Diablo creator's next act

Hi all, this is Zheping in Hong Kong. We’re taking a step back from an insanely busy news cycle to mindlessly slay some demons. But first... [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi all, this is Zheping in Hong Kong. We’re taking a step back from an insanely busy news cycle to mindlessly slay some demons. But first... Today’s must-reads: • The FBI is [“extremely concerned” about TikTok]( • Economists say [tech is an outlier]( in the robust labor market • SpaceX could be [valued at $150 billion]( Brevik’s revenge Two decades ago, David Brevik helped create the seminal computer game Diablo II, which defined a genre of action role-playing games. Now, the legendary developer has partnered with a Chinese outfit to compete against his former employer Activision Blizzard Inc. Torchlight: Infinite, the latest entry of another popular dungeon-crawler franchise, introduced an open beta last month on mobile and PC. Its developer, Shanghai-based XD Inc., hired Brevik as a consulting producer to give feedback and interact with the Western gamer community. The game seems to be off to a strong start, surpassing 6 million downloads across platforms since debuting on Oct. 12, according to a person with knowledge of the performance who asked not to be named discussing private information. I recently interviewed Brevik, who explained why he’s working for a Chinese rival. We talked about microtransactions in mobile games, Chinese developers going global and his interaction with Diablo co-creators Max and Eric Schaefer, among other topics. I asked Brevik to rate Infinite on a scale from 1 to 10, and he gave it an 8 or 9. (You can [read the Q&A here](.) There’s a sudden resurgence of Diablo-like mobile games of late. In June, Blizzard and its Chinese partner NetEase Inc. [launched]( Diablo Immortal, which has since attracted more than $300 million in player spending via Apple’s App Store and Google Play, according to data tracker SensorTower. Infinite’s release date coincided with a South Korean action RPG titled Undecember, featuring many of the same themes. Much criticism of these games surrounds their pay-to-win elements. Which, alas, seem to be growing into an essential part of making money on mobile. Unlike Blizzard’s Diablo II and other PC hits of yore — which made money directly from sales of the games — the “freemium” model is king in the mobile arena. Game makers put up no barriers for entry, making their games free to download but then charge for add-on services or features, most of which are necessary to progress. Despite its commercial success, Immortal earned negative reviews from players because its end-game progression costs too much — [$110,000, by one count](. XD, the maker of Infinite, has apparently taken note of this. The company made a few tweaks to its in-game store during earlier tests to lighten the sense of having to pay to enjoy it. For example, you can now buy the exact heroes you want, whereas previously the only option was a lottery. The auto-looting function, which makes accumulating in-game assets easier, is no longer a paid add-on; it’s available to all. Still, it’s hard to find where the line should be drawn. Some Infinite players still complain about the lottery system for pets — virtual minions that boost your stats or grant benefits like loot and experience points. Of course, the chances of getting the most powerful pet are incredibly low. “Everybody’s definition of pay to win is different, right?” Brevik told me. “Some people feel like they should be given everything for free.” For any developer, navigating the expectations of different global audiences is a challenge: It’s East versus West, PC versus mobile and free-to-play players versus the “whales” who spend big money. Perhaps these Diablo-likes will go down as a good case study for how executives can differentiate their games by configuring the most user-friendly business model. For me, I’ve been enjoying my rare moments away from a busy period of tech news, playing as a staff-wielding mage in Infinite — freezing and shattering all the monsters with frost bolts and blizzards — without cracking open my wallet. —[Zheping Huang](mailto:zhuang245@bloomberg.net) Today in Twitter Twitter v. Elon Musk is officially over after a judge in Delaware [dismissed the trial](. The EU privacy watchdog said it’s “closely” monitoring Twitter after a string of executive departures [including the data-protection chief](. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she sees “no basis” to investigate Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Get fully charged Amazon introduced a health-care service that will link patients with doctors. Called Amazon Clinic, it will be [available in 32 states to start](. Shareholders of India’s Paytm will be able to sell stock as a lockup period expires, potentially [amplifying pressure on the company](. Broadcom is seeking EU approval for its $61 billion [takeover of the software maker VMware](. Meanwhile, US chip stocks are rallying, but [that may not go on for much longer](. Meta lost more senior executives in India, including the [head of WhatsApp in the country](. An investor in Alphabet said the company has [too many employees](. Elon Musk’s management style is “obviously a bit unconventional,” said Andrea Lamari, a general partner at Manhattan Venture Partners, in a TV interview on Bloomberg Technology, “but overall, [we do know it’s effective](.” The Dawn of Pay Transparency: In the US, New York City is helping lead the way into a less opaque world of work. A new law requires companies to post pay ranges on job ads, but how is it really playing out? Bloomberg wants to hear from you on how access to more salary data is changing the way people get paid. If you’ve applied for a new job in New York or work at a company that’s posting pay, [take our survey here](. And for stories about the future of work everywhere, [sign up for our Work Shift newsletter](, delivered every Tuesday. Follow Us More from Bloomberg Dig gadgets or video games? [Sign up for Power On]( to get Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more in your inbox on Sundays. [Sign up for Game On]( to go deep inside the video game business, delivered on Fridays. Why not try both? Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights.​​​​​​​ You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Tech Daily newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](