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.
