April's fooled? Players rubbed the wrong way
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 2nd 2007 at 1:37PM
As you probably figured out on Friday, I love April Fool's Day (yes, I posted the joke on Friday, but it was Phat Loot Phriday, and if I'd posted it yesterday, no one would have fallen for it! Lots of people did, though, and I'm glad everyone liked it so much-- shout out to my good friend Tamzarian on Thunderhorn for coming up with the idea). But even though I love not believing anything I read on April 1st, there is a case to be made that it's getting a little out of hand. Everyone on the Internet is lying through their teeth around this time every year.And some people are a little miffed. While most players enjoyed the CM/poster role-reversal on the forums (which spawned Tseric's now immortal phrase "lol wut?"), not everybody did. A few players say that Blizzard is outright making fun of their customers. Jonas over at MBAzeroth says the same thing: that the CMs are calling players, some of whom have real concerns about their gameplay experience, "trolls." What if, after waiting for twenty minutes in the grocery store line, the cashier made fun of you when you walked up to check out?
Now personally, I think that's a load of hooey. Blizzard is responding to player concerns as best they can, and no one can keep everyone happy all of the time. And even if Blizzard is making fun of their customers, it's an April Fool's Day joke on a videogame forum. Have a sense of humor, guys. As I said yesterday, the best part of the whole "blue for a day" joke wasn't when the CMs made fun of the players, it was when the players made fun of the CMs by parroting their own words back at them.
I won't tell anyone what's funny, though-- if being fooled isn't your thing, you'll just have to turn the computer off next year and come back on April 2nd. And if you think Blizzard is laughing at their customers instead of listening to them, quitting the game is still completely free. Because for some people, April Fool's is serious business.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Blizzard, News items, Humor
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Flit Apr 2nd 2007 1:53PM
I thought they were pretty clever. The funniest part was everyone running Gnome yesterday to get the mats for the Tinfoil Hat.
However, I do think that they really should make the Tinfoil Hat. If you really want to go through the rediculous steps to make it, just so you don't show up in the armory, let em.
Just good luck finding a 375 engineer. :D
AEC Apr 2nd 2007 2:18PM
"Cheer up, Brian! You know what they say.
Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad.
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle,
Don't grumble, give a whistle!
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...
...always look on the bright side of life!
Always look on the bright side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten!
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing,
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps,
Just purse your lips and whistle -- that's the thing!
And... always look on the bright side of life...
Come on!
Always look on the bright side of life...
For life is quite absurd,
And death's the final word.
You must always face the curtain with a bow!
Forget about your sin -- give the audience a grin,
Enjoy it -- it's the last chance anyhow!
So always look on the bright side of death!
Just before you draw your terminal breath.
Life's a piece of sh*t,
When you look at it.
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true,
You'll see it's all a show,
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you!
And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life!"
Derbeste Apr 2nd 2007 2:26PM
They were making fun of the customers? O.o
Oh please!
They were BLATENTLY making fun of THEMSELVES!
Blizzard also showed they don't take themselves to seriously while these idiots take themselves WAAAAAY too seriously.
If anyone took offense, it's probably because they ARE a troll!
Seriously...me thinks thou dost protest too much.
Marlus Apr 2nd 2007 2:34PM
lol wut?
Genius Jones Apr 2nd 2007 2:44PM
Well I doubt that these idiots not appreciating April Fool's Day jokes has anything at all to do with Blizzard or World of Warcraft. Everyone who complains about an April Fool's Joke gets on my RL /ignore list.
Jeff Apr 2nd 2007 2:53PM
How can someone get so worked up over an obvious joke, on a day that is all about jokes, with everyone saying it is a joke in a VIDEO GAME. I play a lot (girlfriend would say WAY to much), but some people seem to have lost touch with the real world.
slagar Apr 2nd 2007 3:07PM
Blizzard is giving Apple some serious competition for the company the has it's fanboys defending everything it does.
The tinfoil joke was offence because it took it's root from customers making a legitimate claim to a privacy, which they previously, being invaded with the Armory site. Blizzard turns around and makes a joke of it. everyone, unless they've drunk a bit much koolade can see there is an underlying jab at those who took offence to the Armory.
it must be hard to come up with an April Fools joke every year but to do it at the expence of paying customers is a bit tactless. maybe their originality is waning, with some repetitave qiests and themes in the Outland and now this questionalbe April Fools joke, it ceratinly seems that way.
tuxthepenguin Apr 2nd 2007 3:19PM
#7: I'm by no means a fanboy, but the whole getting upset over the Tinfoil Hat is plain stupid. I understand it mocked them, but it was mocking them because what they were complaining was STUPID.
Read the EULA and TOS you agree to every time you sign in (and revisions in each patch). You have NO right to privacy from Blizzard. In fact, Blizzard keeps the right to do whatever they wanted. Heck, it even could be stretch to mean they can reduce your level back to 1... because they felt like it.
To all this people complaining:
1. You have no right. You agreed to that the first first time you played.
2. If you don't like that. Quit. Its free!
Bradley Nash Apr 2nd 2007 3:28PM
@8: AMEN!
/bow
Rich Apr 2nd 2007 3:36PM
1-- I want the Tinfoil hat...
2-- How bout that Warcraft- Heroes of Azeroth..... How flippin sweet would that be??
slagar Apr 2nd 2007 3:38PM
"I'm by no means a fanboy, but the whole getting upset over the Tinfoil Hat is plain stupid. I understand it mocked them, but it was mocking them because what they were complaining was STUPID."
it's your opinion that it was stupid and i think you are and anyone else who doesn't have any empathy are pretty low on the human evolutionary scale. i really couldn't care less about the whole Armory or the Tinfoil thing. sure the people might have been overreacting but they have a right to react and they have a right not to be mocked by people who take their money just because a Holiday comes a round once a year.
yes, quitting is free and lot of people do it. i usually quit when i get bored of the game and find something more engaging to do. it's worrysome to me that so many people can be entranced by a game the really does nothing for them, with the exception of breeding contempt over compassion in it's players.
Flit Apr 2nd 2007 3:46PM
"it's worrysome to me that so many people can be entranced by a game the really does nothing for them, "
So, you are worried that people are too serious about something that does nothing for them, but complain that you don't want people to see "your 1337 l00tz/gear?"
I'm confused. "Protect the serious! They play too much, I'm worried about how serious they are, but we must protect them!"
tuxthepenguin Apr 2nd 2007 3:56PM
#11: I wasn't saying that they were stupid (per se), but rather complaining was stupid. They act like they are entitled to something that, if they took the time to read, they would learn their not.
Maybe it comes from being an attorney, but I never agree to something unless I read it. Unless I know it won't hold up in court (liability waivers anyone?).
What makes me more concerned (other than them being mocked) is that these people are that passionate about this. Hello? Want to see my toon? Gopin of Turalyon, lvl 67 troll rogue. I don't really care. People that care so much to feel insulted by the tinfoil hat... step outside. There's another world at there too.
Those are the people who are at the low-end of the human evolutionary ladder. If they were to channel that outrage and dedication to something else, they might actually do some real good in the world.
Tascar Apr 2nd 2007 3:48PM
To some extent, I have to say that I understand why people are annoyed.
It seems to me this year that April Fool's Day has become Blizzard's way of throwing cheap shots at its customers without professional ramifications on the basis that it is April Fool's Day. Almost everything about the April Fool's Day joke involved Blizzard making fun of a situation that is causing genuine concern amongst its player base that they have refused to give any real consideration.
I really don't care about the Armory and in fact I rather enjoy using it. But I'm surprised that when Blizzard has been receiving criticism about the Armory and the privacy issue, that they chose to not answer many reasonable responses and posts and instead deliver a giant middle finger to those people under the guise of April Fool's Day.
The same can be said of their fake Black Temple attunement questline. Blizzard has been blasted on so many levels about their ridiculous linear time-sink grind attunement process and the recent downing of Lady Vashj only to reveal that she only drops four vials has added to the criticism. Thus far I have seen nothing in the way of Blizzard answering anything about all the artificial stumbling blocks thrown in the way that is destroying guilds and hurting raiding. For Blizzard to suddenly throw this joke out there that mocks a geniune issue that is affecting WoW users just seems like a very callous thing to do.
To be honest, with respect to the Tinfoil Hat, it wasn't so much the Armory comments that annoyed me, but the fact that Blizzard has pissed off and angered engineers for so long with the pathetic state of that profession and now they have echoed those sentiments in their joke by having this useless item come from a professional that in its current state is equally useless. I'm not sure all the engineers out there are especially amused with that.
Derbeste Apr 2nd 2007 4:11PM
Hey, Slagar...
It's called April FOOLS day, so here's some advice.
It's better to close your mouth and be thought a fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Rich Apr 2nd 2007 4:11PM
Ohh My God.... how are people seriously upset about these jokes?? If you walked into your bedroom and saw your wife sleeping with your neighbor and they said "APRIL FOOLS!!"... That is a joke I can see getting upset about... but not the stupid shit Bliz did... Yes, If you have complained about the Armory then they were making fun of.. get over it.
And if you looked at the Black Temple attunement chart and cried, You should probably quit the game
And lastly... Lets petition to get Warcraft: Heroes of Azeroth made.... I want that
Mike Schramm Apr 2nd 2007 4:14PM
Just fyi, in case you all are not joking (and I apologize for ruining the joke if you are): the joke about "WHoA" is that it's already made and on store shelves right now. It's called Warcraft III.
Rich Apr 2nd 2007 4:20PM
Damnit you ruined my day....
*runs to Best Buy*
slagar Apr 2nd 2007 4:52PM
no one has a right to complain about something before they understand it? you give no one leeway in their learning process. all WOW players gain the same insight at the same time? give them a frickin break. a year from now the Tin Foil Hat would have been funny to all. they offended some of their clients instead of being patient to pull the joke.
i was not one who complained about the Armory. i believe i said i really don't care about it. i do believe it feeds into the inherent elitism in the game and allows those who feel there is One build or spec to mock someone, which in a game that everyone pays the same price to play, is wrong.
i was defending those who had no voice here. in the future, as it seems WOW players don't take kindly to differing voices, i'll refrain from posting. (talk about not living in reality.)
AEC Apr 2nd 2007 4:55PM
"If you walked into your bedroom and saw your wife sleeping with your neighbor and they said "APRIL FOOLS!!"... That is a joke I can see getting upset about..."
LOL! Only worth getting upset about if they are both wearing tin foil hats and don't have one for you! ;)
wah wah wah!