
Diablo 4 Thrives Amidst Live-Service Gaming Challenges | Image Source: www.polygon.com
LOS ANGELES, 26 December 2024 – The live game continues to experience a tumultuous period as the gaming industry navigates by changing players’ expectations and economic challenges. Although the sector dominates millions of hours of listening in the world, successful releases have become increasingly rare. According to Polygon, 2024 have experienced significant setbacks for high-end live service games, with high-profile failures such as Rocksteady Suicide Squad: Killing the Justice League and Sony Concord highlighting the fragility of the model. However, in the midst of these difficulties, Blizzard Entertainment’s Devil 4 stands out as a remarkable success, the difficult industry trends.
The rise and fall of Premium live service games
Premium live service games, characterised by a full purchase price combined with long-term monetization strategies, face mounting challenges. Franchises like Destiny and Overwatch have rotated free models to keep the player’s commitment. However, premium titles fought to maintain interest. According to Polygon, Suicide Squad: Killing the Justice League suffered an incredible loss of $200 million for the WB Games, while Sony Concord did not resonate with the players and was suspended within weeks of release. On the other hand, unexpected small successes such as the Sony 2 Helldivers suggest a disconnect between publisher expectations and player preferences.
Devil 4: Support for success
In the midst of his companions’ struggles, Blizzard’s Devil 4 prospered. Published in 2023, the action role play (ARPP) has strong sales, a successful expansion in 2024, and a dedicated player base. Rod Fergusson, managing director of the Diablo franchise, attributes the success of the game to its roots. According to Fergusson, the game was not conceived as a live service title, but as an experience of the Devil par excellence. Speaking with Polygon, Fergusson explained,
“Back to the genre. At first, there were those conversations. […] Devil 4 is a live service game, or should we throw credits and call it? And I was like, look, when you look at Devil 3 and the millions of people who appeared each season, whether you like it or not, an ARPG is inherently a live service. The question is what you do about it.”
Blizzard’s organic approach to living service
Fergusson pointed out that the decision to adopt living service elements naturally emerged from ARPG. Players expect long-term progression and repeatability, creating a demand for continuous updates. “For me, when you are a Diablo- genre, […] people will seek to play through the campaign, but then they will watch to play what I call the one hundred or a thousand hour game,” Fergusson said. This intrinsic request allowed Blizzard to present features such as Heltide, Pit and Gauntlet, enriching the game over time without alienating its central audience.
Lessons on industrial errors
The contrast between the success of Devil 4 and the failures of Suicide Squad and Concord offers valuable lessons for game publishers. When Suicide Squad was planned, players quickly highlighted their inappropriate live service framework, which collided with the history and genre of the game. Similarly, Concord seemed to give priority to satisfying a publisher’s demand for a live service offer to meet the needs of players. According to Polygon, these failures underscore the importance of aligning live service elements with the natural design and genre of a game, rather than imposing them to achieve external goals.
The Future of Live Service Game
As the gaming industry evolves, Devil 4 serves as a case study of how to navigate effectively in the online service landscape. Its success lies in its ability to provide a convincing basic experience that organically supports live service mechanics. Fergusson believes that this approach creates opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation.
“It wasn’t that kind of fait accompli where we’re like, “It’s in the box and we’re done.” We’re going to have the ability to improve Helltide. We will have the ability to add the Pit, we will have the ability to test the Gauntlet.”
By focusing on player demand and gender-specific design, developers can create sustainable live service experiences that resonate with their audience.
The challenges facing high-end live service games reflect broader changes in the gaming industry, ranging from changing monetization strategies to changing player expectations. However, as shown in Devil 4, success is achievable when developers prioritize authenticity and harmonize their design options with the requirements of their games. For publishers, the key grab is clear: forcing live service frameworks into poorly designed games may alienate players and undermine success. On the other hand, encouraging the participation of biological actors should be the priority in this increasingly competitive sector.