Azeroth Advisor: Exclusive BlizzCon Interview with Curt Schilling
Last week, the gaming media was shocked to discover that 38 Studios, the creators of an upcoming fantasy MMORPG, had purchased the WoW-related Azeroth Advisor and were re-releasing the newsletter as a free product. Ten Ton Hammer offered fans a quick follow-up interview with Curt Schilling, and now we have several key explanations straight from the mouth of the eventual Hall of Fame inductee. The dynamic personality of Schilling is definitely apparent throughout this BlizzCon '08 interview, and he even goes so far as to reveal his WoW race of choice. Want to find out? Check out the video interview!
Seriously though, I wonder how many active sports stars play MMO's? It is well publicized and even used by the companies themselved that many American professional sports players play sports games, especially Madden Football and to a lesser degree, basketball games.
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"nerf rock, paper is working as intended."
- Scissors.
I'm sure that Curt can attest that hundreds of these sort of players play MMOs. I mean, can you imagine what the practice squad guy has to do on his days off?
Increasingly, I find myself raising my eyebrows every time 38 Studios does anything these days. I'm seeing an ever-lengthening line of unprofessional actions done by that developer.
Curt shows up at a competitors trade show, wearing a 38 Studios hat, a 38 Studios shirt, and badge around his neck reminding the world that he's Curt Schilling. After getting the attention he so obviously wanted and needed, he actually starts granting interviews , right on the Blizzcon show floor.
But he's promoting a product that supports WoW - isn't that kinda in Blizzard's favor?
Actually, I'm going to have to answer "no" to that question. Here's the skinny: Azeroth Advisor is a free product targetting WoW players.
The very fact that it's being offered by a Blizzard competitor, 38 Studios, leads me to believe that the newsletter will somehow point to 38 Studios and Copernicus. I just don't see 38 Studios buying Azeroth Advisor to do a huge, free favor for WoW players, or for Blizzard. They'll be using to promote 38 Studios and their products.
Pig
WanderingGoblin.com
Last edited by Pig; 10-16-2008 at 05:14 PM.
Reason: Edited for clarity
Actually, I'm going to have to answer "no" to that question. Here's the skinny: Azeroth Advisor is a free product targetting WoW players.
The very fact that it's being offered by a Blizzard competitor, 38 Studios, leads me to believe that the newsletter will somehow point to 38 Studios and Copernicus. I just don't see 38 Studios buying Azeroth Advisor to do a huge, free favor for WoW players, or for Blizzard. They'll be using to promote 38 Studios and their products.
Pig
WanderingGoblin.com
That's definitely going to be a "wait and see" sort of scenario. I think I asked Curt that question, but it's hard to avoid the correlation between the studio and their upcoming game.
A quick question: did Curt say Blizz was ok with him promoting Azeroth Advisor at the show? I didn't see them as an exhibitor or anything...and it's a product put out by a competing MMO company. That would be an odd thing for Blizz to give the "ok" to, but you never know.
BTW, was that you in the interview, Cody? Excellent technique, bro, and good job on snagging this interview.
A quick question: did Curt say Blizz was ok with him promoting Azeroth Advisor at the show? I didn't see them as an exhibitor or anything...and it's a product put out by a competing MMO company. That would be an odd thing for Blizz to give the "ok" to, but you never know.
BTW, was that you in the interview, Cody? Excellent technique, bro, and good job on snagging this interview.
Pig
WanderingGoblin.com
Yup - that was me! Curt's actually an easy interview - he's obviously done it many, many times.
From all I've read about this Azeroth Advisor acquisition by 38 Studios, in all been in the open, with Blizzard informed and I see nothing "unprofessional" about it.
Blizzard was not interested and, from what I see, so far anyway, Curt just fell in love with the Azeroth Advisor concept, saw the potential and the opportunity and he bought it.
It appears that the Azeroth Advisor proprietary, patent-pending technology, with Curt's/38 Studios' influx of interest and cash, will be polished, improved, and eventually be provided as a service that, as that service is incrementally added for various MMOs, it will be provided for a yet unspecified subscription fee.
Personally, I admire Curt's "out of the box" thinking and this Azeroth Advisor acquisition is both a perfect example of that thinking and a glimpse at the future of what's new and exciting coming to our MMO hobby.
Azeroth Advisor: Exclusive BlizzCon Interview with Curt Schilling
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