7 ms·

They just got bought by Microsoft for almost 70 Billion dollars.

fifticon 5y ago
Their IP and player base just got bought for 70b. They will make new 'blizzard' games, the way Disney makes StarWars movies. But I actually welcome it. Kotick has run blizzard into the ground, on the formula 'maximize profits instead of player satisfaction', which is the opposite of the formula that made the blizzard name. At least MS will, presumably, milk the IP long-term-responsibly.
- tyre 5y ago
  Disney’s Star Wars series have been excellent. They bungled the sequel trilogy for sure, but I’m not convinced that they are worse for Star Wars.
  - tonguez 5y ago
- enkid 5y ago
  Kotick is sticking around.
- ChoGGi 5y ago
  Bobby isn't going anywhere yet, he's reporting to Phil.
  - Fnoord 5y ago
    After the transition period (in 2023), he's out.
- o_m 5y ago
  I rather be dissapointed of the new stuff than seeing the franchice dying. Maybe they make some cool spin-offs for the true fans, like Disney did to Star Wars.
  - cgriswald 5y ago
    > I rather be dissapointed of the new stuff than seeing the franchice dying. Maybe they make some cool spin-offs for the true fans, like Disney did to Star Wars. That's how franchises die, in my opinion. They leave a bad taste in the mouth of existing fans, and repel new fans. They can only get by on previously generated inertia for so long. (Star Wars is an outlier here, I suspect.) I'd much, much rather see new IP be created than a bunch of underfunded, financially-motivated people try to recreate magic they didn't create and don't understand in the first place. What often happens is these franchises end up in a sort-of zombie-like state like the faux Dune novels being pumped out by those two hacks who I can't even bother to name anymore.
- rainonmoon 5y ago
  They're reportedly getting into it for metaverse and mobile properties, so don't count on it.
jonny_eh 5y ago
Apparently the execs at Microsoft don't read Hacker News.
- manquer 5y ago
  Probably good they don't, HN opinions are very selective and don't represent any market very well (even founders or developers)
  - MomoXenosaga 5y ago
    I play videogames but my tastes are far from the mainstream. The game industry is very diverse, you have obscure VNs that sell less than 100k to multi billion dollar franchises like Call of Duty.
AlwaysRock 5y ago
Gaming companies are incredible. Anyone who loves games tend to hate the large gaming companies. Yet they print money and will continue to put out shit products year after year. So people can say X company is dead while they get aquired for 70 billion dollars. What a crazy industry.

Their IP and player base just got bought for 70b. They will make new 'blizzard' games, the way Disney makes StarWars movies. But I actually welcome it. Kotick has run blizzard into the ground, on the formula 'maximize profits instead of player satisfaction', which is the opposite of the formula that made the blizzard name. At least MS will, presumably, milk the IP long-term-responsibly.

tyre 5y ago
Disney’s Star Wars series have been excellent. They bungled the sequel trilogy for sure, but I’m not convinced that they are worse for Star Wars.
- tonguez 5y ago
enkid 5y ago
Kotick is sticking around.
ChoGGi 5y ago
Bobby isn't going anywhere yet, he's reporting to Phil.
- Fnoord 5y ago
  After the transition period (in 2023), he's out.
o_m 5y ago
I rather be dissapointed of the new stuff than seeing the franchice dying. Maybe they make some cool spin-offs for the true fans, like Disney did to Star Wars.
- cgriswald 5y ago
  > I rather be dissapointed of the new stuff than seeing the franchice dying. Maybe they make some cool spin-offs for the true fans, like Disney did to Star Wars. That's how franchises die, in my opinion. They leave a bad taste in the mouth of existing fans, and repel new fans. They can only get by on previously generated inertia for so long. (Star Wars is an outlier here, I suspect.) I'd much, much rather see new IP be created than a bunch of underfunded, financially-motivated people try to recreate magic they didn't create and don't understand in the first place. What often happens is these franchises end up in a sort-of zombie-like state like the faux Dune novels being pumped out by those two hacks who I can't even bother to name anymore.
rainonmoon 5y ago
They're reportedly getting into it for metaverse and mobile properties, so don't count on it.

jonny_eh 5y ago

Apparently the execs at Microsoft don't read Hacker News.

manquer 5y ago
Probably good they don't, HN opinions are very selective and don't represent any market very well (even founders or developers)
- MomoXenosaga 5y ago
  I play videogames but my tastes are far from the mainstream. The game industry is very diverse, you have obscure VNs that sell less than 100k to multi billion dollar franchises like Call of Duty.

AlwaysRock 5y ago

Gaming companies are incredible. Anyone who loves games tend to hate the large gaming companies. Yet they print money and will continue to put out shit products year after year. So people can say X company is dead while they get aquired for 70 billion dollars. What a crazy industry.