Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook Team up to Connect Friends and Empower Streamers
June 06 2016 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Blizzard games are best when played with
friends, and new Facebook integration features such as Facebook
Login and Live API will make that easier than ever
Facebook’s collaboration with Blizzard reflects
the global social network’s commitment to supporting world-class
entertainment experiences
Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook are working together to
provide gamers around the world with new ways to connect and share
their gaming experiences, while bringing more high-demand
entertainment content to Facebook’s global platform.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160606005042/en/
The companies announced today that a major step in their ongoing
collaboration will begin later this month with the integration of
Facebook Login in Blizzard’s PC games. This will enable players to
sign up for and log in to games such as World of Warcraft®, Heroes
of the Storm®, Hearthstone®, Diablo® III, StarCraft® II, and
Blizzard’s most recent blockbuster release, Overwatch®, using their
Facebook accounts.
Adding Facebook Login will pave the way for new social
functionality in Blizzard games while highlighting Facebook’s
capabilities as a platform for sharing, viewing, and discussing AAA
game content. As an example, Blizzard is in the process of
incorporating Facebook’s Live API in order to create its own “Go
Live” streaming functionality for its games. When this
functionality is implemented, players will for the first time be
able to livestream their Blizzard-gaming sessions directly to their
Facebook timelines, and friends will be able to subscribe and be
notified when new streams are available.
“Blizzard games are best when played with friends, so it’s
important to us to provide our players with features and services
that make it easy and fun to share their experiences with each
other,” said Gio Hunt, executive vice president of corporate
operations at Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re working closely with
Facebook on this integration for Overwatch, as well as our other
games, and we look forward to sharing further details on our plans
as development progresses.”
As part of the collaboration between the two companies, Blizzard
recently hosted multiple livestreams via Facebook. The first series
of streams centered on Heroes of the Dorm™, Blizzard’s collegiate
tournament featuring its popular team-brawler Heroes of the Storm.
Last week, Blizzard hosted a livestreamed launch event for
Overwatch on Facebook.
“Blizzard has a passionate community of players, and an
incredible track record for launching innovative and high-quality
gaming experiences,” said Leo Olebe, global games partnerships
director at Facebook. “Our collaboration on Overwatch demonstrates
Facebook’s commitment to partnering with AAA game companies, while
further empowering Blizzard gamers to connect and share the content
they’re most passionate about with the friends they play
with around the world.”
In preparation for the Overwatch launch, Facebook worked with
Blizzard on a comprehensive mix of Facebook and Instagram marketing
solutions—including Carousel ads, Canvas, and Instagram Marquee.
Using the platforms’ powerful targeting capabilities, Facebook
helped Blizzard present the game to a broad set of gaming and
entertainment audiences within Facebook’s and Instagram’s global
audiences of 1.65 billion and 400 million people respectively. On
Facebook, more than 650 million people play games connected to
Facebook every month across web, mobile, and console.
Overwatch is a dynamic team-based shooter in which players
choose from a cast of 21 diverse heroes—each with their own unique
arsenal of extraordinary weapons and incredible abilities—and
battle to complete objectives in various locations across a
near-future earth. The game is available now for PlayStation®4
computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and Windows® PC in
English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German,
European Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean (PC
only), Japanese (PC and PS4™ system only), and traditional and
simplified Chinese (PC only). The game has been rated T for Teen by
the ESRB.
For more information about Overwatch, visit the official
website. For screenshots, videos, and other media, visit Blizzard’s
press site at blizzard.gamespress.com/overwatch.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Blizzard
Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the integration of
Facebook-related functionality in Blizzard’s games, are
forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from
those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this
release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to Blizzard
Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this
release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard
assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160606005042/en/
Blizzard EntertainmentRob Hilburger949-242-8404 dirVP, Global
Communicationsrhilburger@blizzard.comorBlizzard EntertainmentAndrew
Reynolds949-955-1380 x14301Public Relations
Directorareynolds@blizzard.comorFacebook CommunicationsBryan Lam,
510-685-1088bryanlam@fb.com
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