Tag: Blizzard

Overwatch QR code may reveal new hero details

The quick response code has been decoded and suggest Sombra will be the newest character.

A new Overwatch QR code has caused a tremendous amount of noise among gamers. This has only added to the excitement following the video recently released by Blizzard. Reports have shown that a barcode has revealed the identity of the latest character to join.

Fans have been speculating regarding the next character for the last while and this has grown with the latest clues.

The Blizzard studio recently released a new video about the first downloadable character in the game, Ana. At the end of the video, there was a short length of “TV snow”, or static interference. This drew the suspicion and interest of many of the biggest fans of the game. It launched a tremendous amount of discussion over social media. Finally, it has been revealed that there was an Overwatch QR code buried within that snow.

Fans have been attempting to retrieve the Overwtach QR code in order to properly scan it.

Overwatch QR Code - QR Code ScanNow that this has been accomplished, discussions on Reddit have shown that it leads to a brief message in Spanish. It translated to “Was that easy? Now that I have your attention, let’s make things more difficult.” To many fans, this pointed directly to Sombra as the next hero of the game. In Spanish, that name means “shadow.” This also helps to explain why the clue was hidden in the method chosen by the studio.

Sombra is an Overwatch character known for being stealthy, which aligns well with the message shared through the QR code scan. In fact, she is so adept at stealth that she may be impossible to see. After all, a video has shown other heroes – such as Reinhardt, Tracer and Reaper – appearing to call an opponent who is completely invisible.

This Overwatch QR code has certainly managed to get the rumor mill moving. It will be interesting to view the reactions of the fans as a new character is introduced to the game. That said, it’s important to point out that Blizzard has not yet officially confirmed that there will be a new character in the game, let alone an actual identity for that person.

Activision Blizzard may enter mobile games space with recent acquisition

Activision Blizzard acquires King Digital

Activision Blizzard, a leading publisher of games and parent company of both Blizzard and Activision, has successfully purchased King Digital, makers of the massively popular Candy Crush franchise of mobile games. The company purchased King Digital for $5.9 billion, which is more than Disney paid for the rights to the famed Star Wars franchise. Mobile games are becoming a prominent focus for many companies involved in the game industry, as these particular games have proven to be quite lucrative.

Mobile games market expected to reach $55 billion by 2019

According to Activision Blizzard, the mobile gaming space is expected to reach $36 billion this year, growing to $55 billion by 2019. This explosive growth is creating a great deal of interest among investors, as mobile games could represent a major return on investment in a relatively short amount of time. Investors have been pressuring Activision Blizzard to enter into the mobile games market for several years, but the company has only done so in a limited capacity, focusing its efforts on its more popular franchises for consoles and PC.

Mobile games are very simplistic and do not appeal to the core audience of Activision Blizzard

Mobile Games AcquisitionOne of the reasons that Activision Blizzard has been slow to enter into the mobile games space is because its most popular games are not suited for mobile devices. The attraction of these games are their graphics, immersive experiences, and interactive multiplayer options. Mobile devices have very limited capabilities when it comes to providing an expansive and immersive experiences, but they excel at offering consumers access to easy-to-play and simplistic games, in both style and mechanics. Moreover, Activision Blizzard’s core audience is not incredibly involved in mobile games, as they prefer to play their games on consoles and computers.

King Digital could help Activision Blizzard break into the mobile gaming space

The purchase of King Digital may allow Activision Blizzard to begin establishing a strong presence in the mobile gaming space. In the past, King Digital saw major success with its mobile games, but has struggled to replicate this success after 2014. The company has developed some 200 mobile games, but only its Candy Crush franchise has done well, both financially and in terms of player adoption.