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David Craddock and Two Blizzard North Co-Founders Answer Your Questions (Video)

Posted by Soulskill on from the lots-of-corporate-slashing-and-burning-behind-the-scenes dept.

In this video, we talk with author David Craddock about his investigation into the early days of game studio Blizzard for his new book, Stay Awhile and Listen. He's joined by Dave Brevik and Max Schaefer, two of the co-founders of Blizzard North. They talk about some of the ways in which making video games was different back in the early '90s -- and the ways it's similar to making games today. They also discuss the importance of having lively debates, and how one of those arguments led to Diablo being a real-time action game, instead of being turn-based. (This is the first half of an extended interview -- part 2 will be available on Monday.

22 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. My question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate video. Can we have a transcript?

    1. Re:My question by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, sorry. This is new Slashdot, where content is spread across 2 videos for more ad impressions, and to make it easier to interlace ads with normal content.

      If you want in depth text with discussion of text news, go back to the 1990s.

    2. Re:My question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Came for the transcript. Leaving disappointed.

    3. Re:My question by Richy_T · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Stay for the misinformed banter and the awkward shoe-horning of AGW or Obamacare issues.

    4. Re:My question by egr · · Score: 5, Informative

      +1 for transcript. Hate videos as well.

    5. Re:My question by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2

      You ancien regime reactionaries need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era. You're lucky we don't require you to log in by Facebook to view the content. Don't have a Facebook account, you say? You're suspicious by default.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    6. Re:My question by intermodal · · Score: 1

      No, that would be too easy. My solution is even easier: It's a video, therefore, I no longer care.

      --
      In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
    7. Re:My question by Frojack123 · · Score: 2

      Two Blizzard stories on same page.

      When did Blizzard become a Dice Holdings company?

      --
      F. Robert Jack
    8. Re:My question by i+kan+reed · · Score: 1

      PR departments can pay cash monies to help disseminate positive stories to boost the reputation of companies. I can't present evidence that happened, but it's certainly not out of character for slashdot these days.

    9. Re:My question by Frojack123 · · Score: 1

      Both stories are hyping the same book, so the linkage may be to the author rather than to Blizzard.

      --
      F. Robert Jack
    10. Re:My question by Roblimo · · Score: 3, Informative

      The transcript will be up Monday. Our transcript person didn't have it ready today. Grrr.....

    11. Re:My question by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Seconded (thirded? Ninethid?). Videos are fine for animations that show how something works, or demonstrating something cool, like that Q8k guy that flew his rocket to the edge of space, but I'm visually oriented, not aurally oriented. I don't want talking heads, I'm literate. Give me the written word or STFU.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    12. Re:My question by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Cool, thanks. As to the transcript guy, MeTV has obviously been using computer voice recognition for their captions from the way the captions are mangled. Use the computer for the transcripts and have the transcript guy just edit that, it should be a lot faster and easier. When voice recognition gets better your transcript guy will have to do something else...

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    13. Re:My question by dantotheman · · Score: 1

      Give me the written word and STFU.

      ftfy.

      Haven't you seen the new "and is better than or" commercials yet....

    14. Re:My question by qwak23 · · Score: 2

      Resisting urge to make joke about workers reading Slashdot on the job on Slashdot.

    15. Re:My question by __aaacoe2998 · · Score: 1

      Terrible quality skype style interview just comes across as extremely lazy and ineffective. Give us a transcript. Love Blizzard, hate lazy and cheap interviews. *how the hell do I add line breaks?!?*

  2. Waiting on the transcript link... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yup, browsing at work during my break, but we use a non-noise environment. (headphones not allowed.)
    Waiting on teh transcript...
    What's the first thing I see (because I can;t hear it.) is an ad for someone...
    Waiting on the transcript...
    On any youtube video, if an ad shows up, I close it.
    Waiting on the transcript...
    I don;t watch a lot of video online.
    Waiting for the transcript...

  3. fucking video ads by flogger · · Score: 1

    I have ad disabled... Why am I seeing an ad at the start of this video? Just post a damn transcript.

    --
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    "First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
    -- The Doctor, "Doctor
  4. Re:Two for one discount? by bob_super · · Score: 1

    Zero.
    They're paid for by the author's agent.
    Does the slashdot effect work on bookstores?

  5. A Video? NO! No video on slashdot. by clovis · · Score: 1

    Videos are for these people:
    http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/training-courses-for-outlook-2013-HA104032127.aspx

  6. No Time for the Damn Video by BaldingByMicrosoft · · Score: 3, Informative

    Please produce transcripts. Thanks.

  7. Stay a while and listen... by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

    Is David Craddock also known as Deckard Cain?