New report reveals concern within Blizzard about Activision relationship

Apparently Activision are dicks. Who wudda guessed!

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-11-22-new-report-reveals-concern-within-blizzard-about-activision-relationship

New report reveals concern within Blizzard about Activision relationship

A new report has revealed growing concern inside Blizzard about its relationship with owner Activision.

A detailed article by Kotaku reveals questions about the way Blizzard, which has traditionally operated separate to Activision, has become more intertwined with its corporate overlord in recent times.

This concern revolves around a new drive to cut costs at Blizzard, according to the report, after Blizzard hired a new chief financial officer who used to work in Activision's finance and investor relations departments. There is also a call for the developer to release more games more regularly following stagnating monthly active users (MUAs) across its titles.

"This is the first year we've heard a priority being cutting costs and trying not to spend as much," said a source within Blizzard.

"It was presented as, 'Don't spend money where it isn't necessary.'"

Blizzard has had a relatively quiet year, with a World of Warcraft expansion and various updates to its existing titles, such as Overwatch and Hearthstone. Announced titles coming down the line include a Warcraft 3 remaster, World of Warcraft classic and mobile title Diablo Immortal.

According to Kotaku, Blizzard is also working on Diablo 4 (following the cancellation of a second expansion for Diablo 3) and a Warcraft take on Pokémon Go.

Diablo Immortal's reveal at BlizzCon 2018 sparked a vociferous backlash, but it sounds like the developers within Blizzard strongly believe in the mobile platform - and clearly there's more to come on that front.

"Blizzard has been and continues to be a developer-driven company," Blizzard said in a statement.

"All of the games we create represent ideas our game developers themselves are passionate about. This is as true for Diablo Immortal as it was for Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, or Overwatch, or any game we've ever made. We believe that the best games to make are ones that our developers believe in."

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Blizzard has for years operated as if it were a separate company to Activision, despite the 2007 merger between the Bobby Kotick-run company and Vivendi's video game business. Blizzard, which is famous for its development mantra, "It'll be ready when it's ready," has a reputation for releasing superb, highly-polished video games that aren't beholden to an annualised release schedule. Activision, on the other hand, releases a new Call of Duty each year.

In recent times, however, Blizzard and Activision have worked closer together. Activision games such as Destiny 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops 4 are now available on Battle.net, and Bungie popped up at BlizzCon to announce Destiny 2 would be free to download for a limited period.

For more on the goings on at Blizzard, check out the Kotaku feature.

People need to remember that Activision is the world’s first 3rd party developer so a massive amount of respect is due in that regard. They’ve had a storied history (what decades old company hasn’t?), but the fact that they’re still here is awe inspiring. You don’t like their CoD model, fine, don’t buy them. But it consistently sells well, has a maaaasive fanbase, and is considered the litmus test for every FPS game that launches afterwards. It’s quality is up there too.

Having said that, I never got the Blizzard/Activision relationship. At first it was supposed to be a publisher only deal, but if Activion is taking a more active role in Blizzard, there’s a problem as Blizzard is supposed to be their own thing seperate from modern gaming.

Why did Blizzard even allow Activision into their space anyway? They were making billions before them and weren’t showing signs of slowing down (at the time of their acquisition). What capital or marketing guidance did they require given their experience and history at the time anyway? New markets? What markets were they missing?

Wait, Activision owns Blizzard? I was under the impression it was a merger not an acquisition with Blizzard retaining its independence.

The downfall of Blizzard due to this. BFA sucks ass. Diablo Immortal sucks ass. WC3 is just a port. Overwatch was their last game it seems.

Shouldn't every developer that's in a relationship with Activision, by this point have concerns about it?

A game series, namely of the newer iterations, with the exploitative practices of that scale selling well isn't something to be commended, it's what should raise alarms. I don't know what's more troubling; the publishers instigating this, or the gamers endorsing it with their wallets.

ActivisionBlizzard is the worst company in gaming

Interesting that Blizzard didn't take opportunity to throw Activision under bus for mobile Diablo idea.

that title belong to EA.

Wonder how the activation touch will effect Sekiro.

Some happy medium between Activision and Blizzard would be nice though. I mean I seriously hate the yearly MT driven CoD crap from Activision but at least they five their fans games to play. All the while me being a Blizzard fan has meant waiting 16 years and counting for a new Warcraft game and in 20 years I’ve only gotten 2 Starcraft games....wtf is that all about? They can’t make a new title but they have time to remaster both Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 1? It’s ridiculous honestly and I’m starting to hate Blizzard which is sad because I’m such a huge fan of their classic game franchises. Oh but wait! We get a Pokemon Go style Warcraft coming out! Yayy!!! Finally after 18 years of waiting we are rewarded with the Warcraft 4 we always dreamed of. Activision/Blizzard are almost at the same level on my shit list as EA is. Almost.

The disgusting truth about most mergers and acquisitions is that they are almost always done to make big profits for less work/talent easier at the expense of some party, whether that be consumers or one of the conpanies. There's always a winner and loser.

Activision - Blizzards relationship to a T > https://youtu.be/elrnAl6ygeM

>Implying Blizzard is not just as bad as Activision

Shifting blame is a horrendous trait.

forgot to include Bungie

Talent is already leaving, even devs are bashing the company to no end. It's a former shell of a company at this point.

Blizzard age is pretty much over.

If only they spended 1% of the money they gained on games for there fans.

@Sevenizz: whatever you say, corporate slave

lol suckers....

They're basically made for each other now. A little late to be concerned.

Gamers need new fresh devs who focus on single player games.

If anything I'm only disappointed that it took Diablo Immortal for people to realize Activision would ruin Blizzard by proxy. Lest we forget, the 3 games immediately after the merger were Starcraft 2 with always online and in-menu ads and a ruined server list, Diablo 3 with always online and a scummy auction house with horrible game balance, and Hearthstone, a f2p card game with lootbox pay to win.

Blizz has been dying a painful death for years.

Activision had a pretty storied past, but that doesnt excuse their current... dismal performance.

And no, CoD hasnt been the litmus test since CoD4. Battlefield is. And now it is Overwatch.

@Maroxad: The problem I have with Activision is described perfectly in the article.

They aren't about creating games anymore, about creating great experiences for the players anymore. They want to make as much profit as possible, while doing the least bit of effort.

At least they have the Spyro and Crash games now, but that's just building on work other people have done before them.

There was a point where Activision made nothing but COD games and Movie tie-in games. It's really the least effort they could do.

Wouldn't worry too much. Even after merger, Blizzard has delivered brilliant stuff consistently. I hope Warcraft 3 Remaster was just a warm up for the new story driven RTS. Would be epic with modern hardware.

How could a company like Blizzard, making literal billions off of World of WarCraft need to "budget" it's spending? This reeks of corporate bean counters stifling the developers for the sake of "maximizing profits".

This also sounds like Valve sadly. It sucks how some of the best PC developers have fallen.

Yup, Blizzard and Valve were once two of the best developers.

Most successful companies that grows to a certain size, eventually succumbs to corporate greed and forsakes the values they once held.

It's just the way of things. They just seem to lose control once you throw enough people and procedure into it. And lord help you if you go publicly traded.

That's not to say that they become 100% evil, it's just hard to maintain your values when you have so much else going on. They just slip away.

This isn't even limited to any particular industry. Just a fact of life. I've seen it happen so many times.

Gotta keep those Activision execs happy and their wallets fat!

This is how all of the Call of Duty devs turned into clone machines with no innovation.

That's what frustrates most fans, they raked billions in profit which people paid to support there franchises just to be spit in there face.

Better thread title:

"New report full of unverified rumors and speculation about Blizzard/Activision relationship"

DoN't YoU gUyS hAvE bEtTeR cEos AnD dEvElOpErS?

Blizzard is already dead. They're last true Blizzard game was Starcraft 2 and their last game was Overwatch. I dont considered Overwatch their true game. It reeks Activision monetization.

Blizzard sold out. They're now hurting. I have no pity for them whatsoever. In fact, I hope things go wrong for them. That way this might show other talented studios to not sell their souls to the devil.

RIP Blizzard. Oh and also, **** you.