  {"id":6119,"date":"2015-12-09T22:21:41","date_gmt":"2015-12-10T03:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T22:21:41","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T03:21:41","slug":"blizzard-entertainment-winner","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Question 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blizzard Entertainment is a video game company and a part of Activision Blizzard.<a href=\"#_edn1\" name=\"_ednref1\">[i]<\/a>\u00a0 This is a company that has a strong alignment between its business and operating models.\u00a0 Specifically, it leverages its strong talent base to develop and sustain compelling game \u201cfranchises\u201d that generate significant value on an ongoing basis.<a href=\"#_edn2\" name=\"_ednref2\">[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As shown in Exhibit 1, a slide from a recent presentation to investors, management is well aware of how the key elements of its business model and operating model support each other (I\u2019ve included annotations clearly delineating which elements of their framework I would argue are \u2018business model\u2019 vs. \u2018operating model\u2019).<a href=\"#_edn3\" name=\"_ednref3\">[iii]<\/a>\u00a0 While this framework applies to Activision Blizzard overall, I would argue it applies to the specific Blizzard business as well (as is evidenced by the inclusion of Blizzard games in the graphic).<a href=\"#_edn4\" name=\"_ednref4\">[iv]<\/a>\u00a0 The effectiveness of their model is evidenced by revenue growth at a 8% CAGR from 2009 to 2014 and net income growth at a 6% CAGR over the same period; while there have been ups and downs, the business still has performed well.<a href=\"#_edn5\" name=\"_ednref5\">[v]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Business Model:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Instead of developing a very wide range of games, Blizzard instead focuses on developing \u201cfranchises\u201d that each foster their own \u201clarge and engaged community.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn6\" name=\"_ednref6\">[vi]<\/a> Franchises may include multiple games developed over several years: for example, Blizzard has continued to publish <em>Warcraft<\/em> related titles since 1994.<a href=\"#_edn7\" name=\"_ednref7\">[vii]<\/a>\u00a0 As seen in Exhibit 1 (annotated slide from investor presentation), the level of player \u201cengagement\u201d is key to this franchise model; and according to Activision Blizzard\u2019s annual report for 2014, their games were played for ~12B hours (figures for Activision Blizzard overall).<a href=\"#_edn8\" name=\"_ednref8\">[viii]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Operating Model:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A key element of the operating model to highlight is that its employees all have a strong interest in video games, which is meant to ensure\u00a0a high degree of customer empathy across the entire organization.<a href=\"#_edn9\" name=\"_ednref9\">[ix]<\/a>\u00a0 This does not just apply to specific developer roles: even when applying for relatively senior management positions (for example, \u201cSenior Vice President, Cross Media\u201d) applicants are required to submit a cover letter that describes \u201cWhat games you are currently playing.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn10\" name=\"_ednref10\">[x]<\/a>\u00a0 And indeed, Activision Blizzard boasts that it has \u201cthe best talent in our industry.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn11\" name=\"_ednref11\">[xi]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hiring strong employees has obvious links to strong performance \u2013 as shown in Exhibit 1, management notes that good employees make good games.<a href=\"#_edn12\" name=\"_ednref12\">[xii]<\/a>\u00a0 But I would argue choosing the right employees has the more subtle benefit of having an employee base that is well-positioned to engage with the communities of players upon which these franchises depend.\u00a0 For example, Blizzard hosts an event roughly once a year called BlizzCon.<a href=\"#_edn13\" name=\"_ednref13\">[xiii]<\/a>\u00a0 Among the activities at BlizzCon, fans can watch \u201cpro gamers\u201d play Blizzard games and, importantly, attend \u201cdiscussion panels\u201d featuring Blizzard staff.<a href=\"#_edn14\" name=\"_ednref14\">[xiv]<\/a>\u00a0 Blizzard employees reach gamers in other ways as well \u2013 for instance, key members of the Blizzard team that develop their <em>Hearthstone <\/em>game can be found engaging users on the Reddit forum dedicated to that game.<a href=\"#_edn15\" name=\"_ednref15\">[xv]<\/a>\u00a0 Ultimately, I would argue that Blizzard is successful, at least in part, because of its ability to hire employees that not only can create great game franchises but also are able to foster the communities that sustain long-term interest in those franchises\u00a0\u2013 indeed, Activision Blizzard management says it will make &#8220;continuous investment in the franchises we create and investment in the communities comprised of our players.&#8221;<a href=\"#_edn16\" name=\"_ednref16\">[xvi]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>_________________________<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Exhibit 1: Excerpt from \u201cActivision Blizzard Investor Day 2015\u201d presentation, my annotations in <span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>orange<\/strong><\/span><a href=\"#_edn17\" name=\"_ednref17\"><strong>[xvii]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6085\" src=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg\" alt=\"Ex1\" width=\"975\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg 975w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11-600x337.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Exhibit 2: Blizzard Financial Performance<a href=\"#_edn18\" name=\"_ednref18\"><strong>[xviii]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6109\" src=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex2.jpg\" alt=\"Ex2\" width=\"750\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex2.jpg 750w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex2-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex2-600x359.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>_________________________<\/em><\/p>\n<p>References:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref1\" name=\"_edn1\">[i]<\/a> Blizzard \u201cCompany Profile\u201d.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/profile.html\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/profile.html<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cICD Research \u2013 Business Analysis.\u201d\u00a0 Activision Blizzard.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lexisnexis.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/lnacui2api\/api\/version1\/getDocCui?oc=00240&amp;hnsd=f&amp;hgn=t&amp;lni=58FW-PV31-JB5W-D1F5&amp;hns=t&amp;perma=true&amp;hv=t&amp;hl=t&amp;csi=270944%2C270077%2C11059%2C8411&amp;secondRedirectIndicator=true\">http:\/\/www.lexisnexis.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/lnacui2api\/api\/version1\/getDocCui?oc=00240&amp;hnsd=f&amp;hgn=t&amp;lni=58FW-PV31-JB5W-D1F5&amp;hns=t&amp;perma=true&amp;hv=t&amp;hl=t&amp;csi=270944%2C270077%2C11059%2C8411&amp;secondRedirectIndicator=true<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHoover\u2019s Company Records \u2013 In-depth Records.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lexisnexis.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/lnacui2api\/results\/docview\/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&amp;risb=21_T23159268378&amp;format=GNBFI&amp;sort=RELEVANCE&amp;startDocNo=1&amp;resultsUrlKey=29_T23159268382&amp;cisb=22_T23159268381&amp;treeMax=true&amp;treeWidth=0&amp;csi=220620&amp;docNo=4\">http:\/\/www.lexisnexis.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/lnacui2api\/results\/docview\/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&amp;risb=21_T23159268378&amp;format=GNBFI&amp;sort=RELEVANCE&amp;startDocNo=1&amp;resultsUrlKey=29_T23159268382&amp;cisb=22_T23159268381&amp;treeMax=true&amp;treeWidth=0&amp;csi=220620&amp;docNo=4<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref2\" name=\"_edn2\">[ii]<\/a> Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInvestor Day Presentation.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref3\" name=\"_edn3\">[iii]<\/a> \u201cInvestor Day Presentation.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref4\" name=\"_edn4\">[iv]<\/a> A list of Blizzard games is available here: <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/games\/\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/games\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref5\" name=\"_edn5\">[v]<\/a> Analysis of \u201cfinancial model\u201d distributed on Activision Blizzard\u2019s investor site.\u00a0 Financials accessible at: <a href=\"http:\/\/investor.activision.com\/common\/download\/download.cfm?companyid=ACTI&amp;fileid=858388&amp;filekey=49C9D57E-3C59-42AF-ADB2-D028D5846A35&amp;filename=ATVI_Financial_Model_Q3_CY15_IR_Version_.xlsx\">http:\/\/investor.activision.com\/common\/download\/download.cfm?companyid=ACTI&amp;fileid=858388&amp;filekey=49C9D57E-3C59-42AF-ADB2-D028D5846A35&amp;filename=ATVI_Financial_Model_Q3_CY15_IR_Version_.xlsx<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref6\" name=\"_edn6\">[vi]<\/a> Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref7\" name=\"_edn7\">[vii]<\/a> \u201cBlizzard Timeline.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/b20\/timeline.html\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/b20\/timeline.html<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/9\/15.<br \/>\nBlizzard Games.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/games\/\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/games\/<\/a>.\u00a0 Access 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref8\" name=\"_edn8\">[viii]<\/a> Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInvestor Day Presentation.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref9\" name=\"_edn9\">[ix]<\/a> Blizzard \u201cCompany Profile\u201d.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/profile.html\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/profile.html<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref10\" name=\"_edn10\">[x]<\/a> Job description page for Senior VP Cross Media at Blizzard.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/careers\/posting.html?id=14000FY\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/careers\/posting.html?id=14000FY<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref11\" name=\"_edn11\">[xi]<\/a> Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref12\" name=\"_edn12\">[xii]<\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"line-height: 1.5\">\u201cInvestor Day Presentation.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><a style=\"line-height: 1.5\" href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf<\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.5\">.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref13\" name=\"_edn13\">[xiii]<\/a> \u201cBlizzard Timeline.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/b20\/timeline.html\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/about\/b20\/timeline.html<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>Blizzard &#8220;Events.&#8221; \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/events\/\">http:\/\/us.blizzard.com\/en-us\/company\/events\/<\/a>. \u00a0Accessed 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref14\" name=\"_edn14\">[xiv]<\/a> \u201cBlizzCon Overview.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/us.battle.net\/blizzcon\/en\/event-info\/about-blizzcon\/blizzcon-overview\">http:\/\/us.battle.net\/blizzcon\/en\/event-info\/about-blizzcon\/blizzcon-overview<\/a>.\u00a0 Access 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref15\" name=\"_edn15\">[xv]<\/a> \u201cBlizzard Hearthstone Developer AMA \u2013 Ben Brode, Yong Woo and Christina Sims!\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/hearthstone\/comments\/2ped94\/blizzard_hearthstone_developer_ama_ben_brode_yong\/\">https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/hearthstone\/comments\/2ped94\/blizzard_hearthstone_developer_ama_ben_brode_yong\/<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/9\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref16\" name=\"_edn16\">[xvi]<\/a> Activision Blizzard \u201c2014 Annual Report.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x822202\/B3182DA4-35AA-41BA-BA4D-CE8014B533BB\/ATVI_2015_Annual_Report_Spread.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/7\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref17\" name=\"_edn17\">[xvii]<\/a> \u201cInvestor Day Presentation.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf\">http:\/\/files.shareholder.com\/downloads\/ACTI\/1133543096x0x860155\/9F8D523C-7E61-4443-91E1-EB3A7DDFC7F1\/FINAL_ID_Presentation_-_Small.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref18\" name=\"_edn18\">[xviii]<\/a> Analysis of \u201cfinancial model\u201d distributed on Activision Blizzard\u2019s investor site.\u00a0 Financials accessible at: <a href=\"http:\/\/investor.activision.com\/common\/download\/download.cfm?companyid=ACTI&amp;fileid=858388&amp;filekey=49C9D57E-3C59-42AF-ADB2-D028D5846A35&amp;filename=ATVI_Financial_Model_Q3_CY15_IR_Version_.xlsx\">http:\/\/investor.activision.com\/common\/download\/download.cfm?companyid=ACTI&amp;fileid=858388&amp;filekey=49C9D57E-3C59-42AF-ADB2-D028D5846A35&amp;filename=ATVI_Financial_Model_Q3_CY15_IR_Version_.xlsx<\/a>.\u00a0 Accessed 12\/8\/15.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blizzard Entertainment: Winner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":481,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[7],"class_list":["post-6119","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","hentry","category-winner"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/the-tom-challenge-tom-winners-and-losers-assignment\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Technology and Operations Management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/\",\"name\":\"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Ex11.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-10T03:21:41+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Ex11.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Ex11.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Submissions\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/\",\"name\":\"Technology and Operations Management\",\"description\":\"MBA Student Perspectives\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"性视界Action\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management","og_description":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner","og_url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/","og_site_name":"Technology and Operations Management","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/","url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/","name":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner - Technology and Operations Management","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg","datePublished":"2015-12-10T03:21:41+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Ex11.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/blizzard-entertainment-winner\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Submissions","item":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Blizzard Entertainment: Winner"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/","name":"Technology and Operations Management","description":"MBA Student Perspectives","potentialAction":[{"@type":"性视界Action","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission\/6119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hck-submission"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/481"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission\/6119\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}