Hamilton Chu, Hearthstone's Executive Producer, Also Leaves Blizzard Entertainment
In a tweet early this morning, Hamilton Chu responded to Ben Brode's leaving tweet with something very simple. Both of the ex-Hearthstone team members have set their Twitter bios to "Starting up something new!".
Quote from Hamilton ChuToday is my last day at Blizzard. 😢 Thank you for all the laughter and fun we shared. I will miss you.
Weird! It was mine too...
Not many were aware of Hamilton's involvement with Team 5 as he wasn't out there interacting with the community like Ben. Things he was responsible for though were writing most of the flavor text in Whispers of the Old Gods expansion and the strategic planning and business operations on the Hearthstone side of things. He also headlined Blizzard's strategic Initiatives Group which included business ops for World of Warcraft. It would appear that this isn't only a blow to Hearthstone, but also other areas at Blizzard.
Quote from Developer Bios - Hamilton ChuAs executive producer for Blizzard Entertainment's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Hamilton Chu provides the leadership and direction necessary to deliver players a Blizzard-quality gaming experience. In his role, Chu is responsible for strategic planning and business operations, providing management support for the development leadership, and generally tanking issues for the team whenever necessary.
As head of Blizzard’s strategic initiatives group, his other duties include leading business operations for World of Warcraft and managing Blizzard’s creative development department. Before joining Blizzard Entertainment, Chu served as a producer on Halo and Halo 2 for Bungie before going on to sell his soul to the MBA gods.
In his spare time, Chu enjoys reading comics, writing stories, and pwning noobs of all shapes and sizes.
Which beloved developer is leaving the Hearthstone team next to work alongside Brode and Chu?
They're leaving Blizzard to join Darude's Sandstorm.
There’s something rotten at Blizzard…
I for one hope that change means some positive bending away from stances they were firm on, for what seemed like no good reason to me. For example, maybe we can get some built in tracker that overlays things the way Hearthstone Deck Tracker and similar apps do (I'd pay a premium for that if it meant similar or better functionality, with better stability). Or maybe we could get the option for that perma-squelch so many ask for (and over which so many others flame those who ask for it). Or see some movement on providing paths to get at least some of the old card backs.
I mean, there are a lot of things that have nothing to do with balance or core game play, but everything to do with catering to various customers desires, that they have basically refused to entertain (or when they have mentioned 'thinking about it', have not produced any tangible progress) which could add multiple revenue streams while increasing the satisfaction of those customers who have begged for those things forever.
Regardless, we can hope, at least that change will be more good than bad. There is no reason it cant be a win-win, those who leave expanding their horizons while those who fill the void add value and innovation above and beyond the levels that got the game to where it is. Been around a long time here, not planning to bail until they get a chance at least.
Blizz lost so much money from these last 2 failed exp ..we need NEW insight BYE!
its a FACT , why down vote...get off the nips
Hearthstone 2019: Year of the Beached Whale..............
Is stuff like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon illegal too? They basically do the same thing...
Those are physical card games as well though. You don't really "own" anything in Hearthstone because it's all digital, and trading is impossible.
Yea the big difference here is that in gambling , when you loose you actually loose everything you gamble, when you "loose" in hearthstone (by opening something you did not want) you alway get something in the form of dust or other legendaries.
Same thing in other TCGs you might not always get the card you want but you get cards you can use to trade with other people.
TBH I've spent too much on this game, in such a short amount of time, because I keep opening packs hoping just to build a specific deck or 2, and keep getting 90% duplicate cards, that dust to close to nothing. I am a victim of gambling. Basically, I agree they should do away with the packs, but also, that it is fun. :-/
im afraid of what is to come honestly. because for 2 large figures to quit a job like this. it means the game is moving in a different direction than what they intended. maybe something to do with micro transactions, card balance etc.
but at the end of the day its still blizzard and they have consistently put out great content for all of their games. i just hope things go well
I doubt it. They clearly are going to work together on a new company. Sometimes people just want to move on.
So what you're telling me is that Brode and Chu might be designing a new game of some kind together, but without having to deal with the oppressive oversight and bureaucratic bullshit of a giant gaming corporation who only care about the bottom line and cross promoting their other games?
When the fuck can I sign up for the closed beta?
Is there a way to upvote multiple times?
We'll always remember him as the guy who told us that they fired the guy who named Dark Wispers
Flavor Text
We didn't actually fire the guy who named Dark Wispers.
https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/89349-wispering-woods
This is becoming too nostalgic.. fuck
After Metzen left it became great again
Just waiting to hear that Chris Metzen will be the lead!!!!
Or more like Dave Kosak.... God help us....Brode was cool... Kosak...not so much. I pretty much hated Kosak reveals.