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動(dòng)視暴雪的電子競(jìng)技?jí)?

動(dòng)視暴雪的電子競(jìng)技?jí)?

Michal Lev-Ram 2017-08-27
動(dòng)視暴雪圍繞《使命召喚》和《魔獸世界》等暢銷(xiāo)游戲建立了一個(gè)視頻游戲帝國(guó)。現(xiàn)在,它想成為電子競(jìng)技領(lǐng)域的ESPN。數(shù)百萬(wàn)電競(jìng)粉絲會(huì)配合嗎?

一條滿(mǎn)身菱形花紋的龍從一個(gè)帶有圓點(diǎn)的蛋中孵出。它拋落外殼上斑斑點(diǎn)點(diǎn)的碎片,從巢穴中爬出,拍動(dòng)著一雙可愛(ài)的紫色小翅膀,一臉好奇地在四周游走。幾秒鐘后,三位來(lái)自外星的麻煩制造者突然出現(xiàn),并肆意嘲諷這個(gè)源自神話的嬰兒?!拔覑?ài)龍寶寶,特別是中等稀有的龍寶寶。”長(zhǎng)著三個(gè)手指的頭目陰森森地說(shuō)道。與此同時(shí),他和兩位同伙迅速地圍住了他們的獵物。

這個(gè)嬌小的龍寶寶突然發(fā)起猛攻,噴出一股驚人的強(qiáng)力火焰,將對(duì)手放倒在地?!芭?,好棒,小龍斯派羅贏了!”他傲嬌地大喊,并用他胖胖的,帶有爪子的雙腿在一個(gè)癱倒在地的外星人身上蹦上蹦下。就在這時(shí)候,一位戴著維京頭盔,身材高大的巫師不知從哪兒冒出來(lái),給了它一塊吃了一半的玉米熱狗?!八鼛缀鯖](méi)有被觸碰過(guò)?!彼f(shuō)。

在這一時(shí)點(diǎn),我完全迷惑了。(撰寫(xiě)本文期間,這種感覺(jué)出現(xiàn)了好幾次)。要是我年輕幾歲,并且是一位游戲玩家,我恐怕會(huì)認(rèn)出屏幕上這些生物是來(lái)自《小龍斯派羅》(Skylanders)的角色。這款價(jià)值35億美元的“互動(dòng)實(shí)體玩具游戲”是由視頻游戲巨頭動(dòng)視暴雪開(kāi)發(fā)的。從多人戰(zhàn)斗系列《魔獸世界》到用來(lái)消磨時(shí)間的手游《糖果粉碎傳奇》,這家南加州公司相繼發(fā)布了游戲史上最受歡迎的幾款游戲?!缎↓埶古闪_》發(fā)布于2001年,在6年內(nèi)已經(jīng)售出了3億個(gè)玩具手辦和其他玩具。

對(duì)于我身上那個(gè)假想的玩家身份來(lái)說(shuō),這個(gè)場(chǎng)景中唯一一個(gè)并非那么奇怪的部分是,它并不是發(fā)生在一款游戲中。相反,我剛剛觀看了《小龍斯派羅學(xué)院》第一季的頭兩分鐘。去年10月份,這個(gè)電視衍生產(chǎn)品在Netflix首次亮相。這個(gè)節(jié)目標(biāo)志著動(dòng)視暴雪翻開(kāi)一個(gè)新篇章。這家游戲巨頭正在嘗試著斬荊披棘,華麗轉(zhuǎn)型為一頭更加多樣化,更加龐大的娛樂(lè)巨無(wú)霸。

這家公司迄今為止的增長(zhǎng)(僅僅依靠游戲一項(xiàng)),已經(jīng)躋身高分榮譽(yù)榜之列。在上個(gè)財(cái)年,動(dòng)視暴雪創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄地?cái)孬@66億美元營(yíng)收,同比飆漲42%。過(guò)去五年來(lái),其股價(jià)漲幅超過(guò)400%。首席執(zhí)行官鮑比·科蒂克現(xiàn)在是科技類(lèi)上市公司中任職時(shí)間最長(zhǎng)的一把手——同時(shí)也是薪酬最高的高管之一。《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》最近報(bào)道稱(chēng),科蒂克是去年薪酬位列第十位的美國(guó)上市公司CEO,總薪酬高達(dá)3310萬(wàn)美元,其中近2500萬(wàn)美元是股票期權(quán)。(此外,科蒂克的約會(huì)對(duì)象也是科技圈內(nèi)響當(dāng)當(dāng)?shù)娜宋铩狥acebook首席運(yùn)營(yíng)官雪莉·桑德伯格。)

今年,擁有37年歷史的動(dòng)視暴雪首次躋身《財(cái)富》500強(qiáng)榜單。在游戲行業(yè),這是非常罕見(jiàn)的榮耀。此前,只有兩家以視頻游戲?yàn)橹鳡I(yíng)業(yè)務(wù)的公司曾經(jīng)登上《財(cái)富》500強(qiáng)榜單,即電子藝界和行業(yè)先驅(qū)雅達(dá)利。但這兩家公司都是匆匆過(guò)客:電子藝界僅在2010年躋身該榜單,而雅達(dá)利的榮耀也僅僅持續(xù)了兩年,即1988年和1989年。(經(jīng)過(guò)幾次所有權(quán)變更,雅達(dá)利宣告破產(chǎn),它現(xiàn)在隸屬于一家法國(guó)媒體公司。)此處的要點(diǎn)是:游戲或許屬于主流娛樂(lè),但游戲公司大多是由熱門(mén)產(chǎn)品驅(qū)動(dòng)的;截至目前,還沒(méi)有一家游戲公司成功地?cái)U(kuò)展到視頻游戲之外的領(lǐng)域。

動(dòng)視暴雪希望成為第一家實(shí)現(xiàn)這一成就的游戲公司。正在從該公司龐大的專(zhuān)有角色地下室走出的,不僅僅是以小龍為中心的電視節(jié)目,還包括英勇的蘇格蘭狙擊手和一位名為“泰瑞爾”的墮落天使——當(dāng)他出現(xiàn)時(shí),“地牢爬行”游戲《暗黑破壞神》的玩家們都會(huì)陷入癲狂。多部基于暢銷(xiāo)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)游戲《使命召喚》改編的電影正在開(kāi)發(fā)中。動(dòng)視暴雪最近成立了一個(gè)消費(fèi)品部門(mén),它肩負(fù)著基于該公司IP角色開(kāi)發(fā)動(dòng)漫書(shū)和服飾等消費(fèi)品的重任。

最值得注意的是,一個(gè)電子競(jìng)技帝國(guó)初具雛形。這是動(dòng)視暴雪為挺進(jìn)正在蓬勃發(fā)展的競(jìng)技性視頻游戲世界所做的一個(gè)重大嘗試。這個(gè)原本屬于利基市場(chǎng)的領(lǐng)域,正在迫近一個(gè)臨界點(diǎn)。2017年,全球預(yù)計(jì)有3.85億人觀看電子競(jìng)技賽事——主要是在線觀看,但通過(guò)有線電視觀看直播的觀眾日益增多。研究公司Newzoo提供的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,源自電子競(jìng)技的收入今年將接近7億美元;到2019年,這個(gè)數(shù)字勢(shì)必會(huì)突破10億美元。

如今的電子競(jìng)技聯(lián)盟所使用的某些游戲,正是動(dòng)視暴雪制作的。但它不再滿(mǎn)足于旁觀者的角色。這個(gè)行業(yè)仍然很小,并且足夠分散。有鑒于此,一家像動(dòng)視暴雪這種規(guī)模的公司完全有能力“強(qiáng)取豪奪”。去年,這家游戲生產(chǎn)商收購(gòu)了電子競(jìng)技賽事開(kāi)發(fā)商和分銷(xiāo)商職業(yè)游戲大聯(lián)盟??频倏烁嬖V《財(cái)富》,“它就像視頻游戲領(lǐng)域的ESPN。”

職業(yè)游戲大聯(lián)盟距離ESPN級(jí)別的統(tǒng)治力還有數(shù)光年之遠(yuǎn)。但要說(shuō)有什么區(qū)別的話,科蒂克的類(lèi)比其實(shí)并沒(méi)有充分表達(dá)他的勃勃雄心:倘若ESPN不僅分銷(xiāo)橄欖球賽事,而且擁有全美橄欖球大聯(lián)盟,同時(shí)還制作世界上的所有橄欖球,這種說(shuō)法可能更加準(zhǔn)確。今年晚些時(shí)候,動(dòng)視暴雪將基于該公司最熱門(mén)的新游戲之一,啟動(dòng)《守望先鋒》聯(lián)盟。該聯(lián)盟基本上將控制所有的參賽戰(zhàn)隊(duì)和所有游戲的分銷(xiāo)權(quán)。動(dòng)視暴雪認(rèn)為,隨著電子競(jìng)技觀眾的增長(zhǎng),這些機(jī)會(huì),連同贊助和廣告,更不用說(shuō)還有像T恤和帽子這樣的《守望先鋒》授權(quán)商品,將為公司帶來(lái)數(shù)十億美元的年收入。作為一項(xiàng)彰顯潛在收益的基準(zhǔn),該公司指出,NFL每年能夠從大約2.4億觀眾身上獲得120億美元的收入,其中包括61億美元的媒體轉(zhuǎn)播權(quán)銷(xiāo)售所得??频倏苏f(shuō),“十年后,電子競(jìng)技領(lǐng)域的頂級(jí)玩家會(huì)像傳統(tǒng)體育賽事的明星那樣光芒萬(wàn)丈?!?/p>

A diapered dragon hatches from a polka-dotted egg. Casting off the speckled shards of its shell, it toddles out of its nest and crawls around curiously, flapping a pair of adorably tiny purple wings. Seconds later, a trio of extraterrestrial troublemakers appear, taunting the mythological infant. “I looove baby dragons,” their three-fingered ringleader says menacingly as he and his cohorts encircle their prey. “Especially medium-rare ones.”

The diminutive dragon abruptly lashes out, disabling his opponents with a surprisingly forceful flame. “Oh yeah, Spyro wins!” he gloats, trampolining on one of the fallen aliens with his chubby, clawed legs. Out of nowhere, a tall wizard with a Viking helmet appears and offers him a half-eaten corn dog. “It’s barely touched,” he says.

At this point, I’m completely lost (a sensation that will recur several times while I’m reporting this story). But were I quite a few years younger—and a gamer—I would have recognized the creatures on my screen as characters from Skylanders, a $3.5 billion “toys-to-life” franchise created by videogame powerhouse Activision Blizzard (atvi, -1.89%). The Southern California company publishes several of the most popular titles in gaming history, from multiplayer combat series like World of Warcraft to smartphone time-suckers like Candy Crush Saga. The Skylanders franchise, which launched in 2011, has sold 300 million action figures and other toys in six years.

The only part of this scene that might have struck my hypothetical gamer self as remotely odd is that, well, none of it took place during a game. Rather, I’ve just watched the opening two minutes of the first season of Skylanders Academy, a TV spinoff that made its debut on Netflix (nflx, -4.65%) in October. That program signals a new chapter for Activision Blizzard, a gaming Goliath that is attempting to hack-and-slash its way into becoming a more diversified—and even more gargantuan—entertainment juggernaut.

The company’s growth to date, on games alone, already belongs on some sort of high scorer honor roll. In its last fiscal year, Activision Blizzard reported record revenue of $6.6 billion, up 42% from the year before. Over the past five years, its stock price has risen more than 400%. The leader behind that performance, CEO Bobby Kotick, is now the longest-serving head of any publicly traded tech company—and one of the highest paid. According to a recent New York Times report, Kotick was the 10th-best-compensated CEO in the U.S. last year, with a pay package of $33.1 million, nearly $25 million of it in stock. (Kotick is also dating one of the most powerful leaders in tech, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.)

This year, Activision Blizzard earned a spot on the Fortune 500 list for the first time in the company’s 37-year history. In this industry, that’s very rare air. Only two other videogame-centric companies have ever made the Fortune 500: Electronic Arts (ea, -0.39%) and industry pioneer Atari. And neither had staying power: Electronic Arts graced the list just once, in 2010, while Atari lasted two years—1988 and 1989. (After several ownership changes and a bankruptcy, Atari is now part of a French media company.) The takeaway: Gaming may be mainstream entertainment, but game companies are hit-driven—and none has successfully expanded beyond videogames.

Activision Blizzard hopes to be the first. It’s not just dragon-centric TV shows that are being spun out of its massive vault of proprietary characters, which also includes heroic Scottish snipers and a fallen arch-angel named Tyrael (players of the “dungeon crawler” game Diablo go fanboy when he shows up). There are multiple movies under development, loosely based on the bestselling war-game franchise Call of Duty. There’s a newly launched consumer products division, tasked with developing everything from comic books to apparel based on Activision Blizzard’s intellectual property.

And most notably, there is an “e-sports” empire in the works—a major foray into the booming world of competitive videogaming. That genre, once merely a niche, is reaching a tipping point. About 385 million people worldwide are expected to view e-sports events in 2017—mostly online, but increasingly on cable television and at live competitions. Revenue from e?sports will approach $700 million this year, according to research firm Newzoo; by 2019 it should crack $1 billion.

Activision Blizzard makes some of the games played in today’s e?sports leagues. But it is no longer content to have a spectator role—and the industry is still small and fragmented enough that a company of its size can commandeer it. Last year the gamemaker acquired Major League Gaming (MLG), a creator and distributor of e?sports events. “It is like ESPN for videogames,” Kotick tells Fortune.

MLG is still light years away from ESPN-level domination. But if anything, Kotick’s analogy actually undersells his ambitions: It might be more accurate if ESPN not only distributed football games but also owned the National Football League—and made all the footballs in the world as well. Later this year, Activision Blizzard will launch the Overwatch League, based on one of the company’s hottest new titles. The league will essentially control all the competing teams and the distribution of all the games. Activision thinks that these opportunities, combined with sponsorships and advertising, not to mention Overwatch-branded merchandise like T-shirts and hats, could bring the company billions in annual revenue as the e?sports audience grows. As a benchmark for how big it could get, the company notes that the NFL generates $12 billion in revenues, including $6.1 billion in media rights sales, from an audience of about 240 million. “Ten years from now, the role models in e?sports [will] be like the stars in traditional sports,” Kotick says.

在暴雪嘉年華2016上,新加坡《守望先鋒》戰(zhàn)隊(duì)玩家Marcus Tan Sin Yik與大批暴雪游戲粉絲見(jiàn)面。
圖片來(lái)源:Courtesy of Activision Blizzard

就目前而言,所有這些僅僅是美好的愿景。就像該公司最近啟動(dòng)的其他業(yè)務(wù)一樣,職業(yè)游戲大聯(lián)盟尚未帶來(lái)新的運(yùn)營(yíng)利潤(rùn)。即使它能夠迅速獲得成功,其收入也僅僅是NFL營(yíng)收的一小部分。不過(guò),現(xiàn)年54歲的科蒂克擁有輝煌的達(dá)陣得分經(jīng)歷。在長(zhǎng)達(dá)26年的CEO生涯中,他成功地將動(dòng)視暴雪從一家陷入財(cái)務(wù)絕境,瀕臨滅亡的企業(yè)改造為一家市值450億美元,在全球擁有17家游戲制作工作室的行業(yè)巨獸。動(dòng)視暴雪積極收購(gòu)其他游戲開(kāi)發(fā)商,持續(xù)不斷地?cái)U(kuò)充其熱門(mén)游戲版圖。

要想在游戲行業(yè)永立潮頭,你需要不斷增長(zhǎng),不斷發(fā)布熱門(mén)游戲才行。作為科蒂克的最新戰(zhàn)略,尋找從他的游戲IP中榨取利潤(rùn)的新途徑,是擴(kuò)大動(dòng)視暴雪主導(dǎo)地位的方式之一。如果這個(gè)主意聽(tīng)起來(lái)有點(diǎn)像迪士尼之道,嗯,迪士尼專(zhuān)家也是這樣認(rèn)為的。“他所采取的方法正在引領(lǐng)動(dòng)視暴雪走上一條類(lèi)似于迪士尼在過(guò)去15年走過(guò)的道路。”迪士尼前首席運(yùn)營(yíng)官兼首席財(cái)務(wù)官,科蒂克的長(zhǎng)期好友湯姆·斯塔格斯這樣說(shuō)道。事實(shí)上,科蒂克聘請(qǐng)了一大批迪士尼老兵來(lái)幫助他實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)愿景。

These are just aspirations for now. MLG, like the company’s other recent undertakings, hasn’t yet resulted in new operating profits. And even if it were an instant hit, its revenue would be a teeny fraction of the NFL’s. Still, Kotick, 54, has had his share of touchdowns. In 26 years as CEO, he has transformed Activision Blizzard from a financial mess nearing extinction into a behemoth with a $45 billion market cap and 17 gamemaking studios around the world, aggressively buying up other gamemakers and continually expanding its franchises.

Relevancy demands constant growth and constant hits, and Kotick’s latest strategy, finding new ways of milking profits from his IP, is one way of extending Activision Blizzard’s dominance. If the idea sounds Disneyesque—well, Disney (dis, -3.25%) experts would agree. “The approach he is taking leads them down a road similar to the one Disney has been on in the last 15 years or so,” says Tom Staggs, the former COO and CFO of Disney and a longtime friend of Kotick’s. Indeed, Kotick has hired a host of Disney veterans to help him execute his vision.

粉絲們聚集在暴雪嘉年華2016賽事的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)。
圖片來(lái)源:Courtesy of Activision Blizzard

不過(guò),科蒂克的劇本還是有缺點(diǎn)的。長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),動(dòng)視暴雪一直因過(guò)分專(zhuān)注于現(xiàn)有的專(zhuān)有游戲,不屑于投資開(kāi)發(fā)新的創(chuàng)新產(chǎn)品而飽受批評(píng)。為你的專(zhuān)有游戲陣營(yíng)注入新生命,和拼命地從它們身上榨取利潤(rùn)(進(jìn)而吸干了它們的生氣,趕走你的粉絲)之間,是有一條細(xì)線的。正如雅達(dá)利聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人諾蘭·布什內(nèi)爾所指出的那樣:“基于這些大型暢銷(xiāo)游戲的財(cái)務(wù)戰(zhàn)略,可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致陳腐,因?yàn)槟阆胱雎浠矫}第247號(hào)巖石,而不是創(chuàng)新。但娛樂(lè)的真諦恰恰在于給人以新奇感。”

哪怕你只是粗略地搜索一下玩家博客,你都會(huì)看到一些多姿多彩的抨擊科蒂克的言論。(西班牙語(yǔ)環(huán)球電視臺(tái)Univision旗下的博客Kotaku曾經(jīng)稱(chēng)他是“電子游戲領(lǐng)域中最招人恨的人物,”但該作者也表示,他曾經(jīng)跟這位首席執(zhí)行官進(jìn)行過(guò)一次“愉快的交談”。)大部分仇恨來(lái)自科蒂克對(duì)投資回報(bào)率的專(zhuān)注。他曾經(jīng)在一場(chǎng)投資者會(huì)議上表示,他致力于“剔除制作視頻游戲的樂(lè)趣?!钡珱](méi)有人對(duì)他的成功提出異議。

這位輟學(xué)大學(xué)生的開(kāi)發(fā)者生涯,起步于20世紀(jì)80年代初參與開(kāi)發(fā)蘋(píng)果二代電腦的時(shí)候。年僅19歲時(shí),他創(chuàng)立了一家名為Arktronics的軟件公司,其創(chuàng)業(yè)資金來(lái)自拉斯維加斯房地產(chǎn)開(kāi)發(fā)商史蒂夫·永利——兩人是在德州的一個(gè)聚會(huì)上相識(shí)的。Arktronics最終破產(chǎn),但在1990年,時(shí)年27歲的科蒂克說(shuō)服永利和另一位合作伙伴購(gòu)買(mǎi)美國(guó)動(dòng)視公司的控股權(quán),后者是一家由4位前雅達(dá)利程序員開(kāi)發(fā)的游戲公司。在視頻游戲領(lǐng)域,美國(guó)動(dòng)視是一位先驅(qū)者——它是第一家并非游戲機(jī)開(kāi)發(fā)商所有的游戲制作商,但它當(dāng)時(shí)陷入了與專(zhuān)利侵權(quán)訴訟相關(guān)的破產(chǎn)程序中。僅僅出資50萬(wàn)美元,科蒂克和他的團(tuán)隊(duì)就斬獲了25%的股份。1991年,這位行事果敢的創(chuàng)業(yè)者出任該公司CEO。

科蒂克很快重組了這家公司。事實(shí)證明,在這樣一個(gè)新游戲通常由初創(chuàng)企業(yè)創(chuàng)建的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中,科蒂克尤其擅長(zhǎng)發(fā)現(xiàn)擁有好創(chuàng)意和可持續(xù)盈利能力的公司——然后一根骨頭不剩地將它們吞下(員工、IP和其他一切東西)。在隨后的幾十年,美國(guó)動(dòng)視主要通過(guò)收購(gòu)持續(xù)壯大,其收購(gòu)對(duì)象包括Raven Software和滑板游戲制作商N(yùn)eversoft。2008年,美國(guó)動(dòng)視與法國(guó)媒體集團(tuán)維旺迪的游戲部門(mén)合并。暴雪是該資產(chǎn)組合中的多個(gè)工作室之一:它擁有無(wú)可挑剔的聲譽(yù)和一大批忠實(shí)粉絲。暴雪發(fā)布了多款熱門(mén)游戲,其中最有代表性的當(dāng)屬《魔獸世界》。動(dòng)視暴雪公司成立后,科蒂克繼續(xù)擔(dān)任CEO一職。

像所有爭(zhēng)奪消費(fèi)者眼球的公司一樣,動(dòng)視暴雪現(xiàn)在面臨比以往任何時(shí)候都更多的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手?!斑@包括在Netflix觀看電視節(jié)目、電影或其他內(nèi)容的人,”負(fù)責(zé)追蹤該公司的摩根士丹利分析師布萊恩·諾瓦克如是說(shuō)道。其他對(duì)手包括“休閑”游戲。設(shè)計(jì)一款圖像密集的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)視頻游戲通常需要花費(fèi)多年時(shí)間,以及數(shù)千萬(wàn)美元的投入,而開(kāi)發(fā)手游則快得多,便宜得多。動(dòng)視暴雪不僅消解了這些威脅,而且還茁壯成長(zhǎng)。(它近期最重要的一樁收購(gòu)交易是,2016年吞并《糖果粉碎傳奇》的制作商國(guó)王數(shù)字娛樂(lè)公司。)它現(xiàn)在還能夠提供許多在線游戲——允許更快、更便宜的更新,最重要的是,允許玩家進(jìn)行游戲內(nèi)購(gòu)買(mǎi)和升級(jí)。

Still, Kotick’s playbook has downsides. Activision Blizzard has long been criticized for focusing on existing franchises instead of investing in new and innovative products. There is a fine line between breathing new life into your franchises and pumping them so hard for profits that you suck the life out of them—and drive away your fans. As Atari cofounder Nolan Bushnell points out, “The financial strategy for these big blockbusters can lead to things getting stale because you want to do Rocky No. 247 instead of innovate?…?But entertainment is ultimately about novelty.”

Do even a cursory search of gamer blogs and you’ll see some colorful vilifications of Kotick. (Univision-owned blog Kotaku once called him “the most hated man in videogames,” though the writer also said he had a “delightful chat” with the exec.) Much of the animosity comes from ROI-minded things that Kotick has told the investment community—he once said at a conference that his focus was taking “the fun out of making videogames.” But no one disputes his success.

The college dropout got his start as a developer for the Apple II in the early 1980s. At just 19, he founded a software company, Arktronics, with funding from Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn—the two had met at a party in Texas. Arktronics eventually went out of business, but in 1990, when Kotick was 27, he convinced Wynn and another partner to buy a controlling stake in Activision, a gaming company founded by four former Atari programmers. Activision was a pioneer—it was the first gamemaker that wasn’t owned by a console provider—but it was mired in bankruptcy proceedings related to a patent-infringement lawsuit. For $500,000, Kotick and his team snapped up a 25% stake. By 1991 the determined entrepreneur was the CEO.

Kotick quickly reorganized the company. In an ecosystem where new games are generally created by startups, Kotick proved adept at spotting companies with great ideas and sustainable profitability—and then gobbling them up—staff, IP, and all. Over the ensuing decades, Activision grew primarily through acquisitions, including those of Raven Software and skateboarding gamemaker Neversoft. In 2008, Activision merged with the gaming division of French media conglomerate Vivendi. Blizzard was one of the studios within that portfolio: It had an impeccable reputation for quality and a loyal following—among other titles, it published the popular Warcraft franchise. Activision Blizzard was formed, with Kotick still at the head.

Like all companies vying for consumers’ attention, Activision Blizzard now faces more rivals than ever. “That includes people watching shows on Netflix, movies, or anything else,” says Brian Nowak, a Morgan Stanley analyst who covers the company. Anything else includes “casual” mobile games played on smartphones. While it typically takes multiple years and tens of millions of dollars to design a graphics-heavy standard videogame, mobile games are fast and cheap. Activision Blizzard has managed not only to mitigate those threats, but also to thrive. (Its most significant recent acquisition was Candy Crush maker King Digital Entertainment, in 2016.) It can also now deliver many of its games online—allowing for faster, cheaper updates and, importantly, for in-game purchases and upgrades.

首席執(zhí)行官鮑比·科蒂克。這張照片拍攝于位于加州福斯特市的動(dòng)視暴雪子公司大錘游戲工作室。
圖片來(lái)源:Cody Pickens

不過(guò),一些旗艦游戲正在顯露老態(tài)。根據(jù)研究機(jī)構(gòu)NPD集團(tuán)提供的數(shù)據(jù),2016年,擁有15年歷史的《使命召喚》仍然維系著最暢銷(xiāo)視頻游戲的地位。但分析師表示,新版本的銷(xiāo)量遠(yuǎn)低于其前輩。這個(gè)版本的背景設(shè)在外層空間,許多粉絲抨擊稱(chēng),它顯得過(guò)于未來(lái)主義。今年的《使命召喚》(這款游戲每年發(fā)布一個(gè)新版本)將回歸它的二戰(zhàn)根源。

科蒂克承認(rèn):“我們應(yīng)該更加深入地思考這款走進(jìn)太空的游戲究竟在多大程度上遠(yuǎn)離了它的根源?!钡劢z們的小暴動(dòng)也凸顯了這門(mén)生意變幻無(wú)常的特性,以及用新方式延續(xù)經(jīng)久不衰品牌的重要性。

5月中旬一個(gè)溫暖的午后,我在加州爾灣的暴雪工作室遇見(jiàn)了科蒂克。就像許多硅谷公司一樣,這家工作室的員工團(tuán)隊(duì)大多數(shù)是年輕人,以男性為主。但相較于充滿(mǎn)年輕面孔的Facebook總部,你在這里能看到更多的紋身,和染成紫色的頭發(fā)。工作氛圍也不像Facebook那樣歡快活潑,令人愉悅。事實(shí)證明,游戲開(kāi)發(fā)人員和設(shè)計(jì)師對(duì)地牢般的光線情有獨(dú)鐘。在這種背景下,坐在自助餐廳一角的科蒂克顯得格外醒目。他身穿卡其褲,棕色樂(lè)福鞋,扣角領(lǐng)襯衫上套了一件毛衣背心,他看上去不像是一位技術(shù)大亨,倒像是一位剛剛下班,來(lái)探望一群酷愛(ài)編碼的孩子的律師。

科蒂克的聲音非常小,近乎靜音,我不得不探過(guò)身子才能聽(tīng)到他的話。然而,他的野心如雷貫耳。“事實(shí)證明,我們能夠娛樂(lè)世界上每個(gè)國(guó)家,每個(gè)地方的人。這一直都是我所渴望的愿景?!笨频倏苏f(shuō)。

事實(shí)上,雖然動(dòng)視暴雪的絕大多數(shù)收入來(lái)自游戲,但科蒂克最近聘用的一眾高管的譜系暗示,他多么熱切地希望推動(dòng)這家公司發(fā)展成為一家主流娛樂(lè)商。前ESPN和美國(guó)橄欖球聯(lián)賽電視網(wǎng)CEO史蒂夫·博恩斯坦出任動(dòng)視暴雪電子競(jìng)技部門(mén)董事長(zhǎng)(前??怂贵w育執(zhí)行副總裁皮特·弗拉斯蒂卡出任該部門(mén)CEO)。前迪士尼高管蒂姆·基爾潘最近受聘掌舵該公司的消費(fèi)品部門(mén)。(與“米老鼠之家”的另一個(gè)聯(lián)系是:科蒂克的女友桑德伯格目前擔(dān)任迪士尼公司董事。)著名導(dǎo)演昆汀·塔倫蒂諾的長(zhǎng)期制作搭檔史黛西·舒爾,現(xiàn)在是動(dòng)視暴雪新成立的電視和電影部門(mén)的聯(lián)席總裁。

科蒂克自信滿(mǎn)滿(mǎn)地認(rèn)為,他把賭注壓在了正確的人身上;只有時(shí)間會(huì)告訴我們,他是否挑選了正確的游戲。

在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上的某個(gè)地方,一個(gè)名叫萊利·揚(yáng)斯的年輕女士正在吃一個(gè)雞肉三明治。數(shù)十人,包括我自己,正在實(shí)時(shí)觀看這個(gè)再世俗不過(guò)的動(dòng)作。揚(yáng)斯是一位嶄露頭角的“流媒體直播玩家”——一種以在線玩電子游戲謀生的職業(yè)。她選擇的論壇是Twitch。這是亞馬遜旗下一個(gè)極其流行,供玩家直播游戲?qū)崙?zhàn)的網(wǎng)站。

約有15萬(wàn)名粉絲在線觀看揚(yáng)斯做她的事情——她的工作是玩動(dòng)視暴雪游戲《守望先鋒》——以及偶爾直播的午餐時(shí)刻。今天的視頻流標(biāo)題是“請(qǐng)關(guān)注我的新發(fā)型?!彼齽倓偧袅艘活^低肩長(zhǎng)發(fā),上面是深棕色,下面幾乎是金色。

觀眾們?nèi)缂s而至。這個(gè)繁忙網(wǎng)頁(yè)的主框是其電腦游戲場(chǎng)面的動(dòng)態(tài)截圖。在左邊,一個(gè)較小的正方形屏幕通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)攝像頭顯示坐在顯示器前的揚(yáng)斯。網(wǎng)頁(yè)右側(cè)持續(xù)滾動(dòng)著數(shù)千名觀眾的評(píng)論和問(wèn)題。觀眾們想知道她接下來(lái)打算拿出什么虛擬武器,她的新發(fā)型花了多少錢(qián),等等。

這個(gè)視頻流將持續(xù)六個(gè)多小時(shí)。(現(xiàn)年24歲,來(lái)自密歇根州的揚(yáng)斯后來(lái)告訴我,她每天直播4到8個(gè)小時(shí))。相較之下,我的注意力持續(xù)時(shí)間要短得多,但我觀看的時(shí)間長(zhǎng)度足以讓我明白,為什么《守望先鋒》這樣一款由多位玩家參與的第一人稱(chēng)射擊游戲,已經(jīng)成為暴雪迄今為止增長(zhǎng)最快的游戲——自一年前推出以來(lái),這款游戲業(yè)已創(chuàng)造了超過(guò)10億美元收入,積聚了多達(dá)3000萬(wàn)玩家。我也終于明白,為什么科蒂克試圖以這款游戲作為杠桿,撬動(dòng)他的電子競(jìng)技野心。

揚(yáng)斯扮演的角色穿過(guò)一座被白雪皚皚的山脈環(huán)繞的寺廟,開(kāi)槍射擊一些移動(dòng)得極其迅速,以至于很難辨認(rèn)的生物。對(duì)于游戲中的揚(yáng)斯,你所能看到的,只是她用來(lái)殺死對(duì)手的那把充滿(mǎn)未來(lái)派風(fēng)格的金黃色槍支的槍口。在較小的屏幕上,我看到“現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中”的揚(yáng)斯的臉龐——在大部分時(shí)間里,她都聚精會(huì)神地瞇著雙眼。

對(duì)于外行來(lái)說(shuō),這種體驗(yàn)就像是盯著一幅埃舍爾藝術(shù)繪畫(huà)的數(shù)字版本。但對(duì)于數(shù)百萬(wàn)粉絲來(lái)說(shuō),這個(gè)網(wǎng)站,以及其他類(lèi)似網(wǎng)站,能夠提供長(zhǎng)達(dá)數(shù)小時(shí)全情參與的娛樂(lè)時(shí)光。動(dòng)視暴雪在全球擁有大約4.5億月活躍用戶(hù)。去年,這些用戶(hù)總共花費(fèi)了430億個(gè)小時(shí)打游戲。值得注意的是,在同一時(shí)間段內(nèi)觀看游戲的時(shí)間達(dá)到30億個(gè)小時(shí),創(chuàng)下新紀(jì)錄。

綽號(hào)“海鷗”的布蘭登·拉尼德是最知名的《守望先鋒》流媒體直播玩家之一。他說(shuō),“當(dāng)人們?cè)儐?wèn)我的職業(yè)時(shí),我會(huì)說(shuō)我是打視頻游戲的。他們認(rèn)為這是件很酷的事情?!崩岬陆忉屨f(shuō),游戲玩家通常面臨兩條職業(yè)路徑:其一是流媒體直播——它可以讓那些擁有眾多追隨者的玩家分享廣告利潤(rùn)。其二是參加職業(yè)競(jìng)賽,贏得贊助費(fèi)和獎(jiǎng)金。

Still, some flagship titles are showing their age. Call of Duty, a franchise in its 15th year, maintained its position as the bestselling videogame in 2016, according to research firm NPD Group. But analysts say that edition sold less than its predecessors. Set in outer space, the installment was criticized by fans of the franchise for being too futuristic. This year’s Call of Duty title (a new version is published each year) will go back to the game’s World War II roots.

“We should have done more work thinking about how much of a departure from the franchise going to space would be,” admits Kotick. But the mini-uprising also underscores the fickle nature of the business—and the importance of extending durable brands in new ways.

It’s a warm afternoon in mid-May when I meet Kotick at Blizzard’s studio in Irvine, Calif. As at many Silicon Valley companies, the studio’s workforce is mostly young and largely male. But there are a lot more tattoos and purple hair than you’d find at, say, Facebook’s fresh-faced HQ. It isn’t as bright and cheerful here, either—game developers and designers, it turns out, have a penchant for dungeon-like lighting. Seated in a corner of the cafeteria, Kotick stands out. In khakis, brown loafers, and a button-down shirt under a sweater vest, he looks less like a tech mogul and more like an off-duty attorney visiting his coding-crazy kid at work.

Kotick’s voice is so low and muted that I have to lean in to hear him (my recording would barely pick up his answers). His ambition, however, speaks loudly. “The fact that we can entertain people in every country, everywhere in the world—that was always an aspiration I had,” says Kotick.

Indeed, while games provide the vast majority of Activision Blizzard’s revenue, the pedigrees of Kotick’s recent hires hint at how eagerly he wants to establish the company as a mainstream entertainer. Steve Bornstein, a former CEO of ESPN and cable’s NFL Network, is the chair of Kotick’s e?sports division (former Fox Sports EVP Pete Vlastelica, meanwhile, is its CEO). A former Disney exec, Tim Kilpin, was recently hired to run the company’s consumer products division. (One more Mouse House connection: Sandberg, Kotick’s girlfriend, serves on Disney’s board of directors.) And Stacey Sher, the long-time producing partner of Quentin Tarantino, is now copresident of Activision Blizzard’s fledgling TV and film business.

Kotick feels confident he’s placed bets on the right people; time will tell if he’s picked the right game.

Somewhere on the Internet, a young woman named Riley Youngs is eating a chicken sandwich, and scores of people—myself included—are watching the mundane act in real time. Youngs is a budding “streamer,” someone who plays videogames online for a living. Her forum of choice is Twitch, a wildly popular, Amazon-owned website that showcases gamers who broadcast themselves.

About 150,000 fans have watched Youngs do her thing online—her thing being playing Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch, along with the occasional live-streamed lunch break. Today’s video stream is titled “LOOK AT MA NEW FOKIN HAIRCUT,” which refers to her below-the-shoulder-length locks, dark brown on top and almost blond underneath.

Viewers follow along. In the main box on the busy web page is a dynamic screenshot of the game on her computer. To the left, a smaller square shows Youngs via webcam as she sits at her monitor. And to the right runs a constant feed of comments and questions from her thousands of viewers—inquiring minds who want to know what virtual weapon she’s going to pick up next and how much she paid for her new hairdo.

This stream will last more than six hours. (Youngs, a 24-year-old from Michigan, later tells me she streams for four to eight hours a day). I have a much shorter attention span, but I watch long enough to see why Overwatch, a multiplayer, first-person-shooter title, has become Blizzard’s fastest-growing game to date, generating more than $1 billion in revenue and amassing 30 million players since its introduction just a year ago—and why it’s the game to which Kotick is harnessing his e?sports ambitions.

Youngs’ character runs through some kind of high-elevation temple, encircled by snowcapped mountains, shooting at creatures that are moving so fast it’s hard to make them out. All you see of her in-game self is the tip of the futuristic, golden firearm with which she kills off opponents. On the smaller screen, I see the face of “in real life” Youngs, mostly scrunched in a concentrated squint.

For the uninitiated, the experience is like staring into a digital version of an M.C. Escher print. But for millions, the site—and others like it—presents hours of engaged entertainment. Activision Blizzard has about 450 million monthly users globally, who spent a collective 43 billion hours playing its games last year. Notably, a record 3 billion hours were spent viewing its games in that same time span.

“When people ask me what I do, I say I play videogames,” says Brandon “Seagull” Larned, one of the best-known Overwatch streamers. “They think it’s pretty cool.” Larned explains that there are two career paths for gamers. The first is streaming, which allows players with considerable followings to share in profit from advertising. The second involves endorsements and prizes for competing in pro tournaments.

一個(gè)來(lái)自視頻游戲《守望先鋒》的角色在好萊塢星光大道附近與粉絲見(jiàn)面。
圖片來(lái)源:Courtesy of Activision Blizzard

少數(shù)頂級(jí)流媒體直播玩家和電子競(jìng)技參賽者能夠獲得七位數(shù)薪水;大多數(shù)玩家沒(méi)有這個(gè)福分。盡管拉尼德沒(méi)有透露他的收入,但他表示,他從華盛頓州的一個(gè)計(jì)算機(jī)科學(xué)項(xiàng)目退學(xué),因?yàn)橐晃宦殬I(yè)玩家“有太多的錢(qián)可賺”。以“不可思議的源氏玩法”(不要問(wèn),我也不懂)著稱(chēng)的拉尼德,可能很快就將迎來(lái)一個(gè)更大的職業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)——這位24歲的年輕人是《守望先鋒》聯(lián)盟席位的有力競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者。

目前,觀看游戲與觀看高爾夫沒(méi)有什么不同——如果你打高爾夫球,你就會(huì)看高爾夫球。但科蒂克希望讓電子競(jìng)技變得更加主流,更具粘性。他正在嘗試的方法之一是,建立基于城市的戰(zhàn)隊(duì)——這是職業(yè)電子競(jìng)技領(lǐng)域的一個(gè)首創(chuàng)。就像綠灣包裝工隊(duì)一樣,《守望先鋒》戰(zhàn)隊(duì)將與城市掛鉤。(動(dòng)視暴雪還沒(méi)有透露將在哪些地點(diǎn)建立多少支戰(zhàn)隊(duì)。)當(dāng)然,與NFL、NBA、MLB或NHL不同,《守望先鋒》僅僅面世一年之久。摩根士丹利分析師諾瓦克表示,“如果我是一位潛在的贊助商,我非常有信心洛杉磯國(guó)王冰球隊(duì)將在未來(lái)五年繼續(xù)存在。但我怎么知道《守望聯(lián)盟》能夠存活這么長(zhǎng)時(shí)間呢?”不過(guò),動(dòng)視暴雪認(rèn)為,盡管它是一個(gè)新事物,《守望聯(lián)盟》仍然擁有一些優(yōu)勢(shì)。追隨一款新近推出的游戲,有助于這個(gè)聯(lián)盟從零做起。一些更加成熟的游戲,比如《使命召喚》或《魔獸世界》,已經(jīng)被現(xiàn)有的幾支電子競(jìng)技戰(zhàn)隊(duì)和聯(lián)盟占據(jù)了。

同時(shí),動(dòng)視暴雪不需要應(yīng)對(duì)多年來(lái)一直牢牢掌控傳統(tǒng)體育賽事轉(zhuǎn)播權(quán)的傳統(tǒng)電視網(wǎng)絡(luò)。前??怂贵w育執(zhí)行副總裁,現(xiàn)在執(zhí)掌MLG的弗拉斯蒂卡指出,“電子競(jìng)技是第一項(xiàng)數(shù)字原生態(tài)運(yùn)動(dòng)。我們不受付費(fèi)電視生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的束縛。坦率地說(shuō),正是這個(gè)生態(tài)系統(tǒng),導(dǎo)致體育節(jié)目遠(yuǎn)離年輕人,因?yàn)樗麄兏揪筒豢措娨?。”與此同時(shí),轉(zhuǎn)型為“視頻游戲領(lǐng)域的ESPN”這一愿望有助于動(dòng)視暴雪推動(dòng)電子競(jìng)技更容易受到大眾認(rèn)可?!坝螒虮旧碚谘葑?yōu)橐豁?xiàng)擁有更廣泛吸引力的觀賞性體育項(xiàng)目,我們正在目睹這一進(jìn)程?!笨频倏苏f(shuō)。

對(duì)于這種演變,真正的ESPN當(dāng)然不會(huì)視而不見(jiàn)。這家隸屬于迪士尼公司的體育媒體去年在其官網(wǎng)推出了一個(gè)專(zhuān)門(mén)的電子競(jìng)技頻道。ESPN全球業(yè)務(wù)和內(nèi)容策略執(zhí)行副總裁瑪麗·多諾霍表示,觀眾數(shù)量“并不是很龐大”,但“粉絲們充滿(mǎn)熱情,全情參與,運(yùn)動(dòng)員和團(tuán)隊(duì)都很有吸引力。”她補(bǔ)充說(shuō),“在我們熟知的人口群體——即年輕人——當(dāng)中,這項(xiàng)競(jìng)技極其受歡迎。”

雖然這個(gè)人口群體利潤(rùn)豐厚,但科蒂克的計(jì)劃(包括《守望先鋒》聯(lián)盟)可以使動(dòng)視暴雪超越它。就像大多數(shù)玩家一樣,電子競(jìng)技職業(yè)人士的絕大多數(shù)都是男性。但像揚(yáng)斯這樣的玩家提醒人們,他們?cè)谝曨l游戲中的能力并不依賴(lài)于肌肉量或塊頭。其他體育聯(lián)盟的營(yíng)銷(xiāo)和擴(kuò)張通常導(dǎo)致觀眾的性別比例更加平等。比如,NFL表示,女性現(xiàn)在約占其粉絲群體的一半。

隨著《守望先鋒》聯(lián)盟加速運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn),科蒂克顯然懷抱著這種理想。他說(shuō),“我認(rèn)為這是第一款大約一半角色為女性的大型游戲。這是一個(gè)公平的競(jìng)技場(chǎng)?!?事實(shí)上,《守望先鋒》擁有相同數(shù)量的男女英雄,外加三個(gè)“omnic” (意為機(jī)器人)角色和一位其實(shí)是大猩猩的男科學(xué)家。

然而,在現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中,動(dòng)視暴雪的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者還沒(méi)有反映出這樣的平等。在九位董事會(huì)成員中,僅有一位是女性;一個(gè)由8位高管組成的“高級(jí)企業(yè)管理”團(tuán)隊(duì)更是連一位女性都沒(méi)有。值得注意的是,作為該公司為數(shù)不多的幾位女性高管之一,新近聘用的史黛西·舒爾肩負(fù)著引領(lǐng)動(dòng)視暴雪的IP進(jìn)入電影和電視節(jié)目之重任,而電影和電視恰恰是更容易跨越性別鴻溝的媒體。舒爾表示,“你必須得控制你的腳本和電影?!彼龘?dān)任制作人的電影包括《情歸新澤西》和《八惡人》。

去年,舒爾在洛杉磯一個(gè)寓所組建了一個(gè)“作家室”。在長(zhǎng)達(dá)一個(gè)月的時(shí)間里,六位精心挑選的創(chuàng)意人士每天坐在這里集思廣益,碰撞改編火花。有三個(gè)項(xiàng)目正處于不同的編劇階段。當(dāng)然,它們都是《使命召喚》系列的變體——在這款由戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)驅(qū)動(dòng)的專(zhuān)有游戲中,男性角色占據(jù)絕對(duì)主導(dǎo)地位。事實(shí)證明,在動(dòng)視暴雪的DNA中,睪丸激素的含量高得可怕。

不過(guò),科蒂克的策略表明,他愿意改變這一代碼,進(jìn)而將動(dòng)視暴雪打造成為一家規(guī)模更大,增長(zhǎng)更快的娛樂(lè)公司。在今年2月份發(fā)布的最新年度報(bào)告中,動(dòng)視暴雪表示,與2016年相比,今年的游戲發(fā)布日程相對(duì)輕松。(比如,今年不會(huì)新發(fā)布一款《小龍斯派羅》的“完整游戲機(jī)”版本。)隱含的訊息是,現(xiàn)在到了該公司利用其有利地位投資新領(lǐng)域的時(shí)候了。如果動(dòng)視暴雪不這樣做,它很可能會(huì)重蹈先行者的覆轍。事實(shí)證明,無(wú)論他們創(chuàng)造了多少爆款游戲,這些曾經(jīng)輝煌一時(shí)視頻游戲公司最終都淪為曇花一現(xiàn)的過(guò)氣明星。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))

原文刊載于2017年6月15日出刊的《財(cái)富》雜志。

譯者:Kevin

A few high-end streamers and e?sports competitors make seven-figure salaries; most do not. While Larned doesn’t disclose his income, he does say he quit a computer science program at Washington State because “there was too much money to be made” as a professional gamer. Larned, known for his “dazzling Genji play” (don’t ask), may soon have an even bigger career opportunity—the 24-year-old is a contender for the Overwatch League.

At the moment, viewership for gaming is not unlike golf—if you play golf, you’ll watch golf. But Kotick hopes to make e?sports more mainstream, more sticky. One way he’s doing that: instituting teams that are city-based—a first in professional e?sports. Just like Green Bay’s Packers, Overwatch teams will be tied to cities. (Activision Blizzard hasn’t yet said how many teams will exist and in which locations.) Of course, unlike the NFL—or the NBA, the MLB, or the NHL—Overwatch has been around for only a year. “If I’m [a potential sponsor], I have a pretty good confidence that the L.A. Kings [hockey team] will be around in five years,” says Morgan Stanley’s Nowak. “But how do I know that Overwatch will?” Still, Activision Blizzard thinks Overwatch has advantages, despite its “noob” status (gamer-speak for new). Going with a recently launched title lets the league start from scratch—more established titles like Call of Duty or World of Warcraft are already played by several existing e?sports teams and leagues.

Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard doesn’t have to deal with the legacy TV networks that have tied up traditional sports rights for years. “E?sports is the first digital native sport,” says Vlastelica, the Fox Sports veteran who heads MLG. “We’re not encumbered by the paid-TV ecosystem that keeps the content out of the hands of young people who, frankly, don’t watch TV.” At the same time, the hope is that transforming itself into the “ESPN of videogames” will help Activision Blizzard make e?sports more recognizable to the masses. “What we’re seeing is the evolution of the games themselves to becoming more broadly appealing as a spectator sport,” says Kotick.

That evolution is not lost on the real, Disney-owned ESPN, which launched a dedicated e?sports vertical on its website last year. The audience is “not enormous,” says Marie Donoghue, EVP of global business and content strategy at ESPN, but “the fans are passionate and engaged, the athletes and teams are compelling.” She adds, “It’s also incredibly popular among a demographic we know well—young men.”

As lucrative as that demographic is, Kotick’s plans—including the Overwatch League—could enable Activision Blizzard to reach beyond it. The vast majority of e?sports pros, like the majority of gamers, are men. But players like Youngs are reminders that capability in videogames doesn’t rely on muscle mass or size. And the marketing and expansion of other sports leagues has generally led to more gender parity in their audiences—the NFL, for example, says that women now account for almost half its fan base.

It’s clear that Kotick has this ideal in mind as the Overwatch League gears up. “I think it’s the first game on a broad scale where about half the characters [are] women,” he says. “This is a level playing field.” Indeed, Overwatch features equal numbers of men and women heroes plus three “omnic” (that means robotic) characters and a male scientist who happens to be a gorilla.

Activision Blizzard’s real-life leaders don’t yet reflect such parity. Only one out of nine board members is female, and there’s not one woman on its eight-person “senior corporate management” team. It’s notable that one of the company’s few leading women—the newish hire, Stacey Sher—is tasked with bringing Activision Blizzard’s IP to movies and TV shows, media that more easily cross gender lines. “You have to have control of your script and your movies,” says Sher, whose production credits include Garden State and The Hateful Eight.

Last year Sher put together a “writers room” in a house in Los Angeles, where six handpicked creatives sat every day for a month to brainstorm adaptation ideas; they now have three projects in various stages of screenwriting. Of course, they’re all variations on the Call of Duty series—a war-driven franchise where male characters dominate. Turns out there’s a daunting amount of testosterone in Activision Blizzard’s DNA.

Still, Kotick’s strategy suggests that he’s willing to alter that code to make Activision Blizzard a bigger, faster-growing entertainment company. In February, in its latest annual report, Activision Blizzard said it will have a light slate of game releases this year when compared with 2016. (There won’t be a new “full console” Skylanders game, for instance.) The implicit message: It’s time for the company to invest in new areas, from its position of strength. If it doesn’t, it risks going the way of its predecessors, companies that became one-hit wonders, metaphorically speaking, no matter how many games they created.

A version of this article appears in the June 15, 2017 issue of Fortune with the headline "A Giant Enters a New Arena."

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