Activision Blizzard Entertainment might be screwed.
As a long time Blizzard customer, I’m okay with that.
I’ve been playing Blizzard games since Warcraft, the original RTS. I love the franchise and the setting. I’ve enjoyed World of Warcraft’s big dumb rule of cool story though it’s gotten worse over time.
As a fan I love Blizzard. I also hate Blizzard because I love it.
I hate Blizzard because they’ve failed their players. They are no longer about making great games but about milking profits and increasing metrics without real content. They’ve lost their heart, their soul, their passion. To me video games can be art, with story, visual art, experiences, but Blizzard games have lost that. It’s a real shame.
Moreover, and more importantly, upon the breaking of the California lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, I really really hate Blizzard because of how they treat their employees, especially the female, transgender, queer, gay, and minority employees.
Now the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Blizzard Entertainment and I’m laughing at how fucked they are.
It’s my hope that the company either fixes itself as a result of being held to the fire, or the company collapses.
I want to see disruption. I want to see Bobby Kotic and company ejected from the company. I want to see new, young, and passionate people take over and make games again. I want to see writers that don’t suck replace people producing stuff better than the garbage they’ve produced in the last couple years. Hell, I could write a better story.
I want to see the workers of Activision Blizzard unionize and I want the game industry employees elsewhere to follow. I want vast sweeping positive change across the game industry.
If Activision Blizzard collapses or splits, I hope a company that has passion and love for their work takes Blizzard over. I’m looking at you Square Enix.
I want the employees in the game industry to be treated better than they are. An added side effect of getting better games out of the deal would be great too.
But if Blizzard tanks and the games die, I’m okay with that sacrifice if it improves the whole game industry as a result. There are other, better, MMOs out there.
I only still play WoW because I am a part of a wonderful big queer guild.
