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Last weekend, at the BlizzCon, Blizzard announced a brand new Diablo game – but that was not exactly what the fans were waiting for or hoping for.
Diablo Immortal is a new Diablo game for mobile devices that Blizzard is developing with its partner NetEase. Even though Blizzard told fans weeks ahead of the BlizzCon that they should not wait for the announcement of the next big Diablo game on the show, the revelation of. a new mobile game was not the kind of surprise that some were hoping for. The next big game Diablo – potentially Diablo 4 – is probably in preparation, but Blizzard has not said anything to the BlizzCon.
We chatted with Wyatt Cheng (main game designer) and Joe Hsu (game producer) from Blizzard to BlizzCon to talk about Diablo Immortal's announcement, his reaction, and so on.
Cheng began by explaining that Diablo Immortal was turning to mobile because the franchise was already well represented on console and PC; The growing mobile phone market is the next growing sector, he said.
"At the end of the day, at Blizzard, we are players," Cheng said. "And we play tons of games on all platforms, console, PC, we play board games, we play cards, we only play games, and many of us play mobile games. And I think when we look at making a great mobile game, we want to take it. "
For nearly 10 years, Blizzard has been working with NetEase to bring popular franchises to the Chinese market such as World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch and another mobile phone title, Hearthstone. Joining NetEase for Diablo Immortal again made sense, Cheng said.
Another reason why Blizzard introduces Diablo on mobile is that there are more stories to tell in the universe. "We were looking at this 20-year period between Diablo II, Lord of Destruction and Diablo III, and we said," All these events have occurred, so we must consider creating a game that explores this space in time "," Cheng explained.
He added that Diablo Immortal is a bit like the movie Star Wars: Rogue One, which exists in the larger universe of Star Wars but can still be viewed and enjoyed alone.
As for Hsu, offering Diablo on mobile is a testament to Blizzard's efforts to "try new things" and bring Diablo to more people.
"We like to bring new things to our players," said Hsu. "Personally, I always play at Diablo III, I play at Seasons, and it's a great experience, but I'd love to try new things, and we'd like to share that with everyone. It was a good choice, I think it's a very good choice. "
Part of the conversation around Diablo Immortal was negative. As mentioned, some of the fan base was hoping to see the next big Diablo title instead of a mobile game. Hsu said he hoped people would give Diablo Immortal a shot before judging him.
"We really believe that playing is believing, and we would like everyone to be able to try it and give their honest opinion," he said. "That would be great."
Skepticism is perfectly fair and reasonable, Cheng said, but he still hopes people will stay open about Diablo Immortal.
"I think that in today 's world, our modern world, it is reasonable to be a bit skeptical," he said. "But then, for those who play there, they can go out and say," No, no, no, seriously, guys. I was at BlizzCon. I played the demo. It was awesome. "Let's hope word of mouth spreads."
Blizzard co-founder Allen Adham told Kotaku that the company was expecting his fans to get angry at Diablo Immortal, but not at the level that was needed. Blizzard also announced that Diablo was intended for consoles. Fans have also been upset by the fact that Hearthstone is usually a free mobile game, said Adham. As a result, feedback is not new to society. All that being said, Adham added that he understands that Diablo fans want more.
"We knew that our audience here desperately wanted to see and hear about one thing in particular," said Adham, probably in reference to the upcoming big Diablo game.
You can expect Blizzard to devote a lot of time and attention to Diablo Immortal. Cheng said that Diablo for mobile would be the next big pillar of the Diablo franchise.
"Yes, I know it, I'm sure of it," he says. "If we make rapid progress in 10 or 20 years and we look back, we will develop the tradition, and when people set the script, we will have new stories to tell, we have new gameplay. a brand new experiences for players of the world Diablo. "
Blizzard has not yet revealed the commercial model of Immortal Diablo, so it is not clear yet whether it will be free or paid. Blizzard's latest mobile game, Hearthstone, is free. It is supported by microtransactions. We asked if Diablo Immortal would have microtransactions, but Cheng and Hsu both said that Blizzard focused more on game development before talking about commercial specifics.
Another reason why Blizzard puts Diablo Immortal on the market is definitely a business opportunity. Smart phones are ubiquitous and the microtransaction model – especially in China – is common and generally accepted. Parent company Activision Blizzard made $ 4 billion worth of microtransactions last year, and stakeholders are certainly looking forward to seeing that figure rise again.
Another problem surrounding Diablo Immortal is the accusations that it is a redesign of Crusaders of Light, another NetEase title. Asked directly to respond to the new demands, Mr. Cheng told IGN: "We have artists on our side, they have artists on their side and we work as a team, in partnership to create everything about Diablo: Immortal. environments, characters, skills, history. "
GameSpot has spent time with Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon, so come back soon for more information.
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