Blizzard was bought by Microsoft. Many are worried about what will happen next – but Xbox boss Phil Spencer finds exactly the right words.
Activision Blizzard has fallen sharply in recent years. At Blizzard in particular, the mood in the community has changed significantly. Blizzard has gone from being a “studio that makes near-perfect games with the fans in mind” to a company that is primarily concerned with how to get the most money from players – at least that’s the impression.
For many, this started with the merger of Activision and Blizzard.
Many people see the fact that Microsoft has now bought ABK (Activision Blizzard King) as positive. The hope is: Maybe Microsoft will get what was once the most popular game company in the world back on the right path.
This hope could be justified, because at least Phil Spencer has now clearly stated 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) spoke roughly about the plans they have for Activision Blizzard. He talked about how people want to deal with old game franchises and what he wants from the teams.
Spencer is currently meeting with all major teams to hear directly from them about where their passion lies. He wants to get an impression of what is going well with the teams, what they like to work on and where there might still be room for improvement.
The first thing I want to do is spend time with the teams. Because I believe that a team working on something that is not their passion does not produce the best results.
His view on perhaps bringing back old franchises or games is also exciting. Even if this only indirectly has something to do with ongoing gaming, it still tells a lot about his view of developers and gaming in general:
If we go back and [ein altes Franchise] retrieve it again, then with all our ability. With a motivated team that wants to work on something and make a difference and not just create something for financial gain or as a PR campaign whose promises are then not kept.
The last sentence in particular should appeal to 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 canceled after both had been widely announced.
What do you mean with that? Even if Phil Spencer doesn’t say this clearly, he is at least indirectly addressing the concerns of long-time fans. Many people have the feeling that in recent years Blizzard has only been working on squeezing as much money as possible out of individual games.
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, you can be skeptical here, dismiss the whole thing as “PR blah blah” and wait to see 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?