Theory: Activision is prepping Blizzard to be sold out to Disney.

[facelesssoul]

Now before you think this a troll thread about the recent changes hang in there for a minute and read some facts.

• Blizzard HQ is like 15 minutes drive from Disneyland and not that far from Burbank where the Disney HQ resides. PROXIMITY
• A lot of the art-style of Hearthstone is turning Disney-like and Overwatch is almost a Disney ripoff. COMPATIBILITY
• There is a focus to keep things family friendly and as politically correct (by California standards) as possible to smooth out any hesitancy for outside investors. POLISH
• The reaction to the lawsuit was to sacrifice ANY and ALL scapegoats regardless of investigation results and purging any record pf their existence. SELLABILITY
• Pushing out almost all the old-guard from Blizzard to reduce any resistance to the acquisition. PLIABILITY
• Appeasing China. CHINA

I've had that nagging thought since I watched the first Overwatch cinematics and the art and animation style were very close to Disney, but I dismissed it as just a outsized influence of Disney on artists due to the very close proximity. But the more big-name talents left Blizz and the game was slowly turning into a Monthly Active User hamster-wheel for fans, long term outlook was starting to look fuzzy. So it hit me, Blizzard is being propped up to transition from a cash cow to a cash grab. And corporate are doing the seductive mating dance just for Disney's eyes. The Art, the Movie, the investor friendly but customer unfriendly decisions, the double-speak.. it kinda fits, doesn't it? And Blizzard is no stranger to being handed from one big corporation to another.

I bet the plan was around the time they stopped sharing sub-numbers because of "the cyclical nature" of wow subs.

I am sure there are much smarter and more importantly, patient people who can dig more concrete evidence to prove -or disprove- this theory. But I believe that it won't be so long now that Blizzard would be up for sale so the Bobby will keep seeing Activation in the sweet sweet green.

[Asrialol]

This thread isn't going to turn out great me thinks.

Just because Blizzard and their games could fit Disney, doesn't mean that it's something that's plausible. None of the things you've mentioned is in any way an indication that there is something "going on" here.

[Runicblood]

inb4 warcraft land and starcraft land installations at disneyland

[Soon-TM]

With the way the story is being handled in WoW, I would have thought that Blizzard would end up being sold to Marvel or something like that

[Azadina]

Can you give a little run of the thought process of how selling blizzard to Disney would appease China?

Because I got nothing.

[Yarathir]

I struggle to care what happens to Blizzard at this point.

All I can see happening to them is that they become a full on mobile gaming company.

[loras]

China. Chaina. Chainah! CHAINAHH!

Achem.

Proximity barely means anything at this scale of business.
Compatibility is a fair point.
Polish is... effectively the word is irrelevant to what you're argueing, as polish in the context of Blizzard games has always meant properly finished, relatively smooth and flawlessly operating products. Whereas here you're trying to make it seem like it means the common sort of political correctness that now infests all American companies.
Sellability as you describe it has always been an aspect of American crony capitalism, some companies just avoid screwing up this badly for a long enough time to seem different.
Pliability is a fair enough point, though given the self destruction of own valueables it seems unlikely that this was part of any intentional strategy.
China. China! CHINA! CHINAAAAAAAA!!!

[MrLachyG]

Can you give a little run of the thought process of how selling blizzard to Disney would appease China?

Because I got nothing.

if I had to rank the thought process that went into OP's post I would say it would be about an 11 on a scale of 1 to 100. because if anyone really gave it some thought then this thread wouldn't exist in the first place

[Fabled]

With the way the story is being handled in WoW, I would have thought that Blizzard would end up being sold to Marvel or something like that

Um..do you know who owns Marvel? >.>

That said, wouldn't surprise me if Disney did buy them out, but with everything going on right now, I doubt they want anything to do with them.

[Askyl]

Oh man, I can't wait for:

World of Warcraft, Multiverse of Madness!
Fighting side by side with our favorite super heroes!

[shadowmatrix]

Now before you think this a troll thread about the recent changes hang in there for a minute and read some facts.

• Blizzard HQ is like 15 minutes drive from Disneyland and not that far from Burbank where the Disney HQ resides. PROXIMITY
• A lot of the art-style of Hearthstone is turning Disney-like and Overwatch is almost a Disney ripoff. COMPATIBILITY
• There is a focus to keep things family friendly and as politically correct (by California standards) as possible to smooth out any hesitancy for outside investors. POLISH
• The reaction to the lawsuit was to sacrifice ANY and ALL scapegoats regardless of investigation results and purging any record pf their existence. SELLABILITY
• Pushing out almost all the old-guard from Blizzard to reduce any resistance to the acquisition. PLIABILITY
• Appeasing China. CHINA

1. Welcome to California.
2. The art style ages far better then realistic graphics, compare FF 6 to FF 7.
3. Family friendly equals more money which is why they all do it.
4. Standard playbook that has been used for centuries.
5. Some got fired while others decided they wanted to do others things without the Blizzard name placing unreasonable pressure on them.

6. What business tries to please China, Chinese companies can't even please China some days. They hand control of the Chinese offices to a Chinese group so they don't have to deal with a cranky government every other month.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Franchises/IP the size of WoW only get sold when the current owner is a private person and wants to cash in (star wars, minecraft) or the company is in dire straits (how sony got hold of spiderman). AB is nowhere near the point where they would have to sell an IP like Warcraft, as the themselves can easily milk the franchise for alot more.

[vizzle]

I am sure there are much smarter and more importantly, patient people who can dig more concrete evidence to prove -or disprove- this theory.

There are many smarter people but the problem is smart people aren't going to waste their time digging into nonsense like this. Go outside pls.

[Drynix]

inb4 warcraft land and starcraft land installations at disneyland

I would give far more than I should be willing to in order to get a starcraft land. A space themed park with protoss and zerg? Yes please. They can even have a cantina like the hyperion bar and raynor's bar for food/drinks. I would go there in a heartbeat. Disney best buy blizz now!

[Th3Scourge]

I literally wouldn't care if Blizzard folded tomorrow. In fact, I encourage it. Old Blizzard of the 90's and 2000's is gone, nothing in the company resembles the good old days

[Raelbo]

I am sure there are much smarter and more importantly, patient people who can dig more concrete evidence to prove -or disprove- this theory.

The thing about conspiracy theories is that trying to disprove them is incredibly difficult because they are built on the fallacy that a lack of evidence means something.

[Dazmalak]

As far as I'm concerned they're already run by Disney. Maybe not in name, but definitely in spirit.

[paxen]

I would give far more than I should be willing to in order to get a starcraft land. A space themed park with protoss and zerg? Yes please. They can even have a cantina like the hyperion bar and raynor's bar for food/drinks. I would go there in a heartbeat. Disney best buy blizz now!

It would be called the Pylon Terrace, and they'd sell you Death Wings and Murloc-icles

[Falkeshall]

Bit early to be on the cooking sherry isn't it, OP?

[rrayy]

Now before you think this a troll thread

When one starts with this, it is an announcement of what it actually is.