re: Activision Blizzard in trouble, 800 fired in first wave of layoffs

this all seems like a smart move and the street has responded favorably.

they aren't "in trouble" . big oof

Parmen wrong as usual

boo hoo. I've been laid off. It sucked, and I wasn't making fricking video games either.

Activision is realigning to become more profitable. They aren't in trouble. That's the risk in working for a giant corporation. At some point, you don't matter enough and the guy left behind now has to work harder.

They need to focus on new IPs that don't suck. They tried to cash in on the BR craze by tacking it on to COD and they couldn't put a dent in the established 2 games' dominance, then Apex comes along and is currently knocking COD's dick in the dirt and back to 4th place in the BR world.

WoW has been stagnant for a long time. I'm sure it is still profitable, but probably not enough to invest more into any longer. Let is go until it isn't making money, then pull the plug. Cut the useless ones not working directly on code, improvements or additional content.

Star Craft, meh in the USA. Unless it is a MOBA, that style of game is going extinct in the states, and you have no newer product to make up for that revenue.

Speaking of MOBA - yeah, they failed at that too. HOTS never took off, even with the amazing IP they had at their disposal.

Candy Crush is a cash cow, but I assume it is on auto pilot at this point and the support isn't needed as much. Cut the useless ones not working directly on code, improvements or additional content.

Diablo is getting stagnant, so their answer is to step on their own dicks by making it a fricking mobile game? Can you be more unaware of your customers? The neckbeards that play Diablo don't play games on their fricking phones, Cheeto dust and pizza roll grease mixed together like a mortar has permanently gotten in-between their finger prints, making touch screen accuracy a legitimate handicap.

Overwatch is great, but unless they bring it to BR and basically copy Apex, it might die. Traditional shooters aren't making the money they made in 2009 anymore.

Destiny? You finally have a great IP on your hands, kinda frick it up, fix it, release a sequel, frick it up again, fix it again, then roll on it because it isn't meeting projections? Makes sense. Your one glimmer of hope for 2019 and you just bail.



The fact of the matter is that Activision / Blizzard have not released a new IP AAA game besides Destiny & Overwatch that hasn't utterly failed in a long time.

StarCraft, Warcraft and Diablo all started 20+ fricking years ago. They put great support into the games and are legends for it, but Activision fricked it all up and now they look stupid.

Even EA knows you need new IP because at some point, customers get tired of your same shite over and over. And no, moving the game to mobile is not what saves your company.


ETA: This is one of the crazier rants I have ever posted on TD. I understand what A/B is doing here because they aren't going anywhere.

The businessperson in me agrees with it and has no sympathy for the people laid off. The gamer in me is mad at them for fricking up and letting some of the best IP ever die all at the same time.

WoW 2 with unreal engine would reset the market and bring old heads back imo.

Wasn't there an idea at one point to merge Sanctuary (Diablo) and Azeroth (Warcraft)?

Well Wirt’s leg was in WoW as a cool Easter egg