Discussions about Activision taking over Blizzard

[Dylamoo]

Well you're of course free to believe what you want, but the turn of events during ATVI's forming makes this sort of long-game seem a bit too far fetched. This was back in 2008 after all. If Kotick's plan was to ruin WoW with RNG, it really was Evil Genius 2.0 level plot to start it over a decade ago. Well played Mr, Kotick, in that case. Well played.

I tend to believe that the real reasons are much more mundane than that.

To him it's not ruining a game, but to get people on superficially and removing RPG elements helps profit. It's no coincidence that WoW has become more and more of an RNG casino despite the feedback ALL telling them that we want less RNG. Not sure if you keep up with what's happening to WoW, but many many of the changes made had nothing to do with player feedback but instead were devices implemented to get people to log on more despite it beign an RPG. It's not uncommon practice in the industry to abuse customer loyalty and fandom to sell more of nothing.

[Archmage Alodi]

Not sure which guy you're talking about, but at least he's talking about the game.

Doesn't make their content any worse than yours.
Don't act like they are not informed about the game just because they make content around what's going on in the company as well. You might not be interested in it, many people are. Just compare their likes and views to your own videos.

[Merie]

[SoulSoBreezy]

Your videos dude.

I get it, WoW is your game and you provide content for it, but just because you drink the kool-aid, doesn't mean everyone else should too.

You'll have to help me out on that one - where do I tell people the game is great and that everyone should think the same as I do?

[Martymark]

You don't disappoint Bobby Kotik and last long in this industry.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

People honestly use Activision as a hate sink around here I think.

Blizzard has, let's be honest here, massively mismanaged themselves basically since they split off from Vivendi along with Activision. Ignoring their Financial Department, largely ignoring new IPs in favor of continuing to rely on the fame of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo, and over-investing both money and development resources into esports rather than just plain good games.

BUT, whenever this mismanagement comes around and bites Blizzard in the ass, people rush to claim "no it's not Blizzard's fault, Activision made them do it." Same thing now, Blizzard isn't losing money because most of their games released this decade have either underperformed or are approaching end of life, and certainly not because they invested 10 million dollars in an esports arena, no it's clear the evil dark lord Bobby Kotik is telling them to cut costs so he can siphon off their profit to officially buyout the company.

[Pickynerd]

You'll have to help me out on that one - where do I tell people the game is great and that everyone should think the same as I do?

I am feeling lazy at the moment, watch this video. bbl

[Lazuli]

Blizzard has been ruining WoW and an entire franchise in Diablo for years now, yet suddenly it's all activisions fault... no they just lost touch and stopped being gamer devs. It happens when you make fucking trillions apparently. Now all that matters is statistics, hell if they just played their own games they would KNOW that it is not enjoyable design. This is the most obvious proof that they are completely oblivious.. it isn't activision it's just blizzard devs being retarded and not giving a shit anymore.

[Super Kami Dende]

You can tell things are getting a bit wonky when even someone like Bellular is starting to add fuel to the fire.

[SoulSoBreezy]

Doesn't make their content any worse than yours.
Don't act like they are not informed about the game just because they make content around what's going on in the company as well. You might not be interested in it, many people are. Just compare their likes and views to your own videos.

I agree it's a topic that can't be ignored, but after watching a few of these I see this as writing a (plausible) narrative based on very little information, and don't think that I have anything more to add without being a bandwagoner.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

You can tell things are getting a bit wonky when even someone like Bellular is starting to add fuel to the fire.

Youtubers turning to easy hate clicks isn't even new. And it's certainly not wonky.

It's a year old at this point. He's probably just decided to listen to his analytics panel.

[Khaza-R]

The problems with Blizzard aren't anything new in my opinion and unfortunately it stems from their own success. Game development is no longer about providing an "experience" its about creating a development formula which will generate the most revenue for the least cost. Its obviously why that has put them against odds with their original fanbase, and even any new millennial gamers as well.

It also exacerbates the issue when people are overly nostalgic and remembering old Blizzard titles as being flawless masterpieces.

The reality is that Blizzard is never going to go back to what they were. You either have to learn to accept the change or simply move on and hope there's some new bright-eyed developer out there that embodies what you liked about old Blizzard.

[Super Kami Dende]

Youtubers turning to easy hate clicks isn't even new. And it's certainly not wonky.

It's a year old at this point. He's probably just decided to listen to his analytics panel.

Bellulars video is hardly "hate clicks" though, as he actually gives well thought out reasons on things. People like Preach and heelvsbabyface are the more "hate Click" people

[SoulSoBreezy]

I am feeling lazy at the moment, watch this video. bbl

You know?...yeah there're probably things I said in there that weren't expressed well! There's no use taking the words back or taking that video down, but I still stand by the notion of giving productive feedback without falling in to cynicism.
That's all I have to say about that bit though, I'd rather not derail more than we already have.

[Morae]

I used to play lots of different blizz games. Now I play only wow and just recently quit raiding. I'll be paying for wow subscription as long as it provides me stuff to do.

I dont play any activision games. They have always been shitty. If activision takes over blizz and blizz becomes activision and their products of same quality. I wont be giving them anything.

I would feel sad, though. I have played blizzard games since my childhood. I remember when I played warcraft1. I remember when I played lost vikings and didnt even know what blizzard was back then. Blizzard games have been part of my life for a very very long time. I do not want to see it gone.

[Nargrom]

The second. I'm very careful to split out the difference between ATVI and Blizzard Entertainment. "Blizzard's CFO" is exactly what I meant: the CFO of Blizzard Entertainment.

Then you are wrong. The person appointed to Blizzard Entertainment as CFO and started this cutting cost thing is female and is STILL the CFO of Blizzard Entertainment, the person that was CFO of Activision-Blizzard is a male was fired for unspecified reason and was poached by Netflix, so you can see here why i am confused by what you said earlier

[MoanaLisa]

Then you are wrong. The person appointed to Blizzard Entertainment as CFO and started this cutting cost thing is female and is STILL the CFO of Blizzard Entertainment, the person that was CFO of Activision-Blizzard is a male was fired for unspecified reason and was poached by Netflix, so you can see here why i am confused by what you said earlier

Read better:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-by-square-inc

Payment solutions firm Square Inc has poached Blizzard Entertainment CFO Amrita Ahuja.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/3...nt_company.php

Newsbrief: Blizzard Entertainment’s chief financial officer Amrita Ahuja has departed the company, and the game industry entirely, to join up with the mobile payment company Square as its new CFO.

Ahuja started as Blizzard’s CFO in March of 2018 and, before that, spent 8 years at Activision Blizzard as the VP of strategy and business development, VP of finance and operations, and SVP of investor relations.

It's also been mentioned numerous times in other threads. Thanks for telling me I'm wrong though before checking.

[Marxman]

I'm finding the climate on that side pretty cringey. I'm much happier keeping my comments and criticism focused on the games without bothering/trying to make a connection to the "real" truth.

This is akin to trying to put out a house fire while ignoring the flamethrower inside that started the fire in the first place. Things don't happen for no reason. Finding the reasons can help us determine the best course of action to help Blizzard correct their mistakes.

Or you can bury your head in the sand like Taliesin or Towelliee and pretend like everything is great. I'm sure life is a lot easier that way.

[MoanaLisa]

This is akin to trying to put out a house fire while ignoring the flamethrower inside that started the fire in the first place. Things don't happen for no reason. Finding the reasons can help us determine the best course of action to help Blizzard correct their mistakes.

Or you can bury your head in the sand like Taliesin or Towelliee and pretend like everything is great. I'm sure life is a lot easier that way.

I don't think anyone with a serious opinion is saying that things are great. What the argument really is and has been for a while is this:

1. Activision is evil and making Blizzard do terrible things. Implication being that the games are bad but Blizzard developers are helpless to make them better because of Bobby Kotick and his minions.

OR

2. Blizzard developers have wandered off the path and into the monetization game/pit on their own and that they own the problem. Please stop making excuses for them.

Honestly, I think the latter is true.

[Marxman]

Honestly, I think the latter is true.

I think it's a bit of both. Activision culture creeping in slowly but surely, particularly in cost-cutting and rushing out products (which prior to 2015 was completely out of character for Blizzard). I've also been saying for a while now that completely blaming Activision is a huge mistake, as it absolves the developers themselves from any responsibility. They make the game. Even if Activision is rushing them, even if they have certain criteria they must meet from the higher-ups, they are still the ones designing the systems in the game that have gone downhill so quickly.