Hearthpwn

Quote from user-14560584 >>

Quote from Shipmen >>

No :) You also have Diablo Immortal inside the chart for this reason. And Marvel Snap yes used a popular brand. But it is made by an indie company without a history. Activision Blizzard is the biggest game company in the world. 

 Indie company with $30 million funds from a Chinese tech giant plus a Marvel's license.

LOL. 30M funds are 2 cents. Activision Blizzard is a company where Blizzard only, until June only, declared 401M in net revenue. https://investor.activision.com/static-files/4811b5b4-c6f0-44a5-aff0-1b3b7ccfa39a

No :) You also have Diablo Immortal inside the chart for this reason. And Marvel Snap yes used a popular brand. But it is made by an indie company without a history. Activision Blizzard is the biggest game company in the world. This is a major difference. Because if Second Dinner announce a new game, very few people will care, when Activision Blizzard announces a new game all newspaper in the world will talk about it. So, if an unknown company without history can generate more interest with a game than two big titles coming from the biggest gaming company in the world, it is astonishing. It is astonishing how Activision Blizzard is doing a poor work. 

I am not here to discuss whether this is better than HS or not. Anyway, I am very very surprised that this game already passed HS in terms of interest (measured by Google Trends). Yes, HS is going badly, but I didn't think so deeply badly. We can argue if this is a good way to measure the interest. It is anyway a good measure the Google searches based on a topic. I also added Diablo Immortal as comparison. 

So, in conclusion, gg Blizzard, it seems that Ben Brode is doing a far better work than you. Marvel Snap is generating more interest than Hearthstone + Diablo Immortal, combined.

This is very funny considering that Ben Brode before was working for you. It is even funnier considering that this game, Marvel Snap, costed 2 cents compared to HS and Diablo Immortal. But probably people here don't feel scammed. So, nice strategy, Blizzard. Let's develop more cash grab, things will go perfectly, into the abyss. 

"I mean it's just cosmetics" is a sooo stupid argument. So, let's make all games like random casinos of cosmetic to purchase where you feel like in a random supermarket of overpriced shit where you can get what you pay only by luck, and you feel constantly scammed. Yes, let's sell random shit, battle pass and 10 bucks for every try as roulette. Let's catch some addictive players and let's scam their saving in crappy things. Let's also change the money. Otherwise, it is not a casino, with runestone (instead of fiches) to make people to lose track of their in-game spending and to keep their surplus. 

It seems a good experience to play, don't you think? Also, because, now, the amount of money you can spend on this shit is out of control.

Yes. It is stupid because it is not a wallet or an icon like: "please insert coin or please insert 10 bucks". Who pays with a hammer?

"Battle Bash can be purchased for money or 1000 Runestones". It doesn't seem an "or" to me. Both money is. 

Is this a roulette with a 10 bucks fee for every try?

I can add Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It won The Game Awards 2019, and it is made from FromSoftware (it is the game that they made before Elden Ring). It is not a typical FromSoftware game where the combat is based on attacks and somersaults but here you are a Shinobi, and therefore you fight with your katana with deflects and parades. This is a very very difficult game (it is considered the most difficult FromSoftware game) hard to master and incredibly satisfying. The game is based on reflexes and precision. The story is not very long, but fascinating because it is based on Japanese and Buddhist symbolism graphics is also not astonishing. It is set in a "Japan like FromSoftware" rotten and corrupted with strange monsters and beliefs/events. It is a mix between the old Tenchu (I love this game, I did when I was kid) and a soulslike. This is, for me, a truly innovative game based on dedication, defeats (many) and precision.

I completed this game for the third time this week. I love it.

Quote from PetiteMouche >>

I could never thank Blizzard enough for what they did.

I always wanted to stop spending money on Hearthstone, but I'm always too addicted to stop, because money is easy to spend.

Runestones though ? I see no value in purchasing them, so I will never do it despite my gambling addiction. No runestone = no packs, no expansion bundle, no skin. Thank you so much Blizzard, in helping me get a better life and bring you down. Because apparently the law can't stop predators like you, but we can.

The thing that drives me up the walls the most is that they said that they wouldn't make prices that can't be fit properly in the available bundle sizes, and yet literally the very first batch of prices they add, they are selling battlegrounds hero skins for 150 runestones, with the lowest bundle size being 500 runestones...
Like literally the very first batch of items, they already apply the predatory pricing that everyone was worried about and that they said they wouldn't do, it's just insane to me...

I feel so sorry for anyone foolish enough to believe that crap. When games add layers of virtual currencies between us and the money, it is never ever in the history of mankind a good thing for the players or the game. What drives me crazy is how the law can let that happen, how governments care so little than such blatant and explicit predatory behavior, manipulation, and literal lies can get away and not be punished. How is this even possible.

Thank you so much Blizzard for your immesurable greed that even the despicable likes of me cannot tolerate anymore. I used to feel sorry for the devs that have to work for this company and are not responsible for such decisions, but deep inside, I think they are cowards for not leaving. Find another job, you are part of the problem, working for them is allowing them to pursue their evil intents. But thank you again for allowing it to happen, you may have helped ruin the video game industry, but you also helped me find better meaning in my life.

I agree with everything you wrote. I also think that It is serious that very few governments have taken measures regarding loot boxes and in-game shops. We are living in a world in which seems that a game F2P is a plus, it is not, F2P= avoid for me. When it is F2P we know that you will be able to download it for free, and then it will cost you an eye, games are F2D (free to download). There are companies that pushed the F2D crap beyond every level, which are, in order: Activision Blizzard, EA, Bethesda (all 3 against the removal of loot boxes and micros transactions   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npRcdl3f6iU). Activision Blizzard is anyway, by far, the worst for me. 

In-game spending is a serious topic because:

• Companies makes revenue on addicted players - many countries have laws against gambling to protect these people, so it is not acceptable that the game industry has not. In game spending is even easier than gambling because with gambling, sometimes, you can visually see your money that are fading away (slot machines for example or all kinds of gambling done with tangible money) with games no because you are only swiping the credit-card.
• Companies makes the addicts of tomorrow - this is another huge topic. Kids have access to parents' phones, and they can use it to spend. Now some companies might refund you if this happens, anyway, this is not the topic, the topic is that they are creating the addicting of tomorrow. If nowadays a kid wants to play with phones, he will shortly learn the swiping the credit-card is the magic key to win and obtain what you want without effort. And this is an awful message.
• Refund - Another topic not regulated. Most of the countries have refund policies for tangible assets, and consumers can generally give back the product for whatever reason within a given amount of time. With intangible product, it is a jungle and most of the company will tell you that they cannot refund because you already used the product, or because they cannot put the software back with the pre-purchase. These companies can therefore also change products that you already bought without any notice. Cancelling consumer law with digital products is therefore a pissing off thing.
• No limit spending - You can spend virtually all you have, and companies can change/nerfs/add what they want. We have seen spending in games steadily rise. The latest striking case is obviously Blizzard with Diablo Immortal and its 110K or 500K to make a full character. Now let's imagine that someone spends this amount due to weakness, or after he has spent it, Blizzard introduces a new system that makes his spending value zero (for example 6-stars gems). What will this person possibly do with his life? 

I played HS a lot, but nowadays, I only see a company that adopts these measures a shitty cancer for the whole society.

I want to also leave a reference link that lists why Activision Blizzard is such a bad company now and why there is such hate for Activision Blizzard because we cannot forget. (https://crappygames.miraheze.org/wiki/Activision_Blizzard)

Nobody said what you wrote. We said that Mercenaries is going bad. And it is clear in the data. 

Firestorm has the data. If you want it updated you need the premium account. I am very pissed off with this game so I have not the premium account. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/ql4ao3/firestone_average_time_spent_in_each_play_mode/

Quote from irhmgg >>

lets start with a simple question:

if you were Blizzard and you wanted to make money through RNG what would you do?

 I don't think that it is a legit question. Blizzard is not in the position to ask for more money, even through they seem that they don't care.

Anyway, if you check their last report (https://investor.activision.com/static-files/cb883af5-335f-483a-8b0f-3a75d99eace1), they received a 40% reduction in revenues compared to last year. They also released Diablo Immortal in the period, which was, according to some mad journalist, a "machine for printing money". Well, now we know that it was not. Minus 40% revenue when you release a game that cost millions and 4 plus years of development, it doesn't seem a success to me. When a company does this nonsense, then the whole business will suffer. If someone spends on the game, it does not mean that this will make money, if it will damage the whole business. Thank goodness, consumers punished. Blizzard must be punished. Diablo Immortal, has been the first App for the first week, now it is already in the oblivion, ranked below 600. I am expecting something similar for Hearthstone. You cannot ask for money if your prices are not aligned with competitors and if your quality is so low.  

Blizzard shifted a lot of its business to mobile. Which now represents 51% of their revenue, last year 35%. Mobile overall increased (from 795 to 831). Anyway, their revenue, now, it is very down. Because all historical Activision Blizzard customers' (PC and console) pay much less. So, I don't think at all that Blizzard is in the position to ask for more money. Blizzard should invest in developing something because nothing good has been developed in years. And the milking cows seem finished to me, or at least I hope so.

Blizzard is so hilarious. 

 

Quote from Shipmen >>

Well. My honest opinion is that yes, your games look a little too basic, like from 80s.

And wait a moment here, did you seriously say my games look like they are from the 80s? Are you for real? What?

Yes, sorry. I am for real. As I said before, I think that it is normal because I don't think that you have access to an incredible amount of resources. So, yes, the quality is so-and-so, and they seem quite old. Like everyone else, I can't compare your apps with the others on the market (which certainly cost more and with more developers) but the difference is visible. Honestly, seeing the site, I didn't want to play with them. I don't see the interest in playing a dragon dodge game or the cup game or an old beat 'em up. These things have already been seen and have already been done and dead. What is your value added?

Anyway, I think that you did a good exercise in exploring different things and now, probably, you can move forward. My best advice to you is to start with the points listed before:

1) With a good idea and something simple but innovative. Think about Candy Crush Saga

2) To review something old school and make it better or with new things. A better version of Tetris (I don’t know for example in 3D), or Bubble Bobble for example. Something that it is old, better if it is already missing for phone, and that people know it

3) If you don’t the previous ideas, you need a lot of money. So, you should prepare a concept instead, in order to present yourself to crowdfunding portals like Kickstarter - a pitch idea

Another advice that I can give you, especially if you decide for the 3 is to change your name. Game Dev Magician can be considered an arrogant name, especially if someone has to give you money to develop something. Why magician? Do you have apps with millions of downloads behind you? So, where is the magic? Why magician? What do you have more than others? I work with investors and I know how they think. With a name like that, if you don't have indisputable successes behind you, people will just think that you are an arrogant who cannot be trusted (because you will want to do as you please with other people's money), and they will never give you money. A name like magician could be considered too much even for a character like Elon Musk. And if there's nothing behind it, well, that's a problem.

A point that I did not understand is why only Android and not IOS. Because a reputable app is obviously on both.

As I said before, I don't want to be offensive, and I really hope for you the best. I gave you my sincere opinion and I think that is what you wanted since you posted your things here. The way to do what we like is always very hard, I studied 8 years in university without a payroll to do what I liked. Running after a passion is hard. You did a good start exercise. Try, try and try and don't give up. 

You are welcome. :)

Beware that gmail.com is also not professional. You need a domain. So, @gamedevmagician and something before. 

Well. My honest opinion is that yes, your games look a little too basic, like from 80s.

I can understand and I can imagine that your resources are quite limited. But you have also to understand that nowadays public/customers have access to games (even on smartphones) that are developed by companies with many people and huge budgets. Even indie games, are not so indie because before development they generally rise a lot of money on crowdfunding, like kickstarter, for example . So, the comparison with these games cannot fail to be made and the difference can be seen. In general, I think that you are trying to make things too advanced and should stay on things simpler with higher quality. My advices for you are:

- You have 3 strategies to enter in the market with limited resources: 

1) With a good idea and something simple but innovative. Think about Candy Crush Saga

2) To review something old school and make it better or with new things. A better version of Tetris (I don’t know for example in 3D), or Bubble Bobble for example. Something that it is old, better if it is already missing for phone, and that people know it

3) If you don’t like the previous ideas, you need a lot of money. So, you should prepare a concept instead in order to present yourself to crowdfunding portals like Kickstarter

- Your lettering and presentation are boring. I don’t know if you are using Times or something similar. But you have to work more with the lettering, especially for the titles.  

- Your website need also to be improved a lot

- Your e-mail is not professional. You cannot use an hotmail with your date of birth for work

- There are ways to find great ideas with limited budget. I loved Hotline Miami for example. Anyway, it is for sure not easy

That’s my advices for you. I hope to not be too polemic. I hope for you the best. 

LOL, In-game debt. 

This might happen also with HS and the Runestones. 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/some-diablo-immortal-players-are-facing-huge-in-game-debt