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For many, Diablo Immortal should be considered a major failure by Blizzard. As of the time of writing, the game has the lowest rating of all time on Metacritic. However, whatever decision that might have backfired for Blizzard in terms of fan perception seems to have worked in terms of revenue. What's more, this could set a bad precedent in terms of future games to come.
A major reason why Diablo Immortal got such a negative reception is due to its microtransactions. Blizzard has stayed true to its word by not making gears available in the store. Unfortunately, the move has been made redundant as players can obtain legendary gems.
The entire negativity is associated with this move, but it seems that the objective of Blizzard has been met in the first two weeks.
Despite massive criticism, Diablo Immortal earns mammoth revenue in the first two weeks
Multiple reports show that Blizzard has earned more than $24 million from Diablo Immortal since the game was released. This is quite shocking, considering only Hearthstone has earned more, although it has been active since 2014.
The results are worrying for two main reasons. Most of the revenue has come from American players, although they are not the most populated player base. The major reason for criticizing Diablo Immortal is how legendary gems can be obtained for real-life money. Moreover, they can be obtained from legendary crests and are locked behind a gacha.
The pity rate for obtaining one 5-star legendary gem is over $100, and players will need multiple if they want to optimize their character strengths. The revenue clearly shows whether or not players are okay with the system.
In an ideal world, Blizzard could have followed the same model it has done with games like Diablo III and Others. Under such a system, players would be required to pay a one-time fee to buy the game. However, the vision of the publishers to make Diablo Immortal free-to-play is clear, and the results are out.
The problem could get severe in the future if other developers and publishers start thinking on the same lines. Spending hefty amounts to beat a gacha is bad practice; in this case, the gacha can directly affect the gameplay. Players who spend cash on legendary gems will always have better characters.
The modern era has seen more and more games adopting the free-to-play model. While publishers lose out on initial revenue, the model makes any game highly accessible.
This seems to be the philosophy of many developers and publishers today. Microtransactions might not always be bad, but Diablo Immortal shows companies can avoid poor practices. Despite the implementation of a pay-to-win formula, players are willing to spend. What looks quite scary is the fact that this might be an industry-wide practice in the near future.
