No - Blizzard aren't idiots. They're just reacting to events that they themselves know far more about than most posters here.
They can't balance the game for 2v2. They've tried. And failed. It's simply too difficult a thing for them to do without ruining balance in PvE or in other brackets. For example, healer + X is very powerful in 2v2. But they can't stop it without either heavily nerfing healing output (which would trash PvE) or heavily nerfing healer survivability (which would really hurt healers in larger brackets).
And is it reasonable to offer most of the rewards based on a bracket that isn't remotely balanced?
So Blizzard have given up on 2v2. It's still there for those who want to have fun. But they've effectively turned round and said "Real arena is where the balance is".
It's not just class balance. They are intentionally trying to shift people to the larger arena teams for a very basic and simple technical reason.
You know those "additional instances are unable to be spawned" message that is becoming rampant whenever you attempt to go into a dungeon. Well Arena's are instances. One of the dumbest things they did (which it took them awile to realize) was to allow for the 4 player (2v2) arena instances as it tremendously boosted the instance server load while catering to exactly the same number of simulataneous players.
They did limit the number of 2v2 instances that can be active at once awile back (remember when there were such long 2v2 queues?) But even with that the 2v2's are still sucking down more hardware horsepower then was originally estimated and planned for. And certainly far more server resources then the size of their active user base would normally warrant.
So they want people in the larger team arena's for a few strong reasons. Easier to balance, longer better fights, and better use of finate hardware resouces that are nearing the upper end of their scaleability.
You know what, that and all other similar minor nuisances that crop up when some new feature is introduced makes me think how much better all of that is going to work in the next MMO with all the experience from constant fixing going on in WoW.
Comments
It's not just class balance. They are intentionally trying to shift people to the larger arena teams for a very basic and simple technical reason.
You know those "additional instances are unable to be spawned" message that is becoming rampant whenever you attempt to go into a dungeon. Well Arena's are instances. One of the dumbest things they did (which it took them awile to realize) was to allow for the 4 player (2v2) arena instances as it tremendously boosted the instance server load while catering to exactly the same number of simulataneous players.
They did limit the number of 2v2 instances that can be active at once awile back (remember when there were such long 2v2 queues?) But even with that the 2v2's are still sucking down more hardware horsepower then was originally estimated and planned for. And certainly far more server resources then the size of their active user base would normally warrant.
So they want people in the larger team arena's for a few strong reasons. Easier to balance, longer better fights, and better use of finate hardware resouces that are nearing the upper end of their scaleability.
You know what, that and all other similar minor nuisances that crop up when some new feature is introduced makes me think how much better all of that is going to work in the next MMO with all the experience from constant fixing going on in WoW.
/drool