Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment

By Jason Schreier

Book Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND AN NPR BEST BOOK OF 2024

From a New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist comes The Social Network for the video game industry: a riveting examination of Blizzard Entertainment's rise and shocking downfall--"A fast paced thrill ride, perfect for anyone who has ever played a video game" (Ben Mezrich).

For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was once synonymous with perfection. The renowned company behind classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft was known to celebrate the joy of gaming over all else. What was once two UCLA students' simple mission -- to make games they wanted to play -- launched an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions of dollars.

But when Blizzard cancelled a buzzy project in 2013, it gave Bobby Kotick, the infamous CEO of corporate parent Activision, the excuse he needed to start cracking down on Blizzard's proud autonomy. Activision began invading Blizzard from the inside. Glitchy products, PR disasters, mass layoffs, and a staggering lawsuit marred the company's reputation and led to its ultimate reckoning.

Based on firsthand interviews with more than 300 current and former employees, Play Nice chronicles the creativity, frustration, beauty, and betrayal across the epic 33-year saga of Blizzard Entertainment, showing us what it really means to "bleed Blizzard blue." Full of colorful personalities and dramatic twists, this is the story of what happens when the ruthless pursuit of profit meets artistic idealism.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1538725428
• ISBN13: 9781538725429
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Read the book in a day or two. Enjoyed it, but with a caveat!

As someone who grew up playing Blizzard games in the 90s and attended multiple Blizzcons in the 2000s, I was REALLY interested in a lot of the players in this book. I wanted to learn more about Mike Morhaime and David Brevik. I wanted to learn more about the culture of Blizzard, and that's exactly what you'll find! The one major caveat I have is the writing itself is kind of basic. It's compelling because of the stories being told without, but it could definitely use a bit of cleaning up of the word usage throughout the book (how many times am I going to see the world idyllic in this book?). The stories are compelling and interesting with the author keeping his biases out of the way. The one major caveat: if you don't care about Blizzard or the business of video games, do not get this book.