Blizzard was bought by Microsoft. Many are worried about what comes next – but Xbox boss Phil Spencer finds just the right words.
Activision Blizzard has fallen deeply in recent years. Especially at Blizzard, the mood in the community has changed significantly. Blizzard has gone from a studio that makes nearly perfect games and focuses on the fans to a company that primarily cares about how to get the maximum amount of money from players – at least that’s the impression.
For many, this began with the merger of Activision and Blizzard.
That Microsoft has now bought ABK (Activision Blizzard King) is seen positively by many. The hope is: perhaps Microsoft will get the once most popular game studio in the world back on the right path.
This hope could be justified, as at least Phil Spencer has now made it clear that he wants to take a different path with Activision Blizzard.
What was said? In the official Xbox podcast, Phil Spencer (CEO of the gaming division at Microsoft) broadly spoke about the plans he has for Activision Blizzard. He addressed how they want to handle old game franchises and what he expects from the teams.
Spencer is currently meeting with all the major teams to hear directly from them where their passion lies. He wants to get an impression of what is working well for the teams, what they enjoy working on, and where there might still be room for improvement.
First, I want to spend time with the teams. Because I believe that a team working on something that doesn’t align with their passion does not lead to the best results.
It is also exciting to hear his view on potentially bringing back old franchises or games. Even though this is only indirectly related to current games, a lot can be inferred about his views on developers and gaming in general:
If we go back and [bring back an old franchise], then with all our capability. With a motivated team that also wants to work on something and make a difference, and not just create something for financial gain or as a PR stunt whose promises are then not fulfilled.
The last sentence is likely to resonate with disappointed buyers of “Warcraft III: Reforged” or “Overwatch 2.” Because in WC3: Reforged, the major overhaul of the campaign was canceled – and in Overwatch 2, the entire campaign was dropped after they had announced both with great fanfare.
What does this mean? Even if Phil Spencer does not articulate it that clearly, he at least indirectly addresses the concerns of long-time fans. Many feel that Blizzard has only been working to squeeze as much money out of individual games as possible over the past few years.
A sad example here is the Lilith skin from Overwatch 2. It was prominently announced as the “main feature” of the new season, but is only available as part of a 40-euro package.
Of course, one can be skeptical here, dismiss the whole thing as “PR blabla” and wait for what the future brings. But at least it’s good to hear that Phil Spencer seems to have similar expectations for games as the community does.
What do you think about it?
