NCSoft stealing Blizzard employees

Tacks · Post by **Tacks** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:05 am

lolz

An ever-increasing number of sites--including QuartertoThree.com and MMhell.com--are citing the post on Grimwell, which flatly states that "NCSoft just stole a team of developers from Blizzard in Irvine, CA." According to the site, NCsoft has been wooing away Blizzard designers working on the first World of Warcraft expansion. To make jumping ship more attractive, the company has reportedly opened a new office in Irvine, so potential defectors won't have to relocate to NCsoft's US headquarters in Austin, Texas. As evidence of the defections, the conspiracy-minded point to the massive number of new job openings listed on Blizzard's own Web site--positions allegedly vacated by recently departed employees. But while Blizzard did not respond to GameSpot's requests for comment, NCsoft confirmed its digs in Blizzard's backyard. "NCsoft has opened an office in Orange County and we have a development team there working on an unannounced project," said a rep for the company. (The rep would give no further details on the new game, as it is "a long ways off.") However, a source close to NCsoft told GameSpot that the publisher had indeed lured a passel of Blizzard developers away "a long time ago." "It's not even new news, really," said the source, who declined to say how many designers had switched employers. However, seeing how internal NCsoft studio ArenaNet was founded by a group of former Blizzard-ians--the creators of Battle.net, no less--it would come as little surprise if more WOW developers had signed up with the rising publisher.

Post by **Lyion** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:11 am

Don't they already have most of the original Blizzard people in the Guildwars staff?

Tacks · Post by **Tacks** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:24 am

Yep, most of the Battle.net people. This doesn't surprise me really. NCSoft is very serious about taking over america.

labbats · Post by **labbats** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:38 am

All your Blizzard belong to us.

Post by **Lyion** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:31 am

Taxx wrote:Yep, most of the Battle.net people. This doesn't surprise me really. NCSoft is very serious about taking over america.

It will be funny when Micro$oft buys them

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:07 am

Guild Wars is a pretty brilliant game. Like it more every time I play it.

Tikker · Post by **Tikker** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 7:11 am

I thought it sucked donkey balls

then again, I thought diablo sucked as well

Malluas · Post by **Malluas** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:35 am

it is a game you like or hate just like all MMORPGs

Tombs in Guild Wars is damn fun if your with friends. Pick up groups suck the balls

was fighting in the Hall of Heros last night heh

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:00 pm

Yeah I play with 3 old friends. We have a lot of fun~

Ginzburgh · Post by **Ginzburgh** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:05 pm

There is no gear in guild wars tho right? It's not like a regular mmo?

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:30 pm

Yes there is gear in Guild Wars. But less of it. And doesnt have quite the massive effect that gear does in EQ. Far more important are which skills youve developed, and which 8 spells/skills you choose to carry into a mission and/or battle and how you use them. You can only manipulate your hotbar in town. Once youre in a mission, you have those 8 abilities to use.

Player skill is the single defining factor for success in Guild Wars. And thats what makes it great. And the small scale battle tactics are perfect. You can get owned by a group of mobs. Refine your tactics and you can win the next time.

Its sort of an EQ-Diablo-Starcraft mix almost. Pretty unique game I think.

Malluas · Post by **Malluas** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:25 am

hey mofish send me a tell .. Kendrick Skullcrush.. thats the character i am usually on unless i am in the Tombs

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:25 pm

Sure thing Mall. Havent been playing a lot, out of town, busy, next time im on Ill add you onto friends list.

Im Sprach Zarathustra, 9th or 10th, cant remember Ele/Necro. Gonna change my secondary I think, I swear to god all I see are ele/necros.

Malluas · Post by **Malluas** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 3:25 pm

i have 2 pvp characters 1 is a air elemenatlist/mesmer (for stripping enchantments) and air elementalist/necro (with stripping enchantments hehe:)

Phlegm · Post by **Phlegm** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:12 pm

recruiting from rival companies happen all the time in all industries. No big deal.

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:27 pm

More to it than that from what I gather. Been trolling other boards, have gathered up some rumors.

Lots of devs defected, art people, some serious WoW brainpower and skill.

Vivendi supposedly fucking devs by not paying royalties over 100k units.

Not re-investing in the game, taking WoW profits and using them to plug holes in their sinking corporate shit.

Also rumors of nazi-ish bullshit blizzard/vivendi upper management. Sounds lovely.

Take these for what they are worth, just rumors.