Episode 40: Activision Blizzard

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Jul 13, 2017

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ANECDOTE

Blizzard's Early Days

Blizzard Entertainment began as Silicon & Synapse, founded by UCLA graduates Allen Adham, Frank Pearce, and Mike Morhaime.
Initially, they ported games like Battle Chess to Commodore 64, gaining experience before developing their own titles.

INSIGHT

RTS Genre Inspiration

Dune 2, developed by Westwood Studios, pioneered the real-time strategy (RTS) genre.
This inspired Blizzard to create their own RTS, which would become the Warcraft franchise.

ANECDOTE

First Acquisition

Blizzard, then Chaos Studios, was acquired by Davidson & Associates for $10 million.
Davidson & Associates were known for publishing educational software like Math Blaster.

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Ben & David cover the creation of the gaming world’s equivalent of the 70’s rock supergroup: the 2008 merger of Blizzard and Activision. We tell the story from the Blizzard perspective, tracing the history of one of the most innovative companies in the business from humble beginnings at the hands of UCLA undergrads, to surviving multiple acquisition rollups (including at one point being owned by the French national water company), to joining ultimately with Activision to form the largest gaming company in the world, all while inventing multiple game genres that define the industry as we know it today.

Sponsors:

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Sentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentry
ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredsn

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Topics covered include:

Blizzard’s founding in 1991 as "Silicon & Synapse” by recent UCLA grads Allen Adham, Frank Pearce, and Mike Morhaime
The team’s first projects making ports for other games, including Battle Chess on the Commodore 64
Early success on the Super Nintendo with Rock & Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings
Origin of the Real-Time Strategy game genre (“RTS”) and Blizzard’s fist mega-hit, Warcraft
Blizzard’s crazy corporate ownership changes over the years
Development of further legendary game franchises like Diablo and Starcraft, along with sequels to Warcraft and the rise of the rise of player modding
Emergence of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre (“MOBA”) from the Warcraft III modding community, and its growth into one of the biggest sectors in the games and esports industries today
Blizzard’s role in developing the concept of online gaming, from early hacks to play against friends to World of Warcraft and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (“MMORPG’s”)
The 2008 merger with storied gaming company Activision
Growth and success since the merger, including the launch of new game franchises Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch

The Carve Out:

Ben: Dick Costolo on Vanity Fair’s Inside the Hive podcast
David: Nellie and Joe's 100% Natural Key Lime Juice (tip: buy in bulk from Walmart/Jet)