On day one of BlizzCon, Microsoft’s Gaming CEO Phil Spencer appeared at the very beginning of the show to discuss the future of Blizzard under Xbox.
In a nutshell, the company’s gaming boss believes “the future of Blizzard is brighter than ever” under Xbox. Phil went into a bit more detail about this, explaining how Microsoft and Team Green intend to “nurture the essence of what has made Blizzard unique” over the years.
Phil Spencer: “We’re going to empower our new colleagues in a culture of trust, inclusion and collaboration to continue what they do best – redefining existing genres, creating new never-before-seen experiences, and uniting players globally in new ways in Aezeroth, in Santuary, in near-future Earth and beyond.”
Phil also took the time to recognise the legacy of Blizzard, mentioning how it has a “care and a craft that is incredibly rare in this industry” and “occupies a special place in the gaming industry” – having pioneered and refined “so much” across the gaming industry, as well as introducing many players to online gaming communities for the first time ever.
“Think of Diablo, it propelled the action RPG genre forward, Starcraft spawned the foundation of what esports would eventually become and with Starcraft 2 it was a major catalyst for the evolution of games as live entertainment. World of Warcraft – changed not only how people developed and supported games but really it introduced a much wider audience to the concept of online communities. And Overwatch, not only reimagined gameplay but also the representation possible in class-based shooters. Blizzard’s influence is everywhere.”
He reiterated how Xbox’s commitment is to bring “more great games to more players in more places” and Blizzard would help the company achieve this.
Blizzard president Mike Ybarra also touched on this new era of Blizzard, mentioning how Blizzard and Xbox both believe gaming is a unifier and that everyone should be able to play anywhere and any way they want to play.
Mike Ybarra: “Part of what makes this such an exciting time for Blizzard is that we’ve never been more empowered, free, and dedicated to holding true to what makes Blizzard unique, than we are today… this is the start of a new era, so much more is possible”
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
