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E122: Why Blizzard Killed Project Titan
If you’re a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is your team busy working, or are they just walking slowly toward the abyss? It’s a nightmare scenario: you’re surrounded by world-class talent and burning through a budget in the 10s of millions, yet the game feels further away from shipping than ever . In this episode, Ben reacts to Lex Fridman’s interview with Jeff Kaplan (former Overwatch Director) as they break down the "multifaceted failure" of Blizzard's Project Titan . We dive deep into the "hubris" that kills AAA projects, why "anticipatory hiring" is a trap, and the brutal courage it takes to tell your CEO to shut a project down.  What you’ll learn in this episode: Why having a "cool idea" is actually waste How the "we can do no wrong" mentality after a hit like World of Warcraft leads to multifaceted failure Why overhiring creates "busy work" rather than progress. How to recognize when to inspire your team to think bigger and when to pull them back to focus on shipping Why every technical or art failure is, at its root, a failure of leadership If you're a game developer who has ever felt the soul-crushing weight of "anticipatory hiring" and busy work, or a leader of a game development company who needs the courage to admit when a project has become a "money hole" before it’s too late, this episode is for you. You may listen to the full audio podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/493-jeff-kaplan-world-of-warcraft-overwatch-blizzard/id1434243584?i=1000754728791 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/44oTEHDZdB7ITCB5dx88mB?si=6d45a2506a794ee8 Lex Fridman's YouTube Channels: 🔗  @lexfridman   🔗 @LexClips  Original Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVaxD8veRIg Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9rF1CSSh-w Connect with us: 🔗Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #ProjectTitan #Overwatch #GameLeadership #BuildingBetterGames  
Building Better Games
https://buildingbettergames.gg/podcast
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