Former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has claimed that Xbox head Phil Spencer will be hurting “as much as anyone else” following the closure of four first-party studios.
Microsoft Is Letting Blizzard Stay Blizzard, Says WoW VP
18.04.2024 - 11:17 / wccftech.com / Holly Longdale / Alessio Palumbo
For nearly two years, Microsoft's unprecedented $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard stayed in the news, mostly due to the Windows and Xbox company's battle with certain regulators (chiefly the US FTC and the UK CMA). That came to an end, even though the FTC is still trying to unmake the deal, on October 13, when Microsoft announced the closure of the acquisition.
Over six months have passed. How has it been from Blizzard's end? Speaking to VideoGamesChronicle, Blizzard's Holly Longdale (Vice President and Executive Producer of World of Warcraft) reckons it's been business as usual, with Microsoft choosing not to interfere with the daily operations.
Related Story Grounded “Fully Yoked” Update Out Now on PlayStation/Switch, Adds New Game+ and More
If anything, it’s just been helpful. We got time with Helen Chang from Mojang, and we were sharing information, so it’s almost as if we have access to what worked for them. We got to speak to the Elder Scrolls Online team and share what we’re up to and what’s been working, it’s almost like we get a benefit.
There’s no one asking us to do anything. World of Warcraft is doing very well and they’re very proud of what it’s been able to accomplish, so it’s almost like just let it be, and let it keep being awesome. They’ve been tremendously supportive and it’s like ‘let Blizzard be Blizzard’.”
This is not surprising, as that's been Microsoft's modus operandi for essentially all of the studios it has acquired thus far since 2018. However, it didn't always work out so well, as evidenced by what happened at Arkane Austin with Redfall. Also, while World of Warcraft is a good place right now (you can read a lot more about that and the upcoming expansion in our freshly published interview), some would say Blizzard could use some changes and improvements.
Microsoft did affect Blizzard (and Activision) in a major way as part of its 8% reduction in the workforce announced in January. The new survival game Odyssey was also canceled following the layoffs. On the upside, Microsoft and Blizzard have recently signed a new partnership deal with NetEase.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
gamingbolt.com
30.04.2024 / 13:43
Fallout Games Will Continue to be Set “Predominantly in the US,” Todd Howard Says
For all long as the Fallout franchise has been around, it has never been set outside of the United States. Of course, its over-the-top, retro-futuristic Americana satirization is a core aspect of what makes Fallout, Fallout, but on new few occasions, large chunks of the series’ fanbase have wondered how locations outside of the US are faring in Fallout’s post-apocalyptic setting, and whether they could fare as suitable settings for a future Fallout game.
gamingbolt.com
30.04.2024 / 13:43
“We’re Focused on Finding Ways to Increase Our Output,” Todd Howard Says
Bethesa’s RPGs are typically gargantuan experiences that players end up playing for years and years on end, and while a lot of that is down to their sheer longevity, it can also be attributed to the fact that new instalments in those franchises take an inordinate amount of time to come out. For instance, The Elder Scrolls 6 only entered full production last year, with Skyrim approaching its 13th anniversary. Meanwhile, though the Fallout TV’s show’s success has brought about a sudden uptick in sales and engagement for Bethesda’s Fallout games, the series’ next mainline instalment is several years away, to say the very least.
gamesradar.com
30.04.2024 / 12:17
We may live long enough to see The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 after all - Todd Howard says Bethesda is "finding ways to increase our output"
Todd Howard says Bethesda is working on getting games into players' hands more quickly.
gamesradar.com
30.04.2024 / 12:17
Todd Howard says Baldur's Gate 3 wasn't some "overnight success" for Larian: "Have you played their previous games?"
Baldur's Gate 3 launched last year to widespread acclaim, and you can count Mr. Skyrim, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls 6 himself to its many admirers.
ign.com
30.04.2024 / 11:49
Bethesda Keeps Looking Into Fallout 76 Cross-Play, but It ‘Wasn’t Designed That Way From the Beginning,’ Todd Howard Says
With all things Fallout now enjoying a significant boost following the breakout success of the Fallout TV show, Fallout 76 is enjoying a significant rise in player numbers. Last week, Bethesda announced that Fallout 76, its most recent mainline Fallout game, saw over one million people play in a single day.
rockpapershotgun.com
30.04.2024 / 09:53
Todd Howard says Starfield's Shattered Space DLC arrives "in the fall", update fixing stupid map "really soon"
Wow, remember Starfield? I do, just about, although any interest in it feels like a distant dream now. But not to Todd Howard! The Bethesboss had a chat with Kinda Funny and confirmed that Shattered Space, the first big DLC for the brave little space RPG that could, has a release window of "in the fall". Shattered Space adds new locations and stories and gear, and is the sort of DLC that was announced before the game came out, and you got it bundled with some of the super mega hyper awesome pre-order editions (you can still get it bundled with the Starfield Premium Edition if you want to spend an extra 30 quid).
thegamer.com
30.04.2024 / 09:23
Todd Howard Says No To Fallout Leaving The US
Every Fallout game, dating back to the original in 1997, has been set in America. We've gone from New California to the Capital Wasteland to The Commonwealth, but never outside the USA.
gamingbolt.com
30.04.2024 / 00:25
“We’re Focused on Finding Ways to Increase Our Output,” Todd Howard Says
Bethesa’s RPGs are typically gargantuan experiences that players end up playing for years and years on end, and while a lot of that is down to their sheer longevity, it can also be attributed to the fact that new instalments in those franchises take an inordinate amount of time to come out. For instance, The Elder Scrolls 6 only entered full production last year, with Skyrim approaching its 13th anniversary. Meanwhile, though the Fallout TV’s show’s success has brought about a sudden uptick in sales and engagement for Bethesda’s Fallout games, the series’ next mainline instalment is several years away, to say the very least.
videogameschronicle.com
29.04.2024 / 20:35
Todd Howard says Bethesda is focused on finding ways to increase its output
Todd Howard has said Bethesda is working on solutions to shorten the length of time between its game releases.
gamingbolt.com
28.04.2024 / 22:19
BlizzCon 2024 Cancellation Wasn’t a Microsoft Decision, Blizzard Says
With Blizzard Entertainment having several major upcoming releases in the works, many had expected that the company would have a lot to say at BlizzCon later this year. Recently, however, it was announced that Blizzard had decided not to host the event in 2024. With Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard having gone through last year, there were some who wondered if it was Blizzard’s new parent company that made the decision to not go ahead with a BlizzCon event this year, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
gamerant.com
24.04.2024 / 21:23
Blizzard is Shutting Down the WoW Companion App
World of Warcraft players will only have a few more months to use the mobile Companion App on iOS and Android, as Blizzard announced that the free app will be retired soon. The World of Warcraft Companion App, launched in 2018 by combining the Mobile Armory and Legion Companion apps, will no longer be supported when The War Within is released.