[s]blizzard[/s]
Browsing the GameSpot site, I came across an excellent feature on the development of Half-Life 2. I also found an ancient behind the scenes series on Blizzard in general. The story covers the development of several Blizzard games, from Diablo to Warcraft 3. It appears to have been written around the year 2000.
"Are you working on that damn game during the birth of our daughter?" she shouted. Strain's fingers stopped dead on the keyboard. He glanced up from the monitor to retort: "It's not 'that damn game' Annie. It's Starcraft!"Personal trials, early history, trivia and corporate philosophy are all there. Did you know that Blizzard was almost named Chaos Entertainment until the word "blizzard" was chosen out of a dictionary?
"We love our fans, but we need to focus on the game," admits Rob Pardo, project leader on Warcraft III. Whereas some developers spend countless hours every day updating fans through online Web sites, Blizzard's employees are seldom seen online.Developing great games requires good employees, and they are a tight-knit group. "You are leaving your friends and your whole social life when you leave Blizzard", says Rob Pardo. Their hard work is rewarded too, at five years of service, employees are rewarded with the "five-year sword". Blizzard sets high standards, such that Bill Roper feels that "[Blizzard doesn't] get rated on the game-developer scale, but [they] do get rated on the Blizzard scale".
From the founding of Silicon and Synapse entertainment to the challenges encountered in switching from 2d to 3d, it's all covered in detail. For a company so clouded in secret, Blizzard tells a lot in this rare glimpse into the company's culture. A long read but worth it - you may be surprised, and feel some admiration for those who still practice the art of the Craft.
Links
GameSpot - Behind the scenes with Blizzard
GameSpot - More Behind the Game features
The years before the millenium were a golden period for Blizzard. Out came StarCraft and Brood War, followed by Diablo 2, as well as the failed Warcraft Adventures.
Browsing the GameSpot site, I came across an excellent feature on the development of Half-Life 2. I also found an ancient behind the scenes series on Blizzard in general. The story covers the development of several Blizzard games, from Diablo to Warcraft 3. It appears to have been written around the year 2000.
"Are you working on that damn game during the birth of our daughter?" she shouted. Strain's fingers stopped dead on the keyboard. He glanced up from the monitor to retort: "It's not 'that damn game' Annie. It's Starcraft!"Personal trials, early history, trivia and corporate philosophy are all there. Did you know that Blizzard was almost named Chaos Entertainment until the word "blizzard" was chosen out of a dictionary?
"We love our fans, but we need to focus on the game," admits Rob Pardo, project leader on Warcraft III. Whereas some developers spend countless hours every day updating fans through online Web sites, Blizzard's employees are seldom seen online.Developing great games requires good employees, and they are a tight-knit group. "You are leaving your friends and your whole social life when you leave Blizzard", says Rob Pardo. Their hard work is rewarded too, at five years of service, employees are rewarded with the "five-year sword". Blizzard sets high standards, such that Bill Roper feels that "[Blizzard doesn't] get rated on the game-developer scale, but [they] do get rated on the Blizzard scale".
From the founding of Silicon and Synapse entertainment to the challenges encountered in switching from 2d to 3d, it's all covered in detail. For a company so clouded in secret, Blizzard tells a lot in this rare glimpse into the company's culture. A long read but worth it - you may be surprised, and feel some admiration for those who still practice the art of the Craft.
Links
GameSpot - Behind the scenes with Blizzard
GameSpot - More Behind the Game features
