Blizzard Entertainment, known for producing addictive games like World of Warcraft and Diablo, is considered a pioneer of the “forever game” concept where players are constantly engaged in completing quests and collecting gear. The game’s deviousness lay in taking forever to get what the player wanted. As players fight through dungeons, slain monsters dropped loot that would empower their characters, and occasionally they would be rewarded with rare and exceedingly potent loot. Diablo IV is set for release on Tuesday but will be competing against formidable forever games like Destiny and Fortnite, along with rival streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.
The gaming industry has drastically changed since Diablo III was released more than a decade ago. Gamers now expect regular updates for free, with publishers making money from the sales of cosmetic upgrades to an engaged fan base. Blizzard is modifying the casino-like tactics to build Diablo IV, a game for modern times. The studio plans to release quarterly updates that introduce new quests, storylines, items, and gameplay mechanics. Players can unlock in-game rewards through battle passes, an industry-wide tactic for user retention.
The increased demands for additional content have compelled Blizzard to focus on the storytelling, which was an afterthought in past Diablo games. Diablo IV returns to the franchise’s dark, heavy metal aesthetic, where players controlled sorcerers, barbarians, rogues, necromancers, and druids, pursuing the antagonist Lilith, the daughter of the Lord of Hatred, who was resurrected by cultists and creating havoc all around. The game will feature real-time rendering of the player’s unique character, and along with randomly littered rare items, there will be dungeons and quests where specific gear can be found.
Blizzard Executive Producer Rod Fergusson states that “the players have come to expect to have some control over the situation” as they “value their time and experience” while facing the changing trend of video games being hobbies and lifestyles. Diablo IV will adopt the forever game model that has been successful in games like League of Legends and Apex Legends. Blizzard will extract revenue from different groups of players – longtime fans who are now parents might have the time to play through the game once, whereas players with fewer constraints could commit to playing the game for an extended period.
However, the forever game model also raises concerns about gamers being all consumed by a single game that offers limited new gameplay experiences. Blizzard has addressed this issue by creating a loose open-world structure in Diablo IV, allowing players to freely explore their environment and complete optional tasks before resuming the main story. Additionally, timed events will trigger at random hours and locations, providing athletes a chance to congregate and fight together for special loot, encouraging gamers to revisit the game continually.
Blizzard features different revenue models for various game franchises; while Hearthstone and Overwatch 2 are both free to play with optional microtransactions, World of Warcraft requires a monthly subscription. Diablo IV charges $70 for the game while also accumulating revenue from the sale of cosmetic upgrades. Blizzard executive producer Fergusson believes that engaging players by providing new gameplay experiences in an existing game will make them talk about the game they played all year rather than the new game they played each month. Diablo IV is a game for eternity, and making a modern forever game is Blizzard’s effort to keep giving players the new experience they desire.
