If you were paying attention to the news coming out of the Anaheim Convention Center then you are probably aware of the disaster that occurred this past weekend. I admit that I was anticipating a lackluster BlizzCon but I was not prepared for the nerd rage that ensued after the opening ceremonies. There is an order in which Blizzard unveils news at the opening ceremonies, the biggest news saved for last. Everyone was expecting a major Diablo announcement, the leading theory being Diablo 4. What they got was Blizzard’s Diablo epic fail.
Immortal but not Impervious
Epic Diablo Immortal Gaming Rig!
Diablo Immortal the mobile app is the “big news” from BlizzCon this year. Yes, at a convention with predominately PC gamers in attendance Blizzard announces a mobile game. A version of Diablo that is only playable on iPhone, Android and iPad.
Now that you have let that sink it, this is the first time there was little to know cheering or clapping. In fact there was booing, and not the joking kind. Actual booing. You almost feel bad for Wyatt Cheng, who drew the short straw to make the announcement. Since BlizzCon ended, several reports are coming out from other sources that Blizzard allegedly wanted to announce Diablo 4 but they pulled it at the last-minute.
I’m not a Diablo fan but I totally understand the animosity. After being taunted with a “Diablo announcement”, I would be pissed too if a mobile game was announced. The Q&A was probably the best moment when someone actually asked if it was an “out-of-season April Fools Joke“.
Overwatch Stole the Show
I knew there wouldn’t be a lot for World of Warcraft, we did learn when the next patch and raid is coming. We also learned that the following patch we will finally fight Queen Azshara in, what might be, an underwater raid. Also, you should really check out the Lost Honor cinematic. It’s really good (from a storyline perspective.) Hearthstone will have a new expansion, Heroes of the Storm has a new hero and StarCraft 2 was so insignificant I don’t remember what they said about it. Which leaves Overwatch.
The 29th Overwatch hero, Ashe and Bob
They began with a new video called “Reunion”. It’s McCree on Route 66 and we find out who caused that train wreck. It’s his old partner Ashe. Blizzard teases many new potential heroes in this animated short. I think everyone wanted Bob, possibly more than they wanted a mobile Diablo game. The new hero, as it turns out, is Ashe but her ultimate is Bob. I cannot wait to try out this new hero. My main concern is that I’m terrible at McCree, he feels too slow and clunky. Hopefully I don’t get the same feeling about Ashe.
I still haven’t heard when Ashe will be playable so if anyone knows, please leave a comment.
Rekindling Old Memories
There is one other unveiling that I am still mildly excited about. Something that started it all for me. Warcraft III Reforged. I barely remember Warcraft 1 and 2, but I distinctly remember playing Warcraft III. It is the Blizzard title where I found myself enjoying the story and the lore. If you know anything about Warcraft III, now you know why Wrath of the Lich King is my favorite expansion. The game looks beautiful with the new graphics update. The only problem is, I’m not sure I’m ready to dole out another $40 for a game that I may only play randomly (although that Meat Wagon mount makes it awfully tempting).
And that’s it. There is nothing else, IP related, to talk about. As I said, it was a pretty lackluster BlizzCon. The nerdrage over Diablo Immortal is probably the most noteworthy thing about the convention this year. Kind of glad I didn’t get the Virtual Ticket or the Goodie Bag. I hope they make both of those more enticing next year.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on BlizzCon, Diablo Immortal or any of the other announcements in the comments.
/FOR THE ALLIANCE!
If zombies attack the world, everyone will run and hide. Except for us gamers, of course. We’ve been waiting for this all our lives!
If Andrew Lincoln is leaving in true Walking Dead fashion, then end it with season 9. It’s time to pass the proverbial torch. There are many new shows now that are providing that fresh mystery and thrill (e.g. Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House). Every season of TWD is starting to be a rehash of the prior season (find a town, encounter someone truly twisted and evil, defend the town, destroy the town).
The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day
As you watch Solo: A Star Wars Story, they do leave you wondering what happened to Q’ira after her and Han are separated during the escape from Corellia. Her sudden appearance as a gangster’s lieutenant several years later is one of the great mysteries of the film. She’s clearly tormented by the her choices in the past leaving the audience, and Han, completely in the dark.
The concepts in this post will be fairly esoteric if you are not familiar with many of the game features in World of Warcraft. Also, this will likely be a bit of a soapbox as I’ve grown weary of the emphasis put on Mythic+ dungeons. Sorry Blizzard, I just don’t care for the Mythic+ system, in fact I think Mythic+ dungeons are obnoxious.
For example, my gear score on my raid toon is 360. If I want ilevel 360 gear to drop I have to get a keystone for a Mythic+7 or higher. Which means I have to do at least 2 or 3 dungeons before I even get the appropriate keystone, then I have to complete that dungeon. You also only have a week to do this (as all Mythic+ dungeons and keystones reset every Tuesday). Of course what gear you get is completely random so there is a chance, that after enduring all of that, you could get a piece that you can’t even use. As your gear score increases, so do the number of Mythic+ dungeons you have to complete within a week.
The last weekend in September was also the last weekend my sister and I shared a last name. In a four-day period we drove 11+ hours down to Destin Florida to participate in an event that will ultimately change all our lives. The details that lead to this union is not a story I am at liberty to tell, however it is the stuff story books are made of, complete with a happy ending. I was unaware that she was seeing anybody but, being the tech savvy person that I am, when I was given his name, I began my Internet deep dive. (FYI, you would be amazed what you can find on the Internet about a person if you just know what to look for and where to look for it). Long story short, my search revealed no red flags and he received a preliminary thumbs up.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”