IamA David Brevik, CEO of Gazillion, best known for Diablo & Diablo II and now Marvel Heroes 2015. AMA!

Why do you think the gaming industry nowadays focuses more on the speed aspect of how quickly they can turn out a game which will yield some reasonable profit rather than focusing on creating a good game they are proud of and people genuinely love to enjoy to play and will talk about for years to come.

I think it's an issue nowadays that indie developers create some breathtakingly beautiful games where big companies which the money and the power to create masterpieces instead take simple concepts and absolutely butcher them.

Do you have an input into this? Do you think it is an issue in the gaming industry at the moment?

This has been a complaint that has existed since the early days of gaming.

From my background, you can tell that I try to create great games and not focus on profit. The profit will come if the game is great.

There are many game companies that take a long time creating games still. Not all of them churn out volume and hope for something to catch on. You see that tactic in new platforms more than anywhere else, so I would guess we are seeing more of that in the last few years because of the emergence of a few new platforms.

What did you and the Gazillion staff do to celebrate Marvel Hero's One Year Anniversary?

Most people slept. We also had wonderful cakes from the community! I had business meetings with banks (O.o) and then streamed that night.

Hello Mr. Brevik. Thank you for doing an AMA. What is the latest information on Stark Tech? Happy Birthday to MH!

Thanks!

Stark Tech is not completed, but still on the road-map. It won't be this month.

Favorite Marvel Hero or Villain?

Favorite Marvel Comic?

Favorite Hero: Right now, It's all Rocket for me.

My favorite Marvel Comic: I can't pick one... Planet Hulk, Deadpool & Cable series, Dark Phoenix, Secret Wars, House of M.

1) Any plans on an Enchanced for IM (yes im talking about rescue suit)
2) What plans do you have for raids? is there gonna be a loot table exclusive to raid tied whit a currency system to get said "sets"?

1) I would LOVE to put Rescue into the game :D 2) Yes -- very similar to WoW

Hello David!

I would like to know what's your opinion on Retcons. It seems that right now lots of people would prefer that swapping builds was free in the Training Room, or that you could buy a permanent infinite Retcon. Is the current system written in stone or is Gaz willing to change it?

Also, thanks for the awesome game and expansion!

We will look into Retcon drop rates. I understand the idea behind wanting to try out different builds with the Omega system. We will talk about it, but there are no plans on changing it right now.

What is something that has made you just stop and laugh while playing?

3 personal examples:

1: I saw 2 cops in MM firing away at a gang member tagging a building.

2: On my 1st hero I thought "~bound to X~" meant I needed a matrix of unbinding to remove it, so I wore the same eq until lvl 51 when a lag click showed me the light lol.

3: I got my first pet drop, Old Lace, the day before we all got Old Lace.

I try my best to laugh instead of get mad. By the way, have you ever rage quit while playing Marvel Heroes/any-game?

I laugh a lot while playing. You should watch my streams on Twitch with my wife "thejunglequeen". We laugh all the time.

Those are funny examples and I can't of anything off-hand.

I have never rage-quit MH, but I rage-quit EQ for a few days when I got caught in a death loop with my Necro and de-leveled from 55 to 52. After a few days, I went back and played again, but switched to Bard. It took years for me to play my necro again.

Any chance you could link your stream here?

http://www.twitch.tv/thejunglequeen/profile/pastBroadcasts

Hello David. Imagine you had all the money in the world and no technical, time or licensing limitations: What would be the game you ALWAYS wanted to make but for some reason never got out there?

A virtual reality RPG where you are in the large, seamless world with everyone else that is playing.

...So your goal is to make the OASIS from Ready Player One? :p

lol -- I love that book!

What are your thoughts on Diablo III? Did you think it was as bad as people say it was?

I liked D3. I think the game is even better after the last expansion.

I had different plans for D3, but they did a good job.

Hello Mr. Brevik. I was disappointed to hear that Shared Legendary Questing was abandoned, but I think that the new Shared Daily Quest system shows some potential. Are there any plans to overhaul the current rewards provided for completing a Shared Daily Quest (in particular a large sum of experience to match/exceed that which is provided by Legendary Quests)? I feel that it's important to provide strong incentives for grouping, and in its current state, it doesn't feel like the Shared Daily Quest system provides enough of this. Are there any plans in the near future to further incentivize group play (particularly while leveling) and would you be able to speak to them?

There is a problem with the rewards right now for Shared Daily Quests. Some of the rewards (XP/omega-orb) appear as soon as you complete the quest. The other part of the reward is suck into your inventory. We are going to fix this in the future, but both are being rewarded, it just isn't obvious.

I have completed the MM daily twice now.

While the chest rewards were indeed in my inventory, neither time did I see a XP/Omega Orb drop from completing it.

I know you said there is supposed to be XP drops from them but the way it works now makes LQ still the way to go.

I look forward to when/if this gets fixed.

<3

Well we just patched, so if it wasn't working before, look for it today.

Mr. Brevik,
I am a returning player who has had a lot of fun with the re-launch. Thank you for all of your hard work. I was a big fan of Diablo 2 back in the day as well! My question is this: I missed both of the free character give-aways today so I have a proposition for you:

In exchange for a character token, preferably Captain America, here is some MS Paint Artwork you can use as adverting material for your game: http://i.imgur.com/c9SZhKJ.jpg As you can see, it is Captain America, my favorite character in the Marvel comic universe. I think that people who see this will definitely want to play the game, thus increasing sales!

Do you accept my fair offer? I would happily create more promotional material on a contractual basis if needed.

lol -- Incredible! Such detail!

I'm glad you are having fun with the re-launch.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Would you use your newfound power for good or evil?

I have a superpower: I don't require much sleep at all. I'm very lucky!

Is your hair perfect every day? Or just when you know you'll be getting your picture taken?

Also, what's your funniest game development story that won't get you in trouble? ;)

My hair is incredible :P I'm actually very lucky. Thing is: I have a cowlick right in the front so my part sticks up sometimes. It can get curly!

As for funniest game story: Let me tell you about the gem UI on the battle.net interface in Diablo II....

Hey Mr. Brevik! I was wondering, what are you most excited for in the 2015 term of Marvel Heroes? and do you like Tacos?

On a side note, I remember teaming up with you and your wife a few weeks ago, during stream. (here)

Tacos are one of my favorite foods. I have tacos 3-4 times a week for a lunch or dinner.

The thing I am most excited for is continuing to improve and diversify the game. I'm really looking forward to the next story parts and doing some of the "gray-area" heroes like Venom, Magneto and Juggy.

Mr. B,

Now that a portion of the raids and the Omega system has been implemented, what are some other "Big" features your team is planning? (Outside of future raids)

We have a bunch of plans for this month. The next pretty big feature is Achievements coming later this month (hopefully. on track atm). The next really big thing will be story focused.

With the gift of hindsight and a time machine, what would you have done differently in Flagship Studios with Hellgate: London? Do you think it had the potential to be something much greater?

I would have done many things differently, but hindsight is 20/20. We try to learn from mistakes and do better in the future.

I really wish we could have continued Hellgate. I thought it had amazing potential.

Hello David. Huge fan of your game, just reached 1100 hours played on Steam the other day. I still lament the terrible launch reviews though (The Metacritic right on the Steam Store page for example). Do you think that we will get any larger sites re-reviewing the game with the recent rebrand to Marvel Heroes 2015?

We will have new reviews coming soon!

What is your personal favorite game mechanic you have made or though of ? and what is one you would personally like there to be in Marvel Heroes ?

Skills/Power-trees

They first appeared in D2. I thought of them in the shower one morning after playing Master of Orion for the zillionth time.

A lot of my favorite systems are now in MH. There are still a few things from other genres that I would like to put in MH, but I won't get specific right now.

Hey there, Mr. Brevik. I gotta say I really like the way you and your team picked to launch new playable heroes, so that, when possible, they can match their comic books. We recently saw that happen with Nightcrawler, Moon Knight and the upcoming Silver Surfer. Do you believe there will be a time when the game content will match major events from comics?

And how do you like the "One Shot Terminals" idea? I think it opens a great bunch of possibilities so that we can maybe revisit famous stories from the comics.

Cheers

We are working on some plans to do direct tie-ins with comics soon. I can't talk about it, but it's going to be awesome!

I love the one-shot terminals. You state the exact reason I am so excited about it.

If you could be any superhero from the Marvel universe, who would it be?

A sane version of the Sentry?

I think Mystique's powers would be incredible. I bet you would learn a lot about human nature.

Nightcrawler's ability to teleport would sure be handy. I hate commuting!

What's going on with the Mac Open Beta for Marvel Heroes? It was supposed to drop on Wednesday, but there's been no communication about it. Not even on social media like Twitter and Facebook.

Yes. Sorry. We hoped it would be ready, but has had some last minute technical issues. We are working on getting it up as fast as possible.

You guys over at Gaz have been making great strides in the ARPG genre, and in technical aspects of your own engine. I loved the added tech that came along with Ghost Rider and vehicle based movement powers/attacks. Are there any technical hurdles you guys are currently working towards overcoming?

I am really excited about the raids, how difficult is it coming up with engaging boss mechanics in the ARPG format?

The biggest tech hurdles we have been working on lately have been around the Mac version. Trying to get that to run at a superb framerate has been a challenge. Mac uses OpenGL and OpenGL is not very fast because it has to be compatible with any 3d device. "Hey - I'm a toaster that runs OpenGL". That means it can't be as streamlined as DirectX which makes Mac game performance more difficult. We have been working hard on it and made really good strides. We will continue to work on it until we are satisfied.

The good news is that the progress we make on it running well on the Mac has also had an impact on making it run even better on the PC.

As for your second question, I would say that we had to think about raids a bit differently, but that is the fun! Designers love twisting ideas on their head and making it work.

How's progress on the mac open beta? any idea for a release time? I play it on my friends computer all the time, I can't wait to play on my own computer.

I don't have any news besides it could be hours away. I'm still hoping for today, but it may take until early next week. I'm just as ready as you are, believe me!

Any plans to make the omega orbs more noticeable when they drop, and can you please allow medkits to be picked up when you walk over them?

PS: I had like 1600 hours played in D3, and quit playing once I installed Marvel Heroes. Such a great game, and I'm proud to be part of a community that has such an awesome development team to support it.

Yes -- the omega orbs will get more indicators, etc.

As for medkits, I don't think we have plans for this, but it does make some sense. I will think about it.

And thanks!

Would you rather fight 1000 duck-sized horses, or one horse-sized Jeff "Doomsaw" Donais?

Doomsaw is horse-sized, so Doomsaw. It's on!

Hey David, wanted to say congrats to you and everyone at Gazillion on the launch of Marvel Heroes 2015, I've dropped a total of 20 hours since the patch!

Anyways my question is simple, with the Achievement system launching very soon can you guys please link the story quest rewards like power points, + spirit, etc to the achievements? I enjoy playing every hero but I'm kinda bored of having to do those reward quest with every single hero separately.

Thanks! Wow.. 20 hours!

There are plans to do what you are saying to some degree. We will have rewards that will give you an alternate thing to do instead of Legendary Quests. We will also be adding, updating and expanding LQs.

There will also be rewards on Achievements that are special just to them.

Mr.Brevik ; Any Collaboration With SUPER HERO SQUAD ONLINE game team for any features or special game codes or anything as same GAZILLION soceity ?

We have never tried a cross-promotion with Squad. It's a good idea!

Hey David, Quick question. When will we see Bucky Barnes as a possible team up character to play with, seeing as there a bunch of us who love Golden age Bucky and the invaders? Also, are there plans to introduce Bucky Cap as a skin for Captain America?

I would love to see this!

I would say that skin is quite likely in the future.

Wasp team up is good, but fully playable Wasp for 2015?

I would love this!

We don't have our 2015 list solidified yet.

Any plans on changing the retcon system ? :)

no plans at this time

Can we get them to drop again then ? Or at a cheaper price (less splinters ? cube shards ?) With the new patch there are a lot of new builds we can try.

We will look into the drop rate. I have heard this a few times from a few people.

do you think time is linear or cyclical?

both

Is there any chance of a rework for the Relic system? As it stands, either you permanently devote thirteen inventory slots to carrying around all the stacks in your base inventory, or else you're in for a constant nuisance transferring them to wherever you are storing them. There are a number of stats it might be fun to see added, but it's just not possible with the current setup.

This was one of the reasons we put in 2 extra lines into the inventory a few months ago.

There are no plans to change the system right now, but I will think about it. Maybe there is a good solution for everyone.

Can we expect to see a Marvel Heroes 2016 next year? also i have to say I tried the game at launch and left with a bad taste in my mouth, but i'm really glad I decided to try it again its a total 180 and Ive already been scrambling for my wallet. The team is doing a great job keep doing what your doing! :)

MH2016 -- yes

Thank you so much for your support! That is very nice of you.

I'm glad you gave it another try and you are enjoying it!

What's your favorite part of working with the Marvel stable of heroes? (Also X-23 soon please!)

My favorite part has been seeing the heroes I know and love come to life in an ARPG. It's quite fun!

I agree on X-23. I would love to see her.

Greetings, Mr. Brevik. Considering we're still in the middle of the anniversary celebration, once all the events wind down, can we players expect some dev time to be devoted to quality-of-life improvements on heroes that sorely need them?

We just did a round of quality-of-life improvements this last patch. Is there someone in particular that you feel needs one?

Hey David, any chance you can reveal an unannounced character on the to do list? :D

nope :/

Will we ever be able to purchase items from the webstore using G's?

We have talked about this yes, but no plans at this time.

Hi Mr B. I just love Marvel Heroes and can't wait to see it get even better. Here are my questions:

1- Aside MH, are you planning to work on another project, an offline game maybe? (no I don't think you should stop working MH, just curious about Gaz future)

2- Do you still put the same love in MH for loners and for party players or does the recent raid addition mean that grouping/supergrouping is now mandatory?

3- Any ETA on Gazillion HQ moving to a volcano island so that you can evil laugh around looking at your employees shouting "HAIL HYDRA" during braimstorming sessions?

4- We know you are a RR addict, now the tricky part: which hero do you hate/dislike the most? And which is your most anticipated?

Thanks for reading/answering if you do. Keep up the good work. HAIL GAZHYDRA! ^{^}

1) We are focused on MH and SHSO 2) Raids will not be the only new content. We just added a one-shot terminal and will continue to make content for all types of play. This is our first supergroup focused content, but we won't give up on the many play-styles our game offers. 3) There wasn't a plan until you just typed this. Now I'm thinking about moving next week. 4) I don't like Hawkeye very much. I just don't like his style of play. I like the character a lot, but he plays similar to the Bow-Amazon from D2 and it's just not for me.

David, is it a requirement that many of the NPCs say "Didn't see it coming?" And do you think Daredevil becomes sad when he hears them say it?

Edit: And also, any chance of a Kaine Costume/character ever?

lol

We might put Kaine in someday.

1.What are your number one plans for the future of Gazillion, mainly in future games/etc?

2.Realistically, how many heroes do you think you will have in Marvel Heroes?

3.Who are you most excited for in the upcoming lineup of this year in Marvel Heroes?

4.When can we see the mythical fridge?

1) We are focused on MH and SHSO 2) Many hundreds 3) Star-Lord, probably. 4) I will try and take a picture and post it on the forums!

Is there any plan to add a raid chat?

You mean a channel? I think we have /raid. If you mean voice. No plans.

Greetings Mr. Brevik!

If Gazillion were to magically disappear from existence and you had to go find another job. What could you see yourself doing? Starting up another game company? Going to work for another one(which one?)? Working outside the gaming industry with us mere mortals?

I would only make games. What I would do? I don't know. Probably start another game company.

Any events or heroes tied to Guardians of the Galaxy Movie in August? Possibly Gamora or Drax?

I think we can all imagine GotG tie-ins ;)

Hey Mr. B give it to me straight. Any chance of adding Doorman?

There are 8000+ characters in the Marvel Universe. Maybe we will get to them all someday ;)

He isn't on the list for the near future, but maybe someday.

Hey David! Had the chance to interview last year for Pure|News! I loved doing it and would love to do it again.

But I got some personal questions as I've been playing ever since reviewing the game.

1 - Can you give any details about the upcoming War Machine playable hero?

2 - What's your thoughts on how the game is doing so far?

3 - Can we get high level content like terminals but for those who are casual or want to just do single player end content stuff?

4 - Could you make pre sale packs bought via in game store?

5 - Can we get some new suits from Iron Man 3, like Silver Centurion Remake? Oh and fix Hawkeye Avengers costume hair if you can please :(

Thanks a lot!

1) hehe good one. I can neither confirm nor deny War Machine 2) The game is doing well. We have doubled our DAU in the last 6 months and the game is much better than it was a year ago. 3) We will have lots of stuff like that. This was one of the reasons we started the one-shots. 4) Good suggestion 5) Iron Man has a lot of costumes, but that is a good suggestion. I didn't know Hawkeye had broken hair. I will look into it.

how do you balance having a great "free" game while still having a viable revenue maker as well? Do you see this as a viable structure for the future of gaming? What are some of the biggest hurdles a company would face when going this route?

Looking forward to Archangel joining the roster...

The key is making a great game. Make a great game, get in the players and the rest magically happens. It has been proven for years and years that it is a viable business model, from Asia to social games to mobile.

How do you think raids stand right now in terms of difficulty? Do you think the current difficulty is meant for green raids, or are they better suited as the red raids?

Green -- there are a lot of upgrades coming soon to help with the difficulty. People will be gaining omega points and there will be new gear to help too.

Hi David,

What are you guys in Gazzilion planning next after Marvel Heroes? Also what kind game would you like to do most exept ARPG ?

We are focused on making MH the best it can be.

I don't know what other kind of game I would do. Maybe strategy, but I love ARPGs and plan to stick with them for a while.