Play Nice - by Jason Schreier (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was once synonymous with perfection. The renowned company behind classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft was known to celebrate the joy of gaming over all else. What was once two UCLA students' simple mission -- to make games they wanted to play -- launched an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions of dollars.

But when Blizzard cancelled a buzzy project in 2013, it gave Bobby Kotick, the infamous CEO of corporate parent Activision, the excuse he needed to start cracking down on Blizzard's proud autonomy. Activision began invading Blizzard from the inside. Glitchy products, PR disasters, mass layoffs, and a staggering lawsuit marred the company's reputation and led to its ultimate reckoning.

Based on firsthand interviews with more than 300 current and former employees, Play Nice chronicles the creativity, frustration, beauty, and betrayal across the epic 33-year saga of Blizzard Entertainment, showing us what it really means to "bleed Blizzard blue." Full of colorful personalities and dramatic twists, this is the story of what happens when the ruthless pursuit of profit meets artistic idealism.

Review Quotes

"Schreier writes lucidly and entertainingly. For neophytes, PRESS RESET is a useful introduction to the business of videogames. For those who play... the book may prove compulsively readable."

--Wall Street Journal on PRESS RESET

"Play Nice is the ultimate insider account of the creation of some of the most beloved games ever, and a colorful portrait of the computer-game gold rush. Who knew that behind the scenes of Warcraft and Overwatch was a story of power plays, betrayals, and quests for glory as epic as the games themselves?"--Zeke Faux, author of Number Go Up

"A deft examination of a gaming titan, Play Nice isn't just thoroughly reported - it's also a great yarn. . . It's the story of a company that went from beloved boutique to industry pariah - but it's also deeply human. Schreier never loses sight of the people who built Blizzard and battled for its soul."--NPR, Books We Love 2024

"A fast paced thrill ride, perfect for anyone who has ever played a video game. Jason Schreier's comprehensive history of Blizzard Entertainment offers a completely enthralling look at the company's founding and the bitter battle for its future. A must read!"--Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires, Dumb Money, and The Midnight Ride.

"A must-read... Schreier's reporting is unparalleled."--Forbes on PRESS RESET

"A vivid portrait of [Blizzard's] decline... Animated by thorough reporting, this deep dive into the gaming industry's dark side unsettles."--Publishers Weekly

"As it turns out, the turbulent history of game developer Blizzard Entertainment is just as absorbing as any of the AAA titles it has produced. . . Jason Schreier takes the reader through three decades of incredible highs and appalling lows that let you in on what was going on behind the scenes while gamers were voraciously consuming blockbusters like StarCraft, Diablo, and World Of Warcraft."--AV Club

"Flush with 'Succession'-style drama."--Wall Street Journal Book Review

"Here's a thrilling adventure story from the untamed, online wilderness of modern capitalism. Think Barbarians at the Gate, but with digital dragons and blood-thirsty trolls. Gaming is now a more powerful and influential business than Hollywood, and Jason Schreier has delivered a masterful narrative that shows how the industry really works."--Christopher Leonard, New York Times bestselling author of Kochland and The Lords of Easy Money

"Jason Schreier is the closest thing video games have to David Grann. Fearless, intrepid, and always fair-minded, Schreier gets at stories no one else can. He makes clear that the history of Blizzard is a microcosm of a larger, uglier story: the clash between shareholder capitalism and creativity, the unseemly corporate toleration of bad behavior, and the exploitation of workers who in many cases sacrifice their youth to make wealthy people even wealthier. This is riveting, essential reading for anyone who cares about how art is made in the twenty-first century." --Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives

"Jason Schreier's Play Nice is a riveting chronicle of one of gaming's most iconic companies. With gripping detail and unmatched access, Schreier pulls back the curtain on Blizzard Entertainment's meteoric rise, turbulent history, and struggle to balance uncompromising creativity with corporate America's unyielding pursuit of profit. Play Nice is a must-read exposé of the passion, ambition and dysfunction behind some of the most beloved games of all time."

--Bradley Hope, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar Whale

"Jason Schreier's outstandingly researched book warps us to video gaming's earliest years -- a world of multi-million-dollar lawsuits, business deals finalised with a handshake and a snarl, at a time when game designers could become as famous as rock stars -- and reveals how an industry titan was born. With a cast of vivid characters -- some of whom are unforgettable for all the wrong reasons -- Play Nice is a work of historical importance that also manages to be irresistibly entertaining."--Simon Parkin, award-winning author of The Island of Extraordinary Captives

"Jason Schreier's PLAY NICE is a gripping narrative not just of a single influential company but the evolution of the entire video game industry, changing from a niche pursuit to one of the largest cultural products in the world. This is vital reading for anyone hoping to understand the state of entertainment in the 21st century. Video games are an unavoidable force; PLAY NICE breaks down the genre as well as the personalities behind it."--Kyle Chayka, author Filterworld

"One of Schreier's great strengths is that he can control a crowd. He brilliantly maintains many different threads -- corporate, personal, artistic -- while giving so many coders, designers and money-minded executives their due, all without putting too much strain on his book's momentum." --New York Times Book Review

"Schreier cleverly incorporates commentary from original Silicon & Synapse programmers, tech experts, executives, game programmers, and Blizzard employees themselves to create a well-rounded image of the company as well as the grave mistakes costing the company its reputation... A thorough, well-researched report on the evolution of Blizzard Entertainment."--Kirkus Reviews

"Schreier covers the notoriously secretive gaming industry... and he knows it well... He also clearly respects [the] developers and their achievements, and treats their rueful tales of selfless struggle with an admiring deference...a useful survey of the landscape of game production at this cultural moment."--GQ on BLOOD, SWEAT, AND PIXELS

"To a lot of people, Blizzard is the most important video game company whose mascot isn't an Italian plumber. As one of those people, I found myself sucked into to Play Nice, Jason Schreier's compulsively readable deep dive into the studio behind WarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. At once a warts-and-all page turner about the making of some of the biggest video games of all time, a parable about how corporate greed corrupts even the most beloved cultural institutions, and a labor story about the inequities of a booming gaming industry, Play Nice is both satisfying and illuminating. I'd wondered over the years why there wasn't a big book about the history of Blizzard. Well: Job's done."--Brian Merchant, bestselling author of Blood in the Machine

About the Author