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Innovate Incrementally
World of Warcraft, currently Blizzard's flagship title, is an ongoing work in progress. Unlike most boxed games, which are developed, sold, and then largely forgotten by publishers, the online fantasy world is routinely updated and expanded.
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Believe in Yourself
Blizzard's game designers are also Blizzard's game players. This, say executives, is key to keeping its titles fun to play. Employees devote off-hours, lunch breaks, and even vacation time to endlessly playing and re-playing Blizzard games. Even the support staff and receptionists are gamers.
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Critics Are Key
Rather than shrink away from critics, disgruntled players included, Blizzard's designers seek out criticism—and then act on it. The company systematically uses public beta tests to iron out kinks in upcoming games. For the newest expansion to World of Warcraft, it developed in-game survey software in order to streamline the feedback process.
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Design Appropriately
Many have pegged the success of World of Warcraft to its accessibility. Unlike other online games which require endless hours to figure out, Blizzard's titles can be learned relatively quickly—but only mastered over the long haul.
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Toss out the Trash
Blizzard famously cancels products—even nearly finished ones—which it deems "not fun." A typical example: a much-anticipated Starcraft-themed console title was finally put on indefinite hold in 2006, after four years of development.
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