Pardo at GDC lunch: It's all about nailing the execution
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 26th 2009 at 5:01PM
Blizzard isn't making too much of an appearance at any of the gaming conventions this year (save for, of course, BlizzCon), but they are floating around the Game Developers Conference going on on San Francisco this week -- Rob Pardo showed up at a luncheon panel yesterday to talk with luminaries like Will Wright and Warren Spector about the latest trends in social gaming. He was actually introduced by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, who said that "social is buying someone a drink," not "sitting around in your underpants," but said that Pardo manages "maybe the largest group of people in their underpants in the world." Funny.Pardo defended the game, saying that what was once a hobby for outcasts has now become quite cool and that no matter what you're sitting around in, the people who play WoW are people with real relationships, responsibilities, and lives. And he says later in the chat that Blizzard doesn't necessarily aim for innovation, but for "nailing the execution." That's something Nintendo does as well, he said, and many times, that's the key in game development. You don't necessarily have to get it first, but you do have to get it right.
The rest of the conversation wanders away from MMOs (and Pardo), but it is a fun look into what these gaming development greats are thinking about what's next. Stay tuned to both us and Massively for more coverage from GDC -- Jeff Kaplan is scheduled to be on a panel there today, and we'll bring you news of that soon.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gundamxzero Mar 26th 2009 5:28PM
I dunno I would necessarily say "cool" Most people I come across (in the adult age range) are more closet wow players and you would only find out by chance that they played or admitted to it. Its treated like an addiction.
mike Mar 26th 2009 10:22PM
Yeah, i find most people are reluctant to admit they play WoW. I know I don't tell people that I play WoW whenever games come up in a conversation. MMO's in general still have a stigma and is a niche audience IMO.
Zeplar Mar 26th 2009 5:32PM
Aye, I've found that more people around me play than I thought, if you can just draw them out.
And if you open it up to people who played for a few weeks but never got into it.... there's probly 30-40 million of those, compared to the ~12 million "currently active" accounts.
BulletzBill Mar 26th 2009 5:34PM
He's definitely right about the "execution over innovation" part in my opinion, just take a look at all Blizzard's games, they don't necessarily innovate a ton, they just take what other games had done before, and perfected and polished the crap out of them. And all of Blizzard's games are more or less huge successes.
Candina@WH Mar 26th 2009 5:40PM
Never played it, but... Rock and Roll racing was a Huge success????
BulletzBill Mar 26th 2009 5:43PM
Ok lets just say from like.. 1995 onward. ;-D
Kassius Mar 26th 2009 5:56PM
even if RnRR wasn't a huge success, it was insanely fun back in the day.
Yeng Mar 27th 2009 11:11AM
RnR was awesome. Had the best Midi soundtrack back in the day.
Bigfish Mar 26th 2009 5:44PM
Picture pulled from Wikipedia. Classy.
The Claw Mar 26th 2009 6:12PM
The above image of Rob Pardo is actually originally from Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/520725354/in/photostream/
(Wikipedia used it from there, according to the terms of its license)
It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, which means WoW Insider is free to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work, but they MUST attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
So yes, WoW Insider is violating copyright by publishing that image without proper attribution. For shame.
uncaringbear Mar 26th 2009 5:55PM
I'm more concerned about the people playing who AREN'T in their underpants.
Clarick Mar 26th 2009 5:55PM
Lots of people play WoW. I am a computer tech and when I go to sites and someone sees the WoW sticker on my clipboard its amazing how they will just come up to you and say "What server do you play on?" It could be the guys 20 -35 that you might expect but I've even had the receptionist ask me and I wouldn't have made her to be a wow player in a million years.
Over the fast couple years it is becoming more socially acceptable to declare your love for WoW. I think the original stigma of wow being an addiction can properly be blamed on Everquest and the crap that went on with that game. WoW is different. WoW is part of the culture now
Shade Mar 26th 2009 6:02PM
I'm curious - has Blizz said anything about whether or not they'll be at the San Diego Comic Con this year? They were absent last year, mostly.
The Hammer Mar 26th 2009 6:05PM
Man, I love these luminary chats. Gonna have to read through this one. Wright and Spector along with Pardo? Sweeeeeeet.
The Hammer Mar 26th 2009 6:07PM
Uh, also? It was a quote from Bushell, not Bushell himself.
"Assembled at the Gamasutra-exclusive event were Warren Spector of Junction Point, Neil Young of ngmoco, Will Wright of Maxis, Rob Pardo of Blizzard (or “the U.S. Mint,” as moderator Gary Whitta joked), Dave Perry of Acclaim, and Brian Fargo of inXile.
The event was kicked off by recounting a recent Nolan Bushnell quote disparaging social gaming: "Social is buying someone a drink. Sitting in a dark room in your underpants talking to someone might seem social, but it's not cool.""
It was Gary Whitta moderating. :)
Melody Mar 26th 2009 6:46PM
Wasn't The Sims Online considered a social game? And wasn't it an dismal failure? Its funny how before it came out, it was going to be the next big thing and it turned out to fail.
I think it was more EA's fault than Will Wright's though.
Jon Mar 26th 2009 6:54PM
Buying a drink is social?
I for one don't enjoy drinking, or going to bars. Getting smashed is not my idea of being social.
WoW on the other hand is a great way to work cooperatively with people all over the globe, without the requirement of embibing an intoxicating substance.
That, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper, and more convenient!
Bossy Mar 26th 2009 8:47PM
John Pardo is a great think tank.
He knows exactly what a game needs and weeds out all the things that should be cut and things that need to be in.
Great name and a guy that knows why Wow is a succes. Not many (in fact very few) know the secret of what makes a good game.
It doesn't surprise me he mentioned Nintendo either.
Bushnell on the other hand has nothing to do with Atari. He just invented a little game named Pong and sold the name. A little old brag like so many in the industry (Lord British anyone?) and of course the big zero of Mark Jacobs.
There should be more John Pardo's in this world.
Bossy Mar 26th 2009 8:50PM
That's Rob Pardo of course
:)))
I always mix the name with Jogn Prados and old wargame designer :)))
Vaxi Mar 27th 2009 2:11AM
Hey, I'm staying in the palace hotel atm, and I have been seeing the GDC badges around the neck of around everyone in here. Anyways the lobby has free internet and me and my guild downed Malygos for the first time today and I was in the lobby. Shouting and dirty looks ensued as i stood up and cheered. But anyways Mike Schramm, if you are here, I BEG YOU, get me and my little brother into the GDC, we tried sneaking in today but security is surprisingly strict. I will love you forever.