Long before “Diablo 3” hit the market, the game was preceded by a lot of hype and anticipation, but also a great deal of controversy. Blizzard announced some changes to the formula which weren’t received very well by most fans, and in the end the game had to be given a significant revision in order to improve its reception. The final result was a mixed bag for many, as even though it was a generally enjoyable experience, the game also had some issues which fans couldn’t overlook.
The auction house was probably the biggest mistake Blizzard made when it comes to “Diablo 3”, and its impact is still noticeable in the community’s sentiments towards Blizzard. Many people were disappointed in this blatant attempt to monetize the game on a deeper level, something which obviously struck fans as highly inappropriate.
There were some good arguments on both sides though. Some people believed that the situation was for the best and that Blizzard were merely trying to protect their fans from repeating the same issues that plagued the previous game. More specifically, there were plenty of illegitimate the to the auction house available all over the Internet around the time of “Diablo 2” and many people were profiting off of the title while also fracturing community.
Blizzard could have simply chosen to give their fans similar options without the risk of having to use suspicious marketplaces, and at the same time they had the opportunity to directly control the market in order to prevent economic issues from arising. That didn’t matter though – the auction house was still highly despised among fans and many people claimed that they would have been happier to get the game without this feature. Which ended up happening but not before a lot of backlash.
On the other hand, the gameplay itself had some issues that fans were quick to point out. Balance was a bit questionable around the endgame and fans found that they didn’t have much to do at this stage, another issue which was eventually addressed through the addition of extra levels. For what it’s worth, this particular change was very well received by fans.
There were also various minor changes that were received in different ways, such as the new style of potions as well as equipping gear. Mostly, the game was made more streamlined and straightforward in order to make it a more user-friendly experience, and even though some claimed that this took off some of the competitive edge of the title, it was still not such a bad change according to most.
Gear in particular saw a major revision, with automatic collecting of different items in separate inventory slots and a more straightforward system for equipping newly discovered tools. The new system takes some time to get used to, but it arguably improved the experience for the average player by a good amount. It also made the game easier to get into for most people, which was quite important in the grand scheme of things.
All in all, the game did some things right, while it also had its mistakes, but the final result was somewhat balanced and polished enough to give it q lot of popularity. “Diablo 3” is still being played by a lot of people and Blizzard are actively working on improving it too, and it’s obvious that it’s going to be around for a while. However, if Blizzard are already thinking about a sequel, they should take a step back and reevaluate the lessons they’ve learned from this game in order to make the next one a game that fans would actually enjoy.