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[Kotaku] Blizzard Pulled Diablo 4 Announcement [Up: Blizzard - "This is not true"]

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
https://kotaku.com/sources-blizzard-pulled-diablo-4-announcement-from-bli-1830232246

The original plan for BlizzCon 2018, according to two people familiar with Blizzard’s plans, was for Blizzard to announce the mobile game Diablo Immortal and then end on a video in which company co-founder Allen Adham told the audience that a proper Diablo 4 was in development but not ready to show just yet. Instead, at last Friday’s keynote, Blizzard revealed Diablo Immortal to a quiet, uncomfortable crowd and then ended the show.

The reactions could have been very different. Blizzard changed its BlizzCon plans for Diablo at some point in the last couple of weeks, those people familiar with goings-on at Blizzard said. One of those people told me that the Diabloteam wasn’t yet ready to commit to an announcement, as Diablo 4 has changed drastically over the past four years and may continue to change further. (We’ve heard it’s gone through at least two different iterations under different directors.)

Blizzard said it did not immediately have comment on this story.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Games getting announced too early is too common. So good on them. I bet we don't see D4 until 2021 earliest.

They should have began the show with the mobile game tho and ended with Warcraft 3 lol
 

Skyn3t

Banned
But they didn't pull their head from their ass and still showed the Diablo Immoral or Immortal, whatever, cellphone game.
 
Diablo IV going through diffrent iterations all the time is very bad sign as it's what was happening with D3 for years.
 

FCKAFD

Member
why not write diablo 4 a the end of the cinematic instead of diablo immortal. no need to show gameplay if its not ready yet
this is just damage control
 
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DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
Blank+_890b3bcdfcd42967fd813c70bf9ba413.png
 

Xenon

Member
I'm not sure what they had planned, but the one thing I know is they sent Wyatt Cheng out to die.
 

Akuza89

Member
Sounds a lot like damage control to me...

Blizzard have probably "leaked" this out themselves that's probably why they won't comment.

Although if it was true, there are too many companies announcing games that aren't going to be coming out for years as it is, diablo 4 wouldn't have changed that trend by not announcing it.... so why not just announce it?
 
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mneuro

Member
This seems like a lie...which makes the whole thing even worse. Blizzard just digging the hole deeper.
 
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Hudo

Member
I'm terribly sorry but this looks like damage control to me. Schreier's "sources" could very well just be the Blizzard PR/Marketing team, lol.
Blizzard just miscalculated. They thought Blizzcon was the right place to announce this smartphone game and they got curb stomped.
The time and place for the announcement was a mistake, learn from it, move on.
I'm sure Diablo 4 will come eventually, although it doesn't fill me with confidence that the devs apparently changed direction so much in the last 4 years, if Schreier's article is correct.

Maybe we will know "the full truth" when he decides that he can sell those stories in a second book? (Yes, I'm still salty that he made bank on all those dev horror stories. Makes me question whether he "uncovers" them because he really cares or for cashing them in...)
 

Redneckerz

Those long posts don't cover that red neck boy
They learned from Metroid Prime 4.

However they learned too well because in its replacement they announced a game that is hardly Diablo but in name only.

That's okay, you can't hit it right instantly.

Its damage control tho.
 
nice way to unofficially announce D4.

it got the reveal it deserves, always has been treated as the outcast child under the staircase by Blizzard
 
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Dunki

Member
If this is true I ask mayself why had they ot shown it if they would say that it is not yet ready to show yet anyway. It makes no fucking sense but in the end they would have avoided this whole disaster.
 

Alebrije

Member
If true they should have show it before Inmortal like : Hey guys we are working on Diablo4 ( some basic pics) but still on early stages and release date would be 2020... but meanwhile we will deliver a Diablo mobile game called inmortal.

Being honest think its fake and just damage control from the media but at this point nothing can reverse what Blizzart did.
 

Fbh

Member
If D4 isn't at the point where it can be shown then it would have been too early to announce it.
But they should have pushed back mobile Diablo until D4 was ready to be announced to avoid the whole backlash
 
So, I am actually not too terribly pissed at Blizzard. It was a bullshit, ill advised move. It was a cash grab and a piss poor way to end an expensive fan fast for their diehards. That can all be avoided in the future by consumer response and backlash. Corporation are shit when left unchecked, but with consumer expressing disapproval and a media that reports on it - it evens out. That's how it has worked before.

What I am pissed about is finding out what the gaming press really thinks of consumers and how quickly they are ready to dismiss and mock segments of them and play defense for corporations when given the chance. I am pissed that some of the biggest outlets are not on the consumer's side.
 
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Aurelian

my friends call me "Cunty"
I know everyone likes to entertain conspiracy theories, but the likely answer is that Kotaku either did some investigation and turned up a couple of off-the-record contacts, or else had tips (and no, not necessarily Blizzard PR people) from insiders reacting to the backlash. Reality is often a lot more boring than you want it to be, folks.
 

Xaero Gravity

NEXT LEVEL lame™
I know everyone likes to entertain conspiracy theories, but the likely answer is that Kotaku either did some investigation and turned up a couple of off-the-record contacts, or else had tips (and no, not necessarily Blizzard PR people) from insiders reacting to the backlash. Reality is often a lot more boring than you want it to be, folks.

Normally I'd agree, but considering his reaction to people being disappointed and how much of a shill he came across as over the weekend, Jason is one of the last people I'd believe regarding this.
 
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dottme

Member
Normally I'd agree, but considering his reaction to people being disappointed and how much of a shill he came across as over the weekend, Jason is one of the last people I'd believe regarding this.
Yeah. I more encline to believe Jason is doing whatever he can to help Blizzard than actually trying to reveal the truth.
 

Blam

Member
Normally I'd agree, but considering his reaction to people being disappointed and how much of a shill he came across as over the weekend, Jason is one of the last people I'd believe regarding this.
Jason's sorta a shithead as good as some of his articles maybe.
 

Aurelian

my friends call me "Cunty"
Normally I'd agree, but considering his reaction to people being disappointed and how much of a shill he came across as over the weekend, Jason is one of the last people I'd believe regarding this.

Eh, I'd still be more likely to believe him than... well, many of the people here accusing him of being part of an elaborate plot.

Remember, Kotaku is the outlet that got blacklisted by Bethesda and Ubisoft for a while for accurate leaks. It's not a perfect outlet by any means, but it does do its homework and isn't afraid to antagonize major studios.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Eh, I'd still be more likely to believe him than... well, many of the people here accusing him of being part of an elaborate plot.

Remember, Kotaku is the outlet that got blacklisted by Bethesda and Ubisoft for a while for accurate leaks. It's not a perfect outlet by any means, but it does do its homework and isn't afraid to antagonize major studios.

Just don't antagonize them as a lowly customer, then they (Scheier) right tell you to fuck off. :pie_eyeroll:

Rules for thee...
 
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Ogbert

Member
Jason Schreier is the strangest, most objectively ludicrous bozo currently scribbling about videogames.

Someone needs to politely remind him that he is not a real journalist.
 

Ogbert

Member
Eh, I'd still be more likely to believe him than... well, many of the people here accusing him of being part of an elaborate plot.

Remember, Kotaku is the outlet that got blacklisted by Bethesda and Ubisoft for a while for accurate leaks. It's not a perfect outlet by any means, but it does do its homework and isn't afraid to antagonize major studios.

It wasn’t ‘antagonising’ a major studio in some honourable bid to uncover the truth. They just leaked their release schedule like a bunch of dicks. So no more access for you Kotaku. Jog the fuck on.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Nice attempt at damage control. Until i see i wont believe D4 in development. Can't monetize it enough blizzard's tastes. Hence the shit treatment of D3 community gets cant monetizing the hell out of it.
 

Aurelian

my friends call me "Cunty"
It wasn’t ‘antagonising’ a major studio in some honourable bid to uncover the truth. They just leaked their release schedule like a bunch of dicks. So no more access for you Kotaku. Jog the fuck on.

No, it wasn't a noble crusade... it'd be better to say that Kotaku wasn't worried about losing its privileged access in the name of a short-term scoop. Point being: it's not one to bend over backwards currying favor from game studios.
 

Solarstrike

Member
Maybe it was poor organization by whomever the director of the event was? Diablo Immortal should have been a quick announcement. Not drawn out. Show the gameplay, crank the sound up, show action scenes, magic spells, etc., fade to black. Then show a CGI/whatever for D4. Not some drawn out introduction and theorem about cellphones to seemingly push the game onto people and expect an immediate happy reaction. Even a piece of concept art for D4 would have been great and a remedy for those confused as to the future of the IP. Also, bring more cosmetics, dungeons, and overall content to Diablo 3. People will pay for it. Don't assume they won't and then, go and make a cellphone game instead. :messenger_mr_smith_who_are_you_going_to_call:
 

Dunki

Member
Eh, I'd still be more likely to believe him than... well, many of the people here accusing him of being part of an elaborate plot.

Remember, Kotaku is the outlet that got blacklisted by Bethesda and Ubisoft for a while for accurate leaks. It's not a perfect outlet by any means, but it does do its homework and isn't afraid to antagonize major studios.
I also remember when Schreier called developer of Dragons Crown a horny 14 year old boy. He twist his shit like he wants to this is what Games journalism today is. He even said to someone normally disagreeing with his Diablo Immortal post to fuck off.

So no I do not believe a LOT he and other so called games journalists are saying because they twist the articles like it fits their political agenda. Another example would have been Battlefield 5 which got twisted that people got mad because women in vieo games which was absolute bullshit as well but in the end it did fit their agenda way better than saying that people find it disrespectful and way over the top for a game that wanted to go back to its roots.

The reason why they also posted these leaks was to enerate clicks nothing about it was journalistic work.
 
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Will they make it another cartoony WoW lookalike? They probably look alike, but I'd much prefer a realistic art style, personally. Other than that, the gameplay in Diablo 3 is fantastic.
 
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