Vicarious Visions merged into Blizzard

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-01-22-vicarious-visions-merged-into-blizzard

I'm going to guess that Blizzard isn't planning on putting Tony Hawk into one of it's existing IPs to let them continue making skating games for them. At least we got 1+2 I guess? Maybe Activision hires Toys for Bob to do the next one...

More like Curious Decisions.

That seems like a weird merger overall. I still think of Vicarious Visions as being a studio that does a lot of port/remake work. But hey, I guess somebody has to do that Overwatch port on the Switch, and now with VV being internal there is more direct communication I guess?

Either that or they’re just trying to slow down the Blizzard brain drain, as that studio rapidly becomes a gutless shadow of its former self.

Can't wait for the new Warehouse map in Overwatch.

VV made one of the most popular games of last year & blizzard hasn't released a game in almost 5. Seriously, what am I missing here?

This definitely looks odd from the outside. Vicarious Visions has had a lot of recent success, so it seems odd to see them now effectively turned in to a support studio.

Since 2015:

Three WoW expansions
Heroes of the Storm
Overwatch
Warcraft III: Reforged
Howevermuch Hearthstone content you want to include

Currently announced/in developement:

Diablo Immortal
Overwatch 2
Diablo IV
Howevermany WoW expansions
Howevermuch Hearthstone content
Howevermuch Heroes of the Storm content

There's also the Diablo 2 remaster that they've been putting up job postings for over the last several years, and given the way the WC3 remaster was received (not well), they could probably use some help from a studio with a good remaster track record, if nothing else

@effache: Because Blizzard is still Blizzard, in name. It has way more cachet from that than VV no matter how good a game they made. Someone looking at the books probably figures it'll be way more valuable long term if they feed them to Blizzard and Overwatch 2, or whatever it ends up being.

What if Blizzard want this merger because VV are actually working on THPS 3+4 and they want the Blizzard name on the box of a game that will definitely be good.

This is just the business of games in 2021. The live services stuff that Blizzard makes produce more money than any projects that Vicarious Visions could possibly make. Even if a Tony Hawk remake sells 5 million copies that's like $200 million in revenue (from which you have to subtract the development, retail, and licensing costs) which is far less than a Blizzard live services game like WOW or Overwatch makes in a year.

If we don't get another Tony Hawk game it will be for the same reason we never got single player DLC for Grand Theft Auto V. It's not because it wouldn't be profitable, it's because it wouldn't be absurdly ridiculously comically profitable, and Activision's priority is the projects that are absurdly profitable.

Man, this sucks.

It's a bummer, but VV was a support studio for Destiny when that franchise was still under Activision, so they do have some history of being in that role.

FWIW, VV did good work on Destiny and Bungie was very complementary of the help they provided. The Warmind expansion and the Tangled Shore location have both been attributed largely to VV.

Guess Activision really wants Overwatch 2 to hit this year huh. Such a shame since Tony Hawk was so fantastic.

Update from Jason Schreier:

So it is, indeed, the case that they'll be working on the D2 remaster.

This is such sad news. VV deserve so much better. Tony Hawk 1 + 2 was one of the few proper good things to come out of last year and I was hoping for more.

I don't even know what to say about Blizzard anymore. Something has gone very, very wrong there in the last 4 years or so. StarCraft Remastered was fantastic but then since that they've been noticeably off their game. Someone there has been making some pretty consistently awful business decisions for a while now.

Man, what a weird move. It is also somewhat of a gut punch since Tony Hawk 1 + 2 was my absolute favorite game from 2020, and now I am pretty sure that will be it from that series.

@ben_h: My guess on that "something" is Mike Morhaime leaving. I always got the impression that he acted as a bit of a bulwark between Blizzard and Activision proper. Before he left there were still departures and drama (Chris Metzen retiring and whatever went on behind the scenes during Warlords of Draenor, for instance), but after it seems like the developer exodus and creative/business nonsense went into overdrive.

I imagine that Blizzard has been having a huge brain drain ever since those ex-blizz folk started new studio's in the same region and took a bunch of blizzard employees with them.

I could be okay with Vicarious Visions coming on to make sure Diablo 2 is done well as a one-off but if Tony Hawk is killed again before getting around to 3+4? Damn.

RIP THPS3+4 HD, I suppose it wasn't meant to be.

Been waiting for this D2 remaster forever. Wasn't sure if they'd find a way to screw it up but hopefully this is a good thing. "Hey, you did super well bringing this other game back, now please help do the same for D2"

..because D2 is one of the best games ever made. And it'd be a honor and terrifying to work on that.

Activision / Bobby Kotick needed a blood sacrifice to prop up Blizzard's rotting, talentless, leaderless corpse, so they can "Weekend at Bernie's" Blizzard for the next few years.

It is sad watching the Blizzard of old, one of the best studios of all time, crumble into Activision.

Fuck Activision. Fuck EA.

That is all.