As online criticism of the heavy microtransaction mechanics in Diablo Immortal continues to grow, game director Wyatt Cheng has attempted to respond on Twitter.
As reported by VGC, Diablo Immortal game director Wyatt Cheng has responded to critics of the game’s heavy monetisation and microtransaction model. Responding to critiques from Twitch streamer Zizaran, who asked for clarification around the matter, Cheng sought to clear up what he felt are complaints around the game based on ‘misinformation’. The reason Cheng has had to make an appearance is that Zizaran brought up a post from the game’s Blizzard forums where Cheng stated there was “no way to acquire or rank up gear using money,” in Diablo Immortal.
What happened in 4 months? Or are the gems not considered gear? pic.twitter.com/d39rnQadk9
— Zizaran (@Zizaran) June 4, 2022
“You can only upgrade your gear with $$$ once you reach the free quota of the day. […]it’s currently almost $12 to just simply even try to upgrade one piece of gear as the “failure rate” is 50/50. ” I think it’s pretty clear with the game out that this was not the case.
— Wyatt Cheng (@candlesan) June 4, 2022
What Wyatt says is perfectly true: You can’t buy specific gear in Diablo Immortal using real money, nor is there any microtransaction mechanic to increase its power directly. You can, however, buy a chance to gain Legendary Gems, which can be used to further upgrade a character once they hit the level cap and end-game content. Legendary Gems only come from Legendary Crests (or loot boxes), and each crest has a chance to drop Legendary Gems of different star tiers. It’s been estimated that if you were to attempt to max-out a post-game character using Legendary Gems, you’d be looking at a buy-in over over $100,000. Because of this roundabout approach, Cheng’s original comment has been labelled by some, including Zizaran, as disingenuous.
One Twitter user asked Cheng why he bothered to respond at all, comparing his approach to that of Activision-Blizzard mobile developer King. “King doesn’t justify charging $100 for a pack of lives in Candy Crush,” asked user YangCLiu, “why does Blizzard feel it needs to be apologetic for a game that cost $50m+ and 6 years to make?”
<3 thanks for asking.
I don’t like it if information is misleading. There’s a difference between players liking or not liking a game based on it’s merits (which I can accept, not every game is for everybody) vs. liking or not liking a game based on misinformation surrounding it.
— Wyatt Cheng (@candlesan) June 4, 2022
Obviously, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a mobile game is angled to make as much money as it possibly can, as quickly as it can. This has long been a popular mobile model, particularly for games aimed at Asian markets, which Diablo Immortal undoubtedly is. Nevertheless, when it comes from a name as recognisable as Blizzard, it seems to be a tough pill to swallow for many.
What’s your take on this situation? Are you surprised by Diablo Immortal‘s aggressive monetisation? Not surprised at all? Do you think Cheng makes a reasonable argument, or can you at least see his point? Lets discuss in the comments below.
[VGC]
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