R.I.P. Blizzard

[Kid0_oIcarus]

IGN's VE3D
According to this Reuters (http://www.reuters.com) news story; Bill Roper, Erich Schaefer, Max Schaefer and David Brevik all left Blizzard Entertainment to "pursue other opportunities". Here's the poop:

LOS ANGELES, June 30 (Reuters) - The founders of the company that created popular computer game series "Diablo" have left their positions at a unit of game publisher Vivendi Universal Games, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The high-profile departures come at a crucial time for Vivendi Universal Games, which is the object of a possible sale by French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal (NYSE:V - News; Paris:EAUG.PA - News).

In a statement, Blizzard Entertainment said Blizzard North co-founders Erich Schaefer, Max Schaefer and David Brevik, along with a fourth employee, Bill Roper, "resigned from the company to pursue other opportunities."

Blizzard Entertainment, publisher of "Diablo" and "Warcraft," is widely seen in the games industry as one of the most attractive assets of VU Games, which has been languishing on the auction block for months.


Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I predict Blizzard titles won't be the same anymore...

[Alucard]

Me too. Ohwell, hopefully they all get together and open up another games company together.

[Bad1]

That really sucks for Blizzard. But their loss is someone elses gain.;)

[Seska]

Maybe the people coming in to replace them will be able to meet deadlines on time. I highly doubt that wherever these 4 guys are going to will be as lenient with deadlines as Vivendi were. Unless its their own company they are founding. :p

[Renegade X]

I don't see that much doom and gloom... it's the programers and all the other people a blizzard that have made the games great... most of the people that left looked like the Shingeru Miyamoto of Blizzard... their just a figure head and a voice of the company.

[Nindalf]

Originally posted by Renegade X
most of the people that left looked like the Shingeru Miyamoto of Blizzard

SHINGERU?? :irked"
ITS SHIGERU! That was better be an typo, because if you mocked the greatest game maker of all times you will SUFFER!! :angry:

Anyhow, Only decent game Blizzard ever made was Warcraft so i dont care. Even though i doubt they will go out of business or anything.

[Kid0_oIcarus]

Shows how much YOU know..

Blizzard has made the awesome Lost Vikings and Rock n' Roll Racing for the SNES (I think they're being re-release for the GBA)

For the PC they've got Diablo and Diablo II, the expansion to DII, as well as Warcraft I-III and the expansion to WCIII, as well as, STARCRAFT and its expansion.. OMG THEY ARE TEH l33t.. the world is over now that Roper and co. left. :spinface:

Seriously though, I wonder if this will have much of an effect on the company.. I know Vivendi's not too happy, since they were planning on selling their games division and this loss has diminished that value...

[Nindalf]

Oh yeah, i forgot Rock n? Roll racing, but Lost Viking was just avarage IMO, and i didint like Starcraft. So thats make its 2 good ones in my books.

And I didint like Diablo, i have Diablo 2 and i played it for a day and that was it. Rock n? Roll Racing was the third best racing game in my opinion, cant believe i forgot it...

[vherub]

The impact of blizzard on the gaming world cannot be understated, they have been the kings of rts games, warcraft II (along with westwood's C&C) raised the bar for strategy games, and Blizzard continued to build on that with starcraft and the recent warcraft III (whether the decision to make the next starcraft a fps prompted the leaving of these cofounders is speculative but would be a bad prognosis for future projects)
Diablo singlehandled revived the sputering rpg genre that had previously been plagued by mediocre games such as stonekeep or anvil of dawn and the dying flagship rpgs series (see: m&m, ultima, etc)

Vivendi continues to amaze at their ability to spiral downward tho, whatever they acquire seems to fall ill (see: the once venerable sierra)

[SpaceManSpiff]

GOOD!!

Now Blizzard games will get even better and be released on time.

[Vyse]

With any luck they'll form their own game studio, kind of like when the guys left Black Isle and joined Trokia, and then they made Arcanum, look how that turned out. The sad part, is that Warcraft and Diablo are great franchises that I would hate to see in a downward spiral...I wish the studio as a whole would have left or something.

[Renegade X]

Yes, Nin, it was a typo... I only added an N (Shigeru) so do you self a favor and CHILL YOUR LotR/Nintendo LOVIN' BOOTY DOWN!!! Shesh, It's summer you figured people would claim down instead of stick the stick where the sun don't shine *shakes his head and just moves on*

Blizzard isn't going any where, just co-founders of the company left... in other words, figure heads and guy that brought the ideas for the games left.... the men and women that actual make the games are still pretty much there... unless they up and leave as well... Anyways... Blizzard isn't going anywhere until they give us another TRUE Starcraft ::nods firmly:: yep, not this Starcraft, trying to break into the console biz, Ghost sh*t

[Kid0_oIcarus]

Aw gimme a break, Renegade- you know you'll be playing that "shi*t" once it's out on the street. You know Blizzard is going to make it rock- how could they not? It's a freaking Starcraft GHOST for crying out loud. I used to mass the suckers in the RTS...

[Renegade X]

Originally posted by Kid0_oIcarus
Aw gimme a break, Renegade- you know you'll be playing that "shi*t" once it's out on the street. You know Blizzard is going to make it rock- how could they not? It's a freaking Starcraft GHOST for crying out loud. I used to mass the suckers in the RTS...

I'll save my reservations for when I see a review or play the game for myself... ::firm nod:: But until then, I will gripe about how Warcraft is getting all the Love and Starcraft is getting the shaft...

[Bad1]

I love Starcraft. It is better than Warcraft, IMO. I am definetly looking forward to GHOST. It had better not suck, that's all I have to say.

[Nindalf]

Originally posted by Renegade X
Yes, Nin, it was a typo... I only added an N (Shigeru) so do you self a favor and CHILL YOUR LotR/Nintendo LOVIN' BOOTY DOWN!!! Shesh, It's summer you figured people would claim down instead of stick the stick where the sun don't shine *shakes his head and just moves on*


Do yourself a favor and go get some sense of humor. :spinface:

IMO Blizzard started to suck when they canned that Warcraft adventure game.

[Renegade X]

Originally posted by NiN
Do yourself a favor and go get some sense of humor. :spinface:

IMO Blizzard started to suck when they canned that Warcraft adventure game.

.... The story was good for the game... the game it self.... SUCKED... I love Warcraft III but.... damn 3 warcrafts, 2 diablos... ONE starcraft.... come on Starcraft was like a million times better than warcraft.... though I will say I'm really diggin' the story in WC3: The Frozen Thorne so far... I think you have to like a deep story to enjoy a blizzard game.

[SpaceManSpiff]

Can anyone say........Diablo III? Or Diablo II 1.10 patch, that'll be fine too.:)