Editorial Diablo 3 'disappointing' according to Bethesda Director

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Diablo III

What does Ashley Cheng, the Lead Producer of Oblivion and Production Director at Bethesda, think about Diablo 3? <a href="http://www.ashleycheng.com/2008/06/when-ship-runs-out-of-ocean.html">According to his latest blog update</a>:
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<blockquote>I must say I am disappointed that Blizzard has stayed on the conservative side in terms of design with their updates to Diablo and Starcraft. Diablo will be interesting since World of Warcraft has a lot of Diablo-like qualities. I have no doubt, however, that they will be incredibly fun, addictive and polished games. Blizzard is the top of the class when it comes to game development - nobody does it better.</blockquote>
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I'm not sure what "conservative side in terms of design" actually means but some seem to think it has something to do with the lack of first-person perspective. <a href="http://blizzardguru.com/2008/07/bethsofts-ashley-cheng-disappointed-in-diablo-3/">According to Rex Exitium's latest cookie cutter adventure</a> Ashley also wanted Starcraft 2 to be first person stating "starcraft 2 looks great, wish blizzard deviated more, try ground control/battlezone first person gameplay". Yes because everything has to be first-person these days or it's just not "next-gen" or "innovative" enough.
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<a href="http://fidgit.com/archives/2008/07/game-developers-say-the-darnde.php">Tom Chick says it was "a respectful and constructive comment"</a> and Ashley says he <a href="http://www.ashleycheng.com/2008/07/coming-up-from-shipwreck.html">has nothing else to say about it</a>.
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Thanks <b>Dandelion</b> and <b>Hamster</b>.

 

[Xerxos]

Ashley also wanted Starcraft 2 to be first person stating "starcraft 2 looks great, wish blizzard deviated more, try ground control/battlezone first person gameplay". Yes because everything has to be first-person these days or it's just not "next-gen" or "innovative" enough.

To be fair, Battlezone is one the most underrated games I know. Battlezone I and Battlezone II were great fun in multiplayer. Something like that made by Blizzard? Friggin' fantastic.

BUT

Why should Starcraft 2 be Battlezone 3? I want a "Blizzard's Battlezone III", too. That's still no reason to change Starcraft mechanics, which are fun, to Battlezone mechanics which are also fun but for different reasons...

 

[Spectacle]

When was the last time someone at Bethesda said something that wasn't retarded?

 

[Dolar]

I don't think they(gaming media at large) get the idea of the Lead producer of fallout 3 making comments that 2 classic isometric games should be first person. They classify if it is just a dig at blizzard, but its not really. The outcry over it was more of one where it sounds like he thinks if its not first person its a game that has been left in the past and lacks "inovashun".

 

[The Feral Kid]

Never thought Beth could go any lower than they are already. Guess they never disappoint on that aspect.

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

Isn't Blizzard working on Starcraft: Ghost?

 

[Xor]

It's "on-hold indefinitely".

 

[Balor]

Isn't Blizzard working on Starcraft: Ghost?

One thing I respect Blizzard for: "Masterpiece or bust!" motto. Wish other game companies were following it.

 

[mondblut]

Never cared about diablow series, but I'll rather play diablow 3 than "innovative" all-out 3.

And I really wish all-out 3 busted, bethesda sold TES elsewhere and they'd make an arkanoid-type game as TES5. Now THAT would be innovashun.

 

[Mareus]

I would say that any game today that tries to stay true to their fans is inovative. I mean how often can you play an oldschool AAA game today?

Very rare, because companies like Bethcrap are trying to implement next gen success formula that will make all games averege piece of shit with same look and feel to them.

I hate Diablo because it's just a mindless hack and slash action game, but if Bethseda is dissapointed with "conservative side in terms of design", I would guess Diablo 3 will stay true to their fans and it won't dissapoint them, which is pretty innovative in today's gaming industry. It is also the most important thing, because Blizzard can look forward to more satisfied customers. I see another 4 millions copies sold, while I hope Bethcrap will go bankrupt in their chase for money with their next gen shit. I really doubt any of real FO fans want to see another 3D first person shooter. It's pretty clear Bethcrap is not aiming to please the fans, they are aiming to please next gen first person shooter fanboys who get a hardon as soon as they see every small detail in some zombies brains splashed all over the screen. Those people are sick I swear. Fucking necrophiliacs!! I bet Ashley and whole Bethcrap with Todd are bunch of necrophiliacs!

 

[aron searle]

Ashley also wanted Starcraft 2 to be first person stating "starcraft 2 looks great, wish blizzard deviated more, try ground control/battlezone first person gameplay". Yes because everything has to be first-person these days or it's just not "next-gen" or "innovative" enough.

To be fair, Battlezone is one the most underrated games I know. Battlezone I and Battlezone II were great fun in multiplayer. Something like that made by Blizzard? Friggin' fantastic.

Battlezone was a cool tank game, fun.

But as a strategy game, it was kinda sucky because it was 1st person. Ok let's say you include a zoom out option, so that you can properly control you're units and base, and a map, proper group selection and formations ect.

But then being able to control one of the units becomes nothing more than abit of a gimmick, there's a good reason why there are no more games like it. Maybe when computers are able to reliably take voice commands, and you can just say what you want done, instead of having to rely on menus and sub menus and quick buttons, you can look at a 1st person strategy game.

Untill then it's just a cool gimmick that just get's in the way of the strategy game. Not that beth is capable of seeing this. No, they seem far to obsessed with the 1st person perspective, and "IMMURSUNMM!!, it's funny just how much they misunderstand what immursion really is.

 

[Kraszu]

. I really doubt any of real FO fans want to see another 3D first person shooter. It's pretty clear Bethcrap is not aiming to please the fans, they are aiming to please next gen first person shooter fanboys who get a hardon as soon as they see every small detail in some zombies brains splashed all over the screen.

To bad that plenty of idiots will buy FO3 just for curiosity sake, or whatever other reason. If you want to see what beth did at least pirate the game, don't support dumbed down rpgs or we will see more of them, and there will be less chance for rpg that is more like you would like it to be.

 

[sabishii]

Blizzard doesn't do innovation (neither do they intend to), but shoving in the same "next gen" features that every other game tries to conform to isn't innovation, either.

 

[Mareus]

Blizzard is not innovative if we are talking about making something completely new and original. All the innovation was done 10 years ago anyway, but Blizzard knows how to make sequels and how to simply refine games to make them better while sticking the old formula. They understand they should not reinvent a game if they want to have steady customers. They face the facts what could have been done better and they make a better sequel next time while keeping the core which made the game so popular. Unfortunately they are the only ones that seem to understand how gamers work. If they liked something they will come for more. Innovation is for completely new brand games, not for sequels. That is why I wish Blizzard was working on FO3.

You can't take turn-based isometric game full of dialogs, choices and consequenses and make a first person 3D action shooter RPG out of it. It's the same reason why Deus Ex2 failed, the same reason why Oblivion was a failure when compared with Daggerfall and Morrowind, the same reason why FO3 will fail. Please don't support FO3 when it comes out.

 

[Data4]

This is actually pretty damned funny. Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 are each going to sell waaaay more than Fallout 3, which is going to fly in the face of the whole "Isometric is so last-gen" hoo-hah.

Cheng is just worried that Boyarsky and crew are going to make total asses out of Bethesda.

-D4

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Ashley also wanted Starcraft 2 to be first person stating "starcraft 2 looks great, wish blizzard deviated more, try ground control/battlezone first person gameplay". Yes because everything has to be first-person these days or it's just not "next-gen" or "innovative" enough.

To be fair, Battlezone is one the most underrated games I know. Battlezone I and Battlezone II were great fun in multiplayer. Something like that made by Blizzard? Friggin' fantastic.

Battlezone was a cool tank game, fun.

But as a strategy game, it was kinda sucky because it was 1st person. Ok let's say you include a zoom out option, so that you can properly control you're units and base, and a map, proper group selection and formations ect.

But then being able to control one of the units becomes nothing more than abit of a gimmick, there's a good reason why there are no more games like it. Maybe when computers are able to reliably take voice commands, and you can just say what you want done, instead of having to rely on menus and sub menus and quick buttons, you can look at a 1st person strategy game.

Untill then it's just a cool gimmick that just get's in the way of the strategy game. Not that beth is capable of seeing this. No, they seem far to obsessed with the 1st person perspective, and "IMMURSUNMM!!, it's funny just how much they misunderstand what immursion really is.

A reasonable point but you forget one thing...

The BattleZone AI sucked. If you weren't in the middle of combat blasting shit away, the AI sure as hell wasn't going to get the job done. Mind you in BattleZone II that appeared to shift back the opposite way where staying behind at base was the only way to stay alive long enough to achieve anything. At least, that was my experience. Still, I enjoyed the original. The second not so much (didn't even complete it unlike the original which I finished a few times - If I recall, I think they also ruined sniping in BZ2 where it became a lot harder to commando raid enemy tanks and use them against the bad guys).

 

[Texas Red]

GOD DAMMIT, I'm tired of these Diablo threads popping up every day. Stop discussing this boring piece of generic hack n slash.

 

[Mareus]

This is actually pretty damned funny. Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 are each going to sell waaaay more than Fallout 3, which is going to fly in the face of the whole "Isometric is so last-gen" hoo-hah.

Cheng is just worried that Boyarsky and crew are going to make total asses out of Bethesda.

-D4

They will just blame it all on pirates and they will say Diablo 3 had bigger fanbase. But guess what Bethcrap? If you weren't so busy all the time making next gen shit you would have a fanbase!

 

[Micmu]

GOD DAMMIT, I'm tired of these Diablo threads popping up every day. Stop discussing this boring piece of generic hack n slash.

GTFO

And it's a "FO" 3 thread also, which is even worse.

 

[Mareus]

GOD DAMMIT, I'm tired of these Diablo threads popping up every day. Stop discussing this boring piece of generic hack n slash.

You are missing the point. This is not about Diablo 3, this is about how Bethcrap is expressing their dissapointment towards Blizzard and how they make their games. The same Bethcrap who took one of the best game brands ever, and transformed it into a game for mass audience, ...again betraying the fans of the series.

 

[Herbert West]

big lol @ Ashley Cheng
Does he think tetris should be FPP too?

 

[Solivagant]

I'd say it's a funny world, I'm actually expecting a Diablo game more than a Fallout game.

 

[Balor]

I'd say it's a funny world, I'm actually expecting a Diablo game more than a Fallout game.

QFT.
And, to quote myself some more, because this Diablo game may actually be more of an RPG then Fallout 3.

 

[MasPingon]

I'd say it's a funny world, I'm actually expecting a Diablo game more than a Fallout game.

Yeah, funny times we livin.

 

[inwoker]

I'm definitely missing something. When actually bethsoft did innovation? In what game? Their games are the all the same with new graphics. Or what's the point?