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Play Nice
The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment
Brief Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 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, now in paperback. For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was...
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Play Nice
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New York Times bestselling author and the gaming industry's preeminent investigative journalist Jason Schreier examines a decade of problems at Blizzard Entertainment and the hostile corporate takeover which has put the legendary developer in a world of (Warcraft) trouble.
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Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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, now in paperback.
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 colourful personalities and dramatic twists, this is the story of what happens when the ruthless pursuit of profit meets artistic idealism.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781538725436
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 30 October 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Grand Central Publishing
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 34.0mm
Width: 134.0mm
Height: 212.0mm
Weight: 393g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Jason Schreier is the New York Times bestselling author of Press Reset and Blood, Sweat, and Pixels and a reporter at Bloomberg News, where he covers the video game industry. He lives in Westchester, New York with his wife and two children.
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