That’s why people feel betrayed by a mobile game. They created their average customer to be of a specific niche, then they create something that is completely out of that niche. What's your expectation there? Did you ever try to show a ballet instead of a soccer game at the stadium? I bet the problem would be much worse. And to be fair, I don't care at all (and I stopped being a Blizzard fan long long time ago), I just find ridiculous that people can't understand why the fans are angry. They created the fans, then created a game that is completely against their fanbase.

slothtrop 8y ago

> some portion, however large The largest, from what I gather. Speaking as a non-fan, it was an egregious mistake to announce it at a conference geared toward hardcore Diablo consumers. This is conspicuously glossed over in social media commentary: had they announced it online in business-as-usual fashion no one would care. Instead we're directed to shame fans about not collectively giving a fuck about mediocre cash grabs.

BoiledCabbage 8y ago

It truly is the bratty self-centered rage that's incredible to witness. "Hey, we're working on the game you want. In the mean time here's another game for different users." "Noooooo! I've been betrayed! This is the ultimate insult!!!!" And as much as people don't want to admit it, gamergate was the same thing. I've spent a lot of time gaming in my past, but there's something unhealthy floating around here. If you saw this own behavior in your own son or daughter you'd recognize it instantly. And now to take this one step too far, to where I'll get negative responses: It's almost as if the hundreds of hours spent in online cultures where flaming vitriol is spewed at the smallest slight has developed a subculture where (obviously not all) but a significant group of people can't handle when things slightly deviate from their wants. It's funny, but I'm reminded of Willy Wonka's factory tour.

gleed 8y ago
The mobile game itself is not the problem - for all we know it might be the best mobile game ever invented. The problem is the context in which it was presented. The one big new game announcement at Blizzcon is an important event for all those people watching - the actual people in the audience for example pay a lot of money to go there partially for that experience. You watch Blizzcon expecting an announcement of a big game of one of their major existing franchise or a new one. So you wait until the end for that hype reveal, you wait for the next entry in one of your favorite games, be it Diablo 4, Warcraft 4, Starcraft 3, something Overwatch related or whatever it is. And then it turns out it's a mobile game that certainly does not speak to the majority audience actually watching, in fact quite the opposite, and it's not even an inhouse developed one but one outsourced to a chinese pay to win clone developer. And then the presentation ends. Everyone is left disappointed and Blizzard eventually showed the finger to most people watching because they gave the most important spot in their presentation to that, showing a complete misunderstanding of what their actual fans are after. It doesn't help that Diablo Immortal is a literal reskin of Netease's other game 'Endless of God' which in turn is a clear copy of Diablo 3. Regarding your overall point of the reaction being some sign of bratty and self centered behaviour - that's honestly quite silly. The game developer puts a game product out there in a huge showing clearly wanting a reaction. Not for no reason either, they want money for this thing, they want to get rich off of it. Then when the reaction is an exceptionally negative one it makes people self centered and bratty? Your view on the matter makes no sense.
Fire-Dragon-DoL 8y ago
What's your expectation? Blizzard released their games (the Blizzard-specific ones) only for PC for ages. Only recently, they released them on console too. Bet what? ALL their fans are pc gamers. All the 10m people that bought diablo 3 on day one are pc gamers. You know what pc gamers don't like? Pay2win. And any business model that usually runs on mobile that is not buy once (or monthly subscription), because in any other situation, the game is focused on pulling more money for you. That’s why people feel betrayed by a mobile game. They created their average customer to be of a specific niche, then they create something that is completely out of that niche. What's your expectation there? Did you ever try to show a ballet instead of a soccer game at the stadium? I bet the problem would be much worse. And to be fair, I don't care at all (and I stopped being a Blizzard fan long long time ago), I just find ridiculous that people can't understand why the fans are angry. They created the fans, then created a game that is completely against their fanbase.