Thread 718930438

>Mike Morhaime, co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, sent a letter to staff at his new company Dreamhaven, stating that the company's games, Wildgate and Sunderfolk, performed below expectations.
>Morhaime wrote that "our monthly expenses are outpacing revenue" and the focus is "urgently reducing costs" to ensure Dreamhaven's survival.
>According to Tim Morten, co-founder of Frost Giant Studios, "the games business has always been inherently hit-driven, but as existing games continue to draw players, competition from other digital media like TikTok has increased."


https://archive.is/kZOrz

>>718930438 (OP)
Wildgate is fun, but releasing a PvP game in 2025 for $30 when there are tons of free ones, was dumb.

However, they've realized their mistake and are course correcting. Although it might be too late.

>>718930438 (OP)
Well one is a niche turn-based strategy game, and the other is competitive multiplayer slop.

>>718930438 (OP)
I have no interest in these games, if this is what they broke out of Blizzard to do then I'm not impressed.

>>718930771
Sunderfolk also requires only one copy, and other players can play it with the free smartphone app.

the blizzard name has no pull anymore, they should know that.

>make the same shit he made 20 years ago
>it has no market anymore
wow big surprise lmao, it also proves btw that the "hurrr just play old games I play old games" crowd doesn't actually like old games more they just like indulging in nostalgia all day, if a game comes out 1:1 identical of what games were like 20 years ago they won't play it, because it's "new"

>>718931191
Sunderfolk and Wildgate are nothing like old games.

>>718930438 (OP)
It's not even comparable how competitive the video game market is now compared to when he got big. Of course he isn't gonna succeed trying to start over now.

>>718930438 (OP)
>Blizzard Co-Founder’s Game Startup Struggles Amid Industry Glut

Sunderfolk is a cool game, but he shit the bed by releasing it and forcing you to DOWNLOAD AN APP

>live service slop for 30$ in an oversaturated market
>rts with a focus on pvp instead of a robust campaign

theyre retards and deserve to fail

I literally didn't know either game existed

Imagine admitting to your employees that you are getting your butt kicked by TikTok. Maybe you didn't make an interesting game that made people want to get into it immediately.

Oh, I wonder what games he made now that he's made now that he's free from Blizzard?
>1st game is cartoony PvP multiplayer slop with characters that look like pic related
>2nd game is some "RPG" for get-togethers where people sit around a TV and play from their phones, with cartoony furry characters
Wow, how could these games fail? I guess he forgot what kinds of games Blizzard made that got it famous and successful.

>>718932167
The kind of games blizzard made in the past would flop right now, the market changed too much.

>>718931191
>make modern games
>"hurrr just play old games I play old games" crowd doesn't play them
Who would have thought?

>>718930438 (OP)
Imagine blaming tiktok as the reason why your shitty games don't sell

>>718932167
These are old games according to this >>718931191 retard.

>Be Frostgiant
>Say how the most popular game modes of SC2 was Coop and the Campaign
>Create Stormgate
>It caterers to 1v1 competitive play
WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING

>>718933235
The moment you start developing an RTS, you end up infected with a virus that turns your brain to mush and auto-pilot's your body into making the game competitive and e-sports focused.

>>718933347
>into making the game competitive and e-sports focused.
because that's the only way they can make money forever with one game

>>718933481
Every single RTS released in the last 25 years with a focus on competitive play and/or e-sports has been a complete flop. Clearly that isn't how you make money.

>>718930438 (OP)
Looks like a pretty cool concept, but it's too cartoony. Would probably have done better with a more gritty setting

>>718933643
You're not wrong but that's their mentality because of investors.

>>718932167
Why do all these games look the exact same? Makes them easy to avoid but hard to keep apart.

>Wildgate
I found it very gay they used a black woman as the front face of the game. Should've just used all the cool aliens instead of muh black representation.
I actually played in the beta of the game and didn't even know the game fully released to be honest. But I wasn't too happy that the ship combat wasn't like Sea of Thieves. The reactor meltdown shit was utterly pointless in the beta. And the lack of oxygen as a bonus was useless, should've increase respawn times or something.
I didn't even know the game was a blizzard game.

The game design (mechanics) quality wasn't very good.

>>718933893
>they used a black woman as the front face of the game. Should've just used all the cool aliens instead of muh black representation.
It was founded during the blackrock rush.

>I didn't even know the game was a blizzard game.
Is not a blizzard game.

I actually love Wildgate, I think it’s genuinely a rock-solid foundation with strong core gameplay and systems. Being able to hop onto a game where randoms actually use mics and I’m not Playing the same fps slop from the early 2000s is such a breath of fresh air.

It feels so bad that a game that you can just buy, has no major bugs on release, requires real communication and teamwork, and has innovative gameplay is flopping so hard. Like sure the game was under marketed but I genuinely feel like the modern day player is swimming in so much dopamine and meta progression that they can’t appreciate a rock solid slower experience. I don’t ever expect a game as niche as wildgate to be a huge success, but the fact that they will likely have to shut it down in a year or so is so sad while so many shitty games continue to trap players in constant cycles of dopamine and fomo. Call me a shill all you want but even if you hate wildgate I think the fact that a game like wildgate can’t even guarantee keeping the doors open is pretty bleak for multiplayer gaming going forward

>>718933643
Which games? Since SC2 actually was successful, you're indicating it wasn't esports focused. If that's the assertion you're making, then what games even ARE esports focused?
Sounds a lot like you're just making shit up to fit a narrative and you don't actually have a clue what you're talking about.

>>718930438 (OP)
to be fair, he made his studio and started these games during the pandemic when there was free money everywhere and investors would invest in any game

while the games flopped, he and the employees collected checks for years on games that otherwise never would have received funding to be made

Roblox

>>718933809
Why indeed? But you're right, it does make them super easy to spot.

>>718933989
>It was founded during the blackrock rush.
Deserved flop then.

>>718934717
SC2 launched with the best campaign of all time arguably.