2020 CoH 3 is becoming more real by every day

That kind of reviews can be seen for literally ANY gaming related company with 50+ employees.
Hell, you have plenty of them nowadays for fucking BLIZZARD.

Well, Blizzard is no longer "old Blizzard" since they fuse with Activision. Slowly but surely they had been bleeding those good ol vet employees.

Well, Blizzard is no longer "old Blizzard" since they fuse with Activision. Slowly but surely they had been bleeding those good ol vet employees.

And I'm quite positive that THQ Relic was also different Relic then SEGA Relic.

That's how this business works, no one is immune so its hardly a newsworthy info.

Game developers, especially larger ones or under large publishers umbrellas do not make games anymore - they make money and if by accident they make a game, well, good for us I guess.

HELL, I could switch names and literally slap what is in that relic review onto my ex gaming employer, exactly the same situation, exactly the same issues.

And I'm quite positive that THQ Relic was also different Relic then SEGA Relic.

That's how this business works, no one is immune so its hardly a newsworthy info.

Game developers, especially larger ones or under large publishers umbrellas do not make games anymore - they make money and if by accident they make a game, well, good for us I guess.

HELL, I could switch names and literally slap what is in that relic review onto my ex gaming employer, exactly the same situation, exactly the same issues.

I'm just saying that old Blizzard used to develop games for "gamers", because most devs were fans of their own products and they had the freedom to do so. The whole debacle on Blizzard which was brought by Diablo Mobile, is only a visible symptom of what's been happening during the last 5-8 years.

This kinds of news towards Relic or other companies isn't something to be surprised as you said.

I'm just saying that old Blizzard used to develop games for "gamers", because most devs were fans of their own products and they had the freedom to do so. The whole debacle on Blizzard which was brought by Diablo Mobile, is only a visible symptom of what's been happening during the last 5-8 years.

This kinds of news towards Relic or other companies isn't something to be surprised as you said.

Diablo mobile is for Chinese market where Blizzard's fan of WoW or Starcraft like to play on their smarphones.
Diablo3 isn't enough old to get its retirement period from the Western store. Now yeah maybe Western fans were maybe expecting another extension.

Note that I fully agree Blizzard work quality went down with Starcraft and Diablo. But WoW is still an amazing piece of work (even if I don't play it since long) and they always try to renew the experience with every addon. Can't deny that.

Diablo mobile is for Chinese market where Blizzard's fan of WoW or Starcraft like to play on their smarphones.
Diablo3 isn't enough old to get its retirement period from the Western store. Now yeah maybe Western fans were maybe expecting another extension.

Note that I fully agree Blizzard work quality went down with Starcraft and Diablo. But WoW is still an amazing piece of work (even if I don't play it since long) and they always try to renew the experience with every addon. Can't deny that.

-Immortal is basically a re-skin of another mobile game done by a NetEase, a company with a not so good reputation.
-I'm not a Diablo fan, but you don't hype people saying you have a big announcement to do, and you reveal it's a mobile game. If you make a convention for mostly hardcore PC players, you don't close it with a freaking mobile game.
-WoW: i guess you didn't hear reviews about the latest expansion.

Their last Blizzcon should give you a real idea of what's happening behind the scene on Blizzard atm. Unless you just play OW or you are one of the few who still play WC3, you can see the effects of having the cofounders and people who worked for decades, leaving the company.

Just hope COH3 does leave the WWII theme and move towards a modern military RTS

[...]

-I'm not a Diablo fan, but you don't hype people saying you have a big announcement to do, and you reveal it's a mobile game. If you make a convention for mostly hardcore PC players, you don't close it with a freaking mobile game.

[...]

But dude, don't you have a phone?

WW2 theme is what they are best at. There are hardly any proper RTS world war 1 and 2 games unlike Company of Heroes franchise which is the best I personally think you can find. There are many modern war games currently out there, so NO to modern warfare for this franchise.

If Company of Heroes wants to get better, improve the current theme instead of jumping into a new theme.

If COH3 is completely modern warfare. I guess that is a no go for me.

I think they can go for WW1 instead, that I would not mind. Better stick with WW2.

WW2 theme is what they are best at. There are hardly any proper RTS world war 1 and 2 games unlike Company of Heroes franchise which is the best I personally think you can find. There are many modern war games currently out there, so NO to modern warfare for this franchise.

If Company of Heroes wants to get better, improve the current theme instead of jumping into a new theme.

If COH3 is completely modern warfare. I guess that is a no go for me.

I think they can go for WW1 instead, that I would not mind. Better stick with WW2.

First World strategy will be very boring and limited. It is very hard to make a high-quality, interesting and accurate WW1 game: BF1 is all the same BF3 / 4 about special forces only in the pseudo WW1 theme: total automatic weapons, prototypes. Verdun - who wander fairly accurate but boring. Another problem: the Western front was very positional, to make a strategy about it is very boring. The Eastern Front could solve this, because it is less positional, but people will take over Verdun, Somme, etc. And the Western Front will be needed to sell the game to European / American gamers.

First World strategy will be very boring and limited. It is very hard to make a high-quality, interesting and accurate WW1 game: BF1 is all the same BF3 / 4 about special forces only in the pseudo WW1 theme: total automatic weapons, prototypes. Verdun - who wander fairly accurate but boring. Another problem: the Western front was very positional, to make a strategy about it is very boring. The Eastern Front could solve this, because it is less positional, but people will take over Verdun, Somme, etc. And the Western Front will be needed to sell the game to European / American gamers.

Partially a good point
I disagree with WW1 and positional warfare being boring, especially not verdun being boring,
but CoH really is quite about somethin else

Would love a separated DLC or a different game for WW1 though

Partially a good point
I disagree with WW1 and positional warfare being boring, especially not verdun being boring,
but CoH really is quite about somethin else

Would love a separated DLC or a different game for WW1 though

Well, unfortunately, it was a trench war. And the gameplay will be total artillery spam, in the First World War there was an Underground War on both fronts, it would be cool, but very hard fully to implement on the RTS.

Well, unfortunately, it was a trench war. And the gameplay will be total artillery spam, in the First World War there was an Underground War on both fronts, it would be cool, but very hard fully to implement on the RTS.

It does not necessarily need to be a trench warfare. Some elements should be based on it but not entirely. It can be similar to the infantry gameplay elements like COH2.

It was difficult in WW1 in the western front cuz France built major defenses. Eastern front however was more exposed in comparison. It was easier for the Germans on the Eastern Front to push because of no heavy fortifications.

Take Battle of Tannenberg. It was fought near a village. Just a different environment. The Western front was just more renowned.

So, it can be WW1 game. Does not have to be trench warfare. Can be urban too. Imagine a conflict in a city, could have happened. Can make lots of elements of WW1 similar to Coh WW2

It does not necessarily need to be a trench warfare. Some elements should be based on it but not entirely. It can be similar to the infantry gameplay elements like COH2.

It was difficult in WW1 in the western front cuz France built major defenses. Eastern front however was more exposed in comparison. It was easier for the Germans on the Eastern Front to push because of no heavy fortifications.

Take Battle of Tannenberg. It was fought near a village. Just a different environment. The Western front was just more renowned.

So, it can be WW1 game. Does not have to be trench warfare. Can be urban too. Imagine a conflict in a city, could have happened. Can make lots of elements of WW1 similar to Coh WW2

Yes, the Eastern Front was less positional and СoH mechanics could be applied to it, but to sell the strategy about the First World War, people need famous events, and the Western Front is more famous or more PR focused. Even if you first create the Western Front, and then the Eastern Front as DLC, the factions of these fronts will be so different: the Western factions are static and stuck in the trenches, the Eastern factions had a long front and therefore constantly maneuvered. These sides will be very difficult to balance.

Yes, the Eastern Front was less positional and СoH mechanics could be applied to it, but to sell the strategy about the First World War, people need famous events, and the Western Front is more famous or more PR focused. Even if you first create the Western Front, and then the Eastern Front as DLC, the factions of these fronts will be so different: the Western factions are static and stuck in the trenches, the Eastern factions had a long front and therefore constantly maneuvered. These sides will be very difficult to balance.

Maybe the atmosphere should be like "No mans land". Open filled with the environment. Not necessarily many areas filled with trenches. It could small plots or areas with trenches. Similar to then new trench implemented in the recent patches. It can be buildings and more or less same elements like Coh1 and Coh2.

It could even be urban. They can even make an imaginative theme, "What could/would have been scenario". Like Battle of Paris or Berlin or even any major renowned cities. Spicen up things a little.

Iron Harvest is futuristic WW1 and they do not necessarily require trenches everywhere to create that expected atmosphere. It is going to be a good RTS game for sure.

Coh3 can be WW1, and still WW2. I would not like if Coh3 is modern warfare since it is recent and not interesting. That is my opinion.

I think Coh3 should stick definitely around 1900-1970 period, Cold War warfare acceptable but not 21st century. Early-mid 1900s is a theme many people do enjoying playing.

Well, Blizzard is no longer "old Blizzard" since they fuse with Activision. Slowly but surely they had been bleeding those good ol vet employees.

Activision influence > Corporate Blizzard > Toxic Environment > "Old Blizzard" Leaves

Fun facts:
- Blizzard LOST 8.5% Of Their Players
- Next Blizzcon require a mobile ticketing app with absurd permissions


https://blizzcon.com/en-us/event-info/tickets/convention

MOBILE TICKETING
All BlizzCon 2019 attendees will need to download the AXS mobile app (Android, iPhone) before BlizzCon. Your tickets are linked to a QR code displayed in the app that refreshes at regular intervals.

A warning for Blizzcon '19 goers: Ticketing app AXS scrapes everything it can get from your phone:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/bkot84/a_warning_for_blizzcon_19_goers_ticketing_app_axs/

Blizzard is Shadily Deleting Dislikes & Comments on Diablo Immortal's YouTube Uploads:


- Activision CEO vision for making video games (quote 10 years ago):

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has a real knack for words: At a recent conference in San Francisco he said that one of his goals when he became head of the company was to "take all the fun out of making videogames."

Sources:
https://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94711-Bobby-Kotick-Wants-to-Take-the-Fun-Out-of-Making-Games
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-games-to-bypass-consoles/1100-6226758/

EA + Activision upper management are the Gordon Gekko's of the Video game industry.

So that is a bad thing right?

Everything bad happening to activision, ea and other big companies is a good thing for players at the end.

These companies are responsible for creating engagement loops driven by microtransactions, wherever possible lootbox driven that they call "live service games".

Old 4 horseman of gaming apocalypse were these tags:
-survival
-open world
-pvp
-early access

New 4 horseman are:
-live service
-micro transactions
-roadmap ahead
-we'll fix it later

Everything bad happening to activision, ea and other big companies is a good thing for players at the end.

These companies are responsible for creating engagement loops driven by microtransactions, wherever possible lootbox driven that they call "live service games".

Old 4 horseman of gaming apocalypse were these tags:
-survival
-open world
-pvp
-early access

New 4 horseman are:
-live service
-micro transactions
-roadmap ahead
-we'll fix it later

Two old riders are still relevant:
-open world
-early access, especially relevant after for EA after the latest news:
https://screenrant.com/anthem-launch-ea-soft-release-process/

So that is a bad thing right?

Statement by a former developer on Ragtag (Visceral & Amy Hennig fighting EA's greed):

"She was giving these massive presentations on the story, themes,” the developer said.
“EA executives are like, 'FIFA Ultimate Team makes a billion dollars a year. Where’s your version of that?'"
https://www.pcgamer.com/ex-visceral-employee-calls-the-studios-closure-a-mercy-killing/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hennig-1385851/

Quote Amy Hennig/Visceral also relates to the downfall of Bioware:

“That’s sort of reductive, but it’s useful because people can kind of visualise something in their head. But what that meant is we obviously had to take the Frostbite Engine, because there was the internal initiative to make sure that everybody was on the same technology, but it was an engine that was made to do first-person shooters not third-person traversal cinematic games.

“So building all of that third-person platforming and climbing and cover taking and all that stuff into an engine that wasn’t made to do that. We did a lot of foundational work that I think the teams are still benefiting from because it’s a shared engine, but it’s tough when you spend a lot of time doing foundational stuff but then don’t get to go ta-da! [laughs] You know, here’s the game.”
Source:
https://www.vg247.com/2019/02/22/amy-hennig-visceral-ragtag-frostbite-engine-shortcomings/

The Past And Present Of Dragon Age 4:

https://kotaku.com/the-past-and-present-of-dragon-age-4-1833913351
While reporting on Anthem, I kept hearing one interesting sentiment from current and former BioWare staff: They felt like the weirdos in EA’s portfolio, the guys and gals who made nerdy role-playing games as opposed to explosive shooters and big sports franchises. BioWare games never sold quite as well as the FIFAs and Battlefields of the world, so it never felt like they could get quite as many resources as their colleagues at other studios. High-ranking BioWare staff openly wondered: Did EA’s executives really care about narrative? Did they really care about RPGs? Those questions have always lingered, and still do today.

Due to lack of money making, EA are biased against single player games and other underrated game genres. Fallen Order is a rare exception.
Imagine, if Relic was owned by EA or Activision?.
EA owns several good RTS IPs such as Dungeon Keeper created by game director Peter Molyneux/Bullfrog Productions.

UK watchdog bans Dungeon Keeper ad, accuses EA of "misleading" customers:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-02-asa-bans-dungeon-keeper-ad-accuses-ea-of-misleading-customers
Dungeon Keeper review – microtransaction hell, Score: 0/10
https://metro.co.uk/2014/02/04/dungeon-keeper-review-microtransaction-hell-4289901/

At the end of the final day, one viewer told Alex Garden, Relic's founder, that he was incredibly excited about Homeworld, and that he considered it one of the most innovative things he’d seen for a long time. It turns out that that man was legendary game director Peter Molyneux! Peter was so impressed, he said he was going to inject inspiration from Homeworld into his next project, which was the then unannounced Black and White.
https://www.relic.com/article/8338

Love of money corrupt - destroy quality gaming & underrated game genres
EA's money chant, enjoying non-regulated gambling (such as Fifa):




With corporate Blizzard (Activision/EA influence), there would be no Overwatch and no Starcraft, just clones of everything that sells and mobile casinos disguised as games etc..

There was a time Blizzard actually joked about a diablo mobile spin off, Aprils Fools Joke anno 2014:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/9uebhx/there_was_a_time_blizzard_actually_joked_about_a/

Corporate Blizzard to developers; ‘get shit moving we need to show growth’ (quantity above quality = a new sheriff in town);

“You would’ve thought Blizzard was going under and we had no money,” said a former Blizzard staffer, who told me they left the company this year in part because of Activision’s influence. “The way every little thing was being scrutinized from a spend perspective. That’s obviously not the case. But this was the very first time I ever heard, ‘We need to show growth.’ That was just so incredibly disheartening for me.”
https://kotaku.com/the-past-present-and-future-of-diablo-1830593195

Diablo Creator and Co-founder Blizzard North, David Brevik: "Activision is taking over Blizzard"

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-brevik-4707933/da
NOTE: Blizzard no longer have a CEO, just a President.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-allen-brack-27a2582/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-morhaime-1081a7170/


The Empire Strikes Back
Word of warning. EA is using deceptive marketing trying to prop up their bad reputation and boost internal company morale.
EA CEO to employee's; Drink your kool-aid and become corporate YES MEN!.
The recent EA marketing of Falling Order is psychological manipulation. Watch this;

Activision and EA CEOs appear on list of 'most overpaid' in the US:
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-and-ea-ceos-appear-on-list-of-most-overpaid-in-the-us/

EA Casino's & FIFA Ultimate Team

EA and this includes EA Vancouver pioneered progression based P2W loot boxes.
The Wilson loot box = Casino slot machines that give virtual assets within a closed ecosystem.
Valve/CS:GO also made a lot of money from these loot boxes but cosmetics only so not as bad and also open ecosystem with skin trading etc..

In China, P2W/gambling culture are escalating.
Why do western AAA publishers want to get into the Chinese gaming market? Follow the money!.
Pro-consumer regulations can't stop predatory business models only slow them down.
Vote with your wallet or this will get worse.
Transparency is key.

The Coming War
We are at war, we as a global gaming community just don't know it yet.
Once the rest of the western PC/console gaming community catch up to this. You think Diablo Immortal/BF2 hate was bad? That was nothing compared to what is coming.
True gamers are the most passionate consumers on the planet. Game developers will either remember this or actions will have consequences.
Gabe Newell's advice in 2013 still rings true: 'Nobody is smarter than the internet'
https://www.businessinsider.com/valve-ceo-gabe-newells-advice-to-businesses-still-rings-true-today-2017-11?r=US&IR=T.

EA: you are asking too much from us you entitled fans.

If relic was owned by EA, it would be canned the moment DoW3 support stopped.