Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

[Jan 19, 2013, 6:11 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Blizzard ~~CEO~~ Chief Creative Officer Rob Pardo has added his thoughts to the forum post from Jay Wilson about leaving the Diablo III team. Rob expresses disappointment at some responses to this, expresses pride in the action/RPG sequel, restates Blizzard's commitment to refining Diablo III "until it is the best game in the franchise," and takes full responsibility for who the game turned out:

This thread saddens me greatly. I know that the Battle.net forums have earned a reputation for rough justice, but I do not believe justice is being served by how people are speaking about Jay’s departure from Diablo III.

I am very proud of the Diablo franchise and what the team was able to accomplish with Diablo III. As a gamer I have enjoyed the game and played for many, many nights with friends and family. I’m not, however, going to use that as an excuse. The Diablo community deserves an even better game from Blizzard and we are committed to improving it. We have a talented team in place and have no intention of stopping work on Diablo III until it is the best game in the franchise.

I’m the only person in this thread who has actually worked with Jay. I hired Jay to head up the Diablo project and had the pleasure of getting to work with him, both in building the team and designing the game. He has great design instincts and has added so much to the franchise with his feel for visceral combat, boss battles, and an unparalleled knack for making it fun to smash bad guys. I’ve worked with many, many designers at Blizzard and Jay is one of the best. He has a great career at Blizzard ahead of him and I guarantee that you will enjoy Jay’s game designs in future Blizzard games.

If you love Diablo as much as we do, then please continue to let us know how you feel we can improve the game. If you still feel the need to dish out blame, then I would prefer you direct it at me. I was the executive producer on the project; I hired Jay and I gave him advice and direction throughout the development process. I was ultimately responsible for the game we released and take full responsibility for the quality of the result.

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72 Replies. 4 pages. Viewing page 1.
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72.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 20:51

Reactor

Suppa7 wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 16:05: Reactor wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:14: Trying to put people liking the game down to 'kids' and their lack of knowledge is moronic, plain and simple. No it isn't, kids don't have a gaming history going back 20+ years. So even a shitty game will seem AWESOME because there is nothing to compare it against in their limited lifetime thus far. It's the same way how many console call of duty players can't get into quake because they never grew up playing Quake 1, quake 2 and quake 3. They will say things like "I can't get over the graphics bla bla bla". That is a sign you're not really a gamer, since gameplay is not what you play games for but aesthetic cinematic experiences aka cod and it's clones. It's a totally rational and valid observation that applies to millions of people. Aside from you trying to fill me in as if I'm 4 years old, is it an observation or is it not? You say, "no" as if your opinion is fact and then you say it's an observation. Unless you have a white paper with some stats on it we're not talking fact. You're right you have a rational observation, but it's still stupid to throw your angst against a portion of society when all you have to go on is a guess.

71.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 19:31

theromulans

The truth is Diablo 3's failings make me very sad and I hope Blizzard can pull some miracle off to give me a reason to return to the world of Sanctuary, but I doubt it. Good luck to them, though. Blizzard clearly aren't used to getting this amount of push back on one of their products, I guess this is where the conflict is occurring. Communication. Gamers/fans don't feel like they are being heard, while Blizzard is trying to maintain the illusion that Diablo 3 is worth $60. This is the source of the tension, right? Personal attacks against Jay Wilson are low - as are any against the Diablo 3 team... bar the story writers. Meanwhile I smell an expansion being worked on in the shadows. Which leaves a bad taste in my mouth, when the core game just didn't quite get there.

70.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 16:05

Suppa7

Reactor wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:14: Trying to put people liking the game down to 'kids' and their lack of knowledge is moronic, plain and simple. No it isn't, kids don't have a gaming history going back 20+ years. So even a shitty game will seem AWESOME because there is nothing to compare it against in their limited lifetime thus far. It's the same way how many console call of duty players can't get into quake because they never grew up playing Quake 1, quake 2 and quake 3. They will say things like "I can't get over the graphics bla bla bla". That is a sign you're not really a gamer, since gameplay is not what you play games for but aesthetic cinematic experiences aka cod and it's clones. It's a totally rational and valid observation that applies to millions of people.

69.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 14:45

Verno

No, I don't agree with your premise and you misunderstood mine but I don't feel like having a big debate about it so Lipsrsealed




Playing: Faster Than Light, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Ghost in the Shell, Hannibal, Oblivion

68.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 13:58

Quinn

Verno wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 12:38:
Quinn wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 09:02:

Wrong, and it almost carries a condescending undertone which I'm sure wasn't your intention.

Wrong, and my post was a posit of my opinion so I don't really care how you choose to interpret it

So your post was intentionally condescending?

You seriously could've said just as well: "People who have never played the first Diablos have no fucking idea what a good ARPG should look like, so those morons settle for that steaming pile of crap that the third part is.

Anyway! I know it was your opinion, condescending or not, and I replied accordingly.




Favourite games of all time: 1. Severance. 2. Vampire the Masquerade Redemption. 3. can't come up with #3

67.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 12:38

Verno

Quinn wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 09:02:

Wrong, and it almost carries a condescending undertone which I'm sure wasn't your intention.

Wrong, and my post was a posit of my opinion so I don't really care how you choose to interpret it Clown




Playing: Faster Than Light, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Ghost in the Shell, Hannibal, Oblivion

66.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 10:23

JohnnyRotten

Cram wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 22:27: JohnnyRotten wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:07: I wonder what chunk of those sales came from the bundled WoW special (sign up for a year, get free D3). 1.2 million copies of D3 via One Year WoW sub. I had always assumed that it would be the other way around - that most of their sales came from the annual pass sale. Crazy and depressing.

65.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 09:02

Quinn

Verno wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 08:53:
I think Diablo 3 is probably fine if you've never played a Diablo game before *snip*

Wrong, and it almost carries a condescending undertone which I'm sure wasn't your intention.

I've "never" (hardly!!) played Diablo and haven't played Diablo II, and I think Diablo 3 sucks in many ways. It doesn't take a Diablo wiz to see this ARPGs shortcomings, from the skill system to the loot to the stupid auction house, etc.

This game's crappiness has nothing to do with it's predecessors' awesomeness.




Favourite games of all time: 1. Severance. 2. Vampire the Masquerade Redemption. 3. can't come up with #3

64.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 08:53

Verno

I think Diablo 3 is probably fine if you've never played a Diablo game before but I know very few people who liked the previous games who were happy with it.

The skill system revamp was a big let down and everything is generally too dumbed down and homogenous. The loot doesn't even set you apart thanks to the AH. They also failed on the social front, chat channels are a great community builder that should have been in the game from the beginning. Once your friends stop playing there is this total sense of isolation, there could be 20 or 20,000,000 people playing Diablo 3 and you have no idea. The only indicator of activity is the games stupid auction house.

Speaking of the auction house, total failure on every front. I don't care if people traded on third party websites in Diablo 2, putting that functionality into the game ruins one of its major core concepts. The idea that they didn't balance around is laughable.




Playing: Faster Than Light, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Ghost in the Shell, Hannibal, Oblivion

63.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 08:10

Reactor

Obviously you and I have different understandings about what constitutes whining, then.

62.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 07:10

Dades

Reactor wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 00:00: I've been around Blues long enough to have seen who's here. 'Tis a bit different from summing up millions of gamers. I've been reading since long before I registered and you're wrong. - *DADES* - This is a signature of my name, enjoy!

61.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 04:27

Quinn

If they want to improve Diablo III, they have all their work ahead of them.

First and most importantly, they have to add tons and tons and tons of content to the compaign. It's ridiculously short -- and no, many gamers don't find it enthralling to replay the same boring shit but on harder difficulty so don't give me that crap! -- and uninteresting.

Secondly, they have to give the player more freedom to play their hero the way they want to play them. They can look at Torchlight 2 for some inspiration, and that's coming from a gamer who isn't a fan of either of those games.

Third, gear drops. PLEASE STOP MAKING IT SO GODDAMN OBVIOUS THAT EVERY FUCKING DROP HAS BEEN COMPUTER GENERATED! (and yes, that shit was my personal biggest issue with the crapfest D3 is)

Fourth, start over entirely. The game's an uninspired/uninspiring machine for cash.




Favourite games of all time: 1. Severance. 2. Vampire the Masquerade Redemption. 3. can't come up with #3

60.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 21, 2013, 00:00

Reactor

Dades wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 22:26: Reactor wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:14: Blues may rock, but the place is still filled with the kings of bitching and moaning. Anyone who's been here for a long time will happily admit that. It's part of its charm ;) Hmmm.... Gee, I don't think you managed to generalise enough there One of these things is just like the other. I've been around Blues long enough to have seen who's here. 'Tis a bit different from summing up millions of gamers. This comment was edited on Jan 21, 2013, 00:50.

59.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 22:27

Cram

JohnnyRotten wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:07: Cutter wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 01:40: Prez wrote on Jan 19, 2013, 21:37: They're listening alright. They're listening to the sound of $600 million rolling in from the 10 million sales of Diablo 3. With that kind of validation for the deliberate regression of a once-great franchise they have no mandate to do anything differently. Yes, but that's because many were naieve and didn't understand the online-DRM, AH scheme, etc. I'll be dollars to donuts they won't see a repeat of those sales numbers again, not even close. They've just burnt too many bridges with this. I wonder what chunk of those sales came from the bundled WoW special (sign up for a year, get free D3). 1.2 million copies of D3 via One Year WoW sub.

58.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 22:26

Dades

Reactor wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 21:14: Blues may rock, but the place is still filled with the kings of bitching and moaning. Anyone who's been here for a long time will happily admit that. It's part of its charm ;) Hmmm.... Gee, I don't think you managed to generalise enough there One of these things is just like the other. - *DADES* - This is a signature of my name, enjoy!

57.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 21:14

Reactor

Maybe people were just really disappointed with the game. Blues rocks, you suck. Blues may rock, but the place is still filled with the kings of bitching and moaning. Anyone who's been here for a long time will happily admit that. It's part of its charm The reality is most kids who love diablo 3 have no barometer for game quality, hence bluesnews is filled with older experienced hardcore gamers who played the first two games. Gee, I don't think you managed to generalise enough there. You might want to try a bit harder and start breaking things down to skin colour. On a side note, you make it sound as though 'older experienced' gamers are those that played D1. I'm a golden age gamer. The Diablo series was very late on in my gaming career. If you use Diablo 1 as starting point for those who are experienced and therefore have a, "barometer for game quality", you're opinion on the topic is worthless. I imagine only a minority of Diablo 3 players played diablo 1 and 2. Since Diablo 1 + 2 were primarily PC games and they sold a lot less than world of warcraft. World of warcraft pulled in a new generation of kids who's gaming tastes are the most tasteless and banal in all of gaming. I think imagination is all you have to go with on that one. I realise some people don't like D3. Some people had specific expectations for what it'd be and it didn't live up to those. Some people just don't like it for some reason or another (the way it looks, plays, or sounds) and some people just don't like the balancing. Fair enough. But that doesn't take away from the fact that some people actually get entertainment from it. I play it once and week with my brothers and it's pretty much what I recall from D2, but with easily accessible multiplayer. We ignore the auction house. We know the game isn't perfect. We remember the other Diablo games weren't perfect either. Trying to put people liking the game down to 'kids' and their lack of knowledge is moronic, plain and simple.

56.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 21:07

JohnnyRotten

Cutter wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 01:40: Prez wrote on Jan 19, 2013, 21:37: They're listening alright. They're listening to the sound of $600 million rolling in from the 10 million sales of Diablo 3. With that kind of validation for the deliberate regression of a once-great franchise they have no mandate to do anything differently. Yes, but that's because many were naieve and didn't understand the online-DRM, AH scheme, etc. I'll be dollars to donuts they won't see a repeat of those sales numbers again, not even close. They've just burnt too many bridges with this. I wonder what chunk of those sales came from the bundled WoW special (sign up for a year, get free D3).

55.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 16:01

Spektr

I haven't tried Diablo 3 and as such cannot comment on it. I have watched my bro play it for a few minutes and I thought the graphics were way better than what I expected from the screens I had seen on the net. What troubles me about this game however is that I have seen my bro play through the two previous games on and on like an addict before he turned to WOW. And the least I can tell is that he didn't seem impressed. To sum it up according to him it sounds like to him Blizzard had taken apart what made the previous games fun. Funny thinking accusing the kids of today as the ones responsible for dumbed down games.. Developers like Blizzard are the only one to blame. When they realized WOW had become such a phenomenon that middle aged women were starting to play it they saw the potential if they made the game accessible to an even wider audience. But that meant sacrificing the audience that put them where they are. But I suppose that their core audience was going to move on after five years anyway. I am curious to see what the future holds. Whether so many fans are going to flock en masse as soon as the next games come out. This comment was edited on Jan 20, 2013, 16:13.

54.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 15:14

Suppa7

Reactor wrote on Jan 20, 2013, 10:56: You're likely not- Blues is just the extreme whiner centre of the gaming universe. The reality is most kids who love diablo 3 have no barometer for game quality, hence bluesnews is filled with older experienced hardcore gamers who played the first two games. I wonder how many gamers who are now playing diablo 3 actuallyed play the first two games. I imagine only a minority of Diablo 3 players played diablo 1 and 2. Since Diablo 1 + 2 were primarily PC games and they sold a lot less than world of warcraft. World of warcraft pulled in a new generation of kids who's gaming tastes are the most tasteless and banal in all of gaming. When MMO's started rising my interest in gaming started declining because everything was dumbed down to chimp level in the MMO space. This comment was edited on Jan 20, 2013, 15:26.

53.

Re: Rob Pardo on Jay Wilson and Diablo III

Jan 20, 2013, 14:24

Beelzebud

60 for the main game was enough for me. I simply will not spend another dime on the game. If they put out an expansion that "fixes" it, well good for the suckers that still give them money, because I'm done.

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