4 Reasons Why Blizzard’s Still One of the Greats

Transparency

One of the most notable aspects about Blizzard as a company is the sheer level of transparency they offer between their company and consumers. Just taking a quick glance over their official Overwatch Youtube Channel it’s clear by the sheer number of developer diaries offered that Blizzard wants to accurately communicate each change to their titles. Blizzard’s games go through a number of alterations over their lifespan, so it’s important to constantly update your fans on what is happening and where that title is going to go in the future. Doing this allows the player base to know that Blizzard is either addressing a known issue or still looking to deliver content to a title well past its release date.

However, this kind of transparency transcends beyond their simple developer diaries as Blizzard constantly discusses issues with fans on their official forums as well. This gives them a direct connection to their consumers and allows them to explain any new issues popping up in their games. In an age where developers and publishers don’t always speak with their fans, it’s this personal connection that Blizzard establishes that helps them gain the trust of their players.

Post-Launch Content

When it comes to supporting a game after its launch, Blizzard is perhaps one of the best developers at releasing a steady amount of DLC, events, and expansions. World of Warcraft is one of the most famous examples as this wildly popular MMORPG released back in 2004 and has been going strong for nearly 13 years. This is thanks to the constant feed of extra goodies that were released such as new loot, areas, quests, PvP add-ons, and full expansions that opened up entirely new areas. By doing this Blizzard has been able to keep a very old title relevant even in this modern age of gaming thanks to giving players enough content to keep coming back.

However, not all of Blizzard’s games simply release large content expansion as their newest game Overwatch has received a steady amount of DLC as well. Overwatch, since it’s release last year, has gotten two new heroes, maps, and an abundance of new skins, brawls, and events that offer something new for players to do. Couple this with the constant updates to their existing modes and Blizzard has already set Overwatch up for success for many years to come.

Embraced the Esports Scene

While many developers and publishers are beginning to recognize the size of the professional gaming scene, Blizzard has been a company that’s embraced it for years. This was largely thanks to the huge success of their real-time strategy game StarCraft which cultivated a massive fanbase internationally, allowing for a strong competitive scene to grow. Even with StarCraft’s sequel performing strong, within the esports world, the new kid on the block Overwatch is already making big waves.

Since it’s 2016 release, Overwatch has already produced a very strong following that has led to a variety of tournaments, including one that was aired live on national television thanks to TBS. This shows that Blizzard is more than willing to cater for these competitive players as well as those who simply want to play casually. A strong esports scene can help sustain a title for years and it also can attract more fans into actually playing the title in question. It’s great to see that Blizzard has continued to promote their competitive scene and offer players different ways in enjoying their content.

Diverse Games Library

Throughout their history, this company has offered players everything from MMORPGs to first person shooters to digital card games. Each of these titles are the top of their respective genres, with many of them receiving massive critical praise and impressive sales figures. Even though Blizzard is rather slow when it comes to actually releasing titles, the post content support helps alleviate this problem. Titles like World of Warcraft and Starcraft have revolutionized their respective genres thanks to the incredible mechanics, story, and gameplay offered to players.

Blizzard is a company that has time and time again proven that they more than deserve the trust and respect players have given them. Their impressive lineup of titles that offer a variety of experiences ensures that they don’t simply rely on a single formula for success. Yet, it’s the wonderful post-launch content, transparency, and love of the esports community that has made Blizzard one of the most wildly known developers in the world. It may take a few years for a new game to come out, but it will surely be worth it.