Activision's takeover of Blizzard was "like a frog in a boiling pot of water", Diablo 3's former lead designer has said.
Jay Wilson, who no longer works for Blizzard, spoke at a Diablo retrospective panel discussion at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo on 15th October, alongside producer Matt Householder and sound designer Matt Uelmen (spotted by TheGamer).
An audience member asked Wilson about the impact of Activision's 2008 Blizzard buyout.
Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: Will Konami succeed bringing Silent Hill back from the dead?
"Activision's effect on Blizzard was like a frog in a boiling pot of water. Early on, it felt like nothing," said Wilson.
"Later on, as business models progressed for products, it became more and more... the products that were newer, the products that were making money, had enormous amounts of pressure on them."
Those newer products included the embattled MOBA Heroes of the Storm. "They were just crushed in meetings with Activision where they were always talking about the bottom line, how to pull more out of that. Diablo 3 wasn't affected too much because we were very solidly a premium boxed model," said Wilson.
Diablo Immortal, the free-to-play mobile game released in June this year, was much-discussed internally before Wilson left in 2016. "They were talking about Immortal, but it hadn't actually started, that was all Activision Blizzard. They wanted a free-to-play Diablo really badly, and I didn't. Now, granted, by then I was off Diablo," he said.
After its release, Diablo Immortal was criticised for its monetisation, with some players paying extortionate amounts in-game.
Activision had a "big effect on all those business models and in my opinion, a lot of the higher-up people who left did because they got frustrated with all of that. I don't think they made those products better," said Wilson.
He continued: "There's a lot of bad things about Blizzard, there's a lot of great things, but I think the best thing when I was there, Blizzard had this saying 'we always want to be the guys in the white hats' which means we always want to be the good guys. So we always want to be doing something we think is right for our players."
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reported last year on Blizzard's Warcraft 3: Reforged flopping when it launched in 2020 as the result of mismanagement and financial pressures from Activision, which Wilson's comments align with.
Activision Blizzard merged back in 2008 to become, at the time, the world's largest video game publisher. Then, in 2013, it split from owner Vivendi to go independent.
Of course, last year Activision Blizzard was criticised for its workplace culture, with a number of sexual harassment lawsuits filed - the most recent being earlier this month.
Microsoft is currently trying to buy Activision Blizzard - its president Brad Smith said earlier this year that workplace culture and safety will be a "top priority".
Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1
Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair!
Get the day's most talked about stories straight to your inbox.
Ed is Reporter at Eurogamer, with an interest in streaming, people and communities, and giving a voice to marginalised people.
Please enable JavaScript to see comments.
Age of Empires 2 and 4 coming to Xbox consoles and xCloud next year
Plus, Age of Mythology Retold announced.
Vault 33 appears in first official shot from Amazon's Fallout TV series
V.A.T.S. entertainment.
Redfall's vampires take the spotlight in spooky new trailer
Activision Blizzard facing new charges from ABK Workers Alliance over unfair labour practices
Communications Workers of America responds to anti-union rhetoric
Wordle answer today for Wednesday, 26th October: What is the word today for 494?
How to narrow down and solve today's Wordle.
Age of Empires 2 and 4 coming to Xbox consoles and xCloud next year
Plus, Age of Mythology Retold announced.
Vault 33 appears in first official shot from Amazon's Fallout TV series
V.A.T.S. entertainment.
Redfall's vampires take the spotlight in spooky new trailer
Premium only | Off Topic: When racecar engineering is a puzzle to be solved
(Or some of the very best motorsport books I've ever read.)
Premium only | Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe.
Premium only | Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form
"Where exactly am I going?"
Premium only | Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole
Buy things with globes on them
And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store!
Bad puns and video games since 1999.
Copyright © 2022 Gamer Network Limited, a ReedPop company.
All rights reserved. No part of this site or its content may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder.