Risk
- The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger.
- A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger; a hazard.
- The danger or probability of loss to an insurer.
Yes, that is the definition. In my long spanning career in information technology; I’ve decided risk sometimes is completely unavoidable
Software as a Service, known as SaaS needs to change drastically. Not soon, or a point in the future, today and immediately. What we’re doing is NOT working anymore.
First there are two types of SaaS
- Business to Business, known as B2B and,
- Business to Consumer, known as B2C
The first B2B is currently, currently strong standing and purpose. B2B has a major feedback loop meaning here we see software greatly improve through subscription. If you don’t one of your competitors are and you will quickly lose clients if you don’t.
Then consider regulations and laws driving B2B software, compliance changes means software must change or other companies cannot use it. The real driving force why this model works well is profits. In B2B both are driven by all of the above and profits. This creates demand for updates and changes or loss of revenue occurs. Investors aren’t happen when their investments don’t make more profits annually.
The second, B2C not so much. The business to consumer SaaS has become nothing more than a dead end money pit for consumers. Updates are slow, often breaking and creating massive changes in work you already completed. This falls apart even more with purchasing games and other services.
Microsoft/Blizzard is the shining star today of what we as consumers should NEVER allow. You pay for a license to play a product and yet the company is free to change, modify and even destroy your characters at will.
Blizzard released the Lord of Hatred expansion on the 27th. This release marked the 6th time a release destroyed players eternal characters. The expansion took away things users already paid for in an earlier release. Then locked some of what was taken away behind the paywall of purchase the expansion to get that item back. As for Blizzard, well they want you to shut-up take what they give you or pay them another $40 to get back what you had.
This cannot be branded in any way as an “improvement”.
I play Diablo and have every DCL since version 1 in 1997. I paid for every DLC often in pre-release state and paying the highest level For example.
- Original Diablo 4 purchased $100
- Seasonal content $150
- Vessel of Hatred expansion $99
- Lord of Hatred expansion $99
Times two as my wife plays with me. What was my reward for a dedication to pay $900 for three years
- 6 times full destruction of gear in the eternal realm
- Vessel of Hatred all items before marked legacy
- Vessel of Hatred lost ability to create a specific item without expansion purchase
- Four other times all items marked legacy – Just because they said they made the game better and often times it was reverting back to something they changed previously.
- Lord of Hatred – Complete loss of build defining aspects now moved to a skill tree, so called improvement, locked behind purchase of the expansion. Loss of all highest level gems that take hours of play to find resources and money to remake again. Lost to everyone even those who bought the expansion.
This isn’t any different for any game today. Instant destruction of features on a whim of making things better. You have no choice, option and if they remove something, gone. Find something new.
We need to stop this. Consumers are not endless money pits and you are cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Blizzard is losing players as a result. More are being like me and since this release I now refuse to spend another dime of my money on something they can take away at will. More will follow.
Not only that, but with increasing prices for more profits you really accomplish creating fewer people who can afford your product.
The end is clear whether anyone sees it, wants to hear it or not. You are eating your own and already that is being reflected in your reduction in staff. You ate so much you now have eat your employees lives to survive.