Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard released WoW in 2004. You probably didn’t know, but just five years later, it was one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world, with over 9 million downloads and an increase of players flocking over to online games.
So widespread was this phenomenon that the clever people at Blizzard Entertainment released Warcraft franchise business that included merchandise sold in dingy shop basements to spotty teenagers until eCommerce took over.
That’s only part of the story – now for the demise of World of Warcraft.
The Demise of the World of Warcraft
Widely reported in the media, Activision Blizzard has found itself in a world of pain following an alleged “frat boy” culture that discriminates against women. Blizzard has been accused of unequal salary compensation, favoring men over women, and widespread sexual harassment in the workplace.
Following a two-year investigation, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has filed a lawsuit against the corporation. While Blizzard is quick to deny the allegation, the fact is the claims have been backed up by many current and former female employees.
The situation has gotten so bad that an employee killed herself after an office relationship went sour. According to another colleague, the employee had gone on a company trip with the individual in question. A male coworker allegedly “passed around” personal graphic images of her at a party.
The sad news is this is only one of many instances in which female colleagues have reported unpleasant working conditions. Only to discover that the toxic environment backed by senior male staff members frequently ignored the suggestion of sexual harassment and that the information passed to management was not kept private.
The culture of toxic masculinity was encouraged, making the working environment impossible, stifling creativity, and encouraging negativity, all of which translated into the game possibly adding to the dip in numbers.
Dip in numbers
Blizzard hasn’t provided official World of Warcraft (WoW) player counts in years. However, every quarter, it does tell investors how many “monthly active users” all of its games have – not just WoW.
The corporation is one of the most well-known and profitable gaming publishers, with key titles such as Call of Duty (CoD), World of Warcraft, Overwatch, to name a few. According to the numbers published, its games have lost two million gamers in just one quarter.
When Blizzard releases its current quarterly results with new data on how many active players it has across its portfolio of games, the results will likely back the view that gamers are disillusioned, and players are actively seeking entertainment elsewhere.
WoW is still profitable – revenue is up – thus, the data could indicate that some of the company’s other games are suffering rather than WoW. Still, as results are an overview, we will never know the true extent of the departure.
Any forward-thinking business knows if you treat your customers like they are an inconvenience, they will hightail it out to a competitor who offers incentives and treats the customer with the respect they deserve. Getting complacent at being top dog and you can expect your competitors to find a reason to take down your business.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
If you ignore your audience, you should expect gamers to deliver criticism. Some say WoW is “out of touch”; lazy developers offering too complex RNG-heavy game systems have all been common complaints.
Simply put, many players have not felt heard. They haven’t felt that their time and financial input is valued.
Fueling some attention are popular streamers who have taken Twitter and online forums to express their anger. In recent weeks, well-known WoW player Asmongold is credited with attracting many players to competitors Square Enix who developed FFXIV and Amazon’s New World.
Influencers don’t need much incentive to change tact and recommend a competitor, and often the reason isn’t money.
What’s happening now?
Staff at Blizzard have walked out, and many gamers have stated on social media that they will not log in to anything Activision Blizzard-related during the strike in support of the employees.
The franchise merchandising business has gone online and the pandemic has put pressure on most of the bricks and mortar outlets. Perhaps if Blizzard left the merch alone, it could concentrate on an in-house spring clean.
In a recent press release from Blizzard Entertainment, a letter from the president and COO Daniel Alegre in short says Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra have been named co-leaders of Blizzard, and their appointments are effective immediately.
Oneal and Ybarra will share responsibility for the company’s development and operational oversight. Both are strong leaders with excellent moral values dedicated to making the workplace the most inspiring, inclusive atmosphere for creative excellence and preserving our highest game development standards.
Do the appointments of Jen and Mike mean a clean sweep, or is it just more of the same? We can all speculate, and many will do just that, but only time will tell.
