Atomic takes a walk around Blizzard's Campus to check out how this dev gets things done.
Blizzard is one of those companies that seem to be able to pull off a hugely popular game with seemingly a small risk - just take a look at Starcraft, Warcraft (especially the money-printing WoW) and Diablo - but have you ever wondered how they worked?
While it's nothing quite as extreme as a leather mask wearing slavedriver whipping each employee for hours on end until the games are finished, their actual workplace is actually something pretty awesome.
Each employee is treated to either their own or a shared space, but are allowed to decorate and organise it however they see fit; from a mood-lit beanbagged curtained room, all the way to a brightly lit collection of the nerdiest toys this side of a sci-fi convention.
Even the reception area for the company is impressive, with lifesize statues and a giant glowing Blizzard sign. Dotted around the complex proper are basketball courts, volleyball courts, a gym that is open 24/7 and a cafeteria.
Added in to the mix are breakrooms and random rooms with TVs, consoles and comic books - this really is one bloody cool place to work.
Jump into the gallery of pics to see all this stuff together, and while we couldn't shoot inside most of the offices proper (people were working), there's a whole lot to see! Remember to click for fullsize versions, and post below with your favourite statue - ours is Kerrigan.
Issue: 109 | February, 2010