Play Nice Gdańsk

Play Nice: The Rise, Fall , and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment Author: Schreier, Jason Publishing house: Grand Central Publishing Release Date: 2024-10-08 Number of pages: 384 Dimensions: 15.2 x 3.2 x 22.9 Language: English: Published; English: Original Language; English ISBN: 9781538725429 New York Times bestselling author and the gaming industry's preeminent investigative journalist Jason Schreier examines three decades of ups and downs at Blizzard Entertainment leading up to a hostile corporate takeover and a sexual misconduct scandal that put the legendary developer in a world of (Warcraft) trouble. For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was once synonymous with perfection. The renowned company behind classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft was known to celebrate the joy of gaming over all else. What was once two UCLA students' simple mission — to make games they wanted to play — launched an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions of dollars. But when Blizzard canceled a buzzy project in 2013, it gave Bobby Kotick, the infamous CEO of corporate parent Activision, the excuse he needed to start cracking down on Blizzard 's proud autonomy. Led by executives from McKinsey and Procter Gamble, Activision began invading Blizzard from the inside. Glitchy products, PR disasters, and mass layoffs followed, marring the company's once pristine image . Then, in 2021, a staggering sexual misconduct and discrimination lawsuit against the company triggered a widespread reckoning and a shocking $69 billion acquisition. Based on firsthand interviews with more than 300 current and former employees, PLAY NICE chronicles the creativity, frustration, beauty, and betrayal across the epic 33-year saga of Blizzard Entertainment. " Full of colorful personalities and dramatic twists, PLAY NICE is The Social Network for the video game industry.