220°

Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 fan reaction shows how little bite there is to consumer outrage

GR: "Recent #BoycottBlizard protests saw people on Twitter swearing up and down that they were uninstalling every Activision Blizzard title from their gaming systems. However, the Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 fan reaction was as positive as can be."

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gamerevolution.com
Thunder_G0d_Bane1671d ago

Not all of us give a fuck about China.

Just cause you’re outraged don’t assume that we all should be.

I cannot wait for Diablo 4 the Druid looks fantastic and it’s a definite day one.

Fist4achin1671d ago (Edited 1671d ago )

Not pissed at China or at least not much because China's going to do what China wants. Pissed more at Blizzard for siding with China and not supporting freedom of speech. At least pay some attention or one day something meaningful could be taken away from you.

abstractel1671d ago

Ignorant people don't give a shit about the freedom in countries around the world, particularly countries like China given their authoritarian leadership and potential threat. Don't feel so naive in your bubble.

esherwood1671d ago (Edited 1671d ago )

probably because a lot of this country is spoiled and have no idea how good we have it. Look at all the people praising socialism now.

InklingGirl1671d ago

I totally buy that it was a coincidence these two titles were announced right after the controversy, it's like they knew they could get away with what they did. Hmm...

Anyway, like Gillette and other companies they will not be getting another penny from me again.

FinalFantasyFanatic1670d ago

Already threw away the Gillette razors and products away (safety razors actually work better for me), I've never been a big Blizzard fan, so these games are easy to skip for me.

brrdat1671d ago

gamers are weak. most of them depressed, privileged babies that will throw a tantrum over something as small as the main character of their favorite franchise not being the main character anymore. who really expected them to take a serious stand on something like human rights?

meka26111671d ago

I agree but I'd go further to say that people themselves are weak nowadays. Everyone whines about everything little and stupid but something big that has to do with freedom and no one cares, it's typical unfortunately.

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1671d ago
tehpees31671d ago

Not weak at all. The people complaining are not the same people reacting positively. Its 2 different groups of people being generalised as the same group by the author of this article.

annoyedgamer1671d ago

Thats most of the world's population.

CorndogBurglar1671d ago (Edited 1671d ago )

Gamers aren't even strong enough to make a stand on something that directly effects them, like microtransactions.

No way in hell they make a stand for something happening on the other side of the planet that has no effect on them.

That's assuming, of course, that people even believe all this controversy in the first place.

The way I see it, buying a Blizzard game does not mean someone is okay with what is going on in China. They are two different things. It doesn't mean you are against freedom, as I've seen so many ignorant people comment on.

I can understand not being okay with Blizzard bowing to China's demands when they say they want someone banned for saying something like "Free Hong Kong". But do we even know for sure that's what happened? And even if it is, wasn't it their Chinese partners that made the decision? Could Blizzard have even done anything about it? These are legitimate questions I have that we'll probably never know the real answer to.

But all I can say, is that supporting Blizzard has nothing to do with what is happening in China. That would be happening regardless of any of this.

rainslacker1671d ago (Edited 1671d ago )

Kind of disingenous to cite an entire community as speaking with one voice, calling them weak, while also citing a sub group of the community who may react strongly to something that happens, while then going on to generalize the community as weak and depressed.

There is no singular voice within the community, which is what this article is talking about...albeit in a shallow and dismissive way. There are those who are standing on a principal they believe in, or at least support those wronged in this situation. That isnt' throwing a tantrum, that's doing something positive. Some of them are now boycotting Blizzard, and keeping the criticisms up. Then you have others who don't care, or forget as soon as some new shiny comes along.

Yet, you call the tantrum throwing ones as somehow weak and depressed? That seems kind of backwards to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first one to say that gamers, whether as a whole, or individually, are a very fickle bunch. And I'll also be the first to say that anything that is controversial now, or illicits strong reactions, will be quickly forgotten in a week or so. But, some things are more vitriolic, and what Blizzard did still has plenty of criticism going with it. This isn't some random person at a company making a stupid comment that can illicit a console war reaction, but a topic that some people feel strongly about.

1670d ago
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KingOfArcadia1671d ago

I thought everyone knew that the rabid, howling online masses only represent at best 5-10% of a company's consumers.

specialguest1671d ago

A large majority of consumers don't follow gaming news, especially the more controversial stuff. They are oblivious to it. That's going to change in the future though. With social media and Youtube being the main source of news and info for today's younger generation, more people will be aware of gaming issues. Whether they take a stand and take action with their wallet remains to be seen

spicelicka1671d ago

And not to mention that gaming is a pastime hobby. As serious as people act online, no one is going to actively withhold themselves from experiencing something that's supposed to be an ESCAPE from every day life, just to make some sociopolitical stance.

Also at the end of the day, there are honest hardworking people that are actually creating these games. Lashing out at corporate shrills by boycotting their hard work doesn't help as much as people think.

rainslacker1671d ago

5-10% is being generous. Also, have you ever been to Blizzards forums and seen their fans? They are probably the most devout and rabid fans around. not all bad, just they will criticize Blizzard faster than we would over what they did over stuff much more trivial than something like human rights in China. They'll still buy the games and content though.

xTonyMontana1671d ago

Well realistically what do you expect? Has there ever been a time where something as popular as Blizzard IPs lose the majority of it's popularity almost over night due to controversy?

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60°

Overwatch 2's Big Matchmaking Changes Explained

Overwatch 2's newest update for Season 10 comes with big changes and additions to the game's competitive matchmaking and progression.

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gamerant.com
80°

Overwatch 2 ditches another PvE game mode

Blizzard Entertainment has recently announced the discontinuation of the Hero Mastery Gauntlet mode in Overwatch 2.

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apptrigger.com
LG_Fox_Brazil10d ago

They will probably focus 100% on the pvp because if Marvel Rivals steals their spot it will be very hard to recover it

jeromeface8d ago

Marvels IP roster is much more interesting than overwatch's... and I'm willing to bet a better developer than actvision/blizzard. If Rivals has a PvE mode its over.

200°

Let's Be Real, There Is Nothing "Micro" About Microtransactions Anymore

Microtransactions have gotten ridiculously overpriced in recent years, with titles now offering cosmetic skins worth more than some games.

Terry_B28d ago

Yup..this is 100% the sad truth

z2g27d ago (Edited 27d ago )

The elephant in the room tho is personal accountability. It’s easy (albeit basic) to blame the big, bad corpo, but microtransactions wouldn’t be where they are if gamers didn’t spend money on them. As it stands the MTs usually make more than the game. Publishers know raising game prices will cause backlash, so they do MTs to compensate. But the adult conversation is consumers determine the success of products with their wallets. So if MTs are a huge thing, it’s because we as consumers told them we like them by giving them a lot of money for them. So if you don’t want them to be a thing, convince your fellow gamers to stop buying them and expect that games will be decently more expensive. You all can disagree all you want, but reality is a bitch, and eventually you have to live in it.

anast27d ago

Trying to convince people is the least realistic thing. If we are trying to be adults, actual action is what changes things not "convincing campaigns" on platforms owned by the people 'you' are going against. It's madness and idealistic.

ApocalypseShadow27d ago

Easier said than done. I've told gamers for years to not buy micro transactions, expensive dlc, etc. Gamers bought it anyway. Didn't fit on a DVD that would have fit on a Blu-ray disc.

I also told some gamers to not pay for online like Xbox Live because it would force the rest of the industry to only offer playing online if you pay for it. Told them not to support a broken console that Red Ringed. To not support Xbox One because Microsoft tried to take away game ownership and how you play your games. To not pay for a console by one manufacturer where a, now 3 trillion worth, didn't make enough games at the level of Nintendo or Sony who are worth less money.

How much of that did you support anyway with your money then go back and read your comment again.

notachance27d ago

yeah that was like telling people not to do drugs or alcohol, these game companies invested a lot of money in researching about how to make people buy MTs, from creating mechanics like loot boxes, purposely make the game grindy, all the way to menu designs and what color and sound effects played when gamers bought MTs.

It was specifically engineered to take advantage of vulnerable and prone to addiction people.

bradfh27d ago

@z2g
People always struggle with issues like drinking, drugs, and gambling. But in games, especially those played by kids, microtransactions are another way companies take advantage of them. It's a problem that needs addressing.

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S2Killinit26d ago

I recommend everyone read this article.

My suggestion is to name these transactions, what they ARE: Hidden-fees.

isarai28d ago

I mean except for the amount of content you're paying for.

Hugodastrevas27d ago

There never was, the only time I paid for a microtransaction was on Blacklight Retribution (PS4) and it was because I enjoyed the game a lot so I felt the devs should get something for all that entertainment (€5 "membership")

-Foxtrot27d ago

The devs wouldn’t get that though, that shit goes straight to the higher ups who do f*** all let’s be honest.

Hugodastrevas27d ago

Probably, but I wasn't as cynical back then and €5 wasn't a big ask to get the guns with grinding instead of renting them, and the game was good (still is on the PS5/4)

CrimsonWing6927d ago (Edited 27d ago )

I couldn’t believe what Blizzard charged for horse armor and cosmetics in Diablo 4…

I remember back in the day when a season pass was $15 and you got everything included in it. Now, I see them at $60 and you still don’t get everything.

CantThinkOfAUsername27d ago

That's just Blizzard. Unlike Bethesda's $0.99 horse armour, Blizzard's first microtransaction, Sparkle Pony, cost $15.

Phoenix7626d ago

Bethesda out did themselves a few years back with 76. They released a Xmas bundle for half price on day of release! So, was meant to sell for only $12 from day 1, but tried to convince everyone it was half price, by marking it at $24!

Shane Kim27d ago

As soon as gaming wasn't deemed nerdy anymore, and reached the casuals this happened. We're smart, but casuals play mobile games and other stuff, and don't really have anything to compare. They think gaming is supposed to be like this and pay for in game purchases.

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