Former Blizzard Leaders Start Magic Soup Games Studio

[Stoy]

Former Blizzard Leaders Start Magic Soup Games Studio
Venturebeat has sat down with J. Allen Brack, Jen Oneal, and John Donham to discuss their new gaming studio, Magic Soup Games.

• Jen Oneal has continued to help women in the industry since leaving Blizzard. The hardest part for her was leaving the people.
• J. Allen Brack realized that he and Activision Blizzard shared different visions for the studio, but 16 years at the company made it extremely difficult to leave.
• JAB still believes Blizzard can re-emerge as a haven for creatives with a positive culture for all employees.
• The three wanted to create the company that they all wanted together instead of going to different major studios.
• Magic Soup is a small team focused on making the best game possible.
• There are currently five "Chefs" working fully remotely across the United States. They plan to grow the team slowly.
• The company is fully remote to have the broadest acces to talent and give employees flexibility.
• Jen is the official CEO of Magic Soup and the decision was unanimous. John is running operations while JAB is leading development.
• The three hope to make massive triple-A games that have positive themes.
• JAB and Jen had dinner a year ago and each proposed their game idea, which ended up being essentially the same game.
• It is important to Magic Soup to have diverse developers who can authentically represent different backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives.
• The three want to make games more welcoming by putting in mechanisms that reward positive behaviors and eradicate toxicity.
• The World of Warcraft team has the highest percentage of women team members across any development teams at Blizzard.
• It is too early to discuss the details of the first Magic Soup game. What they are working on doesn't fit into any existing genre today.
• The three hope their games bring out the best in people.
• As an industry, John things studios need to focus more on DE&I, mental health, and player toxicity.

[Hotmail]

You think you want Magic Soup but you don't.

[azuraji]

Hope they didn't take a bunch of loans from SVB...

[Linkedblade]

John thinks studios need to focus more on DE&I

Dead on arrival.

[Kralljin]

I know the post will be derailed given what they focus on, but whatever.

I get why Brack and Oneal are focusing on these things, given the fact that one lost his position at Blizzard due to scandals and the other resigned over them (basically), but at the end of the day, i'm not going to bother playing a game that encourages me to be nice when it's not fun.

And frankly, a game being fun isn't a given, especially as developers seem to be more keen on exploiting human psychology and various MTX models to maximize revenue, which is unfortunately an aspect that is absent from this interview.

So yeah, focus in this interview seems very much placed on the developer end, rather than customer interests.
Which is unfortunate, given that Brack has gained infamy for being rather tone deaf towards customers.

[hzjf]

The World of Warcraft team has the highest percentage of women team members across any development teams at Blizzard.


explains a lot why things are the way they are

[Fitsu]

"The World of Warcraft team has the highest percentage of women team members across any development teams at Blizzard." This read like "Yeah, but I have a friend whos black so that makes it ok" lol.

[exsanguinate]

Good to know which games I wont play

[erifwodahs]

The World of Warcraft team has the highest percentage of women team members across any development teams at Blizzard.


explains a lot why things are the way they are

You mean great? DF is a blast.

[Cucumberer]

The World of Warcraft team has the highest percentage of women team members across any development teams at Blizzard.


explains a lot why things are the way they are

I wonder what causes incels to out themselves like this every time?

[ZazuuPriest]

"The three hope to make massive triple-A games that have positive themes."

This translates to including token lesbians and poc in mostly inconsequential roles,. hamfisting references to sexuality where it has no impact on the story, and always (always) having the main villain be a white male.

This "studio" will never produce anything. No one that has left blizzard has ever produced anything of value at another studio

[ldev]

Mission statement: no woman unharassed!

"The three hope to make massive triple-A games that have positive themes."

This translates to including token lesbians and poc in mostly inconsequential roles,. hamfisting references to sexuality where it has no impact on the story, and always (always) having the main villain be a white male.

This "studio" will never produce anything. No one that has left blizzard has ever produced anything of value at another studio

Hamfisting references to sexuality under "if (build.isChina == false)"

[Nightsight]

Lmao, DiVerSIty, CUltuRe, WoMEn, POsiTiviTY.
Just make a good fucking game jesus christ it's not so fucking hard, you don't have to force this retarded narrative.

[hzjf]

I wonder what causes incels to out themselves like this every time?

i wonder what causes you to defend the shit that wow has been in the last years ?

- - - Updated - - -

You mean great? DF is a blast.

and what was before how did SL do ?

[mst3kfan]

Hey now. Once they check all their non-important diversity boxes maybe they will just hire the most competent person(s) for the job.

[Linkedblade]

I know the post will be derailed given what they focus on, but whatever.

I get why Brack and Oneal are focusing on these things, given the fact that one lost his position at Blizzard due to scandals and the other resigned over them (basically), but at the end of the day, i'm not going to bother playing a game that encourages me to be nice when it's not fun.

And frankly, a game being fun isn't a given, especially as developers seem to be more keen on exploiting human psychology and various MTX models to maximize revenue, which is unfortunately an aspect that is absent from this interview.

So yeah, focus in this interview seems very much placed on the developer end, rather than customer interests.
Which is unfortunate, given that Brack has gained infamy for being rather tone deaf towards customers.

I guess they were leaving toward "ending toxicity." In Overwatch the only real way to be toxic is talking in chat, griefing, or skill diff. If the game is multiplayer there will always be skill diff or griefing. But how do you add a way for people to communicate without being rude or offensive? Especially when most people use voice comms that aren't connected to the game anyway.

[Gorsameth]

new studio, wants to make AAA titles.

Yeah, GL with that...

[Indigenously Abled]

Aren't these some of the heads that were chopped after the rampant lechery at ActiBlizz was exposed? JAB dropped the "Patron Saint Gloria Steinem" laugh riot and Jen Oneal vigorously denied the allegations.

[Makabreska]

"J. Allen Brack realized that he and Activision Blizzard shared different visions for the studio, but 16 years at the company made it extremely difficult to leave."

Suuuuure bud. You really wanted to leave, you thought tooth and nail against being made a president and you stayed until made into a scapegoat during abuse scandal.

What a load of shit. Oh well, yet another ex-Blizzards who want to go on their own, but I doubt there is any player sympathy/expectations in this case.

[Skirdus]

"i'm at SOUP"