Jason Schreier’s new book, Play Nice, delves into the history of one of the prominent companies in the gaming industry.
Written By Brendan HesseTwitter on February 9, 2024 at 3:24PM PST
Very few gaming firms can rival the global recognition of Blizzard Entertainment. Responsible for some of the most popular PC game franchises, such as Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo, Blizzard has left an undeniable mark on the industry. However, recent scandals involving sexual misconduct and a myriad of problematic game launches have significantly tainted its renown. Jason Schreier, a seasoned video game journalist, records the company’s roller-coaster journey through the past 33 years in his soon-to-be-released book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment.
Play Nice comprises interviews with over 300 of Blizzard’s past and present team members across multiple eras, starting from the company’s initial phase of producing lesser-known console games, the successful Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo periods in the 90s and 2000s, all the way through to its 2008 merger with Activision and the recent takeover by Microsoft. The name of the book reflects one of Blizzard’s key business philosophies, “Play Nice; Play Fair.”
Play Nice will release on October 8. You can preorder the hardcover edition for $30 at Amazon. Preordering now locks you in for Amazon’s preorder price guarantee, meaning you’ll only be charged the lowest price and don’t have to pay until your order ships. The book isn’t discounted yet, but most books wind up dropping in price at Amazon ahead of their publication dates. It’s also available in a $15 Kindle edition.
Schreier has covered video games for outlets like Kotaku and Bloomberg since 2011, and Play Nice is his third book investigating the industry. His first book, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, covered the development stories of popular titles like Stardew Valley and Dragon Age: Inquisition; and his second book, Press Reset, details the working conditions and labor issues rampant in game development. While both books are worth reading, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is one of several books on video game history that are part of Amazon’s buy one, get one 50% off promotion. Some other notable works in the sale include Lost In Cult’s A Handheld History, Ask Iwata, edited by Hobonichi, and The Game Console 2.0 by Evan Amos.
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