After Blizzard took the stage at BlizzCon and announced Diablo Immortal, a mobile game being developed in partnership with NetEase, the company claimed it wasn't expecting the overwhelmingly negative response seen over the following days. However, a former Blizzard employee who served as producer on Diablo 2 is arguing that Blizzard may have been able to anticipate and potentially mitigate the ensuing backlash in its earlier days as a studio.
Recently, former Blizzard employee and Diablo 2 producer Mark Kern took to Twitter to talk about Diablo Immortal's reveal, the reaction from fans, and Blizzard's reaction thereof. Introducing himself as "producer on Diablo 2," Kern then goes on to say, "I hate to say it, but what you are seeing is Blizzard not understanding gamers anymore."
The remainder of Kern's discussion on the matter has him saying that while he likes the idea of a Diablo mobile game, his problem is with the way Blizzard decided to plan the reveal and preceding lead-up, as well as its supposed surprise at the fan backlash. The former Blizzard employee says he was disappointed by the studio's lack of preparedness, contrasting its recent missteps with what he recalls from his time as an employee.
"Blizzard never used to have to ask, because it was made up of hard core gamers from top to bottom. We used to say we were our own harshest audience for our games. I would have had a line of devs outside my door telling me this was a bad move."
The largely critical thread from Kern also makes note of the fact that Blizzard has reaffirmed that multiple Diablo projects are in development. This is something the Diablo 2 producer felt should have been revealed alongside the announcement of the mobile game, Diablo Immortal.
In fairness, it shouldn't be forgotten that Blizzard did make an attempt to temper audience expectations in a statement issued prior to BlizzCon. The studio implored fans of the Diablo series to be patient in regards to any major developments.
Another of Kern's criticisms with the handling of Diablo Immortal relates to Blizzard's attempts at disguising some of the negative response provoked by the game's announcement. He asserted that removing videos and deleting comments is the wrong way for the studio to handle its predicament, calling the situation a "PR disaster."
So, taking all of this into account, we will have to wait and find out if Kern's perspective on Diablo Immortal is one that is also held by the majority of the action-RPG's fan base. Should it be the case and the Diablo 2 producer's assessment of the matter is accurate, then Blizzard might wind up taking a bath once Diablo Immortal actually comes out. Then again, the forthcoming title could become a huge hit regardless of what pundits and fans have to say, as spending from the mobile gaming market's whales have the potential to keep Diablo Immortal well in the black.
Diablo Immortal is planned to release on Android and iOS devices.
Source: Mark Kern - Twitter