Blizzard Entertainment’s community game festival’Blizz Conline’ was held online on the 20th-21st (Korean time). Blizzard has been holding’BlizzCon’, an event for its game fans, at the Anaheim Convention Center in the United States almost every November since 2005. However, due to the Corona 19 pandemic, it was forced to cancel last year and then replaced it online earlier this year.
Over 20,000 paid audiences gather together for two days to hold a festival with their favorite Blizzard games. Instead, fans around the world watch Blizzard’s new work, expansion packs, and updates for free through six online channels. Enjoyed the concept online event. Blizzard, which was founded in 1991 and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, wowed fans with works such as’Diablo 2: Resurrection’, which revived its IP that shook the global game market during this period on a new platform. Unlike’BlizzCon’, it cannot reveal a completely new IP, and it also left disappointment. There is also a challenge that it will be possible to continue its reputation for the next 30 years only if innovation that has led the global game market trend continues for the past 30 years.
▶A 30-year legacy that is still valid
It is true that in the Corona 19 situation, famous game companies at home and abroad benefited from the simultaneous increase in sales and users. However, it has not only had a positive effect. As working from home becomes more commonplace, the overall development schedule is delayed, the degree of completion is inferior, and business or marketing activities are not actively carried out, so it is clear that future growth engines are disrupting.
This also affected Blizzard, a US-based company that had the highest number of corona19 confirmed. The eighth expansion pack’Dark Land’ of’World of Warcraft’ was delayed for about two months last year, and it was about to be released. It is not easy to introduce a new IP every year, but’Diablo 2: Resurrection’, a remastered version of’Diablo 2’that surprised the world with the launch of the most spotlighted game at this year’s event with the symbol of the 30th anniversary (hereinafter referred to as Resurrection) is definitely a disappointment. In any case, development progress is not easy, so this year, we decided to use the legacy of the past 30 years to choose Silli.
When’Diablo 2’was released in 2000, the US Time magazine praised it as’apparently the best RPG of all time, the best dungeon exploration game of all time, and the best PC game of all time’. Since then,’Diablo 3’was released in 2012, and’Diablo 4’was first unveiled at BlizzCon in 2019, and a new job’Rogue’ was released at this event. The nostalgia for’Diablo 2’can be said to be unique. Therefore, it is possible to attract new users as well as old users through’Leisure’, which can be enjoyed on console devices other than PCs as it is newly upgraded.
The 2D-based original will be reborn to 4K resolution through full 3D rendering, dynamic light effects, improved animation and order effects, and a total of 27 minutes of cinematic video will be recreated. The impressive sound effects and soundtrack have been upgraded to support Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and assassins and druids are added to the existing five characters. Above all, it is the most attractive point that you can enjoy cross-play on various console devices such as Xbox, PS (PlayStation), and Nintendo Switch as well as PC.
▶ Tasks for the next 30 years
‘Leisure’ was not the only thing that attracted attention. While revealing the development status of new sequels such as’Diablo 4’and’Overwatch 2′, in the case of’Hearthstone’, a new expansion pack’The Barrens’ will also be released this year along with the classic war. In addition, the first large-scale content update’Chain of Domination’ of’Hearthstone Mercenary’ and’World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’, which are new one-player competition game modes, are also planned to be released within the year.
‘Diablo Immortal’, a mobile MMORPG that utilizes’Diablo’ IP, also received a good response in a recent regional test, and announced that it will conduct additional tests soon. In addition, in celebration of the 30th anniversary, Blizzard’s initial hits’Lost Viking’,’Rock’n’Roll Racing’,’Blackthorn’, etc., were updated to fit the latest platform, and a variety of lineups were prepared, including the Blizzard Arcade Collection.
However, it is not easy to maintain its position as a game development leader, which Blizzard has enjoyed for the past 30 years, only by’IP recycling’. Of course, the people who know this best are Blizzard executives. It was also revealed well in the management interview conducted on the 20th online video. J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said, “In the game development cycle, we released a lot of new IPs at BlizzCon in 2019, so we can share the progress this time.” There are no plans.” Earlier, remastered versions such as’StarCraft’ and’Warcraft’ were released and received a good response, but he emphasized that there is no need to worry about fans’ concerns that this will disrupt the development schedule of other games.
Blizzard Senior Vice President Alan Adham said, “Blizzard has been creating a new world with new games for the past 30 years. This will remain the same for the next 30 years. More projects are being prepared than ever. New teams and games are being prepared.” “Through IP, the next 30 years will be Blizzard’s better heyday.” It is difficult to disclose right now, but it means that he knows better than anyone that it is possible to survive in the global game industry, where competition is fiercer than any other field only by continuously releasing new IPs and succeeding.
The two executives said, “Korea is like a’second hometown’ for Blizzard. Thanks to the Korean game community, Blizzard has been a huge success.” “In the future, the game world will grow with the development of technology including VR (virtual reality). “The future of the MMORPG genre, which is the most popular in Korea, will be brighter.” It also revealed the possibility of re-launching the hit MMORPG. Reporter Nam Jeong-seok [email protected]