Activision-Blizzard Stock is Tumbling

[Deleted member 83233]

Can we please retcon the last 20 years and just go back to the 16 bit era? It truly was a magical time... before the scourge of always online, fully monetized bullshit "games as a service" fucking slot machines became the norm.

You're just looking in the wrong places. We actually have a renaissance of highly improved version of those wonderful 16-bit games right now. I need to update this thread with a lot of new excellent games, but this will get you started:

https://hardforum.com/threads/good-2d-pc-game-database.1943046/

There's really never been a better time to be into that sort of game. First of all, you can still play and enjoy the originals via emulation. Next, the quality of independent 2D games rivals or exceeds those of the "big boys" of the 16 bit eras in many cases. (though obviously there are still some shining gems from that era that will be hard to topple) Really though, go grab yourself a copy of Hyper Light Drifter, Axiom Verge, Dead Cells, Sundered, Songbringer, CrossCode, etc. There are so many more, but these ones spring to mind.

 

[urbanman2004]

A$$2vision gets what they got coming to them, and I don't feel sorry for them, and I expect the same to happen to EA as well w/ their failed botched attempt at releasing Battlefield V.

 

[DukenukemX]

My brother's computer is an Intel Core i5 650, no discrete graphics card. Would Diablo 3 run on that?

Don't know cause I have no idea what GPU comes with it. But my 2010 Laptop Compaq CQ62 which has a first gen Intel Core i3 @ 2.5Ghz with a Radeon HD 6470 mobile chip runs Diablo 3 fine on Linux Mint using Wine.

As long as you have something like a GeForce 7800 GT or higher then you can run Diablo 3. Talking about a graphics card from 2006 here.

 

[DukenukemX]

They are profitable. Investors just expect bigger and bigger returns year after year. I think at this point they reach the limit of what people are willing to put up with. Some even revolting now like BF2 and now preemptively Diablo. I guarantee if Diablo mobile turns out like all the other cash grab mobile games then people will bring hell down on them.

They "might" be profitable. Shadow of War sold half as much as Shadow of Mordor, at least on Steam it did, and they removed micro-transactions as a result. See a lot of games doing this where they remove the micro-transaction system later on cause it effected the game sales negatively.

Something to think about, if your company is making half their money on micro-transactons, is that because people are buying them like crazy or cause you sold so few copies that the few idiots who did actually dumped money into the game are the only people buying the game? What's better? To get $60 for the sale of the game or to see how many idiots are left in the world who think buying micro-transactions is a good idea? That's why they're going mobile cause Asia and children are the new fresh idiots who have no idea that these people are exploiting human nature while also making worse games.

Also different platforms have a different audience. PC users like to get more for less, while console users are aimed at a younger demographic and are more likely to purchase in game crap like DLC's and micro-transactions. Tablet users are mostly children or even younger, which is an audience that's extremely exploitable. China is now an emerging market and they're really new to how companies like to screw people out of money. Blizzard who is a PC Console game developers wants to move to where all the suckers are, and that's mobile. How far they'll get before China catches on, and when parents realize they need to stopping entering credit card info into their children's tablets? PC and console users have caught onto this business practice, so who's to say that won't happen to mobile games either?

 

[Thorvaldsen]

Honestly I'm not surprised at all. I remember how they treated players in the past and how they kept pushing out sub par content. It was inevitable.

 

[A Little Teapot]

You're just looking in the wrong places. We actually have a renaissance of highly improved version of those wonderful 16-bit games right now. I need to update this thread with a lot of new excellent games, but this will get you started:

https://hardforum.com/threads/good-2d-pc-game-database.1943046/

There's really never been a better time to be into that sort of game. First of all, you can still play and enjoy the originals via emulation. Next, the quality of independent 2D games rivals or exceeds those of the "big boys" of the 16 bit eras in many cases. (though obviously there are still some shining gems from that era that will be hard to topple) Really though, go grab yourself a copy of Hyper Light Drifter, Axiom Verge, Dead Cells, Sundered, Songbringer, CrossCode, etc. There are so many more, but these ones spring to mind.

I love you. (no homo)

But seriously, thanks man. Just checked some of those out and they look amazing! Dead Cells and Sundered.... hnghghgh

 

[biggles]

Don't know cause I have no idea what GPU comes with it. But my 2010 Laptop Compaq CQ62 which has a first gen Intel Core i3 @ 2.5Ghz with a Radeon HD 6470 mobile chip runs Diablo 3 fine on Linux Mint using Wine.

As long as you have something like a GeForce 7800 GT or higher then you can run Diablo 3. Talking about a graphics card from 2006 here.

https://ark.intel.com/products/43546/Intel-Core-i5-650-Processor-4M-Cache-3-20-GHz-
This page says "Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors". But there is no model number given, making it difficult to find an equivalent discrete card. It is fair to say that my brother's PC qualifies as a "potato".

EDIT: Sandy Bridge integrated graphics would run D3 at 23 fps at the lowest settings and that is one generation newer then the Core i5 650. Found that info on notebookcheck. I will tell my brother that his PC is worse than a potato, hehe.

 

[singe_101]

As others have said many developers are facing similar issues of diminished returns. Its primarily due to publishing rehash or reskinned games. Nothing truly "new" has come from most of the large devs and then they are shocked when earnings are down. Rather than build a quality innovative product they are resting on their laurels.

You can be successful with sequels. Just look at Rockstar. Unlike most of the large devs, RS spends a ton of time and effort into making a quality product and the profits show that.

Activision, Bethesda/Zeni, EA, UBI, and other large devs could learn from TT/Rockstar's approach. Quality over quantity. I also think the "seasons" model for content and profit leads to gamers getting bored and tired. Siege is a good example. The current season actually ended up hurting the franchise and player count.

As long as devs release rehashes or garbage every 6 months I have no sympathy for their stock value. Their shareholders should speak up.

You really enjoy or admire GTA V Online and buying in-game cash with real money? And they don't have seasons but they have month-long events and game mode changes, new cars, etc.

 

[Gweenz]

Is Ford really Ford anymore? just hasn't been the same since Henry died.....

Companies have turnover, Ford still makes cars....

No. I don't care about Ford either, or any sort of brand-loyalty for that matter. That's my whole point. Blizzard isn't Blizzard. Don't buy anything from a company just because they once made something you like.