All good demons go to... um... sequel? - Diablo 3 Announced

Stepsongrapes · 2012-01-30T18:09:20.000Z

SlyFrog:

Which are what? I agree with your general statement about whiny gamers, but do find it a bit amusing that they are doing it given “current deadlines.” Given the recent teasings about getting information about when the game would be out, to be met with just further silence from Blizzard.

I mean I get it, they can release it whenever they want. Still a bit funny that a game without an official release date is losing features because of a deadline. :)

I’m sure you’re saying that tongue in cheek, but not having an announced deadline versus having an internal metric of what features can hold up release and which ones can’t is simply good project management.

Release will be delayed for tier 1 features that don’t meet design specifications. Release will not be delayed for tier 2 features that don’t meet design specifications. Rather, the offending tier 2 feature will be dropped.

The ability to categorize what is and isn’t important is part of project management.

Dave_Markell · 2012-01-30T18:54:02.000Z

Stepsongrapes:

Release will be delayed for tier 1 features that don’t meet design specifications. Release will not be delayed for tier 2 features that don’t meet design specifications. Rather, the offending tier 2 feature will be dropped.

The ability to categorize what is and isn’t important is part of project management.

This, exactly. Having been involved in the development of a couple of commercial software packages, I agree wholeheartedly that differentiating between “critical path” and “nice but non-essential” is a major part of the process. And be assured, Blizzard has all sorts of internal deadlines and metrics that we the public hear nothing about.

krayzkrok · 2012-01-30T19:37:55.000Z

BleedTheFreak:

Excuse me now, I have to go take the garbage out my Mom says, since I’m ten years old.

This here. If you stopped pre-teen kids posting on the internet, it would be a much happier place.

SlyFrog · 2012-01-30T19:49:33.000Z

Stepsongrapes:

I’m sure you’re saying that tongue in cheek, but not having an announced deadline versus having an internal metric of what features can hold up release and which ones can’t is simply good project management.

Yes, it is tongue in cheek.

I am interested in project management though. Are there any “go to” seminal works to review for it?

I’m being serious. The project management texts that I’ve run across have always had simple things dressed up as being complex (e.g. I would be sad if I had to learn the notion that some things are project critical while other things are ancillary and can be implemented later from a book). But I am aware that there is supposedly more to it that is not necessarily intuitive or obvious, and I would be curious to learn more of the real science behind it (as opposed to junk business books of the month).

stusser · 2012-01-30T19:57:16.000Z

Effective project management is mostly about the soft skills, getting people to do work and keep to their deadlines without being overtly annoying. I’ve dealt with plenty of people with PMP certifications who were incredibly proud of having 15 steps for a simple task in their project plans. Waste of oxygen. Bunch of chimps.

Kool_Moe_Dee · 2012-01-30T20:16:30.000Z

Dave Markell:

This, exactly. Having been involved in the development of a couple of commercial software packages, I agree wholeheartedly that differentiating between “critical path” and “nice but non-essential” is a major part of the process. And be assured, Blizzard has all sorts of internal deadlines…

…that I’m sure they merrily blow through, year after year after year after year.

The end product will be nice, but personally, I would not want to spend 5, 7, 10 years working on one game.

Scotch_Lufkin · 2012-01-30T20:37:14.000Z

Haha this was pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kDb_h3Pm25g#!

Stepsongrapes · 2012-01-30T20:51:06.000Z

Kool Moe Dee:

…that I’m sure they merrily blow through, year after year after year after year.

The end product will be nice, but personally, I would not want to spend 5, 7, 10 years working on one game.

Do you honestly think their initial, internal estimate for D3 was any earlier than 2011 (perhaps 2nd half of 2010)? Just because Blizzard usually spends a lot more time on their games then other studios doesn’t mean that they’re caught by surprise by it. “Gee, we keep thinking that we develop on the exact same pace as other studios, but we keep surprising ourselves.”

Tony_M · 2012-01-31T02:37:24.000Z

Dave Markell:

Oh lord, the forums are at it again. Bashiok confirmed a rumor that special player death animations

I agree those examples are hilarious because its so petty. But I will say that that nearly everyone is happy to mock the whiners until the one thing happens that they really care about, then they complain loudly on forums just like everyone else.

Andre_Costa · 2012-01-31T06:14:18.000Z

Tony M:

I agree those examples are hilarious because its so petty. But I will say that that nearly everyone is happy to mock the whiners until the one thing happens that they really care about, then they complain loudly on forums just like everyone else.

Uh…yeah…not really.

EDIT

krayzkrok:

This here. If you stopped pre-teen kids posting on the internet, it would be a much happier place.

If we can learn anything from all the drama that happens on QT3, it’s that this statement is sooooooooo wrong :P

Lorini · 2012-02-01T06:42:57.000Z

I’m in I’m in!!! Check your battle.net accounts folks! I didn’t get an email either.

Balasarius · 2012-02-01T06:47:49.000Z

Holy shit. I’m in too.

SlyFrog · 2012-02-01T07:15:51.000Z

Balasarius:

Holy shit. I’m in too.

In what? The beta?

Balasarius · 2012-02-01T07:39:40.000Z

Yes.

5

Scotch_Lufkin · 2012-02-01T07:56:35.000Z

I got in to! Yay!

I just realized I lied to everyone. I’m totally playing the beta if I get in it, after all.

Kelan · 2012-02-01T07:56:36.000Z

Nice!

Anyone know if you can get in the beta just by having a battle.net account even if you don’t have World of Warcraft active? I have Starcraft 2 and played WoW from beta off and on over the years, but haven’t had an account active in over a year. I just figured that I wouldn’t have a chance to get in the beta, but now am wondering if it is possible.

Scotch_Lufkin · 2012-02-01T08:01:55.000Z

Kelan:

Nice!

Anyone know if you can get in the beta just by having a battle.net account even if you don’t have World of Warcraft active? I have Starcraft 2 and played WoW from beta off and on over the years, but haven’t had an account active in over a year. I just figured that I wouldn’t have a chance to get in the beta, but now am wondering if it is possible.

You aren’t supposed to have to have anything active (and I believe them when they say that, since I don’t myself have an active WoW account, though I do own SCII and have not played it in four months).

You just need to have the opt-in box for Diablo products checked (I have all three boxes checked for all three franchises currently). I believe you also have to run the hardware analyzer which should be located on that same page.

Mysterio · 2012-02-01T08:05:40.000Z

Blizzard still hasn’t let me in. >:-|

Kelan · 2012-02-01T08:05:43.000Z

Dang, I don’t think I checked those. I will have to check into that when I get home.

Thank you for the info.

Dave_Markell · 2012-02-01T08:20:02.000Z

Lorini:

I’m in I’m in!!! Check your battle.net accounts folks! I didn’t get an email either.

Woah, same here! Downloading now!