So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
it's probably kotick trying to increase his already unrealistically massive salary.
So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
Yeah, I think people hoping for D4 forgot how poorly D3 was received when it first came out. Personally, I feel like blizzard should just expand on D3 unless they're gonna go the 3rd person route and make an actual mmorpg with it. D4 itself just sounds like a waste since D3 still isn't really finished.
So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
Yeah, I think people hoping for D4 forgot how poorly D3 was received when it first came out. Personally, I feel like blizzard should just expand on D3 unless they're gonna go the 3rd person route and make an actual mmorpg with it. D4 itself just sounds like a waste since D3 still isn't really finished.
Assuming D4 isn't actually Diablo:immortal. Now, honestly my confidence in Blizzard is about as low as it gets, i am keeping my fingers crossed that Classic WoW isn't a steaming pile, which given their plans with sharding for the game, lets just say i am not as optimistic as i used to be
So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
Yeah, I think people hoping for D4 forgot how poorly D3 was received when it first came out. Personally, I feel like blizzard should just expand on D3 unless they're gonna go the 3rd person route and make an actual mmorpg with it. D4 itself just sounds like a waste since D3 still isn't really finished.
Assuming D4 isn't actually Diablo:immortal. Now, honestly my confidence in Blizzard is about as low as it gets, i am keeping my fingers crossed that Classic WoW isn't a steaming pile, which given their plans with sharding for the game, lets just say i am not as optimistic as i used to be
there current plans for sharding is: at launch shard the starting zones for a limited amount of time.
i'm ok with that, if it means only a few hundred people fighting for hogger spawn. . .
more importantly, there is no cross-realm whatsoever.
So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
Yeah, I think people hoping for D4 forgot how poorly D3 was received when it first came out. Personally, I feel like blizzard should just expand on D3 unless they're gonna go the 3rd person route and make an actual mmorpg with it. D4 itself just sounds like a waste since D3 still isn't really finished.
Assuming D4 isn't actually Diablo:immortal. Now, honestly my confidence in Blizzard is about as low as it gets, i am keeping my fingers crossed that Classic WoW isn't a steaming pile, which given their plans with sharding for the game, lets just say i am not as optimistic as i used to be
there current plans for sharding is: at launch shard the starting zones for a limited amount of time.
i'm ok with that, if it means only a few hundred people fighting for hogger spawn. . .
It's the reason why so many developers have been porting to console. The PC gaming market is practically tapped out, and the only way to gain massive sales is to spec the mass market out of your product due to insane system requirements. People just aren't seeing the point in buying a high end PC just to play games and be stuck at a desk. The GPU market is largely being held up by Crypto-Miners, right now, which is holding prices up and increasing pricing pressure on the PC gaming market.
I went to Best Buy and seen a GTX 1060 for almost $400 yesterday... (I'm aware there are other places to buy, but that's what a lot of people are seeing when they visit the store... it matters.)
Consoles fixed this by giving everyone the same mid-range system at a low price. Mobile is going to expand that. More PC games are moving to Console, with even more launching almost simultaneously on both platforms. Microsoft and Sony have KB+Mouse Support for their consoles, now (PS4 since forever (i.e. FFXIV, etc.), XBOne very soon IIRC).
I don't really game on mobile, but I totally understand why companies are doing this. I do have a PS4 and have been playing most single-player games on that platform instead of PC; where I play mostly MMO, Multi-Player FPS, and Action-RPC games... Also, the fact that you cannot truly own most PC games has really decreased their value, since you can still Buy/Sell/Trade most Disc-based XBOne/PS4 games... ...
In the end, PC gamers created this "problem" for themselves by not focusing on the right priorities IRT game design and development.
Every time someone realizes that they need the cost of a console to play a new game, the shift away from the PC platform strengthens. And with phones being sold on lease plans in markets like the US, and the increasing amounts of "Cheap Flagships" in other parts of the world... That market is being largely equalized, making mobile more viable than ever as a 1st priority platform for gaming.
And since that market (like Consoles) are used to things like DLC, Season Passes, and In-App Purchases... they don't have to spend so much time dealing with complaints from the players... The PC gamers who don't game on mobile and complain about this really are 100% ignorable to these companies. They likely won't be playing the game, and they aren't the target audience, anyways.
Right now, we're in the middle of a power shift in the gaming market... AWAY from PC Gamers and TO Console and Mobile gamers.
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
So Blizzard has moved its best developers to mobile projects, which means anyone hoping for Diablo IV on PC, sorry its just not a priority and if anyone is working on it at all then its probably Blizzards B team if we are really lucky. Whoever is driving Blizzard these days is an Idiot.
it's probably kotick trying to increase his already unrealistically massive salary.
Making money IS the game for the people running a corp. It's what they're obliged to do and they enjoy it. It's the score that shows they're winning. They sure as shit don't have time to sit around playing Overwatch or WoW or pumping their investment capital into Hearthstone decks.
Kotick, besides being CEO of Activision, is also on the Coca Cola board of directors. Do you think he encouraged his own kids to drink that stuff when they probably get most of their groceries from Whole Foods or someplace like that? Do you think a guy like Kotick drinks Coca Cola when he has so many better options? It's just business. He's playing on a different level and I wouldn't call him an idiot, just because we may not understand or like it.
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I think you're wrong. They already bring in tons of revenue, so there is reason to invest more in development of that.
The reason why Mobile Gaming has gotten a bad rap has more to do with the more popular ones in the past coming from Indie Developers and smaller shops than anything.
If you remove the AAA developers and Publishers from PC Gaming, the PC Gaming market looks markedly similar.
Games like Elder Scrolls: Blades, etc. are going to be at the forefront of changing that.
You do realize that consoles like the Nintendo Switch are basically mobile devices, right? What do you think the PlayStation Portable was? Those were relatively successful products, even though the PSP was a bit more niche (like the Nintendo DS) - but that market has moved along quite a lot since the earlier days. Mobile gaming is not going to do much other than bring that success to a LOT more people; and that's where the money is - which translates to developer incentive.
WoW did this for the MMORPG genre.
Right now, gaming is the only reason to even bother with a phone that costs more than $200, because the power in those devices is largely wasted, otherwise...
This is also going to make services like Apple's GameCenter and Google Play Games more useful, as well (Achievements, Multiplayer, etc.).
P.S. Phones can already adaptively dock to larger displays via HDMI. Ever heard of Samsung Dex? Most phones these days at the flagship level are shipping with QHD+ screens, and at least 1080p resolution. That's enough to completely mirror the phone display to a 1080p display (and end up using a ton less power on-device (as it can literally shut the screen off when doing this), in many cases, while improving performance) and play with a KB/Mouse or Controller (particularly on Android platform). With hardware improvements, docking to UHD displays is going to be possible (next 1-2 years).
For platforms like iOS, developers will likely just make an AppleTV port. For Android, ports can be made for AndroidTV, but the phones can drive this themselves as they support the necessary hardware peripherals out of the box in many (if not most) cases.
I think you have failed to pay attention to how much innovation has gone into mobile over the past few years.
Devices like Galaxy S/Note9 support Vulkan, and Apple developed Metal precisely for this kind of market pivot.
PC gamers don't like it, but they're legacy. The future is on those other form factors.
Well, I can't wait to see the next company who will fill in the shoes that Blizzard is obviously taking off. There are 3 potential other companies, but we'll see.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I think you're wrong.
didn't wan't to copy/paste that wall of text but your argument seems to be that i'm wrong because in the future mobile phones will have all the things that would make a PC?
mobile gaming is gaming on a small screen for short bursts. it's not adding mouse/keyboard/monitor etc. and playing games that requires all of that.
@Darksworm ... Yeah, I heard that PC gaming was dead about 15 years ago. Consoles were taking over, everyone was saying. Then World of Warcraft launched. And then Half-Life 2 and the rise of Steam.
While it's impossible to know what the future will hold, I think predictions of doom and gloom for PC gaming are at the very least over-stated. PC gaming has some advantages you don't see as much of on other platforms. I can crack open my Steam library tonight and play Knights of the Old Republic on Windows 10 even though that game is 15 years old. And it's likely I'll still be able to play it 10 years from now.
There are pros and cons of each platform, but still enough pros for the PC gaming platform to remain relevant. And don't forget about eSports. Do you really see the pro gamers dropping their gaming mouse and picking up an iPad as a replacement? I wouldn't hold your breath on that one ....
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I think you're wrong.
didn't wan't to copy/paste that wall of text but your argument seems to be that i'm wrong because in the future mobile phones will have all the things that would make a PC?
mobile gaming is gaming on a small screen for short bursts. it's not adding mouse/keyboard/monitor etc. and playing games that requires all of that.
First person:
I'm saying you're wrong because you're attributing what Mobile Gaming has been in the past 10 years to what it will be moving forwards. I think you're just not looking at things clearly, so you are making assumptions based on a false premise that things have not and will not improve moving forwards.
To the second person:
No one was saying that 15 years ago, because consoles simply weren't at the level that they could compete with even a mid-range gaming PC in 2003. The kind of hardware that enabled high end PC gaming simply hadn't scaled down to the level that they could be packaged well in a console, without the graphics and UI being severely compromised.
These days, Witcher 3 on a PS4 or XB1 looks better than it would on the average mid-range PC. That's a huge advancement from back then...
Consoles didn't really make the leap forwards until the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. That is when multiplayer, online gaming, social services (XBL, PSN), etc. became a viable reality on that platform. Those were huge differences that held PCs on a different level - especially if we are to look at genres like FPS, MMORPG, ARPG, MOBAs, RTS, etc.
Consoles have pretty much killed off low-end and mid-range PC gaming. People are no longer struggling along on their cheap laptops, AiOs, or older desktops trying to game with the big boys. They are simply buying PlayStations and Xboxes; and moving to that. This is why so many game companies have been developing for, or porting to console. It's why the MMORPG and Action RPG genres are moving more and more towards consoles.
No one is disputing that you can achieve higher quality visuals on a PC, or that a PC is more powerful. Those simply aren't things that matter as much to the greater market, however. The consoles are more than good enough, and certainly look and perform better than the alternative for tens of millions of gamers.
Because the console gamer market is now bigger than the PC gamer market, due to all of those people "in the middle" migrating over to those form factors; it has shaken up the market in other ways. It has also made it harder for PC games to monetize and remain viable - especially games like MMORPGs that utterly rely on persistently good player populations to seem viable to players. It's why "Cross Play" is now becoming a big topic on consoles. People would rather wait for cross-vendor play on consoles than simply "play the PC port."
It's not about having all the things that would make a PC. It's about having all the things that do what gamers need to do well enough on the type of hardware they can afford, and offering it over to a bigger market. TCO is a huge factor. PC gaming is hugely expensive compared to consoles, because you are always chasing a moving target (system requirements); and inflated hardware costs are a reality. Running a game at low Resolution or Visual Quality may leave it looking and playing worse than the console port!
That's how consoles got where they are. It's why every time new consoles come out, pricing is a subject of debate or complaint.
Developers aren't going to sit on MMORPG.com and regurgitate bad arguments trying to dispel this. They will go where the money is; and are doing so as we converse. Diablo's fanbase is very loyal, but it's not big enough compared to the mobile market in general... They certainly don't spend as much, as they complain about any after-sale DLC that Blizzard puts out; as if they expect the company to run the online services for free; even when the base game/expansions aren't selling well.
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I think you're wrong.
didn't wan't to copy/paste that wall of text but your argument seems to be that i'm wrong because in the future mobile phones will have all the things that would make a PC?
mobile gaming is gaming on a small screen for short bursts. it's not adding mouse/keyboard/monitor etc. and playing games that requires all of that.
Also: Tell that to all the Nintendo Switch users. What this has the potential to do is turn anyone's iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy S/Note into - basically - a Nintendo Switch (in terms of gaming function and title availability/quality).
Developers don't care what you think. You are only one person. They aren't blind to the general trends in the industry; and they need to innovate or penetrate those markets in order to grow their profits.
They don't expect everyone to agree with everyone and everything. That would be... retarded.
But the people here generally are "playing willfully ignorant" to the fact that these are corporations and not their own personal slaves that farm out entertainment for their own personal enjoyment. The world is bigger than your preferences.
Roll with it.
Again, the fact that it's mobile has very little tot do with the reputation mobile gaming has. The quality and types of games has almost all to do with that. That is going to change as more developers get on board and start developing or porting titles to that form factor.
And I don't even think Diablo: Immortal is really going to be that transformative. I actually think Elder Scrolls: Blades is more along the lines of what I'm referring to.
Companies that are devoting huge resources to mobile are seeing huge profits there. NCSoft is one example, with Lineage 2: Revolution, etc.
Mobile gaming isn't just for short bursts. You seem to think that mobile only refers to smartphones. It doesn't. It just so happens that smartphones are basically the prototype for what companies like Nintendo (and Sony) have done for their own proprietary mobile gaming platforms (DS, Switch, PSP). In the future, the middle man is going to be cut out and the games will simply be on the App Store or Play Store.
And you can easily design a Switch-like enclosure for a smartphone.
P.S. My posts are long because I try to be though and explain myself, so that you don't have to guess. If reading is that hard, I'll start being cheeky and sarcastic like you guys and post two badly constructed sentences per reply. Let me know!
only consoles can really threaten pc gaming and eventually they're going to be one and the same. mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I think you're wrong. They already bring in tons of revenue, so there is reason to invest more in development of that.
The reason why Mobile Gaming has gotten a bad rap has more to do with the more popular ones in the past coming from Indie Developers and smaller shops than anything.
If you remove the AAA developers and Publishers from PC Gaming, the PC Gaming market looks markedly similar.
Games like Elder Scrolls: Blades, etc. are going to be at the forefront of changing that.
You do realize that consoles like the Nintendo Switch are basically mobile devices, right? What do you think the PlayStation Portable was? Those were relatively successful products, even though the PSP was a bit more niche (like the Nintendo DS) - but that market has moved along quite a lot since the earlier days. Mobile gaming is not going to do much other than bring that success to a LOT more people; and that's where the money is - which translates to developer incentive.
WoW did this for the MMORPG genre.
Right now, gaming is the only reason to even bother with a phone that costs more than $200, because the power in those devices is largely wasted, otherwise...
This is also going to make services like Apple's GameCenter and Google Play Games more useful, as well (Achievements, Multiplayer, etc.).
P.S. Phones can already adaptively dock to larger displays via HDMI. Ever heard of Samsung Dex? Most phones these days at the flagship level are shipping with QHD+ screens, and at least 1080p resolution. That's enough to completely mirror the phone display to a 1080p display (and end up using a ton less power on-device (as it can literally shut the screen off when doing this), in many cases, while improving performance) and play with a KB/Mouse or Controller (particularly on Android platform). With hardware improvements, docking to UHD displays is going to be possible (next 1-2 years).
For platforms like iOS, developers will likely just make an AppleTV port. For Android, ports can be made for AndroidTV, but the phones can drive this themselves as they support the necessary hardware peripherals out of the box in many (if not most) cases.
I think you have failed to pay attention to how much innovation has gone into mobile over the past few years.
Devices like Galaxy S/Note9 support Vulkan, and Apple developed Metal precisely for this kind of market pivot.
PC gamers don't like it, but they're legacy. The future is on those other form factors.
No, the reason the mobile market gets a bad rap is that the device, taken of itself, is a relatively piss poor piece of equipment for gaming (things like the Switch are not included in the "mobile" market as the market traditionally defines it when speaking about the industry). It lacks the intuition and advantages of a console controller as well as the depth of keys and precision of a keyboard and mouse. There's zero tactile response to the controls on a smartphone, and that tactile response is hugely important for the esport gamers. That's what allows them to have seemingly godlike reflexes at their keyboards or controllers aithout ever taking their eyes away from the action unfolding on-screen.
The screen is painfully small compared to TVs and monitors.
Mobile gaming suffers from issues inherent to the platform. Its boons are simply how many people have phones and how accessible a large amount of the games are (at least here in the west).
An issue i have with mobile gaming is that the game are usually shallow and you play it when you are bored, but i feel no real relaxation or accomplishment from it.
Plus, with PC. You can game and watch movies while playing.
Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations.
Someone made a post why Blizzard isn't making mobile game. They are I suppose.
I dont' think it matters if Blizzard make mobile or not. People always think Dev targeting other audience hinders their current audience. I dont' think it is related. If there is an audience Blizzard will make PC games. If it is not profitable, they just stop.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Do you remember "City of Heroes"? How about "Tabula Rasa"? Both of those games were profitable at the time they were shut down ... they just weren't profitable enough for the NCSoft's liking.
Corporate knobs sometimes get caught up in the concept called "Opportunity Cost". The concept itself isn't entirely without merit, but the way these big companies apply it is remarkably shortsighted. They seem to see no problem completely destroying a fanbase in order to chase after a new one.
I think trouble with the studios also contributed a lot to the shutdown of CoH and TR. If a studio isn't making that much money, AND they are a pain, it's not surprising really.
An issue i have with mobile gaming is that the game are usually shallow and you play it when you are bored, but i feel no real relaxation or accomplishment from it.
Plus, with PC. You can game and watch movies while playing.
Plus (maybe I'm paranoid), I would never sacrifice situational awareness when I'm out on the go to play a mobile game. I like to see what's going on when I'm out and about. I'm engaged in the world. People look so mind-dead to me when I see them playing mobile games in a public space.
If it makes you guys feel any better, gaming is moving towards server side Games as a Service/Cloud deal. So your mobile phone, TV or desktop will all have the same experience.
You'll all probably get to go from building a rig just to game on your desktop to building your own game servers to house your own game libraries and playing them wherever TF you feel like it.
"As far as the forum code of conduct, I would think it's a bit outdated and in need of a refre *CLOSED*"
I don't think it is a coincidence that Allen Adham left in 2004 and got into running a hedge fund. Got tired of that, met with Morhaime and returned to Blizzard in 2016. Adham was considered THE founder of Blizzard so he's probably big swinging dick around there now that he's back. He is also the face and point man on all their announcements lately, particularly in regards to this mobile push. A guy that has been in the financial market and running a hedge fund for the last 15ish years.
Not really hard to put the pieces together. Nor is it too hard to see where those pieces likely lead. That's who I think is steering the ship. He's back on the executive leadership team and Brack's letter states that Adham is overseeing development of several new games. Probably easy to get suits on board with mobile. Whether or not that is why Morhaime left may forever be unknown. The announcement was really sudden and unexpected though, right before Blizzcon where he used to do the opening. When Metzgen left there was quite a bit more notice.
As far as new markets, sure. You're entering new markets without any goodwill and with a dark cloud on your name from all the hoopla that mobile gamers will now recognize more readily than your name itself. As far as revenue, they have the best part of the market covered already with King. Check the top grossing mobile games lists and find the first Netease game, or first ARPG style game for that matter. You'll scroll a while so don't worry if you think you missed one. You probably didn't.
Comments
i'm ok with that, if it means only a few hundred people fighting for hogger spawn. . .
more importantly, there is no cross-realm whatsoever.
I had fun once, it was terrible.
It's the reason why so many developers have been porting to console. The PC gaming market is practically tapped out, and the only way to gain massive sales is to spec the mass market out of your product due to insane system requirements. People just aren't seeing the point in buying a high end PC just to play games and be stuck at a desk. The GPU market is largely being held up by Crypto-Miners, right now, which is holding prices up and increasing pricing pressure on the PC gaming market.
I went to Best Buy and seen a GTX 1060 for almost $400 yesterday... (I'm aware there are other places to buy, but that's what a lot of people are seeing when they visit the store... it matters.)
Consoles fixed this by giving everyone the same mid-range system at a low price. Mobile is going to expand that. More PC games are moving to Console, with even more launching almost simultaneously on both platforms. Microsoft and Sony have KB+Mouse Support for their consoles, now (PS4 since forever (i.e. FFXIV, etc.), XBOne very soon IIRC).
I don't really game on mobile, but I totally understand why companies are doing this. I do have a PS4 and have been playing most single-player games on that platform instead of PC; where I play mostly MMO, Multi-Player FPS, and Action-RPC games... Also, the fact that you cannot truly own most PC games has really decreased their value, since you can still Buy/Sell/Trade most Disc-based XBOne/PS4 games... ...
In the end, PC gamers created this "problem" for themselves by not focusing on the right priorities IRT game design and development.
Every time someone realizes that they need the cost of a console to play a new game, the shift away from the PC platform strengthens. And with phones being sold on lease plans in markets like the US, and the increasing amounts of "Cheap Flagships" in other parts of the world... That market is being largely equalized, making mobile more viable than ever as a 1st priority platform for gaming.
And since that market (like Consoles) are used to things like DLC, Season Passes, and In-App Purchases... they don't have to spend so much time dealing with complaints from the players... The PC gamers who don't game on mobile and complain about this really are 100% ignorable to these companies. They likely won't be playing the game, and they aren't the target audience, anyways.
Right now, we're in the middle of a power shift in the gaming market... AWAY from PC Gamers and TO Console and Mobile gamers.
mobile gaming is never going to go beyond that. unless you can whip out a huge holo screen wherever you are to play some awesome looking stuff.
I had fun once, it was terrible.
Making money IS the game for the people running a corp. It's what they're obliged to do and they enjoy it. It's the score that shows they're winning. They sure as shit don't have time to sit around playing Overwatch or WoW or pumping their investment capital into Hearthstone decks.
Kotick, besides being CEO of Activision, is also on the Coca Cola board of directors. Do you think he encouraged his own kids to drink that stuff when they probably get most of their groceries from Whole Foods or someplace like that? Do you think a guy like Kotick drinks Coca Cola when he has so many better options? It's just business. He's playing on a different level and I wouldn't call him an idiot, just because we may not understand or like it.
If you remove the AAA developers and Publishers from PC Gaming, the PC Gaming market looks markedly similar.
Games like Elder Scrolls: Blades, etc. are going to be at the forefront of changing that.
You do realize that consoles like the Nintendo Switch are basically mobile devices, right? What do you think the PlayStation Portable was? Those were relatively successful products, even though the PSP was a bit more niche (like the Nintendo DS) - but that market has moved along quite a lot since the earlier days. Mobile gaming is not going to do much other than bring that success to a LOT more people; and that's where the money is - which translates to developer incentive.
WoW did this for the MMORPG genre.
Right now, gaming is the only reason to even bother with a phone that costs more than $200, because the power in those devices is largely wasted, otherwise...
This is also going to make services like Apple's GameCenter and Google Play Games more useful, as well (Achievements, Multiplayer, etc.).
P.S. Phones can already adaptively dock to larger displays via HDMI. Ever heard of Samsung Dex? Most phones these days at the flagship level are shipping with QHD+ screens, and at least 1080p resolution. That's enough to completely mirror the phone display to a 1080p display (and end up using a ton less power on-device (as it can literally shut the screen off when doing this), in many cases, while improving performance) and play with a KB/Mouse or Controller (particularly on Android platform). With hardware improvements, docking to UHD displays is going to be possible (next 1-2 years).
For platforms like iOS, developers will likely just make an AppleTV port. For Android, ports can be made for AndroidTV, but the phones can drive this themselves as they support the necessary hardware peripherals out of the box in many (if not most) cases.
I think you have failed to pay attention to how much innovation has gone into mobile over the past few years.
Devices like Galaxy S/Note9 support Vulkan, and Apple developed Metal precisely for this kind of market pivot.
PC gamers don't like it, but they're legacy. The future is on those other form factors.
https://massivelyop.com/2018/11/06/funcom-is-now-working-on-at-least-six-new-games-including-a-new-open-world-multiplayer-title/
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
mobile gaming is gaming on a small screen for short bursts. it's not adding mouse/keyboard/monitor etc. and playing games that requires all of that.
I had fun once, it was terrible.
I'm saying you're wrong because you're attributing what Mobile Gaming has been in the past 10 years to what it will be moving forwards. I think you're just not looking at things clearly, so you are making assumptions based on a false premise that things have not and will not improve moving forwards.
To the second person:
No one was saying that 15 years ago, because consoles simply weren't at the level that they could compete with even a mid-range gaming PC in 2003. The kind of hardware that enabled high end PC gaming simply hadn't scaled down to the level that they could be packaged well in a console, without the graphics and UI being severely compromised.
These days, Witcher 3 on a PS4 or XB1 looks better than it would on the average mid-range PC. That's a huge advancement from back then...
Consoles didn't really make the leap forwards until the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. That is when multiplayer, online gaming, social services (XBL, PSN), etc. became a viable reality on that platform. Those were huge differences that held PCs on a different level - especially if we are to look at genres like FPS, MMORPG, ARPG, MOBAs, RTS, etc.
Consoles have pretty much killed off low-end and mid-range PC gaming. People are no longer struggling along on their cheap laptops, AiOs, or older desktops trying to game with the big boys. They are simply buying PlayStations and Xboxes; and moving to that. This is why so many game companies have been developing for, or porting to console. It's why the MMORPG and Action RPG genres are moving more and more towards consoles.
No one is disputing that you can achieve higher quality visuals on a PC, or that a PC is more powerful. Those simply aren't things that matter as much to the greater market, however. The consoles are more than good enough, and certainly look and perform better than the alternative for tens of millions of gamers.
Because the console gamer market is now bigger than the PC gamer market, due to all of those people "in the middle" migrating over to those form factors; it has shaken up the market in other ways. It has also made it harder for PC games to monetize and remain viable - especially games like MMORPGs that utterly rely on persistently good player populations to seem viable to players. It's why "Cross Play" is now becoming a big topic on consoles. People would rather wait for cross-vendor play on consoles than simply "play the PC port."
It's not about having all the things that would make a PC. It's about having all the things that do what gamers need to do well enough on the type of hardware they can afford, and offering it over to a bigger market. TCO is a huge factor. PC gaming is hugely expensive compared to consoles, because you are always chasing a moving target (system requirements); and inflated hardware costs are a reality. Running a game at low Resolution or Visual Quality may leave it looking and playing worse than the console port!
That's how consoles got where they are. It's why every time new consoles come out, pricing is a subject of debate or complaint.
Developers aren't going to sit on MMORPG.com and regurgitate bad arguments trying to dispel this. They will go where the money is; and are doing so as we converse. Diablo's fanbase is very loyal, but it's not big enough compared to the mobile market in general... They certainly don't spend as much, as they complain about any after-sale DLC that Blizzard puts out; as if they expect the company to run the online services for free; even when the base game/expansions aren't selling well.
Developers don't care what you think. You are only one person. They aren't blind to the general trends in the industry; and they need to innovate or penetrate those markets in order to grow their profits.
They don't expect everyone to agree with everyone and everything. That would be... retarded.
But the people here generally are "playing willfully ignorant" to the fact that these are corporations and not their own personal slaves that farm out entertainment for their own personal enjoyment. The world is bigger than your preferences.
Roll with it.
Again, the fact that it's mobile has very little tot do with the reputation mobile gaming has. The quality and types of games has almost all to do with that. That is going to change as more developers get on board and start developing or porting titles to that form factor.
And I don't even think Diablo: Immortal is really going to be that transformative. I actually think Elder Scrolls: Blades is more along the lines of what I'm referring to.
Companies that are devoting huge resources to mobile are seeing huge profits there. NCSoft is one example, with Lineage 2: Revolution, etc.
Mobile gaming isn't just for short bursts. You seem to think that mobile only refers to smartphones. It doesn't. It just so happens that smartphones are basically the prototype for what companies like Nintendo (and Sony) have done for their own proprietary mobile gaming platforms (DS, Switch, PSP). In the future, the middle man is going to be cut out and the games will simply be on the App Store or Play Store.
And you can easily design a Switch-like enclosure for a smartphone.
P.S. My posts are long because I try to be though and explain myself, so that you don't have to guess. If reading is that hard, I'll start being cheeky and sarcastic like you guys and post two badly constructed sentences per reply. Let me know!
The screen is painfully small compared to TVs and monitors.
Mobile gaming suffers from issues inherent to the platform. Its boons are simply how many people have phones and how accessible a large amount of the games are (at least here in the west).
Plus, with PC. You can game and watch movies while playing.
You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations.
If a studio isn't making that much money, AND they are a pain, it's not surprising really.
You'll all probably get to go from building a rig just to game on your desktop to building your own game servers to house your own game libraries and playing them wherever TF you feel like it.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
Not really hard to put the pieces together. Nor is it too hard to see where those pieces likely lead. That's who I think is steering the ship. He's back on the executive leadership team and Brack's letter states that Adham is overseeing development of several new games. Probably easy to get suits on board with mobile. Whether or not that is why Morhaime left may forever be unknown. The announcement was really sudden and unexpected though, right before Blizzcon where he used to do the opening. When Metzgen left there was quite a bit more notice.
As far as new markets, sure. You're entering new markets without any goodwill and with a dark cloud on your name from all the hoopla that mobile gamers will now recognize more readily than your name itself. As far as revenue, they have the best part of the market covered already with King. Check the top grossing mobile games lists and find the first Netease game, or first ARPG style game for that matter. You'll scroll a while so don't worry if you think you missed one. You probably didn't.