The role of fanbase and community feedback in a game’s future design

What used to be Blizzard's biggest strength and it seems biggest flaw at the same time?

LISTENING! Well, actually reading what players want or think... Leaving aside the theories about ACTIVISION and so on, this fact is most easily noticeable in World of Warcraft, that to this day and forever more (even tho I myself don't play it anymore), will deserve our utmost respect and will hold a special place in my heart for reasons varying from technical issues that it had to overcome, to depth and size of the fantasy world, to storyline (until cata :p) and well, to the fact that it still goes on after ALL these years.

My statement is of course open to debate, but I reached this conclusion by following the forum over time and on fastforward it looks something like this:

• Vanilla + patches too hard! too time consuming! too big! polish! polish! -> -> 

• TBC this is nice but we don't see end game cuz we play 2 hrs / day and we want the same progress as ppl playing 8 hrs a day -> ->

• WotLK To begin this I must send this quote that popped up in my head after reading the QQ about epix: a noob in epix is still a noob (...epic noob I guess ^^)! no big deal, BUT... most ppl know the talk about WotLK: QQ about returning to the roots, oooh vanill-vanilla -> BANG! -> 

• CATA ... old content renewed, the once epic journey through dungeons becomes hell fast as you try telling 3 ppl to stop hitting the sheep, or getting "CBA to use interrupts" as a response from the ppl in the party after wipeing on the first pack in the dungeon, followed by whine whine too hard , we want epix (hellooooo?O_o did all WotLK players quit? You said you want less epix!!!), DS nerf, DS LFR... 

Well, I'm no Blizz fanboy (fashionable term for anyone stating something positive about the company they worshiped before :p), but it is HARD to be a dev with fans that change their wishes more often than girls shopping for their wedding day :p. This is somewhat of a "it's not you, it's me" thing :">.

Remember attunement? :"> That was nice tbh...I even have the damn Mallet of Zul Farak that I obtained by corpse running and 2 manning it with a wlock friend! :)) (sap, blind, fear a whole strategy to get it! xD). Also, HC keys? You wouldn't know it sucks unless you had tasted another way.

So to follow this trend, but to keep it realistic, yes; something else went down with the game. 

At the same time it's only clear the fixing one thing can turn something else around (i.e. LFR-LFG = capital city camping, dead world, while going to summoning stones seems to have been old and no longer a good idea...). Blizzard must go back to it's own roots and at the same time start ignoring a part of it's community. Blizzard made legendary games and set entire trends and standards whenever it made one. 

Great products -> notoriety & fans -> community -> $.

Look! More hidden footprints! Awwww!!! It's a cute panda!!! ^^

Pandaria!!! Cuteness hits Azeroth!

Blizzcon announces new WoW expansion, Pandaria and the new Class Talent System! ...and a few more things like Pet Battle System :D.

 

"The Pandaren have a long and storied history but have been hidden behind the mists since the time of the Sundering. The discovery of this lost continent provides an opportunity for both the Alliance and Horde to meet interesting new creatures… and most likely kill them."

While indeed Warcraft 3 brought us the mysterious drunken master and even WoW has had it's certain quest regarding our fat friend Chen Stormstout (also see HoN and DotA for some panda action), this, however has been most unexpected for me ... As I am currently taking a break from the WoW, I keep missing the old content... the magic that vanilla brought (and even TBC & WotlK), not thru what some might call simple... memories OR any feeling of nostalgia! Yes, that has tried most, if not ALL of the older members of the community...and no, I don't mean hardcore players, I've never been or considered myself as such, but most ppl ran from what "the world", was turning in to :(.

Now, to be more exact on what I'm trying to send out, just check the "Beware Deathwing" post. ALL those things are what WoW means for me personally. It's the magic and mystery that certain quests, zones, and items brought. It was the community along with the beauty of the game itself and VERY importantly the implementation of the LORE itself that made this game find it's way straight to my heart. I've always been a huge fan of warcraft 3 mods and so called rpg maps. It brought a sense of danger, magic, heroism and mystery to be explored. I have been expecting a drastic return to such roots...but well :D, this was again...unexpected. It would have been an amazing bonus but not a core feature. I do hope we get more "Jade Forest" and less "Farmland" cuz, as long as it feels more like Azshara and less like Durotar... it's just wrong. Kill the oil rigs in STV pls :p and bring back Tarren Mill ... Desolace is as desolate as it ever was and you have failed to bring it back to life, atleast that's how I feel, even more with not skilling lockpicking anymore.

Official trailer presented @ Blizzcon, enter the panda! :D

Like the other races of Azeroth, the pandaren have their own unique racial bonuses:

*Epicurean: Increase the stat benefits from food by 100%
*Gourmand: Cooking skill increased by 15
*Inner Peace: Your rested experience bonus lasts twice as long
*Bouncy: You take 50% less falling damage
*Quaking Palm: You touch a pressure point on an enemy target, putting it to sleep for 3 seconds. (:O btw. I still feel betrayed when WotF was nerfed and every time I see a human rogue wearing two pve trinkets in pvp ;) )

As a whole, the idea seems "temptalizing", and if this for example becomes a real WoW city then I might give it a chance :p.

I must admit, the whole thing contains amazing images, amazing footage and brings GREAT potential to the game...just, dear Blizz... KEEP THE WORLD OF WARCRAFT as world of WARCRAFT (not anything else) and keep  this in mind: it will never ever fail to look back to when the roots smelled like vanilla :p and to when having max lockpicking (as a symbolic example if you will), meant something. Nerf game = nerf community - nerf standard - nerf brains - nerf the world as a whole.

Will there be any rainbow pony mount implementation too?

Rogue Class Talent System Preview:

Wowhead has hosted a Mists of Pandaria Talents Calculator. If you'd like to check it out, here's the link.

Pet Battle System

Blizzcon 2011 Opening Ceremony Part 1

Do you panda? ^^