As World of Warcraft approaches its 20th anniversary, Blizzard's leadership is taking a hard look at the game's history and lessons learned. In a recent interview, Holly Longdale, VP and Executive Producer for the Warcraft franchise, offered candid insights into how the company's approach to player feedback has evolved over two decades.
A History of Not Listening
Longdale, who joined Blizzard in 2020 after years working on EverQuest, didn't mince words when asked what the company could have done differently: I think we should have listened more to the player base.
She acknowledged that in the early days of MMO development, game design was more art than science. Developers often relied on instinct rather than data. Additionally, the platforms for player feedback were far more limited.
We didn't have the same depth of social media. We had forums, and that was sort of the center point of all feedback, which wasn't really reflective, Longdale explained.
The Shadowlands Wake-Up Call
The Shadowlands expansion marked a low point for World of Warcraft. Players felt their feedback on core systems and storylines was being ignored, leading to a mass exodus of subscribers. This crisis forced Blizzard to reevaluate its approach.
A New Era of Player Engagement
Under Longdale's leadership, Blizzard has implemented a more sophisticated strategy for gathering and analyzing player feedback:
- Utilizing social listening tools to identify emerging issues
- Employing in-game analytics to verify the scope of problems
- Balancing community sentiment with hard data
Now we have the technology and the data to be able to map those two, Longdale said. Like, whoa, did we really miss something? And then checking to verify that, oh yeah, this is an issue.
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| A presentation highlighting Blizzard's commitment to improved player feedback and engagement strategies |
The Dragonflight Turnaround
The results of this new approach have been dramatic. The Dragonflight expansion has been widely praised for its responsiveness to player desires, helping to revitalize the game's player base.
Looking Ahead: The War Within
As World of Warcraft launches its 10th expansion, The War Within, the development team seems committed to maintaining this improved relationship with players. The expansion introduces the new Earthen allied race and continues the trend of more frequent content updates.
While Blizzard can't change the past, Longdale's frank assessment and the company's renewed focus on player feedback bode well for World of Warcraft's future. As the game enters its third decade, the lessons learned from 20 years of triumphs and missteps may prove to be its most valuable asset.
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| Exploring new allies and magical encounters in the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, The War Within |