Diablo 3 Launch Issues Explained, Blizzard Underestimated Initial Player Numbers

Director Josh Mosqueira explains what initially went wrong.

Posted By | On 06th, Mar. 2015

Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls

With all the games releasing that suffer from online issues, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection which is better following an update but still needs fixing, it’s important to remember Diablo 3. Blizzard Entertainment’s heavily hyped action RPG sequel is infamous for its launch woes where players had to wait in queues for hours to access the single-player since it suppoerted an always-online interface.

But this is Blizzard, which created and maintains World of Warcraft. What went wrong? As it turns out, during a GDC 2015 session, game director Josh Mosqueira talked about how the developer was completely wrong with regards to launch day popularity.

“The sales team had projected 6.666 million units to be sold in the first year; even our sales guys loved Diablo. We got that in the first couple of days – we just didn’t know what to think, it was mind boggling.

“Even our most outlandish estimates for day one, ended up being massively conservative in reality. And it hurt – people had been waiting for ten years to play this game, and the worse fear of an always-online game, is not being able to play. That’s exactly what happened.”

“The sales didn’t matter” for Blizzard in that respect since players couldn’t access the title. Since then though, it’s made amends and turned Diablo 3 into an amazing experience. What are your thoughts on the initial woes? Let us know in the comments.

(Source)


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Farming Simulator 25 is Out Today

Farming Simulator 25 is Out Today

The newest iteration in Giants Software's farming franchise is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S...

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Widsom Was Originally Supposed to Feature a Talking Link

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Widsom Was Originally Supposed to Feature a Talking Link

"It felt really strange. Nobody knew what Link would say – that’s only natural, because he’s never spoke...

PS5 Pro’s PSSR Surpasses FSR and TSR at Lower Resolutions, Closer to DLSS3 – Albatroz Port Dev

PS5 Pro’s PSSR Surpasses FSR and TSR at Lower Resolutions, Closer to DLSS3 – Albatroz Port Dev

Kyoday co-founder Ivaylo Koralsky also believes the upscaler will play "a significant role in the potential PS...

PS5 Pro’s PSSR is “a Console First with AI Upscaling,” Says Planet Coaster 2 Dev

PS5 Pro’s PSSR is “a Console First with AI Upscaling,” Says Planet Coaster 2 Dev

"It's an exciting time to be making games; I think we're about to start seeing a new era of console innovation...

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tops UK Sales in October, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO and Undisputed Score Big

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tops UK Sales in October, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO and Undisputed Score Big

Silent Hill 2 remake debuted in fourth place, but launch sales in the region were behind the remakes of Dead S...

2XKO Trailer Confirms Jinx for the Roster

2XKO Trailer Confirms Jinx for the Roster

The "Loose Cannon" joins the star-studded roster and will be available in next year's playtest. She specialize...