Still more D3

I originally wanted this to be two points, and it is going to be in two points, but this is a sort of “101 – the basics” version of those two points mixed together. Oh, and it's going to be about Diablo 3 again.

I've spent a lot of my life on the internet. Way too much time, probably, but it wasn't all wasted. I've learned a lot of things from my time playing games and talking to people who play games. In fact, if it weren't for these experiences, I wouldn't even be writing these sorts of articles. Because of my time spent on the internet, I'm quite familiar with what people want out of their gaming experiences, and as sad as it is to admit, the majority of people I've met who are “hardcore fans” of anything are nine times out of ten, in it for the escapism. 

Now, escapism is a pretty powerful thing, and certainly it should be something that you should be careful not to indulge in frequently, but escapism makes money. Most people I talk with who play World of Warcraft don't really find the game fun anymore. They just play to socialize with the people they've met, or they just value their characters too much to just give up. Some even tried to quit, but without something to fill the void, they just go back to it. Now, RPGs in general have a lot of ways to keep people hooked. From steady gear advancement, to frequent level ups, the ways a game can make you feel like you've accomplished something in the game world are plentiful. This is what most hardcore fans are actually deriving their pleasure from. The people who actually frequent the forums. The people who advertize your game for free. The people who spend six or more hours a night playing your product are the people who do it for the sense of accomplishment. They're the ones who have the best characters. They're the ones who can claim to have invested time into the game. The Real Money Auction House (RMAH) shatters this sense of accomplishment.

Why grind for eight hours when eight dollars gets you the same result? You see, if the people who spend real time in the game can't feel proud of their accomplishments, they're going to quit. Period. If their characters feel cheap, like walking dollar values, then they won't feel accomplished. Why spend time in a game that won't reward you for the time invested? Sure, there's going to be people who play the game for the gameplay, certainly, but once endgame hits, it gets stale. Who can honestly tell me that the 100^th Baal run was just as fun and challenging as the first? It becomes routine, and unless you're lucky enough to get a top tier weapon that can't be sold, you won't be getting any progression that can't be bought. 

I have a sinking feeling that Diablo is intended to be a cash grab. I have a hunch that D3 is going to sell like hotcakes at launch because of its name, and then make loads of money from the RMAH via mass quantities of items sold. After the traditional “core” fan base is alienated though, I have a feeling that casual players who picked it up on a whim, are going to drop it just as fast. I have a feeling that this is all intended just to make as much money as possible in a short amount of time. I mean, think about it, no one who even worked on D1 or D2 are with Blizzard anymore. Blizzard has no interest in the franchise other than to have the name make money for them. Why wouldn't they consider killing the name with a cash grab? It's just a suspicion though. I'm probably wrong, considering the infamous leaked documents suggests that two expansions are planned. Time will tell.