Would You Pay For New Features? Blizzard Asks in a New Hearthstone Survey
Blizzard sent out a 62 page Hearthstone survey to ask players questions about their experience with the game. This happens from time to time and in addition to the survey asking about your gaming experiences, there is usually some sort of question about new features players would like to see; this survey was no different.
Features that have never been included on surveys before have been bolded below. All of these possible features were asked an additional question, which was Would you be willing to pay for any of these features?
Remember that this doesn't mean that Blizzard will be charging for any of these features in the future, they're just gauging interest.
Quote from Blizzard Research SurveyWhich features would improve the game?
- More customization of characters, cards, etc.
- A campaign mode (NEW)
- Better ways to play with my friends
- More chat features
- A tutorial
- Better ways to find new friends
- Better matchmaking, based on cards held, etc. (NEW)
- Guilds / Clans
- A new tournament mode
- More in-game help with deck design (NEW)
- A new mode to be able to play "doubles" with friends
- To play offline (NEW)
Would you pay for any of the Features?
Answer our incredibly scientific poll below.
Survey Gallery
You can find all the questions we were asked in the survey below. Thanks to ShadowsOfSense for the pictures!
Sounds like a plan to me.
1. Make a game without obvious features, unlike old games (no chat like in WC3, no auto-tournaments like in WC3, no clans like in WC3, no 2v2 etc.).
2. Wait 2 years.
3. Make most of player's card collection complete waste (standard mode).
4. Wait 1 more year.
5. Ask players to pay for obvious features.
6. ???
7. PROFIT!
Don't get me wrong, it's alright if free game does have certain flaws. And it's alright if you have to pay for cards and arena with either your time (gold farming), or with money. But it's not all right to ask players to pay for developer's incompetence.
Personally I would really like to see two features: 1. blitz-mode (with turn duration around 15-20 seconds); 2. possibility to disable certain classes for your opponents (like in WC3 it was possible to disable maps in ladder). But there is no way I would pay for that. Honestly.
I would pay for:
A campaign mode (New ways to play that aren't limited time frame game modes)
Better ways to play with my friends (New quests or game modes)
A new tournament mode (Some new format or way to battle)
A new mode to be able to play "doubles" with friends (2v2 battles please oh please!)
Not listed that I would pay for:
Class Challenge battle (Play an expansion Class Challenge for reward; Can only win any single class once, 3 strikes and you're out)
Achievements (Fun medals/badges for doing uncommon/unusual tasks during games or Class Challenges)
Rotating Arena monthly changes (lowered entry cost/ability to pick hero/can re-roll deck/other perks)
Ability to receive old rewards for a fee (rank 20 card backs, promotional heroes)
I would not pay for:
More customization of characters, cards, etc. (Not really worth it with the current design space)
Better matchmaking, based on cards held, etc. (Too much work vs not enough payoff)
Guilds / Clans (This is a virtual CCG, not an MMO)
More in-game help with deck design (Why bother when there are so many sources online)
Interested in but would not pay for:
Better ways to find new friends (Need better way to add people besides "last opponent played")
More chat features (We don't need non-FL chat but more emotes would be nice)
A tutorial (We already get a tutorial that we can't play again, so really why?)
To play offline (I know HS is meant to be played vs people but why can't AI matches be played offline?)
I would pay for a Campaign Mode, and tournament mode. While I would LOVE an offline mode, I don't believe that is something that should be behind a paywall, same goes with the matchmaking and social features. Extra modes though, sure thing that makes sense.
Not quite related because no one should pay for this feature but...
...I want to be able to 'gift' packs & expansions through the game client if they are on my battlenet friends list.
For Move to another Region
The one thing I really want bad enough to pay for is a deck tracker/stat compiler like HDT. Built into the game, it could sport some features that independent ones are not capable of. Haven't found an independent one that is not glitchy, and it would be nice not to have to remember to turn it on and to have it automatically update with the game updates.
Would be cool if adventures had a co-op mode that unlocks after Heroic, so you can play duo/trio with your friends. Of course it would be a greater challenge, having all bosses of one wing in a single battle against your raiding party. But that obviously means that a lot of effort should be put in creating such a mode - I'd want it to be totally different from what we know: A larger board, different system of how turns work, maybe extra content? Would pay for that.
paying for better matchmaking ? is this a joke or blizzard hs team needs a serious change
account hacks.
"Better matchmaking based on cards held" a pay feature? Ridiculous
Sad that people still spend money to support this game.
not a "pay for better match making"
they mean " would you help cover the cost of reworking our matchmaking system."
Their payment for adding new features is that we continue playing the game. Let's be honest, a lot of players are leaving the game because they are bored. A player that continue playing is a potential card pack buyer when expansion come out.
For me the only thing that can be sell is content that is not essential to the game operation like new skins.
No clans please.
I would pay for:
"Campaign?"..I mean, yeah, I would probably pay for a campaign, but hopefully they do not get rid of the gold system to be able to purchase adventures with. What would be the difference between a campaign and an adventure? Longer? More detailed story? Interesting.
No guildes please. .. it s#@$k
Kinda funny, I got this survey around 4-5 months ago and told some people about it and no one showed any interest, now it's international headlines.
I don't want to see a match making system based on cards in deck it should be completely random, what needs to he worked on is bringing more thinking behind each cards that when played effect the game more I. E. Shuffle your deck or steal the top card of your opponents deck etc
I believe the idea is that it would match people of certain collection levels. For example, if you're a player with 40+ legendaries and most of the classic set, you could no longer be matched with someone who only has a few non-Basic cards.
Seems like it would break the game. Aggro would only ever face aggro, control would only face control, and queue times would be insane.