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+--- Thread: Kinda Quiet Around Here. Know Why? (/thread-13604.html)
Kinda Quiet Around Here. Know Why? - Bolty - 12-30-2011
My last beta report was on October 25. There hasn't been anything new really worth bringing up since. The beta hasn't changed much, except for tweaking of skills / abilities. Everything just seems to be sort of sitting around...so, why?
A blog I really enjoy reading, Digital Castration, can tell you why. What isn't surprising to anyone who has been following D3 news in detail is that this game could have been released a while back, but is being held up by South Korea's decision on whether Diablo III is a gambling game or not. You should read the post in full, but I'll quote a few choice bits:
Daeity Wrote:If the game was delayed because of game-play issues, they would have been given extra time to correct those issues specifically. That's when they enter "crunch time", and work hard to get rid of those last minor issues. They wouldn't be using that time to add brand new features and content that would add new bugs, new balancing issues, and other new problems. No, they said that because of "THE DELAY", that they now had time to add new stuff. And because they made the distinction, "THE DELAY" has nothing to do with the game or game-play elements itself. That just leaves an external factor (or factors), without actually stating specifically what it is.
Daeity Wrote:* During Blizzcon 2010, Jay Wilson originally expected that the D3 beta would run for "six months" before release but this wasn't the beta you have now. It was going to be at least the first 3 acts.
* During Blizzcon 2009 and 2010, users were able to play through the first 3 acts, and even Bashiok said that the beta would consist of the free 3 acts. The last act and additional difficulty levels were going to be "a surprise".
* In 2011, the beta was shortened to a 2-3 month testing period and just a fraction of Act 1 because they only needed to test servers, network, and the new auction house systems. The plan was to release it before Christmas.
* Now, shouldn't the small beta size also be a major clue as to how much progress had really been made to the game? The game was done, it was ready, they didn't need the game to be tested by users for feedback, but they released a very small tech demo. That's just how complete the game really was.
Daeity Wrote:Q: Even Blizzard's new submission has the RMAH. Why can't they just leave the RMAH completely out of Korea so that it can finally launch?
A: Even though Korea will be in their majority sales and RMAH use, it's not just about the money. If Korea does not have the RMAH implemented, it's going to be a logistical and account management nightmare for Blizzard. The game is region free, and Korean players could use the RMAH in other countries. Blizzard would then be supporting illegal gambling (and for minors.) It would be very bad for the company. It's much easier for them, and more lucrative, to wait. Their last resort is not to release D3 in Korea, and therefore make it illegal for users to play the game. That way, Blizzard is not held liable for user's actions, and the government must regulate it's use on their own.
Diablo III just keeps treading water. You heard me months ago stating that if you're not in the D3 beta, you're not missing much, because it's really just not much to play. They keep inviting more people left and right just because after you mess with it for a week or so, try out all the classes, there's nothing left to do, and you stop. So new blood has to keep coming in to play games.
It's a shame, cause I'd like to play the full version of this game already. As I'm sure you do too.
RE: Kinda Quiet Around Here. Know Why? - Crusader - 12-30-2011
Interesting read, but ultimately it changes nothing for me. I'm not in the beta, so I was just waiting until we get something solid on a release date. The reason why its delayed doesn't really matter to me, nothing I can do about it anyhow. :/
RE: Kinda Quiet Around Here. Know Why? - Mavfin - 12-31-2011
(12-30-2011, 11:53 PM)Crusader Wrote: Interesting read, but ultimately it changes nothing for me. I'm not in the beta, so I was just waiting until we get something solid on a release date. The reason why its delayed doesn't really matter to me, nothing I can do about it anyhow. :/
Yeah, I'm just waiting for a release date, and I'm still eager to see it, whenever it comes. I know there's not much to the beta, but what I've seen of it makes me excited to see the whole game. Until then, I have the changed focus in 4.3, possibly SWTOR, possibly Skyrim, and other stuff to keep me busy till the day we see the game.