Should MS outsource WoW to Rob Pardo and Bonfire Studios?

[Kokolums]

I was reading up on Microsoft's history of video game acquisition and I noticed that in at least one case, when they acquired a new title, they turned around and outsourced work on it to ex-devs that had formed their own studio after leaving the old company. WoW is a incredibly complicated game both in terms of design and lore. It would really difficult for Microsoft to step in a directly steward the game going forward.

But Microsoft COULD outsource production to Rob Pardo and Bonfire studios. Bonfire has been around for a few years and has yet to reveal any new projects. It seemed REALLY strange to me that Bonfire has done absolutely nothing yet. But suddenly it might make a TON of sense if Microsoft reached out to Bonfire in the past couple of years and said something like "listen, we are gonna buy Blizzard. When we do, we want to outsource WoW to you guys. So just sit tight and don't work on any projects too hard just yet, mmmmk?"

So what do you think? Should they outsource it to Pardo?

[Mestalis]

At any given time Blizzard has hundreds of employees actively working on WoW daily. MS isn't going to outsource WoW to a new studio, there is already a studio, Blizzard. They may restructure over the course of years, but there's zero chance any team will ever be making WoW other than Blizzard.

[|Dexter|]

Bonfire got money laundry studio written all over it... anyway it will never happen M$ not gonna spend 6something billion to just outsource the studios' huge projects to other teams!

Also for now they not even got the sale approved which will be quite a challenge!

What they could do is the Daybreak thing that spilt all their projects in 3 smaller studios to focus just on that IP like both Everquest titles are now under Darkpaw Games that is a sub studio of Daybreak

[callipygoustp]

Absolutely yes!

[Essem]

Bonfire is just a bunch of rich middle age guys who just wants a place to go to everyday to "work" rather than retire and sit at home all day. I wouldnt expect anything big coming from that end.

[Mojo03]

Bonfire is funded by ten cent.

[Kokolums]

Bonfire is funded by ten cent.

that doesnt mean anything.

[Gaidax]

This shit is so ridiculous it's not even fucking trolling. It's simply just dumb.

Yes, outsource WoW from Blizzard who has hundreds of people working on it for many years to Bon-fucking-fire studios that have grand total 0 titles to show for themselves.

They are 10 years too early to even be considered for anything like that even in theory.

[Toybox]

This shit is so ridiculous it's not even fucking trolling. It's simply just dumb.

Yes, outsource WoW from Blizzard who has hundreds of people working on it for many years to Bon-fucking-fire studios that have grand total 0 titles to show for themselves.

They are 10 years too early to even be considered for anything like that even in theory.

Not to mention he left Blizzard to work on other things in the first place. Putting aside the absolute absurdity of the suggestion, why on earth would he as a creative want to go backwards?

[Darsithis]

That’s not how that typically works. Even if MS ever did bring back ex-developers for a game once in the past, that’s not the same situation here. WoW has hundreds of developers, artists, designers, and managers spread across a dozen teams and years of plans already in place. Microsoft is not going to just cancel all that and hand the game over to someone else.

Parents buy companies to profit from their work and grow. Typically that means letting that part of the business do its thing. I’ve been through two mergers and in both instances, nothing changed beyond the name on my paycheck and occasionally a few processes.

[Kokolums]

That’s not how that typically works. Even if MS ever did bring back ex-developers for a game once in the past, that’s not the same situation here. WoW has hundreds of developers, artists, designers, and managers spread across a dozen teams and years of plans already in place. Microsoft is not going to just cancel all that and hand the game over to someone else.

Parents buy companies to profit from their work and grow. Typically that means letting that part of the business do its thing. I’ve been through two mergers and in both instances, nothing changed beyond the name on my paycheck and occasionally a few processes.

MS has done it in the past with video games they bought.

- - - Updated - - -

Not to mention he left Blizzard to work on other things in the first place. Putting aside the absolute absurdity of the suggestion, why on earth would he as a creative want to go backwards?

Fixing WoW would be a feather in his cap actually. Sort of like Russell T. Davies returning to Doctor Who.

[Sorshen]

Should Samsung outsource their next phone to Apple? Stop making dumb threads.

[Darsithis]

MS has done it in the past with video games they bought.

Fixing WoW would be a feather in his cap actually. Sort of like Russell T. Davies returning to Doctor Who.

It doesn’t matter. Purchasing the rights to a video game is not the same as acquiring an enormous studio. Blizzard is a publicly-traded company with nearly 4500 employees. You don’t just take their projects away and give them to someone else.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Outsource to a studio with absolutely no track record, no thanks.

[XDurionX]

What? Bonfire has released fuck all, they still have to prove their capable of developing worthwhile stuff. You guys really need to stop projeting.

[Fistfighter]

I doubt MS even considered buying Activision before Kotick publicly felt up those girls, tbh

Also, not WoW, but I would see this with other games. Overwatch, Hots, Diablo, HS maybe. But mostly Overwatch, if there is something to still salvage in 2023, then they would propably put it in hands of someone more careful than blizzard.

[TheRevenantHero]

that doesnt mean anything.

Maybe do a google search to inform yourself on why outsourcing to a company funded by them is a bad idea.

[kranur]

You do realize that they get to keep the entire team right? They don't just receive the title with no employees.

All they need to do is fire the lore team and direct it away from neverending systems and microtransactions ... the latter will probably never happen though.

[Segus1992]

I was reading up on Microsoft's history of video game acquisition and I noticed that in at least one case, when they acquired a new title, they turned around and outsourced work on it to ex-devs that had formed their own studio after leaving the old company. WoW is a incredibly complicated game both in terms of design and lore. It would really difficult for Microsoft to step in a directly steward the game going forward.

But Microsoft COULD outsource production to Rob Pardo and Bonfire studios. Bonfire has been around for a few years and has yet to reveal any new projects. It seemed REALLY strange to me that Bonfire has done absolutely nothing yet. But suddenly it might make a TON of sense if Microsoft reached out to Bonfire in the past couple of years and said something like "listen, we are gonna buy Blizzard. When we do, we want to outsource WoW to you guys. So just sit tight and don't work on any projects too hard just yet, mmmmk?"

So what do you think? Should they outsource it to Pardo?

Jesus christ the nostalgia is so strong people literally can't even see reason. This is an absolutely awful idea.

At least the people voting on the poll are more grounded.

[Nzx]

Epic fanfic dude do you post anywhere else? I'd like to read more

It's legitimately comedic at this point the level of delusion about what Microsoft purchasing the company means for the game.