Blizzard Shelves Diablo III Team Deathmatch Mode

[MikeWehner]

Blizzard Shelves Diablo III Team Deathmatch Mode

PvP lovers won't be happy to hear Blizzard's latest announcement.

Despite having worked on a Team Deathmatch PvP option for Diablo III for quite some time - and even producing a playable version for various events - Blizzard is abandoning the mode until further notice. The company revealed the decision in a post on its website, stating that while feedback from players was encouraging, the current state of the Team Deathmatch offering just doesn't fall in line with the "high-quality Blizzard experience."

Blizzard cites several factors leading to its choice to halt work on the mode, including PvP balance issues and a lack of depth. "Simply fighting each other with no other objectives or choices to make gets old relatively quickly," the official notice explains. "We've brought a lot of people in to try out Team Deathmatch and, while some found it entertaining, most of our testers didn't feel like it was something they'd want to do beyond a few hours."

However, while Team Deathmatch won't be debuting anytime soon (if ever), the update notes that a Dueling mode is still on track to be released with patch 1.0.7. This might be little consolation for players looking for a more robust PvP experience, but at least it's something, right? Right?!

Source: Blizzard [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/8163085/Diablo_III_PvP_Update_-12_27_2012]

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[AldUK]

The game is a hack n' slash RPG. It has no depth, it has little balance, it's not supposed to. Stop trying to paint Diablo III as something it is not. Torchlight 2 was better purely for the fact that it embraced what it was and didn't try to be anything else.

 

[MetalGenocide]

High quality old-blizzard experience or High quality new-activision experience?

Looked pretty decent back in the day. Does that mean they couldn't think of way to fuck it up OR line bobby's pockets?
Or maybe someone on the develo....

Most likely.

 

[ExtraDebit]

I haven't touch diablo 3 for months, I really don't care anymore after I realized I got dup into buying a retail game with a free to play model (pay real $ to get items or waste countless hours farming) of an end game.

PVP might have made me come back for a second look but I guess it's too little too late now. I actually preorder the game too.......never again....

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

"high-quality Blizzard experience."

Yeah, sorry, but that excuse doesn't work anymore. Not that I've been playing the game, eagerly awaiting the PVP addition, but I played enough to know that that isn't a reason for Blizzard to can things anymore.

It was back in the day, but that time's passed. It was one thing I always gave Blizzard the benefit of the doubt about, before they cut me, OH SO DEEP. The actual game didn't meet quality standards, I'm afraid, but it still got pushed out the door. I don't think the standards for patch-addons are more strictly enforced.

If they are, something weird's going on.

 

[shintakie10]

And the Blizzard hate begins.

Personally? I don't actually agree with the decision. I actually liked the idea of there bein stuff you just do because its fun and not because there's some form of tangible reward at the end of the tunnel. Its why I've loved the Brawlers Guild they added to WoW recently. There's a tiny minor reward of gold if you win, but its so negligible that it might as well not be there. The only reason to do it is because its fun, and well...braggin rights.

That's how I thought D3 team deathmatch was goin to be. Just somethin you do for a few minutes at a time and enjoy it, not somethin you do because you want to do it to progress.

On the plus side, duelin is bein added in. As long as its not as shit stupid as D2s system I'm all for that.

 

[Zenn3k]

Wait...people are still playing Diablo 3?!

There are so SO many better games of this type to enjoy. Games with ACTUAL customization and interesting skill systems. Path of Exile for example.

 

[thespyisdead]

i had better stow my "HA HA"'s away, lest i want to bring the moderator wrath on me

Besides there...

There are so SO many better games of this type to enjoy. Games with ACTUAL customization and interesting skill systems. Path of Exile for example.

damn ninja >.<

 

[Shinsei-J]

Make it a MOBA and done, there's your depth.
And Balance issues?
That will always be a problem for PvP, so why even try if you're going to give up over that.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

See, I don't understand this decision. Mainly because of this part:

Blizzard cites several factors leading to its choice to halt work on the mode, including PvP balance issues and a lack of depth.

....so it would fit right in with the rest of the game, then?

*rimshot*

hahaha gave me a decent laugh there.

OT: really? that's why they don't release it? probably because they haven't figured out a way to make truck loads of money off of it yet, otherwise there is no reason not to add it into the game.

 

[Suicidal Zebra]

Hrm. Would have thought that the reasons for not implementing team-based Deathmatch would be equally true for individual PvP. I wonder if this is at all associated with the impending release of Blizzard's own MOBO in 2013?

Of course, it may also be that this isn't something they want to devote resources to given that D3 doesn't seem to be retaining players.

 

[Vigormortis]

What was that Blizzard? What'd you say? Something about Diablo 3, disappointment, cancellation, or something?

I'm sorry, but you're going to have to repeat what you said. I didn't quite catch it the first time. I was too busy max-leveling my 7th character, with friends, in Torchlight 2.......while offline.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

I'm still trying to get over the fact that people are still playing Diablo III.

I figured that game died out a long time ago.

 

[VonBrewskie]

I'm still trying to get over the fact that people are still playing Diablo III.

I figured that game died out a long time ago.

The numbers are down, but there's still people playing. Quite a few actually. It's really not a bad game. It's just a matter of what you like. Also, in case some folks didn't go read the announcement, Blizzard is boing to release dueling with the 1.7 patch apparently. That ought to be some amount of fun. I remember that from D2. This announcement is quite disappointing though. Three of my friends who still play were bummed as well. I am too. I really don't get some of the self-righteous snobbery I'm reading on this thread. It's a videogame all. Jeez.

 

[loa]

"Simply fighting each other with no other objectives or choices to make gets old relatively quickly," the official notice explains.

And clicking monsters to death with no objective and no real choices doesn't?

 

[Parnage]

I haven't touch diablo 3 for months, I really don't care anymore after I realized I got dup into buying a retail game with a free to play model (pay real $ to get items or waste countless hours farming) of an end game.

PVP might have made me come back for a second look but I guess it's too little too late now. I actually preorder the game too.......never again....

I didn't waste countless hours farming and I didn't pay a dime. Can't figure out where people are getting these ideas.

Unless I was just incredibly lucky with drops.

Have to understand a lot of people are not.. well let's just say some people need more gear then others to get the same thing done. But yeah I never had a problem doing the content and I think I bought three items for gold. *shrug*

On the topic at hand, blizzard throwing in the towel on a feature, that's disgustingly unlike them. "Hey remember that arena you all enjoyed at cons? Lol nevermind. Have duels. Peace" is the basic summary of the blog.

 

[Charli]

...It really was a simplified WoW PvP arena with click to move enabled and less keybinds.

It didn't need to exist.

I'm okay with this. Pool energies into making things for funs sake and not pandering to the psychotically obsessed. Yes things for insane players can still exist but it was sucking out the budget for anything new and interesting. This isn't any of the above.

 

[gibboss28]

High Quality huh?

Yeah, sure. Whatever you say Blizz.