Jump to content
FORUMS
Sign in to follow this  
Stan

Blizzard President J. Allen Brack on Warcraft III Reforged Launch

Recommended Posts

VHdkF8J.png

Blizzard President J. Allen Brack talked to concerned investors regarding the launch of Warcraft III Reforged during yesterday's Q4 2019 earnings conference call.

Warcraft III Reforged had a rough launch. First, the developers responded to the criticism surrounding the game. Then, the company started to offer automated refunds for the title, as they continue to refine the game through new updates.

One of the investors asked a question regarding the game's launch during the call and here's what J. Allen Brack to say:

Blizzard LogoBlizzard (Source)

"Concerning Warcraft III Reforged, honestly, it's been a bit of a hard week. Our community has come to expect really amazing things from us, and we've heard from them that we did not achieve that bar, but we stand behind our games and have consistently shown that not only do we support them, but we continue to build on them even after launch, and we're committed to doing that here as well, and so, we're going to continue to update the game, and we'll continue to update the community with our plans going forward."

J. Allen Brack

Blizzard President

It seems the company is not particularly happy with the release of Warcraft III, and they will continue to release updates for the game to meet community standards.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

consistently shown that not only do we support them, but we continue to build on them even after launch, and we're committed to doing that here as well, and so, we're going to continue to update the game, and we'll continue to update the community with our plans going forward."

[Heroes of the Storm has left the Chat]

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

While I understand that some fans had unrealistic expectations (Expecting features and stuff that wasn't even listed on the game's official website), this kinda comes off like he's blaming the customers for not being happy with a remaster that was a downgrade in several ways.

Several old features like custom campaigns were completely removed, many new technical issues were introduced that affected Classic users as well as Reforged users, and there's still some rather misleading marketing on the website, advertising cutscenes that aren't actually in the game.

I give WC3 Reforged a 3/10 as a remaster, and that's being generous. The new graphics look decent, but the missing features, the numerous technical issues and the misleading marketing are inexcusable. This is just sloppy craftsmanship, and the old Blizzard would never have released the game in such a sorry state.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think that a lot of the time consumers put unrealistic demands on developers, including Blizzard, and have no perspective whatsoever on game design tradeoffs or the difficulty and costs of development, overinflate concerns dramatically at random, and just make themselves look like uninformed idiots.

WC3 reforged is not one of those times. This statement from Brack tries to dismiss how severely bad WC3R is. It is a straight up downgrade in almost every regard except raw graphics and balance.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"Concerning Warcraft III Reforged, honestly, it's been a bit of a hard week. Our community has come to expect really amazing things from us, and we've heard from them that we did not achieve that bar, but we stand behind our games and have consistently shown that not only do we support them, but we continue to build on them even after launch, and we're committed to doing that here as well, and so, we're going to continue to update the game, and we'll continue to update the community with our plans going forward."

Translation:
Concerning Warcraft III Refunded, honestly, we know it sucks. Our community has come to expect a product that is at least as good as the original, and we know we half-assed it, but the Malaysian company we outsourced it to didn't fulfill their contract, and so, they're just going to drag it out for as long as possible until deemed "complete", and we'll continue to blame them and the community with our plans going forward.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Monlyth said:

While I understand that some fans had unrealistic expectations (Expecting features and stuff that wasn't even listed on the game's official website), this kinda comes off like he's blaming the customers for not being happy with a remaster that was a downgrade in several ways.

Several old features like custom campaigns were completely removed, many new technical issues were introduced that affected Classic users as well as Reforged users, and there's still some rather misleading marketing on the website, advertising cutscenes that aren't actually in the game.

I give WC3 Reforged a 3/10 as a remaster, and that's being generous. The new graphics look decent, but the missing features, the numerous technical issues and the misleading marketing are inexcusable. This is just sloppy craftsmanship, and the old Blizzard would never have released the game in such a sorry state.

I was honestly just expecting what they showed in the E3 Demo, remastered cutscenes....in the released version......no remastered cutscenes, the E3 Demo i believe had the new UI, the released version doesn't have that, so i think i had a realistic expectation of features, which i did not get.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was also essentially expecting updated graphics/models, as well as all features in game to remain intact.

As far as remastered cutscenes go, I would have been content with the remastered Grom/Thrall/Mannoroth cutscene.

 

Also WEIRD THING: During the orc campaign, listen closely anytime Thrall address Grom. You can clearly he they have gone out of their way to dub over any mention of "Grom" and replaced it with "Hellscream". it's the weirdest thing ever. Thrall called him Grom because they were close, instead they went out of their way to make them appear more business like. big WTF.

 

Seriously, go listen to it. You can hear the audio cuts.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, TyZone said:

Also WEIRD THING: During the orc campaign, listen closely anytime Thrall address Grom. You can clearly he they have gone out of their way to dub over any mention of "Grom" and replaced it with "Hellscream". it's the weirdest thing ever. Thrall called him Grom because they were close, instead they went out of their way to make them appear more business like. big WTF.

I've also noticed that, don't know a reason behind this decision, Grom is a common word, so it couldn't be copyrighted by someone. Btw, cinematics were never to be remastered, only intro was, so Grom's fight with Mannoroth would remain the same, only upscaled. In-game cutscenes were supposed to receive changes (like the one from Stratholme demo), but this was cut, perhaps they realised it was too ambitious to redo them with very limited time and budget. At least those who didn't want any lore changes are happy...

Brack's response is saying something and nothing, they should at least apologise for rushing the release. Patch being released recently is a good sign. It's still not enough and they've got quite a lot of stuff to fix. Honestly, I care more about being able to play custom campaigns again, than features like clans, which we know are returning eventually.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Our community has come to expect really amazing things from us, and we've heard from them that we did not achieve that bar, but we stand behind our games and have consistently shown that not only do we support them, but we continue to build on them even after launch, and we're committed to doing that here as well, and so, we're going to continue to update the game, and we'll continue to update the community with our plans going forward.

Speech: 0
<insert_INDIE_COMPANY_joke_here>

Jump on the hate train, with this much hate fuel we will be going places.

Edited by Skayan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As I wrote earlier in the other news regarding the Remastered, nonetheless how they solve it, in the end its another catastrophe in their relentless quest to ruin one of the most respected Developers of all time.

I doubt there will be THAT much refunds of the Remastered, its more of a shitstorm, and the only way to show them that something goes wrong is to be careful about what they do.

I neither preordered the remastered nor Shadowlands and wont preorder D4 either. I became very careful when it comes to Blizzard and only order if the critics at release are at least acceptable. 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, this is the nail in the coffin of Blizzard for me. Not just a poorly made, unsupervised and rushed remaster, but also the deletion the original Warcraft 3, with the upcoming wow addon that is not based on anything so far presented in the game while the all the buildup and potential of Nzoth and Nyalotha, Legion and it's multiple planets was utterly wasted on just the one patch for each, cashgrab-y marketing of overwatch 1.5 as ow2, turning diablo 4 into a mmo, decent of heartstone into the cartoonish happy-rainbow madness (and it's also affecting the wow) and so on.
I'm not even sad or dissapointed at this point, i'm no longer interested in Blizzard and what they're making, and it's frightening to me as a one who's one of the silly child's dreams was working at Blizzard making Warcraft 4 or Diablo 3.

Edited by MrOger

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

RIP blizzard north. I find myself very reasonable but backing off of the tuning it to follow WoW canon and not redoing at least more of the cutscenes was a big miss. I used to love them so much after SC I preorded all of their games or anticipated them (Ghost and Project Titan). They have long been gone from that, I think I lost faith after vanilla D3 launch and that god awful AH system. I still know they put out some good games but man they always mess it up somehow and it always seems like its a decision from Activision or their shareholders and not the actual devs that are making the game. Shame really.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
56 minutes ago, Soarlozer said:

RIP blizzard north. I find myself very reasonable but backing off of the tuning it to follow WoW canon and not redoing at least more of the cutscenes was a big miss. I used to love them so much after SC I preorded all of their games or anticipated them (Ghost and Project Titan). They have long been gone from that, I think I lost faith after vanilla D3 launch and that god awful AH system. I still know they put out some good games but man they always mess it up somehow and it always seems like its a decision from Activision or their shareholders and not the actual devs that are making the game. Shame really.

I feel pretty similar. I think a lot of the people working at Blizzard sincerely want to make great games, but incompetent/greedy decisions from upper management get in the way of that. WC3 Reforged definitely needed more development time before release, but I'm guessing the suits insisted that the team release it in an unfinished state.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Implying that their release plan hasn’t (for at least the last year) been to release a game they know isn’t finished/completely workable and patch it into an acceptable state.  Shaaaaady Blizzard strikes again.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/7/2020 at 10:06 PM, miggfo said:

I think that a lot of the time consumers put unrealistic demands on developers, including Blizzard, and have no perspective whatsoever on game design tradeoffs or the difficulty and costs of development, overinflate concerns dramatically at random, and just make themselves look like uninformed idiots.

WC3 reforged is not one of those times. This statement from Brack tries to dismiss how severely bad WC3R is. It is a straight up downgrade in almost every regard except raw graphics and balance.

 

Had us in the first half, not gunna lie...

 

I actually looked at some of the quarterly releases, and for blizz, they're running at ~19% operating margin on ~1.6bn a year. JUST for Blizzard, ignoring Activision, and King games or w.e it is that pushed Candy crush. OM is after costs and taxes, so the actual profit, so they're clearly doing bloody well truth be told and could afford to put a bit more back into the games, but hey ho.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/7/2020 at 10:30 PM, Monlyth said:

While I understand that some fans had unrealistic expectations (Expecting features and stuff that wasn't even listed on the game's official website), this kinda comes off like he's blaming the customers for not being happy with a remaster that was a downgrade in several ways.

Several old features like custom campaigns were completely removed, many new technical issues were introduced that affected Classic users as well as Reforged users, and there's still some rather misleading marketing on the website, advertising cutscenes that aren't actually in the game.

I give WC3 Reforged a 3/10 as a remaster, and that's being generous. The new graphics look decent, but the missing features, the numerous technical issues and the misleading marketing are inexcusable. This is just sloppy craftsmanship, and the old Blizzard would never have released the game in such a sorry state.

And here I am enjoying the campaign. Though it's the only thing I will ever play in WC3 Reforged, which was the plan all along. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/22/2020 at 5:16 AM, Znifler said:

And here I am enjoying the campaign. Though it's the only thing I will ever play in WC3 Reforged, which was the plan all along. 

Well, I enjoyed the campaign too, but I have to acknowledge a poorly-made remaster when I see one.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/23/2020 at 7:54 PM, Monlyth said:

Well, I enjoyed the campaign too, but I have to acknowledge a poorly-made remaster when I see one.

Might be, but I haven't encountered any issues. Though I only expected a revamp of the graphics. To be honest, I'd love if they made som changes to the original game in terms of pathing. My gosh it's infuriating. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

  • Similar Content

    • By Staff
      As the Microsoft-Activision deal closes, Bobby Kotick will only stay on as CEO through the end of the year and leave on January 1, 2024.
      Placeholder for tweet 1712818483442987422 Based on the value of his shares, Robert Kotick will leave with around $400 million and if Microsoft/Xbox wants to get rid of Kotick, he will also receive a minimum payout of $250 million.

      Image courtesy of Dexterto.
    • By Staff
      According to WSJ, Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has floated the idea of buying TikTok to potential partners.
      Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly shown interest in purchasing TikTok, as legislation in the U.S. threatens to ban or force the sale of the popular app over national security concerns.
      Kotick is said to be seeking partners for the potential acquisition, discussing the opportunity with notable figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over TikTok's data privacy practices and its ties to China, with U.S. lawmakers pushing for decisive action.
      You can read the whole news piece over at WSJ.
      Bobby Kotick left his position at Activision Blizzard in December 2023 after Microsoft finalized its purchase of the company. Post-acquisition, he reportedly received over $375 million, as detailed by Forbes.
      Source: WSJ 
    • By Staff
      Blizzard games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch 2 might soon make a comeback in China, thanks to Blizzard reportedly teaming up again with NetEase.
      The news comes from Core Esports, which suggests Blizzard's game services could be back by the end of March or the beginning of April.
      After 14 years of partnership, Blizzard and NetEase hit a rough patch in 2022, leading to failed negotiations. Consequently, when the licensing agreement concluded on January 23, 2023, Blizzard's game services were suspended across mainland China.
      For more details, you can check out the article in Chinese or find an English translation by Amy Chen on esports.gg.
    • By Stan
      With Johanna Faires recently taking on the role of the new President at Blizzard, let's delve into the history of Blizzard Presidents from 1991 up to the present.
      Allen Adham served as President from 1991 to 1998. Mike Morhaime held the position of President and CEO from 1998 to 2018. J. Allen Brack assumed the role of President between 2018 and 2021. In 2021, Jen O'neal was named Co-Leader of Blizzard alongside Mike Ybarra. However, she chose to leave the company after just three months. Following her departure, Mike Ybarra took over as President until a few weeks ago when he also announced his departure from the company on January 25, 2024. Johanna Faires was appointed as Blizzard's President on January 29, 2024.
      We've come across a Reddit post where someone alleges to have worked at Blizzard during Mike Morhaime's tenure as President, continuing through Ybarra's leadership. We can't vouch for the accuracy of their statement, but here's what they had to share with the community.
      Source: Reddit
    • By Staff
      Blizzard Entertainment has named Johanna Faires as its new president, taking over from Mike Ybarra, who left the company last week.
      Before this role, Faires served as the General Manager of the Call of Duty franchise at Activision. She previously spent 12 years working at the NFL.
      “It is important to note that Call of Duty’s way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard’s realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success,”
      "I’ve discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I’m walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights.”
      This leadership change follows the announcement by Phil Spencer, the Head of Xbox, and Matt Booty, the President of Game Studios, about massive layoffs across Activision Blizzard and Xbox.
      Faires will start on February 5 and she will hold a town hall shortly afterward at the Blizzard campus in Irvine, California.
      Johanna sent the following mail to Blizzard employees this morning:
      (Source)
      Dear Blizzard,
      Though my official first day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity. I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years. Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard – and building on the momentum you’ve created for Blizzard’s next chapter.
      I want to thank Matt for the introduction, bring some further clarity to today’s announcement, and share more about how I see our future together at Blizzard. I understand this is a lot to take in. The news of my appointment may no doubt bring up a range of reactions, questions, even concerns.
      Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities. It is important to note that Call of Duty’s way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard’s realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success. I’ve discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I’m walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights.
      I am committed to doing everything I can to help Blizzard thrive, with care and consideration for you and for our games, each unique and special in their own right. I’m optimistic about our ability to serve our current and future player communities, and to further amplify the shared passion for greatness, polish, and creative mastery that is a hallmark of Blizzard’s approach to game-making.
      Next week, I will be in Irvine and I am eager to connect with as many of you as possible. I will be scheduling informal (and totally optional) meet-and-greets, where I want to hear more from people across the organization. Those of you who cannot make it to those gatherings or aren’t located in Irvine, please feel free to email me. We are also planning a town hall meeting to be held in the near future.
      A few personal facts about me: my #1 job in life is raising two amazing boys. In addition to parenthood, a typical week for me includes finding time for daily yoga and prayer, and of course, playing video games (big Diablo IV fan over here!). Throughout, the joy I find in games – and working with those who make them – only deepens.
      I remain inspired by Blizzard’s iconic legacy, and the transformative role gaming has played in my life and in the lives of others. I cannot wait to get going – to listen, to learn, to empower, and to collaborate with all of you on our bold and bright future together. Together, may we forge many legendary days ahead.
      Johanna
      For more details, check out the full article on Bloomberg.
×
×
  • Create New...