
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
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 PublishingListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic 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
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For Anyone Interested in the Industry
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Throughout the listen I was surprised by Jason's ability to weave a coherent narrative out of various sources, projects, and insidious rumors of corporate politics.
A Revealing Inside Look Into a Renowned Entertainment Juggernaut
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Pure Blast of Nostalgia
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Excellent details give color to what you already know.
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The book itself is kind of a hoot. The author finds the narrative threads and keeps it interesting. I found myself vocalizing IRL many times in shock at something that he revealed. I’m not a certified elite gamer, but the book is definitely enhanced by some surface level knowledge of video games. For example, I’ve never played a Diablo, but when the book mentions they started working on Diablo 3 all the way back in 2000, I was like…oh no lol.
I think this book could become a future classic, too. Compare Blizzard to companies like Boeing or Blackberry - there are obvious lessons to be learned, despite the fact that we seem to keep not learning them. This book is a great reference of how and why the video game industry goes sour, but the pattern echoes across all engineering and technology companies.
Fantastic Narrator
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Interesting
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Schreier with another home run
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Great book. Great reporting.
Great insight. Worth a read for any gamer.
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Great story
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Fantastic write up on a legendary company
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