I cannot, in good conscience

#1

I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support Blizzard games.

They announce record profits, then promptly announce that they’re laying off 8% of their workforce.

That’s just callous. It would be different if ActivisionBlizzard was in serious difficulty, and faced an uncertain future unless it did something drastic. But it doesn’t. At worst, the 2019 forecast is that profits may drop. Not a loss, just a one-off drop in profits.

Yet it still did something this drastic anyway.

Now, I’m pretty sure that a lot of companies out there are similarly callous. And the question is - do I look at all of them and similarly boycott them?

No.

Firstly, because Blizzard’s games are completely non-essential to me. I loved playing them, but there’s no significant impact to me to simply giving them up.

Secondly, because gamers have a closer relationship (both love and hate) to game development companies than virtually any other company/customer base around. And this behaviour really strikes home unexpectedly. It feels surprisingly personal.

Anyway, I thought I’d share. Don’t hold back on comments. I won’t be offended… primarily because I won’t be reading them.

I wish you all the best of luck.

#2

Don’t leave me here alone with all the psychopaths who don’t care…

(Dayon) #3

Stocks aren’t great. They might have had a profitable year but investors may not like what’s happening. There’s honestly probably a lot that we aren’t aware of, and they’re probably cutting staff in anticipation of a bad incoming year, not because they had a stellar one.

They have to think ahead. I suspect there’s a but of a monkey’s paw thing going on. Their practices over the last year or two might have done really well, and generated a record sales year, but maybe those practices have now landed them in the toilet and they’re gonna have to pay for the bad will they’ve got with the community right now.

I wouldn’t go moralizing the decision. You don’t have to be happy about it, but it was probably necessary for Blizzard not to go under.

(Voxplaga) #4

Well, it’s going to be rough when you realize you can’t support any business because they all do this.

(Honcus) #5

IF we all quit playing the games thousands more would lose job but the executives that did this would still win. Why because they will still be rich so be outrages but massive amounts of people quiting wouldn’t do anything but harm.

Its funny because I remember not to long ago tons of people advocating for more or less this weather they will admit it or not.

#6

So much of their profit is shifting to the shop… Instead of more subscriptions they are bleeding the subs they still have for 3 times the money… it can’t be sustained. They need to go back to investing in the game play/story etc to increase subs and back off the pixel sells. OCD collecting them all only works on some people, and burns out. Look at pokemon go, it had a great run but who still floods the parks looking for more these days? Actual monthly subs need a boost, not the same 5 people spending enough to bring in the same as 15 people by bloating the shop.

(Stompypotato) #7

Maybe the amish culture will see a revival. I understand they are fairly self sufficient.

#8

Can I have your stuff then, you sure won’t be needing it because there is no way you should be coming back.

Oh, nvm. Looked at your armory no pets and you spent more time unsubbed over the last 10 years than you did subbed anyway - you probably don’t have much.

(Carhagen) #9

So you cannot support a company that takes preemptive measures for lean years? Because that’s what they did.

The 2018 fiscal year results were great for the company. The 2019 fiscal year results are going to be much worse as they have no games releasing during the 2019 fiscal year. High expenditure, low income.

Does the timing suck? Yes, but it was going to happen anyway, and it needed to happen, given that they are expecting a 13% drop for the 2019 fiscal year which is a big deal.

#10

The only company I even remotely have a relationship with is the one that puts money in my bank account each week. I find it disturbing that anyone would care about any other company.

Phone sucks? Different phone.
Game sucks? Different game.
Relationship sucks? New relationship.

I highly recommend the Freakonomics on “The upside of quitting”. People value “sunk cost” more than “opportunity cost”.

(Voidarcane) #11

Ya it sucks that 800 total jobs (about 320 on blizzards side) are being axed but I am wondering which departments is being cut. Is it the HotS department where they axed the esports? On the Activision side does it have to do with Bungie leaving?

Also the next question to ask is are they going to be hiring more people after this depending on where the layoffs where at.

There are many unanswered questions so I am withholding my judgment for the most part.

(Smadinker) #12

Layoffs are part of the real world, you know, the adult world. You guys will understand when you get older and get jobs beyond fast food. The real world is going to hit many of you really hard when you get there.

Quit a game because it sucks, not because a real company in the adult world does real company things.

Edit - but yeah, OP, I would imagine we could agree that the old Blizzard is gone. The old Blizzard is what made WoW what it is today and we won’t ever have it back.

(Tarc) #13

Will this newfound activism extend to corporations that make things you use every day, or is your poutrage (not a typo) selective?

#14

Did the Horde recruit some kinda new flavor o’ elf?

It’s awfully floral in here all o’ sudden.

(Spiçy) #15

Op if this upsets you enough to vote with your wallet then do it. It’s your choice and sadly it’s the only voice you have in all of this

I hope you find something great that brings you happiness.

(Phydeaux) #16

Finally a topic we can agree on!!!

This is true. The layoffs had nothing to do with their performance in 2018, it is all related to their 2019 forecast.

The thing people fail to realize is that as far as the stock market goes, you are either moving up or moving down. It’s not like Blizzard can’t dip into savings and pay for other things, it’s that their balance sheets will still show the gains or losses.

This was a necessary step to take to avoid what would naturally occur with lower profits and a bloated bottom line.

#17

Ignorance is bliss sometimes… but in this case, it can lead to knee-jerk reactions and bad decisions. As others have already said, leave if you aren’t enjoying the game, but don’t leave as an activist for something you clearly are not very informed about.

(Littlefella) #18

You must have a hard time buying anything because this kind of thing happens all the time. Some companies even do it to stimulate the people that are left.

The one that got me years ago was GM I think. They made like 3 billion one year so they closed around 7 plants to see if they could make 5 billion the next. It’s just the way it is.

(Rhielle) #19

It’s not that people don’t care. They do care that people lost their jobs.

They just understand the bigger picture and aren’t blowing things out of proportion.

(Leatherfoot) #20

This mindset is the problem.

It’s not an ethical decision. It’s business.

[insert Billy Madison meme]