Long-time Blizzard employee Samwise Didier has left the company.
Blizzard Boss Open to 4-Hour Games and 400-Hour Ones, Microsoft Brings New Possibilities
07.11.2023 - 00:27 / wccftech.com / Bobby Kotick / Mike Ybarra
Blizzard Entertainment is now part of the larger Xbox family following Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, but what does that mean for the future? This past weekend saw the first in-person BlizzCon in years, but the show was still oriented around a direction put in place by previous Acti-Blizz boss Bobby Kotick – one very much focused on exploiting dependable moneymakers like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. While those franchises will likely remain Blizzard’s bread and butter in the near term, some changes may be on the way.
In a new interview with The Verge, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra says the studio is entering a new era, one that will be marked by a new empowerment and freedom.
“I think the way [Phil Spencer] approaches building teams and focusing on culture and enabling creative freedom is going to give Blizzard a lot more of that sense of being an independent studio than ever before. That’s what I really mean when I talk about a new era of possibilities, of empowerment, of serving players even better than we ever have.”
Interestingly, that new freedom may even include making non-live-service standalone games…
“We’re not afraid to create new IPs. We’re not afraid to turn models upside down […] that can be someone that has an idea for a four-hour experience or a 400-hour experience.”
In a separate interview with Bloomberg, Ybarra even concedes a new StarCraft title might be a possibility, although it may not be a real-time strategy game.
“It’s not me saying, ‘Go make a StarCraft game. I need to have someone who has the vision and passion that comes with the idea, and I’ll bet on that team.”
With a constant flow of new, novel content for Xbox Game Pass being of utmost importance for Microsoft, hopefully, Blizzard isn’t just free to experiment but encouraged to do so. If you’d like to hear more about the future of Blizzard with Microsoft, and a lot of nitty-gritty details about the road ahead for Diablo IV, do check out Wccftech’s recent interview as well.
What do you think? What would you like to see from a more creatively free Blizzard?
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screenrant.com
13.11.2023 / 13:53
There's Already A New Starcraft RTS And It's Called Stormgate
Though will go down as arguably the best real-time strategy game of all time, it's been seven years since the last expansion for the title,, was released, leaving those who enjoy RTS games lacking content over the past decade. While other RTS games have certainly launched, like 2023's, none have lived up to the lofty heights that set in the 2000s. Indeed, it was mainly the and RTS titles that spawned an entire professional Esports industry, with players from around the world competing for what was, at the time, incredibly high cash prizes.
mmorpg.com
10.11.2023 / 23:45
Blizzard's Samwise Didier Retires After More Than 30 Years
Blizzard’s Samwise Didier is retiring after more than three decades of shaping the look and feel of several of the biggest franchises on the planet.
pcgamer.com
10.11.2023 / 23:19
Samwise Didier, who 'helped build Blizzard's signature art style,' is retiring after more than 30 years at the company
After a career spanning more than 32 years and just about every game Blizzard ever made, senior art director Samwise Didier is calling it quits. Didier announced on Twitter that he is retiring, and that today is his last day at his «beloved Blizzard Entertainment.»
gamesradar.com
10.11.2023 / 22:17
After 32 years, the Blizzard artist who defined Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo is retiring
Sam 'Samwise' Didier, the longtime Blizzard art director who defined the iconic look of the studio's games, has announced that he's retiring after 32 years with the company.
gamingbolt.com
09.11.2023 / 00:51
Turn 10 Studios Boss Alan Hartman is the New Head of Xbox Game Studios
Microsoft has recently been implementing leadership changes for its Xbox division, as part of which vice president Sarah Bond was promoted to president, and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty to president of game content and studios, and it has now been confirmed who will be stepping in the take up the latter’s vacant position.
ign.com
08.11.2023 / 23:33
Turn 10's Alan Hartman Promoted to Head of Xbox Game Studios
The Microsoft-Activision Blizzard acquisition continues to shake up leadership at Xbox. Alan Hartman, former leader of Turn 10 has been promoted as the new head of Xbox Game Studios.
wccftech.com
08.11.2023 / 20:23
Blizzard President Says Decision-Making Will Be Faster Under Microsoft Thanks to Increased Independence
On the stage of BlizzCon 2023's opening ceremony, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra had the chance to welcome his former boss Phil Spencer, who made a surprise appearance.
gamespot.com
08.11.2023 / 16:27
Blizzard President Says Players Have No Patience
«They want new stuff every day, every hour.»
techradar.com
08.11.2023 / 11:55
Blizzard President wants a 'new era of possibilities' with some big changes
Blizzcon 2023 showed us a whole new world of possibilities for Blizzard games; with a ton of new titles coming up, and the possibilities afforded by Microsoft's acquisition of the company, it seems as if we're entering into a new era — a breath of fresh air for many long-term players.
videogameschronicle.com
07.11.2023 / 22:49
Blizzard’s president says players ‘have no patience, want new stuff every hour’
Blizzard’s president has discussed the challenges involved in satisfying players “who want new content literally almost every single day”.
pcgamer.com
07.11.2023 / 21:45
Blizzard's job is to satisfy impatient players who want 'new stuff every day, every hour,' says studio head
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