Blizzard’s Rise and Fall: A Tale of Ambition, Greed, and LostCreativity
By [Your Name], Former Journalist for Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, CCTV, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times
The gaming world is abuzz with the upcoming release of Blizzard’s Rise and Fall, abook by Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg columnist, that delves into the tumultuous history of the once-mighty gaming giant. Schreier’s work paints astark picture of Blizzard’s decline, revealing a clash of ideologies between the company’s founders and the corporate behemoth that ultimately swallowed it whole.
The book’s central claim is that Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime’s departure fromthe company he built was driven by his frustration with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s relentless pursuit of control. This narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Activision’s 2008 merger with Vivendi Games, forming Activision-Blizzard.While the merger initially seemed like a match made in gaming heaven, it soon became apparent that the two companies had vastly different philosophies.
The crux of the conflict stemmed from the cancellation of Blizzard’s ambitious project, Titan. Developed before Activision’s involvement, Titan was a highly anticipated title that ultimately failed tomaterialize. This failure, which cost Activision an estimated $80 million, led Kotick to believe that Blizzard was too idealistic and needed to be reined in.
Kotick’s solution was to bring in Armin Zerza, a former Procter & Gamble CFO, to oversee Blizzard’s finances. This move was met withresistance from Blizzard employees, who saw Zerza as an outsider with no understanding of the gaming industry. Zerza came to the company, and Blizzard was run by veterans and hardcore gamers, Schreier writes in his book. Zerza, a guy who sold shampoo, didn’t understand the game industry.
The tension between Blizzard’s creative vision and Activision’s profit-driven approach deepened as Kotick expressed dissatisfaction with Blizzard’s slow pace of game releases. While Kotick claimed he wouldn’t force the development team to rush out unfinished products, Morhaime and his core management team believed he was simply paying lip service to theidea.
This clash of ideologies manifested in Kotick’s belief that only teams generating profit deserved bonuses, effectively devaluing the contributions of customer service and cinematic teams, known for their groundbreaking work. Morhaime, a staunch defender of Blizzard’s creative culture, argued that this short-sighted approach would stifleinnovation and ultimately harm the company’s long-term success.
Schreier’s book offers a compelling account of how Blizzard’s once-unshakable creative spirit was gradually eroded by Activision’s relentless pursuit of profit. It serves as a cautionary tale for any creative organization facing the pressure of corporateconsolidation, reminding us that the pursuit of profit can come at the cost of innovation and the very soul of a company.
References:
- Schreier, J. (2024). Blizzard’s Rise and Fall. [Book
Views: 0