What Have You Got to Lose with Blizzard's Michael Morhaime

The Fourth Curtain

Our guest Michael Morhaime was President and CEO of Blizzard during its glory years, shipping Warcraft, Starcraft, World of Warcraft, Diablo and more! Now Founder and CEO Dreamhaven he's won an Emmy and is in the AIAS Hall of Fame. We discuss red tape, how many billion dollar franchises you need on your resume and more - this week!

[00:01:00] Blizzard’s High Standards: Canceling Half Their Games
Mike reveals that Blizzard canceled nearly half of its projects to maintain quality, highlighting their ruthless pursuit of excellence—a strategy echoed by studios like Supercell.

[00:10:00] Founding DreamHaven: A Haven for Creative Freedom
Mike discusses how DreamHaven was built on the values that made Blizzard great: empowering internal studios, creative autonomy, and attracting AAA talent.

[00:14:00] Why “DreamHaven”? The Story Behind the Studio’s Name
Mike shares the inspiration behind DreamHaven’s name, emphasizing its vision as a safe space for innovation and creators.

[00:25:00] Early Days at Blizzard: From Electrical Engineer to Game Developer
Mike recounts how he transitioned from an EE background to co-founding Blizzard, even bringing the pitch to his dad for approval.

[00:32:00] First Console and Coding: The Bally Professional Arcade
A nostalgic dive into Mike’s first experience with programming via a BASIC cartridge console—a formative moment in his tech journey.

[00:44:00] Navigating Acquisitions: How Blizzard Stayed True to Itself
Mike outlines Blizzard’s acquisition history (Davidson, Sierra, Vivendi, Activision) and how the studio maintained independence through it all.

[00:50:00] Blizzard’s Secret to Long-Term Success: Prioritizing Players
Mike explains how being founder-led and focused on long-term value creation helped Blizzard consistently ship polished, player-first games.

[00:58:00] DreamHaven’s Future Vision: Platform Strategy & First Games
Mike talks about shipping on Steam, using Unreal/Unity for the first time, and the philosophy behind DreamHaven’s early development choices.

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