Hi Bagstone - thank you very much for that informative post!
By the time of RoS, I was long gone, so I had no idea of the effect it had on the D3 experience or DFans userbase! That's very interesting.
It's sad to hear that Blizzard has changed so much - I wonder if this is, in large part, due to the merger/acquisiton with Activision? (I haven't been paying close attention for years, so I'm not all caught up).
Perhaps Diablo 4, if it's able to deliver on what it seems to be promising, will lead to a resurgence. Perhaps if the upcoming Netflix series is revealed, that could lead to some additional activity as well.
Ultimately, Reddit is such a powerhouse, I'm not surprised a lot of the fanbase has moved there. In my experience, Reddit has largely replaced the forum-based communities that once made up such a large part of the internet (from early 2000's through ~ 2010ish, at least for me).
This is too bad, though, because I think Reddit simply doesn't have the same intimate community feel that a more specific website/forum (such as DFans) can provide. This is something I find lacking in the Reddit experience for me - though I know some do get more connected. I think this is largely due to the site being so "like" driven (so only top content really gets viewed by the majority of users, who don't sort by "new").
I'd love to see some more discussion and community posts here, as it does seem that most of the remaining activity is very build-oriented (which is great, but only one piece of the greater picture).
Thanks again for all the information and opinion - and for the welcome!
EDIT: For what it's worth - I was able to 'resurrect' my account by sending a message to the forum's support email (support@diablofans.com) and asking for it to be connected to my Twitch account. It took a few weeks, but it allowed me to re-accedd my old account, even though I had never 'consented' to the account being carried over... I wonder if this is true for other old members as well?
Very interesting. This site has a fascinating 'behind the scenes' history.
Originally Diablo3.com was owned and managed by Mockery who, if I recall correctly, was based out of Quebec (maybe Ontario?). Umaro was aother primary admin for the site with him at the time (who was a bit more 'active' in the day-to-day running of the site).
Blizzard contacted Mockery about purchasing the Diablo3.com domain name in anticipation of the game announcement, but Mockery (I think, quite cleverly) opted instead to 'donate' the domain name to them in exchange for promotion - specifically, listing the new site (DiabloFans.com) on the official Diablo III website. When the game was announced, this led to a huge surge in users (IIRC from about 10,000 to 30,000 - practically over night). It was just before this 're-brand' that Umaro asked me onto the team to help with the graphical elements (e.g. new logo & banner, forum re-skin, etc).
Not long after, it was announced that Mockery was moving on from the site and selling to the Curse gaming network (I believe around 2010-2012). At first, the site experienced a lot of growth during this period as anticipation for Diablo III grew - however, I believe shortly after the game was released, the site's activity experienced a decline. My guess would be this was for a few reasons. I think the mutual anticipation of the game had held more energy than the actual game itself and, when it was released, I think a lot of the spirit subsided. Many of us were tired of the wait by this point. Additionally, some, like me, were probably disappointed in Diablo III and weren't as motivated to remain active in the community. These factors probably combined to produce a decline in activity.
Curse operated the site as part of its network for some time - before being acquired by Amazon / Twitch in 2016. Then, in 2018 the site (and many of Curse's assets, including DiabloFans.com and other similar sites) were bought by Wikia (aka Fandom). The current owner/operator of DFans is MagicFind - which appears to be a subsidiary of Fandom/Wikia - as their advertising is generated by Fandom (though I haven't actually confirmed that this is the relationship).
I'm guessing that the 'blackout' you've been referring to happened sometime in that 2018-2020 range (does that seem correct?)
ANYWAYS! All this has been very interesting to reflect on and research. I had to dig through some old emails from pre-2010 and do some Googling - which has all been surprisingly enjoyable. Thanks everyone for the nostalgia trip!
Jetrall here - I'm an old timer, but I've been away for some time now and figured I may warrant a re-introduction.
Many years ago, when this site was still Diablo3.com, before the game was announced and Blizzard bought out the domain, I was a Mod here - and, later, an Admin. I was tasked with re-designing the site prior to the Blizzard buyout and the logo I made still sits atop the site today.
I experienced some disappointment with the initial release of Diablo III and that, combined with a general burnout with online gaming and seeking a degree, led me away for a long while.
I was, however, intrigued by the Diablo IV trailer and it got me reminiscing. I figured, if I wanted to stay up to date on the series and see where D4 is heading, it would make sense to come back and keep an eye on the forums & news.
I'm especially interested to know if there are any others, like me, still around from the 'old days' and I'd also love to see how the site and its users have grown and changed over the years. What are the best new things on DiabloFans.com? Who are the users to know?
Also - thanks to Chaud for resurrecting this account for me!
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Hi Bagstone - thank you very much for that informative post!
By the time of RoS, I was long gone, so I had no idea of the effect it had on the D3 experience or DFans userbase! That's very interesting.
It's sad to hear that Blizzard has changed so much - I wonder if this is, in large part, due to the merger/acquisiton with Activision? (I haven't been paying close attention for years, so I'm not all caught up).
Perhaps Diablo 4, if it's able to deliver on what it seems to be promising, will lead to a resurgence. Perhaps if the upcoming Netflix series is revealed, that could lead to some additional activity as well.
Ultimately, Reddit is such a powerhouse, I'm not surprised a lot of the fanbase has moved there. In my experience, Reddit has largely replaced the forum-based communities that once made up such a large part of the internet (from early 2000's through ~ 2010ish, at least for me).
This is too bad, though, because I think Reddit simply doesn't have the same intimate community feel that a more specific website/forum (such as DFans) can provide. This is something I find lacking in the Reddit experience for me - though I know some do get more connected. I think this is largely due to the site being so "like" driven (so only top content really gets viewed by the majority of users, who don't sort by "new").
I'd love to see some more discussion and community posts here, as it does seem that most of the remaining activity is very build-oriented (which is great, but only one piece of the greater picture).
Thanks again for all the information and opinion - and for the welcome!
EDIT: For what it's worth - I was able to 'resurrect' my account by sending a message to the forum's support email (support@diablofans.com) and asking for it to be connected to my Twitch account. It took a few weeks, but it allowed me to re-accedd my old account, even though I had never 'consented' to the account being carried over... I wonder if this is true for other old members as well?
I wonder if there is any plan to revitalise the forums, considering Diablo is still such an active property...
Very interesting. This site has a fascinating 'behind the scenes' history.
Originally Diablo3.com was owned and managed by Mockery who, if I recall correctly, was based out of Quebec (maybe Ontario?). Umaro was aother primary admin for the site with him at the time (who was a bit more 'active' in the day-to-day running of the site).
Blizzard contacted Mockery about purchasing the Diablo3.com domain name in anticipation of the game announcement, but Mockery (I think, quite cleverly) opted instead to 'donate' the domain name to them in exchange for promotion - specifically, listing the new site (DiabloFans.com) on the official Diablo III website. When the game was announced, this led to a huge surge in users (IIRC from about 10,000 to 30,000 - practically over night). It was just before this 're-brand' that Umaro asked me onto the team to help with the graphical elements (e.g. new logo & banner, forum re-skin, etc).
Not long after, it was announced that Mockery was moving on from the site and selling to the Curse gaming network (I believe around 2010-2012). At first, the site experienced a lot of growth during this period as anticipation for Diablo III grew - however, I believe shortly after the game was released, the site's activity experienced a decline. My guess would be this was for a few reasons. I think the mutual anticipation of the game had held more energy than the actual game itself and, when it was released, I think a lot of the spirit subsided. Many of us were tired of the wait by this point. Additionally, some, like me, were probably disappointed in Diablo III and weren't as motivated to remain active in the community. These factors probably combined to produce a decline in activity.
Curse operated the site as part of its network for some time - before being acquired by Amazon / Twitch in 2016. Then, in 2018 the site (and many of Curse's assets, including DiabloFans.com and other similar sites) were bought by Wikia (aka Fandom). The current owner/operator of DFans is MagicFind - which appears to be a subsidiary of Fandom/Wikia - as their advertising is generated by Fandom (though I haven't actually confirmed that this is the relationship).
I'm guessing that the 'blackout' you've been referring to happened sometime in that 2018-2020 range (does that seem correct?)
ANYWAYS! All this has been very interesting to reflect on and research. I had to dig through some old emails from pre-2010 and do some Googling - which has all been surprisingly enjoyable. Thanks everyone for the nostalgia trip!
Hi Rebjorn,
Very nice to see you here! I wasn't aware of all the 'troubles' DFans has gone through - was it a planned shutdown? How long ago did this happen?
I do think the site activity was at an all-time high around the release of D3, and when I 'took off' the forums were booming!
As much as I would love a D2 remake, I am quite certain it will never happen (unless fans take on the project themselves - a risky proposition).
I've seen a bit about PoD, but haven't looked into it very far. Is it strictly for D2? Is it still pretty active? Could be interesting to check out.
Thanks for your message!
Hey, thanks!
Hello all,
Jetrall here - I'm an old timer, but I've been away for some time now and figured I may warrant a re-introduction.
Many years ago, when this site was still Diablo3.com, before the game was announced and Blizzard bought out the domain, I was a Mod here - and, later, an Admin. I was tasked with re-designing the site prior to the Blizzard buyout and the logo I made still sits atop the site today.
I experienced some disappointment with the initial release of Diablo III and that, combined with a general burnout with online gaming and seeking a degree, led me away for a long while.
I was, however, intrigued by the Diablo IV trailer and it got me reminiscing. I figured, if I wanted to stay up to date on the series and see where D4 is heading, it would make sense to come back and keep an eye on the forums & news.
I'm especially interested to know if there are any others, like me, still around from the 'old days' and I'd also love to see how the site and its users have grown and changed over the years. What are the best new things on DiabloFans.com? Who are the users to know?
Also - thanks to Chaud for resurrecting this account for me!