When point and click became an artform: how Blizzard created an RPG addiction with Diablo.
For some people, the term instant gratification is a four-letter word.
Its a slur used to insult those who suffer from a supposed lack of patience and resolve.
There are even occasions when it yields rewards that hours of patience wouldnt have uncovered.
After all, instant gratification did helpDiablosave Western RPGs by turning the genre into an addiction.
Of course,Diablos creators originally wanted to make an RPG for the patient crowd.
This was the age ofDoom.
Blizzard believed that ifDiablowas going to have a chance at market success, it needed to feature real-time combat.
The team eventually reached a compromise with Blizzard.
At the very least, they would be able to definitively tell the publisher that they were wrong.
The only real difference was that players would perceive these actions occurring instantaneously.
The change was small, but the difference it made was immeasurable.
The light from heaven shone through the office down onto the keyboard.
I said, Oh my God, this is so amazing!
The version ofDiabloBrevik played that day was not the final build of the game.
More tweaks and further compromises would be made before the game was deemed suitable for public consumption.
Its tempting, then, to credit Blizzard forDiablos addictive nature.
However, it was their loyalty to the RPGs of their youth that truly madeDiabloaddictive.
Are you addicted to this creation?
Even better, it sometimes rewards you with incredibly rare loot.
This cycle of simple actions and immediate results is what makes slot machines such a draw.
Diabloisnt a casual mobile game or a slot machine!
you might be saying.
It showed everyone that the core of the genre was strong enough to withstand the influence of modernization.
Theres that phrase again.
No matter how its used, theres just something about that term that remains inherently insulting.
Instant gratification, as a way of life, shouldnt be celebrated.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
This article first appeared on Dec. 30, 2016.
