Marvel's Overwatch

 

If I worked at the Marvel company right about now- well I'd be loaded, wouldn't I? But I would also be incredibly hyper-conscious every waking hour about the razors-edge my place in pop culture is currently balancing upon. Insist though Kevin Fiege might, there's no denying the fact that Marvel is currently far past it's prime and rapidly approaching the realm of irrelevancy at such a depressing speed that I'm no longer surprised when a Marvel named project slides neatly under everyone's radar and goes on to underperform. As this point every failure has to feel like a stab in the back of a wounded animal, struggling to get back on it's feet and speed back into the race, which is probably why Marvel has all but retreated from this year in the hopes that Deadpool can prove the about face their franchise needs. Of course, Marvel can't control the whims of the mad scientist Sony, and as such another on of their half-aborted cross-bred abominations of life will slither onto screens this year too with 'Kraven the animal-loving all-vegan largely-respectful bad-guy hunter'.

In such straits, I can only imagine a slam dunk video game under the Marvel brand that will remind everyone why they love this franchise is exactly what the team are looking for- something to keep people distracted whilst the movie divisions figure out how to unscrew themselves from the absolute mess of everything they've made. (Not least of all changing course after having to fire their leading man for the next ten planned movies.) We've already gotten wind of that Black Panther meets Captain America game- which could currently be anything from a Souls-based action title to a choice-based narrative game to a Rhythm-based space shooter- we've got nothing to go on for that one. But one might say that for their other leading project we have quite a lot to go on. Perhaps even too much- considering that I'm pretty sure most of the gaming world is familiar enough with Overwatch at this point.

Yes, the team based hero shooter based around guarding payloads through the same rough feeling map that hasn't managed to significantly grow out of that base concept since it's inception. And the team have gaslit themselves into being proud of that, despite once having dreams of growing the brand into a powerhouse that caters to all kinds of players, not just forlorn soldiers of the old guard who stick around out of habit and Rule 34 artists who pop in to get a preview of who they'll be morally bankrupting over the next year. Having just recently shrunken to such a size in their development team that they can't even support the promised PVE functions that were meant to replace the promised extensive singleplayer content- one might say it's never been a better time to present a direct competitor copycat with the money and brand recognition to steal it's faded luster. In comes Marvel Rivals.

Despite sounding like on of those low-rent mobile store fluff pieces, Marvel Rivals looks like it might be a semi-competent hero shooter set in colourful cartoon-style maps that look near identical to Overwatch ones and featuring a cast of characters who have actually been properly fleshed out through canonical ancillary media- Blizzard! We'll see anime-ass looking Iron Man teaming up with K-pop idol Hulk, mobile-banner-ad Loki, Hanzo-in-cosplay Namor, Ultimate-design-reject Spider-Man, Grown-up D.VA stand-in Peni Parker- (Obviously piloting SP//dr) and this one girl called Luna Snow who looks like she exists only as a 2D ad-waifu for Korean mobile games. All these heroes are teaming up against Galacta- Galactus slightly more skimpy daughter who likely exists only to quench some lonely comic artist's desire for hot giant women. As a Lady D survivor, I have no grounds on which to judge that.

And you know what- the game looks... functioning. It doesn't promise a whole lot thus far, merely bringing us to a Marvel-based version of the Overwatch vision; but in that lies a simple and steadfast truth- they haven't overpromised yet. Overwatch was the home of overpromises, built on the foundations of a Blizzard that still had some slither of it's former dignity left in 2016. Some saw Overwatch, which had existed in some form in the company vaults for years beforehand, as the last hurrah new franchise from the player-first studio and expected it to be the exception in the slow dissolution of brand. Overwatch's promises then started to turn into broken promises which blossomed into ruptured trust. And when all trust is gone- that is when the lying started.

What Marvel Rivals offers is a clean slate- if a familiar one- peppered with an easily recognisable cast of distinctive silhouettes that already starts with a stronger base appeal than, say, Paladins. (Another Overwatch wannabe.) I genuinely think that this game's cleverly picked line-up of thin coded Tik-tok E-boy Marvel variants paired with the long-legged waifu companion cast has the potential to slip into the rotation of hero shooters provided everything goes to plan. Given that we're looking at a pure PC release right now, the most difficult platform to develop for recently, it would be really bad if they do a 'Modern gaming move' and screwed up the windows version. (And there's a not-0% chance that they do screw it up, knowing the landscape.)

Of course, any sparks of anticipation you might feel welling up at all this should be duly tempered by my next bit of news. This is a game by NetEase Games. Oh yeah, that Chinese tech company known for peddling free-to-play titles that lure in with functioning games and then trap you in their culture-typical pay-piggy hell. Starting up one of their games is like signing up to a Loanshark subscription service where they come around and knock on your window every morning when you're trying to relax to squeeze some blood of you. It's like trying to walk down the street and enjoy the view whilst beset by an gang of organised beggars who have strategized how best to squeeze into your wallet. It's like trying to be an an every day land-loving Chinese famer in the 1800s, whilst bad-boy-Britain keeps hitting up your local haunt peddling just wagon-loads of Opium for an insane mark-up. And you're already addicted at this point, so they're essentially just dependency enslaving you. You're picking up what I'm putting down, right?

Still, with how Overwatch currently sits- their waifu skin-suit badly stretched across a one-armed bandit- (I just remembered how that is actually a fetish, unfortunately.) maybe there's a space for even a NetEase disaster child to steal some of that thunder. I mean, it's not like Overwatch has some moral highground to stand on. They've thought impure thoughts about Lady D, just the same as the rest of us! (Wait, what were we talking about?) Of course, it will take a talented team of dedicated developers to retain such stolen thunder, and not do a 'Pokemon Unity' and fade from the limelight less than two weeks after launch. And to this I can say- wow, Overwatch 2 really wouldn't be in trouble of being outshone of they stuck to their guns and diversified the brand, now would they? Food for thought!

China loses its Blizzard

Divine Tether Severed

There is something to be said about backing the winning horse. It's a safe bet, simple, low risk and an utterly pathetic move. I mean, come on; where's you sense of danger? Of adventure and risk? If you're going to gamble- then gamble those odds! Make something special all for yourself, defy the possibilities! And if you're an artist- then going the easy and risk-free route is the surest indicator that you've lost that edge which kicked you to the world you enjoy so much. And considering that the team at Blizzard used to be considered artists, then their pathetic move would be flushing away all their integrity, morality and empathy to guzzle up the drip-feed of their pay masters whenever a potential situation with China could reflect badly on the western audience. They never left any illusion obfuscating the horses that they backed, never failed to take a bullet for the good image of China- took the safest and surest path to mutual success. But it would seem that Karma has a way of getting to everyone who wrongs it, because somehow China has now turned around and spat away Blizzard.

The details are surprisingly vague given what a huge development this is for one of the most beloved successful developers in the world (or 'formerly beloved' as the case may be.) but I don't exaggerate on this. Blizzard and NetEase have ended their partnership just as they announced it would be happening at the end of last year- and as China refuses to allow foreign companies to operate on their soil without partnering with one of their locals- this marks an end. An end to over 10 years of World of Warcraft coverage in the country, a premature end to Overwatch 2's tenure, and a decisive end to Blizzards extensive plans to shift it's game design philosophy to better exploit the easier cajoled Chinese gaming public. Or perhaps I should say, an 'indefinite pause'; because this wasn't some seismic bout of morals that shook Blizzard free- it was cold, hard business.

As I mentioned, details are criminally sparse as to what could have ended Blizzard's extended partnership with NetEase, all we know is that both companies are slinging mud at each other where they can and neither of them have proven to be trustworthy sources of information in the far and near past. But doing the rounds is the infamous Tweet wherein one high ranking Chinese NetEase official lamented his many hours dedicated to Azeroth and ominously declared "One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new understanding of how much damage a jerk can make." Vague, but the popular conjecture on the 'Jerk' in question tends to trend towards the one man who can never be held accountable for his many breaches in ethics and professionalism, Bobby Kotick- CEO of Blizzard's partner Activision. Which would imply that NetEase broke off their renewal with Blizzard based on their sheer disgust of Bobby's conduct and lack of accountability; which is certainly a lot of damage for the jerk to make, if indeed the assumption holds water.

But whatever the cause the consequence is obvious. Gamers on Chinese servers have had their access to Battle.net entirely revoked with servers that, it would seem, have been totally scrapped. At least, that's the only thing I can assume given that Blizzard decided to pass the onus of keeping player character safe onto the player, but making them back-up their World of Warcraft characters locally on the 'of chance' that they manage to sneak in another deal and return. And, of course, the other consequence is that Blizzard has just lost it's biggest single market available. Now all the sacrifices in development ethics, the pivot towards ugly monetisation strategies and everything that Diablo Immortal was... well, it all feels like wasted effort now. And so it should. Blizzard deserves to feel cold and alone across the world right now, with nary a single candle flame in the blanket darkness for comfort or succor. Do not cry for them. DO NOT CRY!

And how has NetEase handled their side of the divorce? Not... gracefully. NetEase have done pretty everything they can to make it abundantly clear that they consider Blizzard solely responsible for the breakdown in communications, have disparaged Blizzard's operating methods and professionalism and got straight petty with things. I'm talking petty like livestreaming the destruction of the giant Blizzard Orc statue in the middle of a forest, for which all of the participating workers were served green tea because that's apparently a popular slang slur going around these days in China. I'd tell you what it means, but none of the sources I've read can really agree. It's just not very nice. Short of calling up all of Blizzard's new business partners and spilling dirty secrets; I don't think NetEase could possibly summon anymore 'crazed ex' energy.

But that isn't to say that Blizzard is at all squeaky clean. Beyond everything I've already discussed, alleged rumour is that when Blizzard sent their ultimatum for a six month licencing extension it coincided with their active search for a replacement studio once the deal was up. Which is certainly... pretty crappy conduct. If something like that became public during negotiations it would certainly lead to frosty relations. Frosty enough to clean break away from Blizzard in order to set all their Chinese fans against them? Perhaps. I would ordinarily say that no company would possibly be so personally attacked and petty in this day and age, but NetEase is proving to me just how different Chinese companies can be. I'm sure that both sides of this equation are at least equally terrible in their own ways if we were to compare and contrast.

Of course, this isn't by any means the only scandal that Blizzard has been caught up in, with another being the recent reveal that Blizzard is employing an archaic 'employee rating' system which not only digitises performance of humans in numbers, but apparently mandates a certain percentage of 'underperforming marks' each month in order to justify lower bonuses and promotion prospects. Which is just both insanely evil and right up the alley of a Chinese government subsidiary company- Blizzard should really look into partnering with Tencent, I bet they'd have tons in common. Of course, at it's route this ties back to the Activision influence in Blizzard, which is allegedly also responsible for the NetEase split. Wow, when it put it like that it almost sounds as though Activision's mere collusion is enough to tarnish the good names of those around them, like some sort of evil corrupting font of diseased miasma that seeps out of it's mortal bounds and sickens the earth it touches. Oh wait, no that's just a vivid description of Bobby Kotick's personal office. My bad.

At the end of the day the real victim are the Chinese players who are already being bent over the coals by the anti-gaming Chinese Government as it is. Now they have to deal with the few companies that were supplying their games cutting off and the ecosystem of entertainment in China has been cut off by one more rung. It's a sad fate to be locked in that sort of state and the players who are having to safe guard their character data on the maybe-chance of a return don't deserve this sort of treatment. But thus is probably going to become more the standard as the art of game development shifts further up into the ethereal clouds of hook-nosed executives tossing insults at one another atop thrones of broken worker bones. That's the modern world of gaming, we're just being crushed to dust in it.