Something in the Pipeline??

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  • Vhailorx
    Vhailorx Posts: 6,085 Chairperson of the Boards
    Bowgentle said:
    PiMacleod said:
    While I understand how old the game is, the layered data, and how hard the task may be....

    Isn't the game also one of the longer lasting mobile games you can find?  It's been around much longer than most ever experience, and it's generates a cash flow still.

    That said, isn't a product that still has interest shown by the players after all this time a good investment of a developers time and resources?

    Imagine if Magic The Gathering just up and quit after a few years because "they had a good run".  Same for Minecraft.  World of Warcraft.  D&D.  ...you get the picture.  I used different games from different mediums/genres in order to exemplify that I don't think the rule has to be different for a mobile experience.

    At this point, I believe it's a matter of the owners and developers to realize what they have and invest the resources wisely.  For example, what if they WERE developing a new app, but really it's just an entirely new version of MPQ...  New GUI, new fixes and QoL fixes to old problems that stemmed from old infrastructure.  They make sure it works with old roster data per player, in order to be able to plug in old player data into the new game to achieve the desired results without cheating anyone out of time/money spent.  Then one day, when they are ready, bring the game servers down for an hour or two, with a default message telling everyone to wait for a new major patch.  The game updates eventually, overwriting the original files entirely, and when the servers go live, boom ... Whole new experience.  Animated characters issue hits per match, much like Super Puzzle Fighter, saved character and team slots, ability to sort characters and other things by different filters, new types of gameplay, etc etc etc...

    I understand everything that was said before.  All the nay-saying.  All the reasons why it wouldn't happen.  But just imagine if they were to treat it like the mobile cash cow it could be, and tend to it like other companies tend to their products that stand the test of time...
    The owners are Marvel.
    They don't care about the game as long as it generates the money they are getting from the contract.
    Devs are trying to generate that revenue plus enough to cover their costs plus revenue for their shareholders.

    The moment Marvel isn't getting its money, the license is gone and the game is dead.
    Simple as that.
    I think this suggests a lot more certainty about the business arrangements that we players actually have.

    Marvel owns the IP.  D3 is the licensee and publisher (they are owned by namco bandai now I think), and demiiurge studios actually make the game.

    While it's certain that everyone is getting their beaks wet on game profits and that d3 administers  most of the game infrastructure, it's not at all clear to me how the money flows. 

    Does d3 pay a flat fee to marvel for the license?  Does marvel get a cut of ongoing revenue?  I would assume the licensing agreement is more favorable to marvel that their deals from the 90s (i.e. why Sony will own Spiderman movies and games more or less forever)?

    And when/how does Demi get money from the game?

    Without knowing those details it's a bit hard to guess at everyone's incentives and predict who will leave based on what event.
  • IYeaheahI
    IYeaheahI Posts: 53 Match Maker
    Neuromancer said:
    I just wish they'd add more gameplay to (or like) the Prologue, the thing that got me playing this game in the first place. I'd pay money for expansion-like DLC that added more Story-driven gameplay, or RPG elements, or, you know... more Puzzling or Questing.
    I agree, we have such a huge arsenal of champions but just so little ways to use them. The only options are to play the same PVE missions over and over or to play against the same PVP teams over and over...

    A real shame since there are so many many variations possible in this type of game.

  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,654 Chairperson of the Boards
    @The rockett

    Yup. I know cheating is a hard one to discuss on the forums. They need to drop that hammer hard when they find it though.

    I dont always agree with you, but this post is spot on. I'm not very competitive myself in the game so I am fairly content because I appreciate what the game is right now for me. But it could be so much better.
  • The rockett
    The rockett Posts: 2,016 Chairperson of the Boards
    tiomono said:
    @The rockett
    I'm not very competitive myself in the game so I am fairly content because I appreciate what the game is right now for me. But it could be so much better.
    That last line is what sums this up for so many players. 

    “It could be so much better”. 

    This is what we all want. 
  • Vhailorx
    Vhailorx Posts: 6,085 Chairperson of the Boards
    tiomono said:
    @The rockett

    Yup. I know cheating is a hard one to discuss on the forums. They need to drop that hammer hard when they find it though.

    I dont always agree with you, but this post is spot on. I'm not very competitive myself in the game so I am fairly content because I appreciate what the game is right now for me. But it could be so much better.
    The problem re: cheating is that demi/d3 have refused to ban anyone even after receiving knowledge of particular, egregious cheating issues.  It's hard to address this issue retroactively now, years later.

    As for "it could be better," I have a lot of sympathy  for the devs.  There are certainly lots of changes that would make vets like me happy, and others that would please whales, and yet others that would please newbies.  But I don't know that there is a a simple set of changes that could make the game better for all of those groups without totally undermining the financial model (and while I have said that mpq is aggressively overmonetized for years now, I also recognize that the game needs to be profitable to persist).  It's easier to identify problems than to develop good, comprehensive solutions.
  • thedarkphoenix
    thedarkphoenix Posts: 557 Critical Contributor
    D3 is probably  still in good Grace's with peggy.


  • peterdark
    peterdark Posts: 151 Tile Toppler
    I know I am going to get shot down for writing this but you need to look at things from the developers point of view too. I agree with several of the points mentioned across several of the previous posts but we don't have the full story on why or what was done. This includes the 'cheating' or adding removing different parts of the game.

    You could point out that there is lack of communication but at the same time if the developers posted updates every day you can guarantee that each one of the posts will be pigeon-holed.

    It's very, very easy for us to analyse things that the dev's do, but it's a balancing act in trying to maximise the revenue potential of the game. At the end of the day they need to keep the game running and if it means annoying 100 people who no longer spend as much to keep 1,000 players who are new to the game and are spending more then from a business perspective this makes more sense. 

    Also, the majority of the comments are 'aimed' at the developers. The developers are probably just told what to do by somebody sitting behind a desk in a nice air conditioned room on the 50th floor over at Disney. Or something like that.

  • jym010
    jym010 Posts: 108 Tile Toppler
    It is very interesting because I am a science teacher and I am talking to my students about screen time.  It got me to reflect on my own screen time and how much I put into this game.  Then I started to realize that I am starting to get really bored.  It used to be about chasing new covers but even then I still use only the same limited few characters on my roster and even then new caharacters, whom I am really interested in, don't have the same thrill.  I have been playing for 1600+ days and I am getting to the point where I am not sure that I am going to continue at this pace unless there are some new changes implemented.  I know quite a few of us are expressing the same thing and this story is nothing new, its just now finally coming to a head in my life and I want the game to continue but its got to bring people back in.
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,822 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited May 2019
    Last night I was checking the forum....and it was quiet as it often is...and I had a flashback to when new or interesting stuff was posted for the game.

    Stuff coming along, making a difference in what you do or don't do etc.  I mean, is the game perfect to the devs?  Or just that there's no room/budget/desire to change things?  (probably #2)

    Support Circuit and the token rotation was at least interesting to learn about!  It's been 4 months since anything was announced besides "new character" "new costume" "new Support".  Best thing was the improved PVEs but as welcome as they are, they don't change what you do.
  • The rockett
    The rockett Posts: 2,016 Chairperson of the Boards
    What blows my mind is that people the represent this game were tagged in this lost and they still didn’t say anything.  This one or the support post.  This is why we don’t think they give a **** about the player base.  They cannot even give us reassurance that things are coming.  It seems like on auto pilot. 
  • Bowgentle
    Bowgentle Posts: 7,926 Chairperson of the Boards
    The rockett said:
    What blows my mind is that people the represent this game were tagged in this lost and they still didn’t say anything.  This one or the support post.  This is why we don’t think they give a tinykitty about the player base.  They cannot even give us reassurance that things are coming.  It seems like on auto pilot. 
    Oh they care about the player base - as soon as revenue dwindles, they'll change stuff.
    They don't care about the people on their official forum - which is different, and understandable.
    At this point anyone still coming here will keep playing no matter what, so why bother giving out info here.
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,822 Chairperson of the Boards
    To some degree, I wonder if the interview and its response made them communication-shy again.

    (alternately, there is nothing significant coming and therefore no communication need)

    But looking back again, I think they should have taken advantage of the interview to lead off with some stuff they are working on or planning to do.  (Besides Endgame)  The proactive approach would have gone a long way when there are lots of things we are looking for and not seeing.

    Again, assuming things are coming.  I have a hard time believing that revenue is not falling, but who knows.  It just seems like people are not as excited as before, but on the other hand, there are a lot of offers/bundles/etc which might be getting some spending, and probably work pretty well, or they would stop putting them up.

    All that said, the fact that they are making costumes available as rewards shows that they are still thinking of things to do that are different/generate interest.  A game on full autopilot wouldn't even bother with that.  (Even though costumes are meaningless in terms of your actual play, it's still nice and creates some hope.)
  • Spudgutter
    Spudgutter Posts: 743 Critical Contributor
    Bowgentle said:
    The rockett said:
    What blows my mind is that people the represent this game were tagged in this lost and they still didn’t say anything.  This one or the support post.  This is why we don’t think they give a tinykitty about the player base.  They cannot even give us reassurance that things are coming.  It seems like on auto pilot. 
    Oh they care about the player base - as soon as revenue dwindles, they'll change stuff.
    They don't care about the people on their official forum - which is different, and understandable.
    At this point anyone still coming here will keep playing no matter what, so why bother giving out info here.
    i hate how right you probably are
  • Nick441234
    Nick441234 Posts: 1,496 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited June 2019
    I badly want something new in PVE. The last couple of weeks have been the first time in 4 years that I've actually started to consider quitting. I'm bored to death of Venom Bomb! The silly new costumes just make my eyes roll. They offer nothing to the game. 
  • Projectus2501
    Projectus2501 Posts: 218 Tile Toppler
    Neuromancer said:
    I just wish they'd add more gameplay to (or like) the Prologue, the thing that got me playing this game in the first place. I'd pay money for expansion-like DLC that added more Story-driven gameplay, or RPG elements, or, you know... more Puzzling or Questing.
    Yeah... I would love a tower mode where you play increasing challenging teams in every level. The objective: go higher as you can. The good thing is that teams could be consisted of random 3, 4 and 5 heroes. So gameplay would never be boring
  • Therealsmkspy
    Therealsmkspy Posts: 254 Mover and Shaker
    Wish they would just reset the prologue every season based on scl. Maybe update the dark avengers node with in-game villains and mix up the goons a bit (not every season just a general update).

    Make it a perk of buying VIP or makes us spend 1000 HP to play. I've just never understood how they let that game mode just waste away after you complete it. 
  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,654 Chairperson of the Boards
    Therealsmkspy said:
    Wish they would just reset the prologue every season based on scl. Maybe update the dark avengers node with in-game villains and mix up the goons a bit (not every season just a general update).

    Make it a perk of buying VIP or makes us spend 1000 HP to play. I've just never understood how they let that game mode just waste away after you complete it. 
    That's one thing I always ask for in surveys. For them to do anything with the prologue. Even lock/dissapear it after its cleared. It literally sits there doing nothing once you have gained all the rewards. The only thing it does do is occasionally get clicked on by mistake wasting some of my time.

    Ideally it just needs to scale up every time you clear it, giving out better rewards the higher level the opponents reach.
  • Therealsmkspy
    Therealsmkspy Posts: 254 Mover and Shaker
    edited June 2019
    Yeah, I'd just be happy with scaling up, changing it up a bit would just be a bonus. I just can't fathom why an already established resource is just left wasting away. Utilizing it would bring so much good will to the customer base as a stand alone free play mode, which virtually every player is always asking to have.


    But speaking of the prologue, it's a prime example of what's wrong with this game. Dark Avengers was a storyline that's over a decade old. On what alternate earth does that attract someone to the game? Contest of champions has Endgame content and playable Black Order characters. 

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