Microsoft Acquires Two Hat To Help 'Invest In The Safety Of Xbox Players'

Maybe they can work on not selling broken game like Diablo 2 first.

@InterceptorAlpha what's wrong with Diablo 2? I just watched Digital Foundry's technical breakdown of the game.

@Quaali Online is an awful mess. From launch to this day, there have been connection issues.

Instead of fixing the issues, they introduced a queue system resulting in long times at the start screen. They give you the option of playing an offline character, but that then takes you out of line for the online.

To make matters worse the issues are two fold that izzard admitted. The first being that they use 20 year old net code instead of new for this release. On top of that they use a global server instead of having areas separated by region. Finally they strongly hinted, without calling out specifically, that Chinese bot farms are to blame. However they have no intention on doing anything about them at this time.

All of this is finally wrapped out in a neat bow with tons of lost progress due to server rolls backs or just being kicked offline and data not saving.

I've personally had my Horadric cube deleted from my inventory in Normal alone. Each requiring me to head back to Act 2. The last time I lost the last perfect gem I needed for my prismatic amulet.

Just is super frustrating.

Does this mean ms is making an online game or something? Idk what to think about this.

I'd rather they get people in to permanently ban all the bleeping quitters!!!!!!!!

Such a HUGE issue, at least for me, are the people with zero work ethic, consideration, and overall sense of decency.

@InterceptorAlpha gross...battle.net was so good back in 2000....

@InterceptorAlpha Seems like you should be complaining to Blizzard about that one, as that is their game and Microsoft has nothing to do with it. The issues have been across all platforms.

As for this, I think our online experiences have become overly moderated, and that is always a major turn-off for me. As a grown adult I think I can handle being exposed to a variety of things and I don't take kindly to some shadowy authority trying to tell me what I should and shouldn't find acceptable.

@JayJ It is Microsoft's responsibility as they're selling the product on their store. The game is not available physically. The issues have been reported. The refunds have been requested. The reviews have been posted. And they're not doing anything.

@NEStalgia Back then I had the option to make an open battle net character I could play while things were offline. Then take it online when everything was good and I could dial out.

This is not an option on this release.

@InterceptorAlpha I get that online games can't trust anything to local storage due to hacks and scumming anymore, which really just makes them unlikable anyway, but it needs something like azure level reliability, and even that isn't sufficiently reliable. B.net though, they were pioneers with dedicated online servers, and regional lobbies. You'd think Activision would improve online considering online it's basically all they sell now ....

@InterceptorAlpha yikes! I'll be sure to stay away from this. I was intrigued after watching Digital Foundry since I've never played a Diablo game.

@Quaali If you just want it for solely offline, it would be fine. Provided you can authenticate with Blizzard servers.

The sad thing is even if you can get online with a a character by yourself, it still is somehow laggy.

@InterceptorAlpha If they're using the netcode from 20 years ago, no wonder. It was horrific back then and it was meant for dialup. Remember the teleporting and rubber band races?

@InterceptorAlpha Microsoft would of given you a refund. Microsoft is just the marketplace. Your issues are with the publisher of the game who released it in that state which is Activision who also owns the studio that develop the game which is Blizzard. Your gripes should be with them since they are a giant corporation that is highly regarded at selling video games. Blizzard games always release botched. WoW and Diablo 3 have personally been awful for me.
Sony is the only company in my recent memory to take a game off their marketplace with Cyberpunk.i think that was more on Sonys refund policy. I’ve only heard great things with Microsoft customer support.

@Halucigens Yeah it seems ridiculous to get up in arms with Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, or Steam over something like a game you didn't like for whatever reason. If it's broken they are usually good about letting you get a refund, especially if you didn't really play the game.

All the attention really goes on ActiBlizzard with their poor management and ethics lately.

@JayJ @Halucigens Microsoft is declining refunds at this point on Diablo 2 so that is not an option. At this point waiting for clarification that performing a chargeback won't put my account in poor standing. Been waiting on a response for 2 weeks at this point with multiple points of contact being made by myself.

I'm not sure what the confusion is though about wanting Microsoft to make it right.

When you buy a products anywhere else you go to the dealer you purchased from. Why would you think this situation should be any different? The business I performed was conducted with Microsoft. As such it is their responsibility to resolve.

Surely you don't get a faulty product from Amazon, Best Buy, Menards, etc, and not go back to the store for a refund.

@InterceptorAlpha You should be going to the publisher of the game for the refund. I personally think you played the game enough to not qualify for a return from the marketplace. It’s your fault and the publishers fault. Letting people play dozens of hours of a game and then ask for a refund from the place that sold it is not right and you passed on their refund policy. Losing progress in a game is as old as online gaming. Most recalls of a product don’t ask for the product back but for the customer to dump them and get their money from the vendor not the seller. I worked retail for nine years and work food recalls for a major food service corporation so that’s my experience with returns/recalls. Additionally you probably bought it digitally. If you bought it physically you could return it or get store credit. You are at the mercy of digital refund policy and if you played the game a lot then you passed the marketplaces policy. I’m sorry for all your time wasted in the game and with customer support. Don’t buy online games at launch.

@Halucigens Why do you Think I played enough to not qualify for a refund? I've barely been able to make it through 1/3rd of the game that I've had since launch. By this point, if it wasn't for connection issues, I would be completely through and grinding for high level gear.

I've worked in retail for the better part of 2 decades. My anecdotal experience is the customer returned the products to us, we processed the refund, we then send the model and serials to OEMs for refunds.

Finally a physical version was not an option, further pigeonholing the consumer.

Thankfully my country's consumer protection laws are better than what you're stating you feel should be. I've already cleared with my card issuing company that I'm entitled to a refund with the proof of issue I've provided.

Just waiting on a response from Microsoft on if I need to invoke consumer protection on my account or not.

Finally, while your statement of not buying games at launch generally rings true, I played multiple network tests of this, and played the original release over 20 years ago now. There was zero reason for these issues aside from Blizzard's own negligence.

@InterceptorAlpha Sounds like Blizzard. Had the same thing happen to me on Diablo 3. Roll backs, not working, hacked. Never again for me. They know exactly what they are doing to fleece their fan base, customers and their employees.

@John117 Thankfully a country's consumer laws trump any company's return policy

Also why are you lying? This is literally an issue that Blizzard has already admitted to. That has been covered on this very site and multiple others.

@John117 I'm not sure where the confusion is. I am getting a refund. I'm getting it via my card company. Microsoft refused the refund. My card company approved it as the evidence is on my side.

It wasn't a manner of not liking what you said. Your provided an anecdotal, unverifiable, scenario. Everything I've provided and stated is backed up. Please don't move the goal posts.

@John117 Ah yes. Ad hominems. Certainly a sign of a healthy mind. 😂