Writing about the developer Blizzard hurts Cortyn by now. What has happened to the company that brings so many hours of joy?
For over 5 years now, I have been writing for Mein-MMO.de and I am largely responsible for the reporting on World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and to some extent Overwatch.
To begin with, it’s important to say that the article is largely based on my personal perception, my feelings, and my assessment of the current situation. I refer to facts or statements from interviews with former Blizzard employees from other sites. However, this will mainly be an emotional text.
If I read under the comments that “Cortyn just hates everything about WoW” or “is fully diving into Blizzard bashing”, it bothers me and makes me sad. From my perspective, I am not entering any “bashing” but rather trying to capture and reflect opinions and sentiments within the community.
I would much rather be writing only news and articles that are entirely positive. I love highlighting small special moments in the community, such as the needy author of the DBM addon, who is now financially stable after a call for help. I enjoy reporting on the various puzzles and how the community has worked together as thousands of players to solve them. I like to write “fluff” articles, like “7 Things You Didn’t Know About WoW” or create a fun Warcraft quiz.
But that is not my job, at least not solely. MeinMMO is not a Blizzard fan page, even if I consider myself a long-time Blizzard fan. It is part of my job to highlight the negative or questionable incidents and to write about them according to our community-oriented approach. If things go downhill, if something fails, or if sentiments on social media are negative, that should be mentioned.
I do not want to ruin anyone’s game. If someone has fun with World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, and all the other titles, then please: Have fun! I did too. But just because part of the players or even I myself am very satisfied with something, it doesn’t mean that it applies to the entire player base. These problems and criticisms must be reported, as they are part of comprehensive reporting.
So, I now come to the elephant that has been in the room for months: What the hell happened to Blizzard?
Blizzard, the untouchable colossus
Over the past nearly 20 years, Blizzard has ridden an almost endless wave of victories. Games released by Blizzard have hit like a bomb.
Every game that the developers brought to market was a great success, praised by players and critics alike. And rightly so.
Even though personally I couldn’t do much with Warcraft 1 and 2, these games were already formative for the genre.
Diablo 1 and 2 were absolute milestones. Even though there were other hack-and-slash games, you could find players in every class, every sports club, and every clique to jointly eliminate the great evils or to run that special dungeon one more time that finally gave the desired weapon.
Anyone who owned a PC and didn’t just use it for work had at least one Blizzard game on their computer.
No wonder, in Korea, the ancient StarCraft still stands for well-balanced, tactical real-time gaming.
Few companies cancel as many games as Blizzard
However, despite this winning streak, not everything Blizzard touches turns to gold. The developers and executives repeatedly emphasized that many game ideas were discarded even in the middle of development.
Some games were even far into development, such as Titan, StarCraft: Ghost, or the Warcraft adventure starring Thrall. The latter was even almost “finished” and played online in a playable form.
But why does Blizzard never release a game that was actually finished? Because Blizzard has maintained an extremely high standard for decades. If a game did not meet their own, nearly perfectionist expectations, it simply wasn’t released.
“We want to create games that we ourselves would like to play,” the developers said. If this goal was missed, a game did not appear.
Many of these titles were never reported on because Blizzard never announced them officially. This is also logical, as one does not want to promise the players something that then fails due to their own expectations and is not released. In the case of StarCraft: Ghost and Titan, information had already come out to the public.
The disappointment that StarCraft: Ghost was cancelled was, at that time, significant. That was the time when “internet shitstorms” did not really exist yet, and if they did, they took on different, smaller dimensions than they do today.
But Blizzard could afford it. Blizzard could just develop games “a little bit” and then cancel them whenever there was no hope left for something they could be proud of. They took it in stride and decided to use the learned lessons from the failed project for future work.
They never wanted to tarnish the quality name Blizzard with an unfinished or poorly made game. If a game was not finished, then a deadline did not matter.
“It’s done when it’s done” and “Soon” were established phrases for Blizzard games. “Good things take time” and in the end, they always delivered.
Only at BlizzCon 2018 was it confirmed again in interviews that Blizzard had cancelled more developed games than it had released.
It should be clear to every player that this can’t be 100% economically viable.
That it can only work if the games that are actually released are absolute hits is the logical consequence.
As long as a hit followed another, this was not a problem.
But as we know, it unfortunately didn’t stop there.
The colossus is beginning to wobble
Blizzard was not infallible, and this became really clear for the first time with Diablo 3.
At the launch of the hack-and-slash, there was a lot of criticism. The title did not convince in terms of gameplay. It felt “sucked dry” and could not reignite the magic of Diablo 2. The auction house, where players could buy and sell items for real money, was also a thorn in the side of many. Spending money on a full-price title was still frowned upon at that time, and the community’s feedback was negative.
A few patches later, the “real money AH” was gone, and a few more patches turned Diablo 3 into a good game of the usual Blizzard quality – but only retrospectively.
Another failure was the WoW expansion “Warlords of Draenor”. While the story, quest design, and dungeons were praised, the expansion lacked relevant endgame content. The garrison felt underdeveloped.
The consequence was that Blizzard even shortened the planned patches and instead poured more resources into the next expansion “Legion”. This led to entire story arcs on Draenor never being properly completed or led to an illogical, rushed conclusion.
However, Blizzard was quickly forgiven for this because “Legion” did everything right and is considered one of, if not the best expansion for World of Warcraft, which got many things right.
The significant negative point in Blizzard’s history was likely the BlizzCon in 2018. The large mass of fans, who had mainly accompanied Blizzard on the PC for years, eagerly awaited the new announcement of a Diablo title.
It came, but not as anyone wanted. “Diablo: Immortal” was supposed to be a mobile game and also one that is being developed in cooperation with a Chinese developer. Fans were disappointed and angry. They, the core players, the foundation of Blizzard’s success over the years, were not the target audience of the new game.
On YouTube, the trailer was rated so poorly that YouTube Rewind and Justin Bieber had to temporarily worry about losing the crown for “most thumbs down.” The only reason that didn’t happen is probably that gaming is indeed not meant for all people on YouTube.
That a game announced by Blizzard was perceived negatively on such a wide scale had never happened before. Never had Blizzard’s fans’ expectations been so ruthlessly undercut that they hated Diablo: Immortal even before its release, even if it were to become a good game eventually.
The evil Activision?
Where this change at Blizzard comes from is not entirely clear. The assumption is that the “change” began after Activision and Blizzard merged into “Activision Blizzard.” Even though it was often said in the early days that they would remain independent and only share business infrastructure, this is said less frequently nowadays.
I do not want to judge whether the merger of Activision and Blizzard was a positive or negative thing, even though my impression currently leans towards the latter. But at that time, the merger seemed logical and necessary to further develop the company. After all, both sides benefited from it, and in a global world, it’s always good to be able to appear more powerful.
However, there are quotes like the one from 2009 by Robert A. Kotick, the CEO of Activision, that make me doubt. Nearly 10 years ago, he said he wanted to “take the fun out of developing video games” and that it was good for a company to establish an “atmosphere of skepticism, pessimism, and fear.” I wish while writing these lines that I had just made that up (link to the source).
With such leaders in a company, it seems only logical that morale would sink. And I firmly believe: If someone doesn’t enjoy their work, especially if it has artistic components, then the result won’t be optimal.
In recent weeks, almost directly after BlizzCon, voices from Blizzard have repeatedly emerged, reaching out to various sites to complain.
Morale within the company has reportedly reached an “all-time low,” and Activision is supposedly exerting more and more influence. This is noticeable, among other things, in that finance and marketing people are now present in most meetings and have significant say.
In addition, large numbers of employees in support and other departments are currently being encouraged to accept severance pay and resign. Resources are being drawn from all areas except for pure game development.
Does this mean fewer cool cinematics? Fewer comics, fewer animated shorts, fewer conversations with the community? Probably. Thanks, Activision.
However, it is also quite possible that these efforts come from Blizzard itself, because now, after some failures by Blizzard standards, a new structure is needed. Whether Activision is really the sole “bad guy” in this story, I do not want to judge.
The answer likely lies somewhere in between. The impact of Activision and the increasing influence of the “marketing and finance department” will both contribute their share to Blizzard’s transformation.
Questionable sales options in World of Warcraft
I probably belong to the old-fashioned generation that still considers real money purchases in full-price games that are also monthly subscription-based to be a catastrophe. But the gaming market has evolved, money needs to come in, and I can live with that.
But the timing that Blizzard currently displays with World of Warcraft is an utter disaster.
When the pirate mount was offered in connection with a 6-month subscription, I could still smile. The mount looks cool and it fit with the “Pirate Day”. Since I have been continuously subscribed to WoW for the last few years, it was practically a blind purchase.
But then it got strange. A significant part of the World of Warcraft community is unhappy. Many are bored because they cannot find anything to do with the new features like island expeditions or warfronts. Additionally, many classes are currently in poor condition, making it hard for some to find any enjoyment.
However, Blizzard decided to place a new mount in the shop for a proud €25 amidst this cauldron of negative feedback circulating on Reddit for weeks and months.
Even if the mount looks really beautiful, the timing was catastrophic. If WoW were in good shape and had developed healthily, no one would have complained about a mount in the shop.
But putting a new price tag in front of dissatisfied players is probably the dumbest move Blizzard could make.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of it. Now, just before Christmas, the “See You Later” bundle is available in the shop. Many mounts, pets, and cosmetic items can be purchased for €50, which would otherwise cost €150. The offer is generally pretty good if you’re into such things, but one detail bothers: Blizzard states that the items will be removed from the shop at the beginning of January.
The reason is clear: They want to create pressure and instill the fear of possibly missing out on something forever if they don’t buy it now. However, they make a small side note that the items “may come back later”.
It is therefore not surprising that the “I can fool myself” posts in the forums and on Reddit have been piling up.
Apparently, they want to boost the numbers just before the end of the quarter to make shareholders happy.
My gut feeling tells me these are decisions pushed by the “marketing people” in meetings.
Where have my Blizzard heroes gone?
Another point that makes me sad every time and causes me to write appropriate news and articles only with a heavy heart is the departure of long-time Blizzard employees. When Chris Metzen, the lore guru of Blizzard and the voice behind Thrall, Ragnaros, Varian Wrynn, and several other heroes, left a few years ago, I was saddened. Metzen always came across as so warm, authentic, and above all, incredibly human, yet was simply brilliant in his ability to create a fantasy world.
Unlike many others, I have nothing against Ion Hazzikostas as the Game Director of World of Warcraft. Even if his past as a lawyer is evident in his often vague wording, he occasionally speaks very clearly and explains why change X is being made. Moreover, he is able to admit when they have messed up and a mechanic did not resonate with players. Honestly, I even appreciate it when he sometimes takes a clear stand and says, “We are sticking to X or Y because we believe in it.” I personally prefer that over a flag in the wind.
That Mike Morhaime, who was often seen as the “anti-CEO”, standing for diversity and creativity, also stepped down was not easy to process. Especially since everyone felt that he was not leaving voluntarily, but rather “being let go” to be replaced by someone who might impose Activision’s views – like J. Allen Brack.
This image is something J. Allen Brack must live with as well, as many of the questionable decisions, such as the mass “motivated” layoffs, the stronger pressure within the company, and the enhanced position of the finance people occurred directly with his taking office.
Whether one can really pin the blame on him or he is merely the bearer of bad news is not easy to determine.
Heroes of the Storm has been left behind
I was completely caught off guard by the announcement a few weeks ago that Heroes of the Storm would completely withdraw from esports. The development team is also being reduced, as some developers will now work on other titles. Given what we know, these will likely be mobile versions of all major Blizzard genres.
However, I am convinced that the developers at the time of BlizzCon 2018 still didn’t know that Heroes of the Storm would be so “shrunk” and that large esports tournaments like the HGC would be discontinued. After all, they had just promoted that the HGC would take place again in 2019 at the BlizzCon.
The result was a disappointed community, especially in the professional scene. Because players who make a living from gaming had their jobs and perspectives effectively taken away just before Christmas. Numerous professional players suddenly find themselves without a sponsor, and without a functioning esports scene, they must seek another game or job – overnight.
However, I am naive and gullible enough to at least give the developers here the credit that they did not see this step coming either. Therefore, not only do the esports players have my sympathy, but also the developers who have believed in Heroes of the Storm for years and have put their passion into the game.
This decision had only losers, on all sides.
Blizzard, please get back on track in 2019
And now, sitting here on Christmas, I am writing my probably longest article of the year about a company that has accompanied me through my leisure time longer than any other and has provided countless hours of fun.
Blizzard is not just a game developer for me, as Squaresoft (now Square Enix) or Game Arts (anyone remember Grandia?) once was. Blizzard has always stood for more. When a game bore the “Blizzard” seal, you just knew it was a good game. Even if one did not like individual genres, like hack-and-slash in Diablo or shooters in Overwatch, it was never in question that they were still fantastic games.
I hope I am wrong. I hope that the massive layoffs of support employees are a healing optimization process. I hope that the influence of finance people ultimately proves helpful and leads to better games. I hope the new CEO is not the personified devil. I hope Activision does not have its fingers too deep in Blizzard, and that this is all just “panic-mongering”.
But to be honest: I can only hope, because I am not convinced.
And that hurts me. It hurts more than I thought it could. Blizzard is a part of my childhood, an even bigger part of my leisure time over the last years, and thus also become part of my work. I do not want to see a game developer that has given me thousands, if not tens of thousands of hours of joy suddenly embody all that I dislike about the gaming industry. I do not want to have to write constant negative news.
If I have a wish for 2019, it is quite selfish and yet fundamentally honest: Blizzard, become the Blizzard I fell in love with again. Otherwise, I would really miss you.
