Diablo Immortal Boss Defends Microtransactions
Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has discussed the reaction to Diablo Immortal and specifically its microtransactions. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Ybarra said Immortal was designed for players to enjoy without spending money, and a Blizzard representative said the «vast majority» of Immortal players have not spent any money on the title, according to The Times.
«When we think about monetization, at the very highest level it was, 'How do we give a free Diablo experience to hundreds of millions of people, where they can literally do 99.5% of everything in the game?'» Ybarra said.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Now Playing: Diablo Immortal Video Review
The executive said he is seeing the questions and concerns around Immortal's microtransactions, but he also pointed out that the game has a very positive aggregate review rating on the App Store. Immortal has more than 114,000 reviews on the App Store and has generated a 4.5/5 aggregate rating.
Immortal's endgame is focused around PvP, and players can spend real money to become more powerful than those who do not, which has proven to be controversial.
«The monetization comes in at the end game,» Ybarra said. «The philosophy was always to lead with great gameplay and make sure that hundreds of millions of people can go through the whole campaign without any costs. From that standpoint, I feel really good about it as an introduction to Diablo.»
Immortal has made than $1 million every day since it released in early June from its microtransactions. The game has now reached 15 million
Read more on gamespot.com
