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Yesterday, Blizzard Entertainment announced it would purchase IGN ProLeague assets. In addition, the Warcraft studio revealed it had brought on some of the team to form a new Blizzard studio in San Francisco, California focused on content production.
To get a better sense of how the deal came to be, what it means, and more, GameSpot spoke with IGN cofounder Peer Schneider.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/ign-cofounder-on-ipl-sale-to-blizzard-6406664
With how successful the IPL events have become, why not keep the brand?
Peer Schneider: If you look at the asset transfer, Blizzard is picking up the team and the technology associated with it. We are committed to covering competitive gaming and broadcast events in the future, so you never know what you're going to see from us. The idea behind IPL and what it stood for over the last two years doesn't make sense in our current focus area.
With the acquisition by Ziff Davis, they really wanted to focus in on our core media business. We've got a pretty good thing going when it comes to users that we can afford to take a step back and really kind of focus on the stuff that we kicked off 16 years ago and have really grown over the past decade plus.
The core of what IPL did…it wasn't just about broadcasting eSports matches, something I'd love to continue doing, and it was basically an events business. At this time it doesn't really make sense for us to be in the events business.
How much was IPL sold for?
Unfortunately, neither side will be disclosing any numbers surrounding the deal.
To read more, click the link above to GameSpot!
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On April 10 2013 04:40 Slasher wrote:Yesterday, Blizzard Entertainment announced it would purchase IGN ProLeague assets. In addition, the Warcraft studio revealed it had brought on some of the team to form a new Blizzard studio in San Francisco, California focused on content production. To get a better sense of how the deal came to be, what it means, and more, GameSpot spoke with IGN cofounder Peer Schneider. http://www.gamespot.com/news/ign-cofounder-on-ipl-sale-to-blizzard-6406664Show nested quote +With how successful the IPL events have become, why not keep the brand?
Peer Schneider: If you look at the asset transfer, Blizzard is picking up the team and the technology associated with it. We are committed to covering competitive gaming and broadcast events in the future, so you never know what you're going to see from us. The idea behind IPL and what it stood for over the last two years doesn't make sense in our current focus area.
With the acquisition by Ziff Davis, they really wanted to focus in on our core media business. We've got a pretty good thing going when it comes to users that we can afford to take a step back and really kind of focus on the stuff that we kicked off 16 years ago and have really grown over the past decade plus.
The core of what IPL did…it wasn't just about broadcasting eSports matches, something I'd love to continue doing, and it was basically an events business. At this time it doesn't really make sense for us to be in the events business.
How much was IPL sold for?
Unfortunately, neither side will be disclosing any numbers surrounding the deal. To read more, click the link above to GameSpot!
Well done Slasher. Peer Schneider pretty much summed it up right there. I am pumped to see what Blizzard does with the IPL crew.
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Looks like Blizzard is taking one out of Riot's book, and trying to control esports.
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On April 10 2013 05:03 SuperFanBoy wrote:
Looks like Blizzard is taking one out of Riot's book, and trying to control esports.
If they were trying to "control esports", they'd have done far more than they already have, particularly in terms of edging out competing, 3rd party tournaments. I think Blizzard just wants a piece of the pie that is made of their game rather than the whole thing like Riot.
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On April 09 2013 04:25 Benjamin99 wrote:
Wow its huge. Seems like Blizzard are really going all out on Esport.
all in? they makes billions a year, putting a few million is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for them
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On April 10 2013 05:08 farvacola wrote:Show nested quote +On April 10 2013 05:03 SuperFanBoy wrote:
Looks like Blizzard is taking one out of Riot's book, and trying to control esports. If they were trying to "control esports", they'd have done far more than they already have, particularly in terms of edging out competing, 3rd party tournaments. I think Blizzard just wants a piece of the pie that is made of their game rather than the whole thing like Riot.
riot was forced into making it competitive and are the only thing that keep it going, there would be zero tournaments without them since their game isnt made for competitive play while blizzard wants some of that money and invest in their own game to increase their revenue now and further down the road with void
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This is fantastic! Congrats to Kevin!
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Blizzard already runs it's own tournaments. All they did was hired the displaced staff and unknown "assets" that Blizzard somehow doesn't already have. They don't plan on continuing the IPL brand.
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On April 10 2013 15:13 Ownos wrote:
Blizzard already runs it's own tournaments. All they did was hired the displaced staff and unknown "assets" that Blizzard somehow doesn't already have. They don't plan on continuing the IPL brand.
They plan on starting WCS...
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Awesome to see Blizzard being more involved.
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Please do better than 2013 WCS. Sorry to sound like a hater, but please clean up issues with well-documented issues with WCS entry...
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Well, since WoW is dieing they need a new income.
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Hopefully they focus this on NA players to promote the quality or at least their reputation.
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It's too bad IPL couldn't reimburse travel costs for teams with the payout they received from Blizzard.
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On May 31 2013 22:10 Rabiator wrote:
Hopefully they focus this on NA players to promote the quality or at least their reputation.
I loled. Now introducing Team Blizzard. *rolls eyes*
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EPT
