The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast: Can Blizzard recover from Blitzchung?
We discuss the wider impact of the backlash against the World of Warcraft publisher
The latest episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast is now available to download and focuses on the worldwide controversy surrounding Blizzard.
James, Brendan, Rebekah and new starter Marie discuss the ongoing fallout of the publisher's punishment for pro Hearthstone player Chung 'Blitzchung' Ng Wai.
We discuss the severity of the original punishment, the apparent lack of process through which this was reached, and how widespread the backlash has become.
We also touch on the implications for other publishers with direct ties to China and its companies, and consider the long-term impact for Blizzard, especially with Blizzcon around the corner.
(After recording, Blizzard released a statement responding to the controversy and we address this in a short update towards the start of the episode.)
Following this main topic, we look at Ubisoft's plans for various animated series based on its games -- going on a slight tangent about the difficulty in making a kids' TV show based on a mature and violent games brand.
Plus, we come up with our ideal video-games-to-TV adaptations -- and fail to top Rebekah's suggestion.
As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
You can listen to our latest episode below, subscribe to our RSS feed, or download the file directly here. It is also available via Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, Player FM, TuneIn and other widely-used podcast platforms.