- Blizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. After establishing the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, the company quickly became one of the most popular and well-respected makers of computer games. By focusing on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard Entertainment has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce. Based in Irvine, California, the company originally concentrated primarily on the creation of game ports for other studios before beginning development of their own software in 1993 with the development of games like Rock N' Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings. In 1994 the company became Blizzard Entertainment Inc before being acquired by distributor Davidson & Associates and later by Vivendi. Shortly thereafter, Blizzard shipped their breakthrough hit Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. Blizzard went on to create several successful PC games, including the Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo series, and the MMORPG World of Warcraft.
On July 9, 2008, Activision officially merged with Vivendi Games, culminating in the inclusion of the Blizzard brand name in the title of the resulting holding company, though Blizzard Entertainment remains a separate entity with independent management. Blizzard Entertainment offers events to meet players and to announce games: the BlizzCon in California, United States, and the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in other countries. - Contents
1History
2 Titles
2.1 Main franchises
3 Privacy controversy and Real ID
4 Warden Client
5 Legal disputes
5.1 FreeCraft
5.2 World of Warcraft Private Server Complications
5.3 Founder Electronics infringement lawsuit
5.4 MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
6 Battle.net 2.0
7 Companies created by former employees
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
10.1 Company and corporate
10.2 The Bnetd case
Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, CABlizzard Entertainment was founded by Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce as Silicon & Synapse in February 1991, a year after all three had received their bachelor's degrees from UCLA. In the early days the company focused on creating game ports for other studios. Ports include titles such as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I and Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess. In 1993, the company developed games like Rock N' Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings (published by Interplay Productions).
In early 1994 they were acquired by distributor Davidson & Associates for $6.75 million. The same year the company briefly changed its name to Chaos Studios, before finally settling on Blizzard Entertainment after it was discovered that another company with the Chaos name already existed. Shortly thereafter, Blizzard shipped their breakthrough hit Warcraft: Orcs and Humans through Interplay.
Blizzard has changed hands several times since then: Davidson was acquired along with Sierra On-Line by a company called CUC International in 1996; CUC then merged with a hotel, real-estate, and car-rental franchiser called HFS Corporation to form Cendant in 1997. In 1998 it became apparent that CUC had engaged in accounting fraud for years before the merger; Cendant's stock lost 80% of its value over the next six months in the ensuing widely discussed accounting scandal. The company sold its consumer software operations, Sierra On-line which included Blizzard, to French publisher Havas in 1998, the same year Havas was purchased by Vivendi. Blizzard was part of the Vivendi Games group of Vivendi. In July 2008 Vivendi Games merged with Activision, using Blizzard's name in the resulting company, Activision Blizzard.
In 1996, Blizzard acquired Condor Games, which had been working on the game Diablo for Blizzard at the time. Condor was renamed Blizzard North, and has since developed hit games Diablo, Diablo II, and its expansion pack Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. Blizzard North was located in San Mateo, California; the company originated in Redwood City, California.
Blizzard launched their online gaming service Battle.net in January 1997 with the release of their action-RPG Diablo. In 2002, Blizzard was able to reacquire rights for three of its earlier Silicon & Synapse titles from Interplay Entertainment and re-release them under Game Boy Advance. In 2004, Blizzard opened European offices in the Paris suburb of Vélizy, Yvelines, France, responsible for the European in-game support of World of Warcraft. On November 23, 2004, Blizzard released World of Warcraft, its MMORPG offering. On May 16, 2005, Blizzard announced the acquisition of Swingin' Ape Studios, a console game developer which had been developing StarCraft: Ghost. The company was then merged into Blizzard's other teams after StarCraft: Ghost was 'postponed indefinitely'. On August 1, 2005, Blizzard announced the consolidation of Blizzard North into the headquarters at 131 Theory in UC Irvine's University Research Park in Irvine, California. In 2008, Blizzard moved their headquarters to 16215 Alton Parkway in Irvine, California.
World of Warcraft was the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994. Blizzard announced World of Warcraft on September 2, 2001. The game was released on November 23, 2004, on the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise.
The first expansion set of the game, The Burning Crusade, was released on January 16, 2007. The second expansion set, Wrath of the Lich King, was released on November 13, 2008. The third expansion set, Cataclysm entered into closed beta testing in late June 2010 and was released to the public on 7 December 2010.
With more than 12 million monthly subscriptions in October 2010, World of Warcraft is currently the world's most-subscribed MMORPG, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG by subscribers. In April 2008, World of Warcraft was estimated to hold 62 percent of the MMORPG subscription market. In 2008, Blizzard was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for the creation of World of Warcraft. Mike Morhaime accepted the award.
TitlesTitle Year Genre
as Silicon & Synapse
RPM Racing 1991 Racing video game
Battle Chess (Windows and Commodore 64 ports) 1992 Chess
Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess (Amiga port)1992 Chess
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (Amiga port) 1992 Role-playing game
Castles (Amiga port) 1992 Strategy video game
MicroLeague Baseball (Amiga port) 1992 Sports video game
Lexie-Cross (Macintosh port) 1992 Puzzle video game
Dvorak on Typing (Macintosh port) 1992 Educational game
The Lost Vikings 1992 Side-scrolling video game
Rock N' Roll Racing 1993 Racing game
Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye 1994 Mahjong Solitaire
as Blizzard Entertainment
Blackthorne 1994 Platform game
The Death and Return of Superman 1994 Side-scrolling video game
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans 1994 Real-time strategy game
The Lost Vikings II 1995 Side-scrolling video game
Justice League Task Force 1995 Versus fighting game
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness 1995 Real-time strategy game
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal 1996 Expansion pack
Diablo 1997 Role-playing game
StarCraft 1998 Real-time strategy game
StarCraft: Brood War 1998 Expansion pack
Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition 1999 Real-time strategy game
Diablo II 2000 Role-playing game
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction 2001 Expansion pack
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos 2002 Real-time strategy game
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne 2003 Expansion pack
World of Warcraft 2004 MMORPG
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade 2007 Expansion pack
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King 2008 Expansion pack
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty 2010 Real-time strategy game
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm 2010 Expansion pack
Diablo III Under development Role-playing game
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Under development Expansion pack
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Under development Expansion pack
Titan (project name)[31] Under development MMO (MMOFPS rumored)
Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans Cancelled Adventure game
StarCraft: Ghost Indefinitely postponed Third-person shooter - Main franchisesCurrently, Blizzard has three main franchises in the gaming industry: Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft.
Notable unreleased titles include Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans, which was cancelled on May 22, 1998, Shattered Nations, and Starcraft: Ghost, which was "Cancelled" on March 24, 2006 after being in development hell for much of its lifespan, and whose current status is in question. The company also has a history of declining to set release dates, choosing to instead take as much time as needed, generally saying a given product is "done when it's done."[32]
Pax Imperia II was originally announced as a title to be published by Blizzard. Blizzard eventually dropped Pax Imperia II, though, when it decided it might be in conflict with their other space strategy project, today known as StarCraft. THQ eventually contracted with Heliotrope and released the game in 1997 as Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain.
Blizzard Entertainment has announced that they will be producing a Warcraft live-action movie. The movie will be released by Legendary Pictures.[33] They have recently announced that director Sam Raimi has agreed to direct the upcoming movie.
Privacy controversy and Real IDOn July 6, 2010 Blizzard announced that they were changing the way their forums worked to require that users identify themselves with their real name.[34][35] The reaction from the community has been overwhelmingly negative with multiple game magazines calling the change "foolhardy" and an "Epic Fail". It has also resulted in the largest user response ever on the Blizzard forums. This included personal details of a Blizzard employee who gave his real name "to show it wasn't a big deal". Shortly after revealing his real name, personal information was posted including his phone number, picture, age, home address, family members' name/age/photos and prior convictions.
Some technology media outlets have suggested Real ID is a good idea and will benefit both Battle.net and the Blizzard community. But others are worried that Blizzard is opening their fans up to real-life dangers such as stalking, sexual predators, and employment issues, since a simple Google search by your employer will reveal your online activities.
Blizzard initially responded to some of the concerns by saying that the changes would not be retroactive to previous posts, that parents could set up the system so that minors cannot post, and that posting to the forums is optional.However due to the huge negative response, Blizzard President Michael Morhaime issued a statement rescinding the plan to use real names on Blizzard's forums for the time being.
Warden ClientMain article: Warden (software)
Blizzard has made use of a special form of software known as the 'Warden Client'. The Warden client is known to be used with Blizzard's Online Games such as Diablo and World of Warcraft, and the Terms of Service contain a clause consenting to the Warden software's RAM scans while a Blizzard game is running.
The Warden client scans a small portion of the code segment of running processes in order to determine whether any of these third-party programs are running. The goal of this is to detect and address players who may be attempting to cheat in the game. As World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online game, the actions of a few cheaters can greatly affect the experience of the rest of the game's community. This determination of third party programs is made by hashing the scanned strings and comparing the hashed value to a list of hashes assumed to correspond to cheat programs. The Warden scans all processes running on a computer, not just the World of Warcraft game, and could possibly run across what would be considered private information and other personally identifiable information. It is because of these peripheral scans that Warden has been accused of being spyware and has run afoul of controversy among privacy advocates.
The Warden's reliability in correctly discerning legitimate vs illegitimate actions was called into question when a large scale incident happened when many Linux users were banned after an update to Warden caused it to incorrectly detect Cedega as a cheat program. Blizzard issued a statement claiming they had correctly identified and restored all accounts and credited them with 20 days play.
The Warden is not the first time Blizzard Entertainment has been accused of attempting to inspect customers' computers. In 1998 Blizzard Entertainment had a class action lawsuit filed against them for "unlawful business practices" for the action of collecting data from a user's computer without their permission.
Legal disputes FreeCraftMain article: Stratagus
On June 20, 2003, Blizzard issued a cease and desist letter to the developers of an open source clone of the Warcraft engine called FreeCraft, claiming trademark infringement. This hobby project had the same gameplay and characters as Warcraft II, but came with different graphics and music.
As well as a similar name, FreeCraft enabled gamers to use Warcraft II graphics, provided they had the Warcraft II CD. The programmers of the clone shut down their site without challenge. Soon after that the developers regrouped to continue the work by the name of Stratagus.
World of Warcraft Private Server ComplicationsOn December 5, 2008, Blizzard issued a cease and desist letter to many administrators of high population World of Warcraft private servers (essentially slightly altered hosting servers of the actual World of Warcraft game, that players do not have to pay for). Blizzard used the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to influence many private servers to fully shut down and cease to exist. Private or free servers sometimes charge a fee for providing players with in game items such as Epic sets of armor, weapons and gold. Some skills, abilities and quests aren't fully functional, creating a sizable gap in functionality between the official and private servers. Despite this action, thousands of these servers still exist.
Founder Electronics infringement lawsuitOn August 14, 2007, Beijing University Founder Electronics Co., Ltd. sued Blizzard Entertainment Limited for copyright infringement claiming 100 million yuan in damages. The lawsuit alleged the Chinese edition of World of Warcraft reproduced a number of Chinese typefaces made by Founder Electronics without permission.
MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.Main article: Glider (bot)
On July 14, 2008, the U.S. District of Arizona ruled on the case MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. The Court found that MDY was liable for copyright infringement since users of its Glider bot program were breaking Blizzard's End User License Agreement and Terms of Use. However the case is still being looked over by the courts.
Battle.net 2.0Blizzard released its revamped Battle.net service in 2009. This service allows people who have purchased Blizzard products (StarCraft, StarCraft II, Diablo II, and Warcraft III, as well as their expansions) to download digital copies of games they have purchased, without needing any physical media. In the future, it will store a player's "Blizzard Level" (similar to a Gamerscore).
On November 11, 2009, Blizzard required all World of Warcraft accounts to switch over to Battle.net Accounts. This transition now means that all current Blizzard titles can be accessed, downloaded, and played with a singular Battle.net login.
Achievements for the last 20 years
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
MMO Game of the Year - GameSpy
Best MMO (PC) - IGN
Best MMORPG - 1UP
Best MMO of the Year - G4TV
Readers' Choice: Best Fantasy Game (PC) - IGN
Best Expansion/DLC - Game Banshee
Best Multiplayer - RPGamer
2010 Gaming Awards - Maximum PC
Best Expansion - GameTrailers
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Best International Computer Game - LARA
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
PC Game of the Year - IGN
Best Blockbuster Game (PC) - IGN
Best Strategy Game (PC) - IGN
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game - IGN
Best PC Game - Gamespot
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game - GameSpot
Best Implementation of User-Generated Content - GameSpot
Best Strategy Game - GameSpot
Best PC Game - 1UP
Best Strategy Game - 1UP
Best PC Game of 2010 - Gamasutra
Top 10 Games of 2010 (#5) - Gamasutra
Videogame Deathmatch Winner - G4TV
Best Strategy Game - G4TV
Best Multiplayer Game - G4TV
Best PC Game of 2010 - Shacknews
Best Strategy Game of 2010 - Shacknews
Best Game of 2010 - Wired
Best PC-Only Game - Giant Bomb
Best Competitive Multiplayer - Giant Bomb
Best Strategy Game - GameTrailers
Best Multiplayer Game - GameTrailers
Best PC Game of the Year - Cheat Code Central
Best Online Experience - Edge
2010 Editor's Choice Award: Software - MacWorld
Top 10 Games of 2010 (#9) - Time
Best PC Game of 2010 - Spike VGAs
Best Performance by a Human Female (Tricia Helfer as Kerrigan) - Spike VGAs
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year - 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
Best Expansion Pack - GameSpot
Top 10 Games of the Year 2008, PC and Overall - GameSpy.com
Best of 2008 - Top 5 PC Games - Wired
Best Games of 2008 - Metacritic
Top 50 Games of the Year - Eurogamer
Top 50 Games of the Year - Game Informer
Favorite Expansion of 2008 - Massively
Best MMORPG - VGChartz
Best Expansion of 2008 - GameStooge.com
Editors' Choice - Gamespot
Editors' Choice - GameSpy.com
Editors' Choice - IGN
Editors' Choice - PC Gamer - World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Development of Massively Multiplayer Online Graphical Role Playing Games - 59th Engineering and Scientific Emmy Awards
Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Interactive Achievement
Design Award: Best Mac OS X Game - Apple
Visual Effects Society Award - Pre-rendered Visuals in a Video Game
Expansion Pack of the Year - GameSpot
Expansion Pack of the Year - GameZone
Game Informer's Top 50 of 2007
Top 50 Games of 2007 and Readers' Top 50 Games of 2007 - Eurogamer
#5 overall on PC, #7 across all platforms, and Gamers' Choice PC RPG of the Year - GameSpy
Editors' Choice - Gamespot
Editors' Choice - IGN
Editors' Choice - MacWorld
Editors' Choice - GameSpy
PC Game of the Month - Game Informer
IGN Readers' Choice Award - Best Expansion - IGN - World of Warcraft
Best Game of the Year Award - GameSpot
Best PC Game of the Year - GameSpot
Best Massively Multiplayer Online Game - GameSpot
Editor's Choice Award - GameSpot
Best Role-Playing (RPG or MMORPG) - GameSpy
PC RPG / MMORPG Gamers' Choice Awards - GameSpy
Special Achievement in Art Direction - GameSpy
Editor's Choice Award - GameSpy
Best Persistent World Game - IGN
Editor's Choice Award - IGN
Best PC RPG - FileFront
Best Massively Multiplayer Game - VoodooExtreme
Best of Show (E3 2003) - Wargamer
Best Persistent Online Title (E3 2003) - IGN PC
Runner up for Best Graphics (E3 2003) - IGN Vault
•Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Best Expansion Pack - Gamespot
Best Multiplayer Game - Gamespot
Best PC Strategy Game (Readers' Choice) - GameSpot
Game of the Month - IGN PC
Editor's Choice (90 out of 100 rating) - Games Xtreme
Editor's Choice (9 out of 10 rating) - Strategy Gaming Online
PC Strategy Gamers' Choice - GameSpy
94 out of 100 rating - Next Level Gaming
94 out of 100 rating - Gamer Play Networks
94 out of 100 rating - Game Marshal
94 out of 100 rating - GameAxis
92 out of 100 rating - The Gamer's Temple
91 out of 100 rating - Action Trip
90 out of 100 rating - Gameguru Mania
88 out of 100 rating - GameSpy
10 out of 10 rating - Game Chronicles Magazine
9.4 out of 10 rating - GameZone
9.2 out of 10 rating - GameSpot
9 out of 10 rating - IGN PC
8.9 out of 10 rating - Worthplaying
8.8 out of 10 rating - Gamer's Hell
5 out of 5 rating - GamePro
A- rating - UGO - Warcraft III
Computer Strategy Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Game of the Year - Gamespot
Game of the Year - Macworld
Game of the Year - XSages
Game of the Year - Fragland
Game of the Year - Cinescape
Game of the Year - Gaming Illustrated
Best PC Game of the Year - GameNOW
Best Real-Time Strategy Game of the Year - PC Gamer
Best Multiplayer Strategy Game of the Year - Gamespot
Best PC Strategy Game of the Year - GameNOW
Best PC Strategy Game of the Year - Game Revolution
Best PC Strategy Game of the Year - Telefragged
Best PC Strategy Game of the Year - OCAddiction
Best PC Strategy Game of the Year (Reader's Choice) - GameSpot
Readers Choice 2002: Best PC Game of the Year - GamePro
Strategy Game of the Year - Gamer's Pulse
Gamer's Choice: Overall PC Game of the Year - Gamespy
Gamer's Choice: PC Strategy Game of the Year - Gamespy
Best Non-Interactive 3D Game Cinematics - International 3D Awards
Best Cinematic - IGN
Best CG Cinematics (tie) - Gamespy's Best of E3 2002 Awards
Best Opening Movie - Game Chronicles
Editor's Choice (10 out of 10 rating) - Game Chronicles
Editor's Choice (9.6 out of 10 rating) - Gaming Illustrated
Editor's Choice (9.5 out of 10 rating) - SLCCentral
Editor's Choice (9.5 out of 10 rating) - The Entertainment Depot
Editor's Choice (95 out of 100 rating) - Action Trip
Editor's Choice (94 out of 100 rating) - PC Gamer
Editor's Choice (93 out of 100 rating) - Gaming Excellence
Editor's Choice (93 out of 100 rating) - Invisible Dream
Editor's Choice (9.3 out of 10 rating) - IGN
Editor's Choice (92 out of 100 rating) - Gamitopia
Editor's Choice (9.1 out of 10 rating) - Firing Squad
Editor's Choice (8.7 out of 10 rating) - Strategy Gaming Online
5 out of 5 rating - Games First
5 out of 5 rating (Award for Excellence) - Wargamer
5 out of 5 rating (Seal of Excellence) - The Adrenaline Vault
6 out of 6 rating (Drool Award) - Gamers Depot.com
9.7 out of 10 rating (Outstanding Game Award) - GameZone.com
97 out of 100 rating - Wired Play
96 out of 100 rating (Award of Excellence) - The Gamers Temple
95 out of 100 rating (GG Platinum Award) - Gone Gold
93 out of 100 rating - Game Rankings
9.3 out of 10 rating - Geek Haven
9.3 out of 10 rating (Game of the Month July 2002) - GameSpot
92 out of 100 rating (AOG Approved) - All Out Games
9 out of 10 rating (Mindless Choice Award) - Mindless Games
90 out of 100 rating (Gamers' Choice Award) - Game Over
8.9 out of 10 rating (Silver Hell Award) - Gamer's Hell
4 out of 5 rating (Top Game) - Games Domain
Best Animation 2003 - Digital Media World
Best Cut Scenes 2002 - XSages
Best Cinematic/Cut-Scene Audio - Music4Games.net - Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Best Roleplaying and Adventure Game of the Year (Gold Medal) - Wargamer
Editor's Choice (5 out of 5 rating) - Computer Games
Editor's Choice (4.5 out of 5 rating) - Computer Gaming World
Editor's Choice (4.5 out of 5 rating) - Game Pen
Editor's Choice (90 percent rating) - Gamesmania
Editor's Choice (8.8 out of 10 rating) - IGN
Best PC Expansion of 2001 - GamePen
Gamers' Choice Expansion Pack Game of the Year - Gamespy
Role Playing and Adventure Game of the Year 2001 - Wargamer
90 percent rating - PC Games (Germany)
89 percent rating - PC Gamer (UK)
89 percent rating - Gamestar
Runner Up PC Expansion Pack Game of the Year - Gamespy
Gamers Choice Award (92 percent rating) - Game Over Online
Pure Gold - Gone Gold
Golden Heart Award - Gamers Pulse
Whoop Ass - Voodoo Extreme
Games de Gold - Games.de
Freakin' Awesome! - MacAddict
Best Expansion Pack of 2001 - January 2002 issue of Macworld - Diablo II
Computer Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Game of the Year - PC Dome Magazine
Best PC Game of the Year - 2000 European Computer Trade Show Awards
Roleplaying Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Roleplaying Game of the Year - PC Dome Magazine
Excellence in Audio (Matt Uelmen, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford & Andrea Pessino) - Game Developers Choice Awards
Editors' Choice Award - Computer Gaming World
Editor's Choice/Game of the Month - PC Gamer
Editor's Choice Awards - GamePro
Best Network Game of the Year Award - Play Online Magazine
2000 Game Hall of Fame - MacWorld
Roper/Starch Worldwide Best of Issue (September 2000) - Computer Gaming World
Golden Fire Hydrants Award - RPG - Happy Puppy
Top 20 Video Games of 2000 - Newsweek
94 percent rating - PC Gamer
4.5 out of 5 rating - Computer Gaming World
5 out of 5 rating - Incite
5 out of 5 rating - Maxim Online
Direct Hit - Daily Radar
4 out of 5 rating - Computer Games Magazine
3 out of 4 rating - USA Today
4 out of 4 - Dallas Morning News - StarCraft: Brood War
Add-on of the Year - Computer Gaming World
Special Achievement Award: Best Expansion Pack - Gamespot
97% Rating - GameFan
9.1 out of 10 Spotscore - GameSpot
9 out of 10 Rating - Gamesmania
8 out of 10 Rating - PC Accelerator
5 out of 5 Rating - Warzone
4 out of 5 Rating - C/NETGamecenter
Best Mission Pack - PC Accelerator - StarCraft
Greatest Game of All Time - GameSpot
Number-one selling PC Game of 1998 - PC Data
Walk of Game inductee. StarCraft received a star on the floor of the Metreon in San Francisco in early 2006.
Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Game of the Year - Computer Gaming World
Game of the Year - European Consumer Trade Show Industry Award
Game of the Year - PC Powerplay
Game of the Year - Gamesmania
Best Game of the Year - PCFan
Taiwan Gamer's Choice of Game of the Year. - Chinese Edition of PC Gamer or PC Gamer (China)
Hall of Fame - Gamespy
#7, Top 100 Games of All Time: 2005 Edition, and StarCraft placed #2 among PC games IGN
#7, Top 100 Games of All Time: 2003 Edition - IGN.
#9, Top 100 Games of All Time - Entertainment Weekly/G4.tv
Strategy Game of the Year - Computer Games Strategy Plus
Strategy Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Real Time Strategy Game of The Year - PC Gamer
Strategy Game of the Year - Gamespot
Strategy Game of the Year - Games Domain
Strategy Game of the Year - Gamesmania
Best Real Time Strategy Game - Editor's Choice - Gamezilla
Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice - Gamezilla
Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice - Gamecenter
Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice - Duelist Magazine
Best Real-Time Strategy Title - PCFan
Multiplayer Game of The Year - 1999 Milia Awards
Multiplayer Game of the Year - Gamecenter
Multiplayer Game of The Year -The Gamers Net
Best Multiplayer Title - PCFan
Best New Multiplayer Online Game - 1999 Codie Awards
Best use of Online Multiplayer Gaming (Editor Award) - HotGames.com
Best Online Game - Reader's Choice - Duelist Magazine
Special Achievement Award - Best Story - Gamespot
Special Achievement Award - Best Multiplayer Game - Gamespot
Best use of Sound in a Computer Game (Reader Award) - HotGames.com
#1 Reader's Top 50 - PC Gamer
Best Depth - PC Accelerator
5 out of 5 Stars Editor's Choice - Computer Gaming World
5 out of 5 Gameworthy Rating - C/NET Gamecenter
9.4 out of 10 - Online Game Review
92% Editors Choice - PC Gamer
4.5 out of 5 star rating - Computer games Strategy Plus
5 out of 5 star rating - Mac 3D Total Action
9.1 out of 10 rating - Gamespot
A+ - Gameweek
4 out of 4 star rating - USA Today - Diablo
Game of the Year - Computer Gaming World
Game of the Year - Computer Game Entertainment
Role-Playing Game of the Year - Computer Games Strategy Plus
Role-Playing Game of the Year - Computer Net Player
Role-Playing Game of the Year - Online Game Review
Role-Playing Game of the Year - Gamecenter
Role-Playing Game of the Year - runner-up - PC Gamer
1998 Best Role-Playing Game - Software Publishers Association
1998 Best Multiplayer Online Game - Software Publishers Association
Best Role-playing Game of the Year, Editor's Choice Awards - PC Games
Ranked second Best Role-Playing game of All Time - Gamecenter
Editors' Choice Award - PC Gamer
CG Choice Award - Computer Gaming World
#5 Reader's Top 50 - PC Gamer
A+ rating - GamePen
90 Percent rating - PC Gamer
10 out of 10 rating - Computer Net Player
10 out of 10 rating - Online Game Review
9.6 out of 10 rating - Gamespot
5 out of 5 rating - Gamecenter
4.5 out of 5 rating - Computer Gaming World - Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal
1997 Game add-on of the year - Computer Gaming World
1996 Best Enhancement of an Existing game - Computer Gaming World - Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Hall of Fame Inductee - Computer Gaming World
Game of the Year - PC Gamer
Game of the Year finalist - Computer Games Strategy Plus
Best Multiplayer Game of the Year - PC Gamer
Best On-line Game - cnet Award of Internet Excellence
Best Strategy Game - MacWorld Macintosh Hall of Fame 1997
Best New Game - MacUser Editors' Choice Awards
Best Internet Game - Video Game Advisor
Europe Software of Excellence Award - Ziff-Davis UK
1996 Innovations Award - Consumer Electronics Show, Winter 1996
1996 Eddy Award: Best Game - MacUser
1996 "Best of After Hours" - PC Magazine
Real-Time Strategy Game of the Year runner-up - Computer Games Strategy Plus
Game of the Year finalist - Computer Games Strategy Plus
Number-one selling entertainment CD-ROM of 1996 - PC Data
Strategy Hall of Fame award - MacWorld magazine
#2 Reader's Top 50 - PC Gamer
Editors' Choice Award - PC Gamer
CG Choice Award - Computer Gaming World
Golden Triad Award - Computer Game Review
96-percent rating - PC Gamer
93-percent rating - Computer Game Review
4.5 out of 5 rating - Computer Gaming World - Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
1995 Premier finalist - Computer Gaming World
Editors' Choice Award - PC Gamer
Strategy Game of the Year runner-up - PC Gamer
Critics' Pick - Computer Life
1995 Best Strategy finalist - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
1995 Innovations Award - Consumer Electronics Show, Winter 1995
Four out of five rating - Computer Gaming World
92-percent rating - PC Gamer
Four out of five rating - Computer Life
History of the Company
In December 2007, Activision announced that the company and its assets would merge with fellow games developer and publisher, Vivendi Games. René Penisson, formerly a member of the Management Board of Vivendi and Chairman of Vivendi Games, would serve as Chairman of Activision Blizzard. Bobby Kotick, once head of Activision, was announced to become President and CEO of Activision Blizzard.
In April 2008, the European Commission permitted the merger to take place. The commission essentially needed to approve that there weren't any antitrust issues in the merger deal. On July 8, 2008, Activision announced that stockholders had agreed to merge. The deal closed on July 9, 2008, and the total transaction was an estimated $18.9 billion. Vivendi was the majority shareholder, with a 52% stake in the company.The rest of the shares were held by institutional and private investors and continue to be traded on the NASDAQ stock market, for the first 10 trading days post closing as ATVID, and subsequently as ATVI. Jean-Bernard Levy will replace René Penisson as chairman of Activision Blizzard.
Activision and Blizzard Entertainment still exist as separate entities. The holding company does not publish games under its central name and instead uses its subsidiaries to publish games, similar to how Vivendi Games operated before the merger. The merger makes Activision parent company of Vivendi Games former divisions.
While Blizzard retained its autonomy and corporate leadership, other Vivendi Games divisions did not. For example, long-time label Sierra ceased operation. With the merger, there was a rumor that if a Sierra product did not meet Activision's requirements, they "won't likely be retained." Some of Sierra's games such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon and Prototype have been retained and are now published by Activision. Also, due to the closure of Sierra, the Sierra Community Forums servers have been shut down as of the 1st of November 2008.
