Activision, Blizzard merger alters game development

Activision, Blizzard merger alters game development

Byrachelzee | November 18, 2010

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently said his company's merger with Blizzard has enabledgame development teams to be more patient while creating new, innovative games. The money Activision has received to create new products allows it to ensure games are optimized before releasing them to testers or the general public. Implementing more in-depthbug tracking procedures allows development companies to provide a better overall user experience, which will help Activision improve the quality of its already industry-leading products, such as Guitar Hero.

While Activision experienced success prior to the merger, Blizzard's sky-high standards related to game development have rubbed off on Kotick's developers, according toEscapist Magazine. Blizzard has developed such high-grossing and game-changing titles as bothStarcraft 1 and 2 and World of Warcraft. Part of its success is due to its mantra of "don't ship it until it's done." While this may have bothered fans in the past, the precision and seamless gameplay presented in its products have allowed its developers to create programs more patiently.

"I would say that one of the great benefits of the merger of Activision and Blizzard is the elevation of patience" Kotick said. "Partly because we have the financial resources to do it, but we're now in a place where we can really take the time to make sure that we're going to deliver the best games. And that's an incredible luxury.

"You have to instill that value into the culture. Blizzard has that as a unique value of the culture, and it's now been very well instilled across all of Activision Blizzard. Patience is rewarded," he added.

While enterprisesoftware development teams are held to stricter standards, game developers can be more lenient with release planning since fans would rather wait longer for a more enjoyable game than play a less-than-perfect title.

Activision's greatest success as a game development studio appears to be in the variety of titles it has created and made famous. At the moment, it'sGuitar Hero franchise has become one of the most popular games in recent years, but its line of skateboarding games featuring X-Games legend Tony Hawk has appealed to an audience far greater than once anticipated. However, the success has not led to a decline in expectations from his software development professionals. Kotick told Escapist magazine that his staff must gain the trust of him and other superiors before working on more advanced projects.

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