Cortyn does not understand Blizzard’s information policy. At least in Hearthstone , the desired effect is not achieved.
As you know, I love Hearthstone because it is the perfect filler when I don’t feel like engaging in challenging raids or emotional chases in Dead by Daylight.
However, one thing bothers me significantly: the way Blizzard announces new content for Hearthstone.
The first trailer for “Knights of the Frozen Throne” was released during a major tournament – yet at a time when there was absolutely no need to talk about the future from a gameplay perspective. The meta is surprisingly solid, and many decks are playable. Hardly anyone I know (including myself) feels “starved” for new information or new cards at this point. It’s the first time in Hearthstone’s history that I’ve thought, “Wow, take it easy – it’s happening too fast!”
Long Breaks at Inappropriate Times
But what really bothers me is the massive pause. I am happy to be caught up in a hype because anticipation is the greatest joy. However, releasing a trailer and then not saying a word about the expansion for two weeks irks me. The built-up excitement created by the (admittedly) grand trailer has long since dissipated, and all my friends are in the “Wake me when it’s released” mode.
This leads to the absurd situation where the current content is still fresh, but everything feels outdated already in the back of one’s mind.
I would have found it more sensible to start releasing cards right after the trailer – or to simply postpone the trailer by two weeks. This “emptiness” demotivates me and robs me of my excitement for a new game.
Holding an “Ask me Anything” as a Game Director is indeed a cool idea, but somehow the questions were rather boring when ~90% of the expansion is still completely unknown. There really are limits to how interesting the questions can be.
In short: I find this two weeks of complete radio silence more annoying than helpful. The intended hype around an expansion diminishes when long breaks are allowed. They should have rather started two weeks later.
From my perspective, Blizzard needs to work a little on the information policy regarding new expansions for Hearthstone. But as long as they don’t hold back the “purification” for the last card release, it probably won’t be too dramatic…
Why they wanted to diminish players’ confidence in Hearthstone will be revealed here.
