On January 06 2012 23:00 Markwerf wrote: What a bunch of useless speculation really. The 'conclusions' drawn in some points are just ludicrous like: blizzard execs don't get bonus -> must be something wrong with diablo!!! Perhaps you haven't considered there is a general movement against execs getting bonusses at the end of year being a hot issue for maybe three years already because of the crises? RMAH could play a reason but who cares really? It might simply have been one of the reasons that just tipped the scale, ie. there were other things they weren't happy with yet but decided to launch and patch later, but now they've decided to delay launch. Blizzard delaying is so common, I really wouldn't try to think too much of it..
This sums up the article quite well. It's some guy and his crystal ball looking too deep into things, taking it upon himself to turn speculation into facts. What I really admire is the time taken to hunt down all these public forum posts and "announcements" that change month to month anyway, and hold blizzard to them as if they are not subject to change. I really believe you can't possibly know without being an insider, so the sherlock holmes act just makes me laugh.
Medrea is right; Bashiok is somewhat of a troll and instigator with the content he provides. I get the impression that he just roams the Blizzard halls and looks over shoulders of cubicle workers as they work, catching glimpses of stuff as he makes his way to the coffee room. After this, he takes a 45 minute dump while reading Nintendo Magazine. Around noon or so he returns to an empty office. This is prime time to sneak on their computers and go through their email now when they're all off for lunch, and report back to us of his findings in public forum posts. No one has spoken to him and cannot link his face to his online Bashiok screen name, they just call him that guy who works off in the corner. Now that's speculation for you.
Bashiok is a punk.
His posts are always needlessly abrasive. And usually full of fluff rather than substance and information.
On January 05 2012 23:33 [F_]aths wrote: If two incidents happen at the same time, they are not necessarily connected. Diablo 3 is still not ready for launch. As I followed the beta, some serious gameplay changes were implemented, even though the beta covers less than the first half of Act 1. The korean RMAH delay is a seperate issue.
Maybe but how often do two things need to happen at the same time before we can start drawing a correlation? OP's article pieces together about a half dozen events, sources included, that tie the release date to the RMAH issue.
When the president of the firm himself gets involved and then makes a 5:30 AM post about how the game is going to be delayed, a first for Mike, its hard to draw the conclusion he was just in Korea for the lulz. Im not saying such a standpoint is impossible. But I have linked a lot of sources and explanations and people who have done the same to show one side of the situation, can you do the same with that side?
Anyway, lets see what happens if the board has really decided to give the game an 18+ rating. I cannot read Korean.
Also the more sources you guys can dig up, either towards the OP or away from the OP, go ahead and link and I will add them to the OP.
Mike was in Korea to get the RMAH approved.
Diablo 3 isn't out because development isn't done.
Not connected.
Please read the OP. You can't have a complete standpoint against something by just poking one bullet point out of place.
Anyway, it isnt about whether you believe it is the only thing holding the game up or not, it is more about following the largest block in a sequence of many. Not many are anticipating that the same day the GRB approves the game a release date will be released. And we definitely arent suspecting that the game's release date will be like 2 weeks away or anything like that (semi surprise launch).
Blizzard has a lot of people, and when the game is greenlighted for the homestretch many more will descend on the project to push it out the door. The RMAH is just a significant point in the games development, not the only one, or even the last one.
Timecycles are huge here, this isnt your high school book report. Blizzard can only release at the end of a timecycle.
Keep making things up, that contradict what Bashiok has repeatedly said.
The game is not delayed because of the GRB. Unless Bashiok is a complete liar.
Is Blizzard delaying the release of a game for polish unheard of? More like it's the norm.
Is Blizzard delaying the release of a game for some mythical global release unheard of? Yes, it has never happened.
He hasn't said anything. Thats the problem. Bashiok is just a forum troll.
And no one is saying there arent bugs so Im not sure who you are talking to.
And where are these sources for Blizzard committing to a simultaneous global release? Even in Somalia?
And I won't accept a statement like "ideally, if everything is ready, we would prefer to release Diablo 3 simultaneous around the globe" as "committing" to a simultaneous global release. It would need to be something like "We are committed and determined to release this game at the same time around the world".
On January 06 2012 23:00 Markwerf wrote: What a bunch of useless speculation really. The 'conclusions' drawn in some points are just ludicrous like: blizzard execs don't get bonus -> must be something wrong with diablo!!! Perhaps you haven't considered there is a general movement against execs getting bonusses at the end of year being a hot issue for maybe three years already because of the crises?
Are you suggesting that Blizzard executives don't want end-of-year bonuses because they're afraid the general public will rise up against the video game executives the same way they did the automaking and the banking executives? You realize, of course, that the whole reason people were upset is because those bonuses came while they were telling the government they were out of money, and thereby getting huge bailouts, right? This isn't one of those things where people are upset because someone has money and they want to have money, too - it's because they took the government's "relief funding" (which was taxpayer money) so that they didn't go out of businesses and then used it to give themselves bonuses for not going out of business. Or maybe you're referring to the oil executives who gave themselves a bonus after the good job they did flooding the Gulf Of Mexico with crude oil?
I think execs not taking a huge bonus means that they had a good reason to - which I can only equate to something wrong with diablo. But hey, maybe I'm wrong, maybe Mike Morhaime really was just nervous that, upon seeing the size of his bonus the stories would be posted on CNN "Video Game Developer Blizzard Executives Made Some Money!" and the global outcry would come about that someone who made video games would also have the audacity to be paid for it. Mothers would post death threats asking what these executives would like to tell their starving children who can't afford to buy a pair of shoes to put on their feet as they walk to their school which is located in the sewers. A few months into 2012, the government would issue a public statement calling Mike Morhaime a "tyrant" and the money that he made on this game "fiinancially abusive".
And then, hopefully before the end of First Quarter, Barack Obama would come on the airwaves and issue a statement saying that the government has taken action against Mike Morhaime by contracting a team of 25 adventurers to storm the Doom Fortress which Mike Morhaime's ahs been forced to summon to occupy the space where his home once was. The adventurers must be careful, though, as hordes of demons and magical beasts have come to inhabit the Fortress, and will keep the adventurers from reaching the CEO at all costs. The camera switches to an overview of Blizzard's Doom Fortress where a variety of ghouls and spirits can be seen floating about. At the top, the camera zooms in and shows from belowa 7-headed dragon with axes instead of hands which roars from the apex of the complex. Hanging from each of the heads is a locket containing a picture of the member of the Morhaime family that the head once was before the government forced his hand to fleshcraft them all into the beast the camera presents in order to defend himself. The camera zooms past the dragon and up to Mike Morhaime wearing a golden crown with jagged, irregular edges which jut out at odd angles set with ominously glowing gemstones. His business suit has been tailored to include tendrils of black leather with white stitching along the sides of each strip hanging from the cuffs and jutting out from his jacket. He stands in a wrinkled black cloak with red lining hanging from his back in front of a stone throne lined with the skulls of children and spattered with the blood of the innocent, and as the camera settles on Mike, his eyes suddenly turn red and he yells out "My demons will conquer all!" As the camera quickly pans back, the gates on the Fortress swing open and legions of green-tinged ghouls and transparent flowing wraiths pour from Blizzard's Doom Fortress to conquer the land of the living.
On January 07 2012 02:12 paralleluniverse wrote: And where are these sources for Blizzard committing to a simultaneous global release? Even in Somalia?
And I won't accept a statement like "ideally, if everything is ready, we would prefer to release Diablo 3 simultaneous around the globe" as "committing" to a simultaneous global release. It would need to be something like "We are committed and determined to release this game at the same time around the world".
Yea they have said it. Same time they announced that Diablo 3 would also be region free. Obviously it also has to be a global release if the game is region free.
Obviously it also has to be a global release if the game is region free.
Why?
If it wasn't, and NA got the game first. You can expect every EU and SK gamer out there would buy an NA copy of the game right away, which doesnt bode well for Battle.net
The OP points seem to have no basis in fact. Blizzard has a history of delaying games until they are fully polished, nearly bug free and of a quality that most developers cannot reach. I see no reason that the "world wide release" is causing any more issues that polish, AQ and bug fixing. They also do not commit to a date until they are 100% the game is comming out on that day. There is no reason to expect any different from Diablo 3.
On January 07 2012 02:12 paralleluniverse wrote: And where are these sources for Blizzard committing to a simultaneous global release? Even in Somalia?
And I won't accept a statement like "ideally, if everything is ready, we would prefer to release Diablo 3 simultaneous around the globe" as "committing" to a simultaneous global release. It would need to be something like "We are committed and determined to release this game at the same time around the world".
Yea they have said it. Same time they announced that Diablo 3 would also be region free. Obviously it also has to be a global release if the game is region free.
The game won't be region free, each region will have completelly diferent AHs, characters and RMAHs, and charactes in diferent realms are unable to interact with each other. But unlike SC2, and similar to D2, you will be able to choose which realm you want to play on and you will only be able to use the RMAH if you choose the realm where you are located. There's nothing in his quote that indicates that releasing the korean realm later is an impossibility, or even just it's RMAH.
In fact, isn't that what happened in Korea and China with WoW, and in China with SC2 as well? They have actually implied that a delayed korean release is possible.
Kind of makes me wonder... when the RMAH does get greenlighted in Korea and they announce the release date, the game should come out pretty soon after the announcement right? Like if they were to announce the games release date today I wouldn't be suprised if they gave a date like 2/6/12. At least I hope so.
On January 07 2012 02:12 paralleluniverse wrote: And where are these sources for Blizzard committing to a simultaneous global release? Even in Somalia?
And I won't accept a statement like "ideally, if everything is ready, we would prefer to release Diablo 3 simultaneous around the globe" as "committing" to a simultaneous global release. It would need to be something like "We are committed and determined to release this game at the same time around the world".
Yea they have said it. Same time they announced that Diablo 3 would also be region free. Obviously it also has to be a global release if the game is region free.
The game won't be region free, each region will have completelly diferent AHs, characters and RMAHs, and charactes in diferent realms are unable to interact with each other. But unlike SC2, and similar to D2, you will be able to choose which realm you want to play on and you will only be able to use the RMAH if you choose the realm where you are located. There's nothing in his quote that indicates that releasing the korean realm later is an impossibility, or even just it's RMAH.
In fact, isn't that what happened in Korea and China with WoW, and in China with SC2 as well? They have actually implied that a delayed korean release is possible.
Incorrect. Here is the statement from Robert Bridenbecker.
"You're just buying Diablo III. You can play it anywhere in the world. So you guys get to choose. Now what we will do is we will lock you down to a specific auction house. So for instance if you're a European national you'll have access to the European auction house, but you'll still be able to play in North America. You can participate in the gold auction house anywhere in the world, right, but you can only participate in the real money auction house in your native country."
As interpreted through Bashiok
Here is the video itself
Please refer to 10:38 for the start of this quote.
Region Locked RMAH, Region Free everything else.
So if you have a Korean friend, a Euro friend, and you live in the US. All three of you can play together. But your Auction House experience will be entirely different because you will not be able to trade on eachothers Auction houses.
On January 07 2012 02:12 paralleluniverse wrote: And where are these sources for Blizzard committing to a simultaneous global release? Even in Somalia?
And I won't accept a statement like "ideally, if everything is ready, we would prefer to release Diablo 3 simultaneous around the globe" as "committing" to a simultaneous global release. It would need to be something like "We are committed and determined to release this game at the same time around the world".
Yea they have said it. Same time they announced that Diablo 3 would also be region free. Obviously it also has to be a global release if the game is region free.
The game won't be region free, each region will have completelly diferent AHs, characters and RMAHs, and charactes in diferent realms are unable to interact with each other. But unlike SC2, and similar to D2, you will be able to choose which realm you want to play on and you will only be able to use the RMAH if you choose the realm where you are located. There's nothing in his quote that indicates that releasing the korean realm later is an impossibility, or even just it's RMAH.
In fact, isn't that what happened in Korea and China with WoW, and in China with SC2 as well? They have actually implied that a delayed korean release is possible.
Incorrect. Here is the statement from Robert Bridenbecker.
"You're just buying Diablo III. You can play it anywhere in the world. So you guys get to choose. Now what we will do is we will lock you down to a specific auction house. So for instance if you're a European national you'll have access to the European auction house, but you'll still be able to play in North America. You can participate in the gold auction house anywhere in the world, right, but you can only participate in the real money auction house in your native country."
I'm assuming you're not purposefully misquoting him to try to make your post factual. Let me go ahead and transcribe what he actually says in the video you linked:
"You're just buying Diablo III. You can play it anywhere in the world. So you guys get to choose. Now what we will do is we will lock you down to a specific auction house. So for instance if you're a European national you'll have access to the European auction house, but you'll still be able to play in North America. You can participate in the gold auction house anywhere in the world, right, but you can only participate in the real money auction house in your native country."
Which sort of makes the rest of your post baseless in its conclusions. But that's ok! I appreciate everyone trying to unravel the secrets, and it's fun for me to read, so keep at it.
Characters are still region based. Just like Diablo II. You could log in to USWest, or USEast, or Europe, or Asia, but you had different characters on each. There's no possibility of trading between regions.
Please answer my question then! Whether I can play with friends from other regions! Like I live in SEA. I make a Character in SEA. Can I play with my friend who stays in EU and has an EU Character? (play with my friend = go on boss runs with him etc.)
You can, but you'd need to log in to the EU region and create a character to begin playing with him, or he'd need to make one in your region. If you're on your character in SEA and he's on his in EU you'd be able to talk to each other using your BattleTag or Real ID, but that's it. You have to be on the same region to play together.
It's also more recent, made on 2011/12/20.
Edit: I just watched the video, from 10:30 on. He says you can play anywhere, having the NA client and playing in the EU server for example, he never states you can interact with people from other regions, that is not the same thing. You seem to be making a lot of assumptions in this whole thread.
Who knows for sure. Drysc is a massive forum troll, and its possible he has no idea what he is talking about, because it has happened quite often.
This is from the Vice President of Online Technologies only 2 months prior. Bashiok is just a forum presence.
Now if they are discretely moving away from Region Free gaming because of this Korea fiasco. This is of course the correct way to go about doing it.
"What are you talking about? We never said that?"
Edit: I just watched the video, from 10:30 on. He says you can play anywhere, having the NA client and playing in the EU server for example, he never states you can interact with people from other regions, that is not the same thing. You seem to be making a lot of assumptions in this whole thread.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though. You are correct in that it doesnt necessarily state that we can take characters here there and everywhere.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
OK just to be clear because I think people are getting confused.
Thats not my blog in the OP. OK?
My standpoint is that while a large roadblock, it isnt the only gum in the works.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
You assumed that it was completelly region free, that it would have to be relesed globally and that the KR RMAH is the reason it is being delayed. Bashiok stated that the first assumption was wrong, unless you believe they furtively changed their minds and didn't want to tell anyone. The second assumption is related to the first one I guess, and the second one can't really be disproved completelly at the moment, but it is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence at all it is true.
People have speculated otherwise, but it is common knowledge, and generally accepted, that this is why the game is being delayed for so long.
If you are still not convinced read this article:
You clearly state the word of the Blog regarding the AH being the major roadblock is true and common knowledge, you can't say you don't completelly agree with it now. Or at least can't have expected people to believe you meant every word in the Blog to be the truth.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
You assumed that it was completelly region free, that it would have to be relesed globally and that the KR RMAH is the reason it is being delayed. Bashiok stated that the first assumption was wrong, unless you believe they furtively changed their minds and didn't want to tell anyone. The second assumption is related to the first one I guess, and the second one can't really be disproved completelly at the moment, but it is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence at all it is true.
Yeah, I agree.
A worldwide release of Diablo 3 is still the commitment of Blizzard. If you need a direct recent source for that I would have to defer to the Korean Times which stated that a spokeswoman said the company was dedicated to a global release, this is circa 2 or less days ago.
If you need earlier evidence well, Blizzard said a lot of things earlier. Just because its the same thing now doesnt make it any more or less relevant.
You clearly state the word of the Blog regarding the AH being the major roadblock is true and common knowledge, you can't say you don't completelly agree with it now. Or at least can't have expected people to believe you meant every word in the Blog to be the truth.
I never said it was true, though I did say it was common knowledge, and it most definitely is generally excepted. How far you trust in it is based on your level of tin-hattery. While I dont think Blizzard execs are reigning in the entire game based on Korea, it is a REALLY uphill battle to say that GRB has no implication in release delays.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
You assumed that it was completelly region free, that it would have to be relesed globally and that the KR RMAH is the reason it is being delayed. Bashiok stated that the first assumption was wrong, unless you believe they furtively changed their minds and didn't want to tell anyone. The second assumption is related to the first one I guess, and the second one can't really be disproved completelly at the moment, but it is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence at all it is true.
Yeah, I agree.
A worldwide release of Diablo 3 is still the commitment of Blizzard. If you need a direct recent source for that I would have to defer to the Korean Times which stated that a spokeswoman said the company was dedicated to a global release, this is circa 2 or less days ago.
If you need earlier evidence well, Blizzard said a lot of things earlier. Just because its the same thing now doesnt make it any more or less relevant.
I'm not saying they aren't dedicated to a global release, that is what they are trying to do. But they also implied they would release the game outside Korea first if the game was ready and they couldn't release it in Korea. The assumption was that it was impossible to not release it globally.
They were also dedicated to a December release, then to an early 2012 release, and now who knows what release date they are aiming for.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
You assumed that it was completelly region free, that it would have to be relesed globally and that the KR RMAH is the reason it is being delayed. Bashiok stated that the first assumption was wrong, unless you believe they furtively changed their minds and didn't want to tell anyone. The second assumption is related to the first one I guess, and the second one can't really be disproved completelly at the moment, but it is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence at all it is true.
Yeah, I agree.
A worldwide release of Diablo 3 is still the commitment of Blizzard. If you need a direct recent source for that I would have to defer to the Korean Times which stated that a spokeswoman said the company was dedicated to a global release, this is circa 2 or less days ago.
If you need earlier evidence well, Blizzard said a lot of things earlier. Just because its the same thing now doesnt make it any more or less relevant.
I'm not saying they aren't dedicated to a global release, that is what they are trying to do. But they also implied they would release the game outside Korea first if the game was ready and they couldn't release it in Korea. The assumption was that it was impossible to not release it globally.
They were also dedicated to a December release, then to an early 2012 release, and now who knows what release date they are aiming for.
I edited my post up above.
And pretty much yes. I agree and I see how Bridenbeckers words have confused so very very many people. Being as vague as possible is Blizzard's specialty and I totally fell for it.
You have to remember the reason this OP exists is not for my personal podium. I am just relaying the updates on the Korean RMAH situation. Teamliquid thread making policy stipulates that for such a thread I have to include my own personal opinion.
A LOT of people think its all about the Korean RMAH. Well let them think that, they may be right or wrong. I personally think it has some merit. And the timeline does indeed matchup, so I entertain the thought.
I suppose. My take on what he says has been corroborated earlier though.
Also what assumptions? I assume nothing. I never have.
You assumed that it was completelly region free, that it would have to be relesed globally and that the KR RMAH is the reason it is being delayed. Bashiok stated that the first assumption was wrong, unless you believe they furtively changed their minds and didn't want to tell anyone. The second assumption is related to the first one I guess, and the second one can't really be disproved completelly at the moment, but it is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence at all it is true.
Yeah, I agree.
A worldwide release of Diablo 3 is still the commitment of Blizzard. If you need a direct recent source for that I would have to defer to the Korean Times which stated that a spokeswoman said the company was dedicated to a global release, this is circa 2 or less days ago.
If you need earlier evidence well, Blizzard said a lot of things earlier. Just because its the same thing now doesnt make it any more or less relevant.
I'm not saying they aren't dedicated to a global release, that is what they are trying to do. But they also implied they would release the game outside Korea first if the game was ready and they couldn't release it in Korea. The assumption was that it was impossible to not release it globally.
They were also dedicated to a December release, then to an early 2012 release, and now who knows what release date they are aiming for.
I edited my post up above.
And pretty much yes. I agree and I see how Bridenbeckers words have confused so very very many people. Being as vague as possible is Blizzard's specialty and I totally fell for it.
You have to remember the reason this OP exists is not for my personal podium. I am just relaying the updates on the Korean RMAH situation. Teamliquid thread making policy stipulates that for such a thread I have to include my own personal opinion.
A LOT of people think its all about the Korean RMAH. Well let them think that, they may be right or wrong. I personally think it has some merit. And the timeline does indeed matchup, so I entertain the thought.
I know, and I do see how his words are confusing. I believed it would be region free at first myself. But you also must know that people will read your OP, believe it is the word of God or something and spread potential incorrect rumors that are just annoying (even if the part about the RMAH is correct, the part about being region free definatelly doesn't seem to be). The Blog writer isn't here to defend his work, so the only way to disprove it is going against you. Plus you did seem to defend it quite fervously at first, which makes it easy to get into discussions.
If the discussion started as the possibility of the RMAH affecting the release date, instead of the fact that it is, it could have been more productive, or at least feel less personal.
I did say to give feedback to the original author of the blog though, but I see your point.
I didn't..... want to discuss whether or not RMAH was holding the game. Beta forums are rife with that already, they have it covered. I even specified this in the OP but its possible I didnt take my own advice.
Maybe its that sweet banner at the top. People see sweet banners on TL and go "OOOOO OFFICIAL LOOKING"
EPT
