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Video: A game dev’s guide to staying satisfied and mentally healthy

Game development is not an easy road. Rates of burnout, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns are high.

That’s why, at GDC 2017, psychiatric care professional Dr. Jennifer Hazel and Framed game dev Joshua Boggs  explored the issue and offered some tips on how to remain well while working in games.

It was a good talk that spoke to the specific traps that the games industry can lure people into, such as crunch, competition and social isolation. The pair talked about how making a game can make you feel terrible, and shared techniques you can use that may help you come out of it afterwards a better person.

Plus, they provided evidence-based, clinically relevant tips about how to be mindful of your own mental health and what you can do if things get tough. If you missed it at GDC this year, don’t miss your chance to now watch their talk for free on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas

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Call of Duty: WWII Available Now on Xbox One

Call of Duty takes us back to where the series roots originally took shape in historic warfare with Call of Duty: WWII, taking place during the heart of World War II with an epic campaign, new multiplayer modes, and challenging co-op features that look to have us playing this thrilling game well into the new year.

One of the most exciting things we’re looking forward to in Call of Duty: WWII is the new multiplayer mode, War Mode, that gives a cinematic feel to its online battles, echoing the epic firefights we’d see in films like “A Bridge Too Far” or “Saving Private Ryan,” all wrapped into the frantic competitive multiplayer experience of playing online against other players. With objectives like escorting a tank through the narrow alleyways of a French village, to building a bridge while under heavy fire, War Mode looks to lend to a new level of strategy in Call of Duty multiplayer.

In addition to multiplayer modes, it can’t be a Call of Duty game without an epic single-player, story-driven campaign. From landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, to battling across the rest of Europe, we’re looking forward to experiencing the bonds of comradery against the backdrop of the unforgiving nature of war.

Call of Duty: WWII is available on Xbox One in a variety of editions starting today. There’s the standard edition available for $59.99 USD and the Call of Duty: WWII – Digital Deluxe Edition for $99.99 USD that includes the Season Pass, providing additional content updates to the game throughout 2018.

For all the latest news on Call of Duty: WWII on Xbox One, in addition all of the upcoming Xbox releases this holiday season, be sure to keep it tuned to Xbox Wire.

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Get a job: Infinity Ward is hiring an experienced AI Engineer

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: Woodland Hills, California

Infinity Ward is currently seeking a Senior AI Engineer in the Woodland Hills, CA area.  The ideal candidate will have five or more years of experience in a similar role.  This is an opportunity to work on cutting edge AI in the world’s premiere FPS franchise.  We’re looking for someone who comes to the table with new ideas, but has the pragmatism required to ship a video game.

Responsibilities:

  • Work with the AI engineering team to craft best-in-class AI technology for our next AAA title
  • Work closely with the design and content teams to bring new AI characters and behaviors to life
  • Contribute ideas for new AI architectures and technologies
  • Design, plan, and implement performant and optimized AI systems

Requirements:

  • 5+ years of experience in games, military simulation, or real-time AI
  • 1+ shipped titles working as an AI Engineer
  • Have architected (or significantly extended) an AI decision framework
  • Strong design sensibilities and outstanding communication skills
  • Excellent debugging and performance analysis skills
  • A love for competitive FPS play
  • Strong 3D math and algebra skills as they relate to game programming
  • Strong knowledge of C++ programming and practices

Pluses:

  • Use of analytics to guide behavior
  • Networking
  • Single-player AI systems
  • Working in and extending an established code base
  • Experience with animation technology – blend trees, IK, motion matching
  • Experience with C#
  • Previous experience with scripting languages such as Lua, Python

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

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Don’t Miss: How Overwatch conveys character through first-person animations

Here’s a fun challenge: How do you convey unique character traits and quirks in a game primarily played from a first-person perspective?

That’s exactly what Blizzard had to figure out while designing its character-packed multiplayer shooter Overwatch. At GDC 2017’s Animation Bootcamp, Blizzard’s own Matthew Boehm took the stage to explain how the Overwatch team ulled it off — and what other devs can learn from the experience.

It was a fun talk that dug into the artistic and technical challenges of expressing personality in first-person animation while staying true to the designer’s intent for gameplay. How would a gunslinger like Overwatch‘s McCree reload a revolver, for example — and how can you do it in 45 frames?

Boehm’s talk was interesting to developers of all stripes, and if you missed it the first time around you can now watch entirely for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas

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Blizzard has its own classic World of Warcraft server in the works

Alongside the announcement of a new World of Warcraft expansion at Blizzcon today, Blizzard Entertainment revealed that it will be launching its own classic World of Warcraft server at some point in the future.

A ‘vanilla’ version of World of Warcraft is something that longtime players of the game have been requesting for years. A classic server would offer those players a way to experience the game as it was in 2004, before expansions and updates permanently altered both the landscape and content of the game itself.

There have been numerous fan attempts to create such a server in the past, many of which have been met with threats of legal action from Blizzard since such running such a project requires, among other things, unauthorized use of Blizzard’s IP and reverse-engineered source code.

One of the more infamous attempts at doing so was the private vanilla server Nostalrius, which shut down in 2016 after Blizzard threatened to take them to court over copyright infringement. At the time, Nostalrius representatives said that over 150,000 actively played on the unofficial classic server.

The latest effort to do so was the fan-project Elysium (which was born out of that shuttered Nostalrius fan server), but that project itself shut down in mid-October following its own internal management complications.

Other online games like RuneScape have already taken to maintaining an official classic server for nostalgic fans. In that case, RuneScape developer Jagex says that maintaining both classic and modern versions of the game is something that helps it meet the desires of its community.

Blizzard has not announced when the server will go live, saying only that it is currently in development.

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The two-man team building Disc Jam as an eSports platform

Games designed as an ongoing service have become the new frontier of development – the proverbial “golden ticket” to drawing long-term success from a single product. The eSports model in particular has gained huge popularity among creators and players in recent years, as titles like League of Legends, Counter-Strike and many more continue to grow their player bases. One of the great things about this model is that it isn’t limited to the AAA market; Rocket League and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are both proof of that. But all of these games had to start with one crucial thing: a solidly designed foundation.

As the first title to come out of fledgling studio High Horse Entertainment, Disc Jam sets itself up with a simple but fun framework and big plans for the future. Conceived as a modern take on the competitive flying disc game in the vein of Windjammers, Disc Jam has players frantically sprinting, sliding and throwing in high-powered, score-based frisbee. But after launching to some success as a PlayStation Plus freebie, the growth of its player base slowed.

That might sound like a death knell for an eSports-focused game – but Disc Jam’s most recent update has added dedicated servers, skill-based matchmaking, crossplay between PC and PS4 and more. We talked with Tim Rapp and Jay Mattis (the two-man team at High Horse) about building a game with eSports in mind, sustaining that model with content, and how they plan to grow their audience further.

“As much as I would like to say we had a marketing strategy targeting a key demographic, it really just came down to Jay and I playing a ton of old Pong-likes and saying to each other: ‘Why aren’t there more simple, PvP-first games like these?’ “

Disc Jam takes a lot of clear inspiration from other games, and the arcade classic Windjammers was the primary influence. While Windjammers never got a sequel, it did maintain a dedicated cult following. Rapp says this was an underserved market that they wanted to appeal to with Disc Jam – despite not having an orchestrated marketing strategy.

“The word ‘underserved’ strikes a chord with me because it’s exactly how I feel as a PvP guy who loves arcade games.” he said. “As much as I would like to say we had a marketing strategy targeting a key demographic, it really just came down to Jay and I playing a ton of old Pong-likes and saying to each other: ‘Why aren’t there more simple, PvP-first games like these?’”

As experienced fans of the genre, they set out to create one of their own using Unreal Engine 4.

“The struggle, of course, is modernizing the experience so that it resonates with today’s gamers while hopefully capturing the excitement of those fast-paced coin-ops that make present-day sports games feel sluggish,” Rapp said.

“Rocket League’s success was encouraging, but not because it’s a self-published indie title. It’s because it’s an online PvP experience.”

Disc Jam was in development before Rocket League came out, but Rapp and Mattis still cite it as an example of how commercially viable a small game with an eSports model could be. “Rocket League went on to conquer the world despite very little pre-launch coverage.” Rapp said. “It was encouraging and even a little validating, but not because it’s a self-published indie title. It’s because it’s an online PvP experience first and foremost.”

This, according to Rapp and Mattis, helped give Disc Jam a better sense of identity: using core competitive gameplay to illustrate why simple teamwork and victory are fun, without the need to grind for levels or items that alter gameplay for some players but not others. “I think a lot of games today still wrestle with that identity crisis.” Rapp said.

Disc Jam may be a simple game at its core, but that doesn’t mean High Horse isn’t planning to build on its foundation. Many eSports-focused titles in recent history, like Overwatch and Street Fighter V, survive and thrive by adding refinements, balances and content over time. This is crucial for Disc Jam as well. “Being a team of two, we always knew that building games-as-a-service would be the best model for developing our IP and technology.” Mattis said. “It enables us to be flexible and shift priorities to better serve our players.”

One of the appealing things about sustainable games is looking forward to their content updates. This is how games like Disc Jam achieve longevity, but it also means that these games are never truly “finished.” Rapp says he doesn’t have a problem with that.

“Very early in my career (I think it was my first game, in fact), my lead told me ‘no game has ever shipped completely finished.’ I remember being disappointed to hear that, but over a decade later, I’ve come to embrace that simple truth.” Rapp said. “With Disc Jam, we have a pretty clear vision of what the game looks like 3, 6, and 12 months from now. We’re focused on new characters, maps, game modes, and more custom content… so that players can expect to see a steady stream of content updates while we continue rolling out new features.”

Disc Jam originally launched as one of the free monthly games available to PlayStation Plus subscribers. Rapp told us about the idea behind temporarily offering their new game for free, and the methods they’re using to gain players and concurrency.

“Player count is the lifeblood of any online game, and we knew that launching into Plus or Games With Gold would solve that problem and put the game in front of people without spending money we didn’t have on a massive marketing campaign,” he said. “Every business decision we made was guided by our main objective: build the largest player base we can. Launching into a subscription service was the best possible scenario given the project’s humble beginnings.”

Mattis also spoke about some of their plans to expand Disc Jam’s influence:

“We’re just starting to get going with some of the promotions we have lined up. We had a Steam free weekend which was amazing because Amazon sponsored the server costs and we saw our concurrency jump in a huge way,” he said. “But going forward, we have a bit of a ‘kitchen sink’ mentality. We’ve been making games for over a decade but this is our first time marketing one, so we have a lot of different strategies to try.”

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Declare Your Allegiance in the Battle for Azeroth™

All-out war between the Horde and the Alliance erupts in the seventh expansion to Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®

Recruit and play as new Allied Races, plunder the Islands of the Great Sea in search of vital resources, lead the charge in grand-scale PvE Warfronts, and more

ANAHEIM, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The battle against the Legion has left the world broken—but the shattered trust between the Alliance and the Horde could prove the hardest wound to mend. Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled plans for World of Warcraft®: Battle for Azeroth™, a new expansion to the company’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that will test players’ resolve as they champion their faction’s cause in a devastating new war.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005842/en/

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (Graphic: Business Wire)

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (Graphic: Business Wire)

In Battle for Azeroth, the fall of the Burning Legion has set off a series of disastrous incidents that reignites the furious rivalry between the noble Alliance and the mighty Horde. As a new age of warfare begins, Azeroth’s heroes must set out on a harrowing journey in search of new allies, race to claim the world’s mightiest resources to turn the tides of war, and fight on several fronts to determine which side will lead Azeroth into its uncertain future.

“Conflict is at the heart of the Warcraft® saga, and in Battle for Azeroth, tensions that have been simmering for a long time escalate into all-out war,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “World of Warcraft players are incredibly passionate about the characters and factions they identify with in the game, and this expansion will make them prouder than ever to declare their allegiance to the Horde or to the Alliance.”

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth includes new features and content that will put heroes’ dedication and fortitude to the test. In this expansion, players will be called upon to:

  • Explore Two Fabled Kingdoms: As a champion of the Horde, travel to the Zandalar empire to persuade the trolls to lend their naval might. As a defender of the Alliance, venture to the seafaring kingdom of Kul Tiras, home of Jaina Proudmoore, and rally its inhabitants to fight for your cause.
  • Recruit Allied Races: Take a new form for your adventures as several new playable Allied Races, each with unique racial abilities. Earn the favor of the Highmountain tauren, Void elves, Dark Iron dwarves, and others to create a new character of that race and add their strength to your faction.
  • Plunder the Islands of the Great Sea: Scour Azeroth’s myriad uncharted Islands and conquer an ever-changing array of enemies, environments, and objectives. Battle in groups of three as you race against cunning rival intruders—or enemy players—to collect each island’s resources and fuel the war effort.
  • Charge Into the Warfronts: Fight on the battlefields of a large-scale, 20-player cooperative Warfront to claim a key strategic location. Capture resources to build your faction’s forces, lead the charge as your troops lay siege to objectives, and fight the enemy commander to claim victory in this new PvE mode inspired by classic Warcraft RTS battles.
  • Infuse Your Armor with Titanic Might: Seek out Azerite, an invaluable new resource that has emerged in the Legion’s wake. Imbue the Heart of Azeroth—a legendary neck piece entrusted to each hero by Magni Bronzebeard—with Azerite to customize your armor with new powers and traits.
  • Battle to Level 120: Trace the corruption of the Blood God to the Underrot, unearth the secrets of a lost titan vault, escape from the Drust Realm of the Dead, and more as you quest through 10 new levels—then continue to grow in power through new World Quests, raids, dungeons, and more.
  • Instantly Boost to Level 110: Enter the raging conflict between the Horde and the Alliance prepared to survive on the front lines of a vicious new war.
  • Connect Through Communities: Join up with WoW® players who share common interests in persistent cross-realm Communities. Share strategies with members of your class, fraternize with auction house magnates, talk shop with fellow tailors, and expand your social circles.

To learn more about World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, visit the expansion’s official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com/battleforazeroth.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online gaming service, Blizzard Battle.net®, is one of the largest online-gaming services in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the gameplay, features, and functionality of World of Warcraft®: Battle for Azeroth, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Andrew Reynolds
Director, Global Public Relations
949.955.1380 x14301
areynolds@blizzard.com
or
Vanessa Vanasin
Global Public Relations Manager
949.955.1380 x15380
vvanasin@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

News Provided by Acquire Media

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StarCraft® II Goes Free-to-Play Starting November 14

Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning real-time strategy game evolves with free access to the Wings of Liberty®campaign, ranked ladder multiplayer experience, and all Co-op Commanders†

ANAHEIM, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The interstellar battle between the terran, zerg, and protoss is about to consume even more of the galaxy, as Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the ultimate real-time strategy game will soon be free to play.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005838/en/

Beginning November 14, players around the world will get free access to the full award-winning Wings of Liberty® campaign and the elite multiplayer competition of StarCraft®II’s ranked ladder, including all the latest units and balance updates through the latest release in the series, Legacy of the Void™. Players will also enjoy expanded access to StarCraft II‘s highly popular co-op mode, with all Co-op Commanders playable for free.†

“StarCraft II is one of the highest-rated PC games of all time, and we’re excited to give even more people around the world a chance to find out why it has inspired such a passionate global community,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “With the massive Wings of Liberty single-player campaign, endlessly replayable co-op mode, prestigious ranked ladder, comprehensive map-making tools, and more, StarCraft II now delivers the ultimate real-time strategy experience completely free.”

Those who wish to experience later chapters in the StarCraft II story can purchase the additional single-player campaigns, Heart of the Swarm®, Legacy of the Void®, and Nova Covert Ops®, individually ($14.99 USD each) or together in the Campaign Collection ($39.99) through the online Blizzard Shop. For a limited time, players who already own Wings of Liberty (as of October 31, 2017) but have not yet purchased Heart of the Swarm will be able to get the latter campaign free by logging in to the Blizzard Battle.net® desktop app and claiming their free Heart of the Swarm gift between November 8 and December 8, 2017.

As a thank-you to the dedicated StarCraft II player community, those who already own any version of StarCraft II prior to October 31, 2017 will receive a special Eidolon Ghost skin and three portraits commemorating their founder’s status in the game after StarCraft II goes free starting on November 14.

StarCraft II is available today for Windows® and Mac® PCs fully localized into English, Brazilian Portuguese, European and Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. Learn more about the game at www.starcraft2.com.

†Access to ranked ladder granted after earning first 10 wins of the day in Unranked mode or Versus A.I. mode, or upon purchase of any campaign, the Campaign Collection, or the War Chest. Co-op Commanders available for play free of charge through level five. Purchase required to advance a Co-op Commander beyond level five—with the exception of Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis, which are free to play up to and beyond level five.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the features, functionality, and release dates of free StarCraft II content and the price, availability, and release dates of Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, Nova Covert Ops, and the Campaign Collection are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Andrew Reynolds
Global PR Director
949.955.1380 x14301
areynolds@blizzard.com
or
Bob Colayco
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x14198
bcolayco@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

News Provided by Acquire Media

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Gigantic developer Motiga has been shut down

Gigantic developer Motiga has been shuttered according to reports from multiple employees. 

As reported by Destructoid, the studio was apparently closed by Gigantic publisher Perfect World, which quietly acquired the company in May last year. 

Various Motiga staffers broke the news on social media, but studio CEO and co-founder Chris Chung confirmed the story with a candid statement, though he later admitted he might not have “all the facts.” 

“All of Motiga was acquired by Perfect World last year. Perfect World decided to announce the arrangement as partnership by the directions from corporate for the reason we were not privy to,” he commented.

“Yes, [the closure] was the corporate decision. It was a budgetary decision at the highest level. Perfect World as a public company has a profitability goal and they decided to cut parts of the company that were not profitable. 

“In short, Gigantic was not making enough revenue. Unfortunately, Motiga is not the only Perfect World studio being impacted by the decision.”

Although it’s not exactly clear what went on behind closed doors, it might not come as a huge surprise. Motiga has flirted with layoffs and cutbacks for the best part of two years, often making headlines for those exact reasons. 

It meant Gigantic had a rocky road to release, and had to be rescued by Perfect World after funds ran dry. While the game finally launched earlier this year, it’s now unclear what the future holds for the free-to-play MOBA.

Update: Gamasutra has received confirmation from Perfect World that significant layoffs have occurred at Motiga, reducing the staff to only a “core team of developers” to support Gigantic. Additionally, the publisher has revealed that it has closed Runic Games’ Seattle office. The full statement can be found below:

“Following the news that Motiga has reduced the staff of its studio, Perfect World Entertainment can confirm that as the publisher of Gigantic, the game will continue to be available on our platforms. A core team of developers remains at Motiga, who will work with us to support the game and its players, including moving full steam ahead with the upcoming November update and future content. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions in making Gigantic the outstanding experience it is today.
 
Perfect World Entertainment recently closed the Seattle office of Runic Games as part of the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service. We’re grateful to the team for all of their hard work bringing incredible experiences like Torchlight, Torchlight 2 and Hob to life. Runic Games will remain a part of Perfect World Entertainment’s portfolio of studios, and its games will continue to be available to players, as we stay committed to supporting and growing Runic Games’ beloved franchises.
 
The staff reduction at Motiga and the closure of Runic Games Seattle were unrelated. Perfect World Entertainment stands committed to delivering the best massively multiplayer online gameplay experiences to our players.”

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Long-Lost Treasures Await Hearthstone® Players in Kobolds & Catacombs™

Explore Azeroth’s deepest dungeons and collect 135 new cards in the next expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s internationally acclaimed digital card game coming in December

Delve into the new single-player Dungeon Run mode for a relentless and endlessly replayable challenge that’s completely free to all players—no prebuilt decks required

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Venture into the dark, winding dungeons deep beneath Azeroth in search of ancient, legendary treasures in Kobolds & Catacombs™, the upcoming expansion for Hearthstone®, Blizzard Entertainment’s smash-hit digital card game due out in December. Those daring enough to brave the hazards and monstrosities of this subterranean realm will have ample chance to stuff their bags with awe-inspiring treasures in the form of 135 wondrous new cards!

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005840/en/

Get ready to dive into Kobolds and Catacombs™, the upcoming expansion for Blizzard Entertainment's s ...

Get ready to dive into Kobolds and Catacombs™, the upcoming expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s smash-hit digital card game, Hearthstone®, coming this December. (Photo: Business Wire)

Pesky Kobolds have been tunneling beneath Azeroth for thousands of years, uncovering and hoarding artifacts long forgotten by mortals and surface dwellers . . . but whispers of these mighty treasures ripe for the taking have begun to spread throughout taverns far and wide. Some of the most alluring rumors speak of powerful Spellstones among the 135 cards included in Kobolds & Catacombs: enchanted items that you hold in your hand to empower before playing. Intrepid adventurers will also be able to arm themselves with one of nine new class-specific Legendary Weapons! Players will receive one free Legendary Weapon the first time they log in to Hearthstone after Kobolds & Catacombs has launched.

The bravest and most foolhardy adventurers will need all the help they can get as they delve into Hearthstone’s free new single-player game mode: Dungeon Runs! Coming with the launch of Kobolds & Catacombs, Dungeon Runs will send Hearthstone players on challenging, high-stakes subterranean adventures inspired by the classic fantasy dungeon crawl. Players start with a novice deck from their class of choice and face a series of progressively stronger foes, randomly selected from a huge pool of unique bosses. As they progress, they’ll bolster their decks with cards looted from defeated bosses, including some immensely powerful treasures exclusive to Dungeon Runs. Heroes should plunder with caution, however, because losing a single battle will spell the end of their Dungeon Run.

Coming this December to Windows® and Mac® PCs; Windows, iOS, and Android™ tablets; and mobile phones, Kobolds & Catacombs card packs will be winnable in Hearthstone‘s Arena mode and players can purchase them with in-game gold or real money at the same prices as Hearthstone’s other card packs. Starting today and up until the expansion is released, eager treasure seekers can pre-purchase Kobolds & Catacombs card packs in a special 50-pack bundle for a one-time price of $49.99 on Blizzard Battle.net and in Blizzard’s game shop (one purchase per account) and receive the sparkling, jewel-encrusted “For the Hoard!” card back for free! Starting November 6, this pre-purchase offer will also be available in-app for iOS and Android players for 49.99 USD, and will reflect local pricing in Canada for 69.99 CAD.

Feast your eyes on the treasures that await at KoboldsandCatacombs.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multifranchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:

Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about pricing, preorder dates, release dates, features, and functionality of the Kobolds & Catacombs expansion for Hearthstone, as well as the release dates, features, and functionality of Dungeon Runs, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Christine Yeo
PR Manager
+ 1-949-955-1380 x61002
cyeo@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

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