• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Blizzard dev: Diablo 4 will have cosmetic microtransactions, seasonal content, and expansions (plural)

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
IGN with the story.

During BlizzCon 2019, Twitch streamer Quin69 spoke with Shely following the Diablo 4 reveal at Blizzard’s annual fan event (via PCGamesN). During their lengthy conversation, Quin brought up the question of how Blizzard will monetize Diablo 4.
“Diablo 4 will be available as a base game, and… we’re going to have expansions. You also will be able to acquire cosmetics in the game.”
While Shely says it is early days, it appears there will be some kind of cosmetic microtransaction system in Diablo 4. That’s on top of seasonal content and expansions, as Shely revealed earlier in the conversation.
Shely also touched on the auction system in Diablo 4. Shely says that the main way players will get loot in Diablo 4 will be by killing monsters, the developers are looking into some sort of auction function. So far the developers seem to be considering a tiered system where some items can be tradeable, while others are locked.

---

wellthereitis.gif

It's worth mentioning -- for better or worse -- that the current iteration of the game is almost meaningless, as Blizzard has already admitted Diablo 4 is several years away from launch. Hopefully through tests and player feedback they will make the game into something franchise fans can enjoy.
 

Phase

Member
Great... Another big game looking to build itself around micro-transactions. How about NO FUCKING MICRO-TRANSACTIONS IN A FULL PRICED GAME. Paid expansions are fine as that's straight content you're paying for.

Game is dead before its even developed.
 
Newp newp newp

I cant keep up with seasons and constantly changing content

hate what “expansions” have become too.

MAYBE ill consider unboycotting blizzard for D4 in 10 years....but i doubt that.
 
Last edited:

DavidGzz

Member
Nice! Also online only for all platforms hopefully means crossplay and being able to play my PC account on Console and vice versa.
 

FMXVII

Member
Yes, it does. As if they would let hacked offline characters play with online-only non-hacked PC users in a game that has PvP. Maybe if they brought back "Open" battle.net where hacks were rampant.

It's almost as if people posting about Official BattleNet being a hack free utopia, and not full of dupes, maphacks, and botters, were living somewhere other than this particular Earth, during the Aughts.
 
Last edited:

Phase

Member
That's what happens when a game has no financial support these days. Cosmetics sales in D4 will fix that.
giphy.gif
 

DavidGzz

Member
Lol, the whole reason PoE is supported so well is that they sell stash space and cosmetics. It isn't because of their good will.

It's almost as if people posting about Official BattleNet being a hack free utopia, and not full of dupes, maphacks, and botters, were living somewhere other than this particular Earth, during the Aughts.


I'm not sure what your post means, but I haven't seen one hack in thousands of hours of D3 PC. Sure, I know about botters, but they can't put items into the game that are not legit. The first multiplayer game on console and a dude dropped me a ring with three slots, a sword that made attack speed so fast that I was just a blur that also had 3 slots, and when he killed things he leveled me hundreds of paragon levels per monster. The console version of D3 is unplayable unless you only play with friends or alone.


Sold 30 million copies.


Most likely closer to 40 at this point. Either way, do those people have a way to keep supporting the game after the initial buy? Nope, so now Blizzard has their Diablo team busy on a game that will make that possible. They are a business and will put more effort into games like Overwatch and WoW that keep the money flowing.
 
Last edited:

Phase

Member
Lol, the whole reason PoE is supported so well is that they sell stash space and cosmetics. It isn't because of their good will.
Yes, it is a smart (albeit sly) way to get money from their free to play game. I played all ten acts plus a good portion of the end game without spending anything. It's a great game with loads of content. But having that type of shit in a $60 dollar game? Fuck no we shouldn't support it.
 

DavidGzz

Member
30 million copies AND a RMAH.

I gotta wonder where these posts are coming from.

Because they obviously aren't coming from people who have actually played the game.


AND a RMAH? Maybe you're the one who hasn't played it since 2012, I've played D3 off and on since launch and I'm eagerly awaiting season 19 myself. IF the RMAH had stayed around, we would be on the third big expansion. Alas, the community killed the RMAH, and I'm glad they did. Pay to win is terrible. Cosmetic sales that will keep them busy making more content will be great.


Yes, it is a smart (albeit sly) way to get money from their free to play game. I played all ten acts plus a good portion of the end game without spending anything. It's a great game with loads of content. But having that type of shit in a $60 dollar game? Fuck no we shouldn't support it.


Have they confirmed it is $60? Besides, was Overwatch free to play? Is WoW not $15 a month and buy to play? They even charge $40 for their expansions on top of that fee. Why does Blizzard need to make Diablo F2P to justify cosmetic sales? Maybe just don't buy any cosmetics? At least Diablo will have a campaign unlike F2P battle royales.
 
Last edited:

Ryu Kaiba

Member
Imagine living an entire lifetime with the awareness that cosmetic skins are valueless weak attempts to manipulate you with a false sense of "uniqueness" and there are thousands of other games out there that will last you a lifetime and you don't have to waste your time and money on the ones that try to pull this bullshit.
 
Last edited:

DavidGzz

Member
Imagine living an entire lifetime with the awareness that cosmetic skins are valueless weak attempts to manipulate you with a false sense of "uniqueness" and there are thousands of other games out there that will last you a lifetime and you don't have to waste your time and money on the ones that try to pull this bullshit.


I agree, yet it is inevitable in gaming anymore. I'm 38 years old and would LOVE if games were buy once and be done with it like they once were, but I also want games supported to make them worth playing for a LONG time(ARPG's at least). I don't want what happened to D3 happen to D4.
 
Last edited:

Phase

Member
Have they confirmed it is $60? Besides, was Overwatch free to play? Is WoW not $15 a month and buy to play? They even charge $40 for their expansions on top of that fee. Why does Blizzard need to make Diablo F2P to justify cosmetic sales? Maybe just don't buy any cosmetics? At least Diablo will have a campaign unlike F2P battle royales.
Because the game will inevitably be shittier because of their existence. Blizzard will need to justify their existence and tailor aspects of their game to to bring you to their micro-transactions. Every game with cosmetic or other MT's suffers because of it.

Also, why bring up their other garbage systems like needing a subscriptions to play WOW? They all suck. Make good quality product. Sell it. Be honest in your approach and people will respect and support the product if it is good.
 

DavidGzz

Member
Because the game will inevitably be shittier because of their existence. Blizzard will need to justify their existence and tailor aspects of their game to to bring you to their micro-transactions. Every game with cosmetic or other MT's suffers because of it.

Also, why bring up their other garbage systems like needing a subscriptions to play WOW? They all suck. Make good quality product. Sell it. Be honest in your approach and people will respect and support the product if it is good.

What is your suggestion to keep Blizzard supporting it after the initial huge sale numbers? In a perfect world they would give it the same love as WoW without needing to put in microtransactions. Why would they leave a large team on it making content when it doesn't bring the same amount of money as their other franchises? It would not make their investors or Activision happy if they did that. There are ARPG's for people who want that, they are WAY worse than a Diablo, but they exist.

And I brought up "garbage" systems because it is an example of an old game making the same dev group A LOT of money. How is Diablo 4 going to get similar support if not by also finding a way to make money?
 

Phase

Member
What is your suggestion to keep Blizzard supporting it after the initial huge sale numbers? In a perfect world they would give it the same love as WoW without needing to put in microtransactions. Why would they leave a large team on it making content when it doesn't bring the same amount of money as their other franchises? It would not make their investors or Activision happy if they did that. There are ARPG's for people who want that, they are WAY worse than a Diablo, but they exist.

And I brought up "garbage" systems because it is an example of an old game making the same dev group A LOT of money. How is Diablo 4 going to get similar support if not by also finding a way to make money?
They're gonna make a lot of money regardless. They just want ALL of the money, and the milk-the-consumer practices just hurt the quality of their products and turn off a huge portion of fans. But share holders need that stock price to grow, right?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fuz

DavidGzz

Member
^Hey, as long as you know why they do it. People don't have to like it. All I know is if the kids are willing to fund my expansions, I'm all for it. I've gone through 7 years of hoping and wishing that D3 would have more support. Maybe I won't have to do that with D4.
 

Somoza

Member
Unpopular oppinion but I rather prefer to have cosmetics and mounts than locked up behind a paywall characters like the necromancer in d3. Now, if they end up doing BOTH, that i will not like.
 
Last edited:
DavidGzz, secret (notsosecret) Blizzard employee. Keep up the bad work.

If Blizzard can't release a £50 game, full of content, without requiring additional revenue streams to keep profitable, then they deserve to go out of business.

As a consumer of a product being complacent with shitty practices, just to keep a highly profitable company in the black as a personal crusade, is the strangest mentality to observe since planking.
 
^Hey, as long as you know why they do it. People don't have to like it. All I know is if the kids are willing to fund my expansions, I'm all for it. I've gone through 7 years of hoping and wishing that D3 would have more support. Maybe I won't have to do that with D4.

Kids aren't funding your expansions don't be naive. Developers are taking things out of the game to sell later, and release with as little content as possible. This has been proven multiple times.
 

DavidGzz

Member
LMFAO, Blizzard employee. I wish.

Keep telling yourself that, Screamer-RSA. Bottom line, Blizzard and Diablo are too big to not have micros. Horse armor sales will be a thing like in Oblivion. It's just the way it is, people. Similar to CoD, cosmetic sales will be a thing. At least, I think Modern Warfare has micros, I am not a fan of the franchise anymore so I am not sure.
 

Ingeniero

Member
I'm in day one.
I hope not only cosmetic improvements but also power wise.
This is perfect for me.
Iwant to have good gear and beat the game, but don't have enough time to grind, but I do have enough cash to buy the good stuff.
 
Last edited:

klosos

Member
See i can accept cosmetic microstransactions in path of Exile because the game and all content is completely free, so throwing GGG games a few quid here and there for some cosmetic pieces or bank Space is fine.

But a Billion dollar company who will charge £49.99 for Diablo 4 day one and still charge for cosmetic Tranctons can just go and take a long run and jump off the cliff , greedy bastards.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
See i can accept cosmetic microstransactions in path of Exile because the game and all content is completely free, so throwing GGG games a few quid here and there for some cosmetic pieces or bank Space is fine.

But a Billion dollar company who will charge £49.99 for Diablo 4 day one and still charge for cosmetic Tranctons can just go and take a long run and jump off the cliff , greedy bastards.
You expect 5 years of free content because of the initial purchase of 59.99. The whining over cosmetics to fund on going content is funny. People think the content teams are free for blizzard. I rather cosmetics only for content and support than basic things like different types of stashes in POE. They introduce something to flood the inventory to sell a new stash. If you don't want to buy a skin you don't have to and it does not affect the game play 1 bit. The entitlement these days is off the charts. If it was pay to win or pay for basic QOL I could understand but skins blah who cares. Also games don't stay 59.99 forever. After year 1ots of sales will be 29.99 or less. With a good chunk of that on console and 30% cut does not leave lots left over.
 

klosos

Member
Q quest True , 59.99 for the base game then another 59.99 for the first expansion then maybe if us plebs are really lucky we might have the privilege to buy a second expansion i cant wait, also add in some Cosmetic Micro-Transactions i am in heaven.

Oh and you say entitled , fuck yes i am entitled its my money i am spending, like everyone should be entitled if your putting down your own cash,no ?

at least they aren't adding Loot boxes which is nice of them.
 
Last edited:

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
"seasonal content"?
Just what Diablo needs... Lunar new year (for the Chinese big bux!) and Christmas events.
It is likely referring to some version of Seasons which they currently run in Diablo 3. For those who don't play, every few months a Season begins alongside the latest balance patch with a new seasonal journey. Each character class will be guaranteed a particular Set as long as they complete the first few chapters of the Season. Whatever the patch rebalances also applies to the other modes, but Seasons are a fast-track.

It's a good way to introduce new players to an (early) end-game viable build, or for experienced players to quickly jump into a new build while skipping most of the grinding.
 
Top Bottom