
Play Nice
The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment
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Narrated by:
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Ray Chase
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By:
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Jason Schreier
About this listen
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.
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.
©2024 Jason Schreier (P)2024 Grand Central PublishingCritic reviews
"Jason Schreier's Play Nice is a riveting chronicle of one of gaming's most iconic companies. With gripping detail and unmatched access, Schreier pulls back the curtain on Blizzard Entertainment's meteoric rise, turbulent history, and struggle to balance uncompromising creativity with corporate America's unyielding pursuit of profit. Play Nice is a must-read exposé of the passion, ambition and dysfunction behind some of the most beloved games of all time."—Bradley Hope, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar Whale
The detail and research are very impressive!
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A balanced and interesting look into Blizzard
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Worth reading
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Play Nice
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Really interesting, but abrupt end
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amazing behind the scenes of the rise and fall
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5 out of 5 stars no drama
I love these books and love the author
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Compelling look into an industry giant
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The amount of people who were spoken to in order to write this book!
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For the listener it is not clear what the writer thinks. Therefor it seems neutral which I like.
The story about my beloved game studio hurt me but hopefully it will rise again!
Very informative
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