The Everything Company

[Alias]

So this is an idea I've had for several years, a very alternate Blizzard led by an ASB with knowledge of the future and taking advantage of said knowledge and their powers.

………..

Connie Chung: So Blizzard had a rather unusual beginning compared to most businesses.

Maria Alvarez Vega: [Laughs] Yeah that's fair. So by the end of the 70s, I had been part of the LAPD since 1963 and I had helped a lot of people, but by the end of the 70s I was feeling burnout. Crime just kept rising no matter what we did and I wanted a better life for my family and so decided I was going to start a business. Though I didn't think any of the banks would give me a loan, so that's when I began to consider the trip to Vegas to win the money I needed.[1]

Connie Chung: What did your husband think about the idea?

Maria Alvarez Vega: Surprisingly very well and probably because I was the best gambler he ever saw. Course the responsible thing would have been not to go to Las Vegas and risk our hard earned money. But we'll risk taking runs deep in both of our families. So after the Christmas of 79', I drove out to Vegas and started playing the slots, winning some, losing some. Still winning more than I was losing and soon enough joined the table games. That's when I started really winning big.

Connie Chung: We're there ever any issues with you winning so much, like threats of being banned?

Maria Alvarez Vega: Actually no, though the casinos were watching me like a hawk. Now they love it when I come to gamble. So anyway I spent most of 80' on a huge winning streak and unlike just about every other winning streak I knew when finally to quit and would return back to my just before Christmas with a sizable fortune.

Connie Chung: [Laughs] Well that's quite the Christmas present to come home with.

Maria Alvarez Vega: I will always treasure the look on my daughter's face when she learned that she was going to be a millionaire when she turned 18. So yeah now I had all the capital to start Blizzard Software Publishing, a name my daughter chose, at the beginning of the next year. Soon after that we had our contract with IBM and it's been success after success ever since.
Eye to Eye interview May 19th,1994


I met Jessica my freshman year at UCLA and we quickly just clicked. She also pretty early on convinced me to work at her mom's company after we graduated, that we would have our own game studio and have everything we'd ever need. Despite the lofty expectations she set, I was still amazed the first time I visited the place leased for the newly established Blizzard Studio in January of 1989, it was a big place and we needed it as teams of Blizzard developers relocated to there. They needed the space as they rapidly staffed up as Jessica had a lot of games for them to work on and thankfully soon after, Blizzard would buy Mediagenic with some of their staff relocating to LA with some much needed development experience.
Like I had known of a few of the games she had been working on at UCLA, but man it was astounding the number of games she had been working on with her teams of Blizzard developers and how she kept so many projects along and I could recognize some of them were shaping up to be really special.[2]
-CEO of Blizzard Gaming Michael Morhaime, June 2010 IGN interview excerpt


It really irked me that after I left, subsequent Sega of America management took credit both for the "Genesis Does what Nintendon't" campaign I put into motion and the deal with Blizzard Activision to put their titles on the Genesis and Game Gear. Which led to us finally turning the tide against Nintendo in North America in 1991. Those people should study their history and be honest about what they actually did or didn't do.
-Former Sega of America President Michael Katz, 2004 Sega-16 interview excerpt

……..
[1] Maria Vega being a fictional character.

[2] A name Activision changed to in 1988 when the company branched out to business software applications. Also meaning Bobby Kotick won't get his hands on Activision

 

[Alias]

In January 1989, Blizzard Industries stood at an inflection point in its extraordinary evolution. What had begun as a modest software developer in the early 1980s had, under the bold stewardship of CEO Maria Vega, transformed into a sprawling conglomerate with ambitions far beyond its quaint origins. The company's leadership convened behind closed doors with Citibank executives, proposing a shocking $4 billion credit line to finance what would become the most aggressive expansion and acquisition spree in the entertainment industry's recent memory.

Citibank's chairman, John S. Reed, initially met the request with understandable skepticism. To the outside world, Blizzard was still better known among technology investors for its successful software products and growing presence in comics and semiconductors and niche entertainment than as a media powerhouse. Reed, conscious of the risks associated with such a gargantuan loan, viewed the proposed credit with wariness. Yet Maria Vega, known for her strategic acumen and unwavering confidence, marshaled a compelling case. She highlighted Blizzard's nearly decade-long history of calculated risks that had yielded substantial returns—whether it was the mid-80s acquisition of Marvel Comics from its previous owner or well-timed investments via its BlackRock Capital investment unit. More importantly, she laid out an intricate blueprint for a vertically integrated empire spanning production, distribution, licensing, and international content syndication. The proposed plan was not a haphazard splash but a meticulously crafted fiscal and creative masterstroke. [1]

To mollify risk concerns, Vega proposed to syndicate the loan across multiple financial institutions, effectively spreading exposure. Within weeks, a consortium took shape: alongside Citibank's 30% stake, European heavyweights like Crédit Lyonnais and Barclays, as well as Bank of America and Deutsche Bank, committed to sizable portions of the credit facility. By early February, the papers had been signed, and Blizzard's war chest was ready for deployment.

Less than two weeks after finalizing the credit line, Blizzard's acquisition offensive commenced in earnest. The company wasted no time swooping on undervalued entertainment stalwarts. Foremost among these was Orion Pictures, purchased for approximately $224 million, alongside the assumption of substantial debts. New Line Cinema, boasting a cult following and an expanding film slate, was acquired shortly thereafter for just under $100 million. Animation legends Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears were snapped up for $120 million and $32 million respectively, solidifying Blizzard's foothold in children's entertainment and broadening its portfolio of beloved animated characters. Harmony Gold USA, known primarily for its handling of the Robotech franchise, was acquired for $18 million, a purchase focused more on securing rights and institutional knowledge than immediate studio output. Additionally, The Learning Company was acquired for $75 million, granting Blizzard a strong entry into the educational software market and complementing their digital content expansion strategy.

But the acquisitions did not stop at American shores. Recognizing the untapped potential of Japanese animation, Blizzard pursued a strategy rarely attempted by American conglomerates. Studio Sunrise, famed for its work on the Gundam franchise, was acquired for $56 million. Tatsunoko Production, another powerhouse in the anime world, followed at $42 million, and Studio Nue was brought into the fold for $25 million. These moves underscored Vega's vision of a truly global company that could efficiently harness creative talent from both the East and West. The new foreign expansion was not just limited to just Japan, as Blizzard would acquire Tele Images Group based in France for $11 million, Tele München Group in what was then West Germany for $44 million and UK based Working Title Films for $25 million, giving to Blizzard production footholds in three major markets in Europe. During this period, Blizzard would as well acquire two marquee properties: Battlestar Galactica from Universal, Mission: Impossible from Gulf+Western, and the coveted Macross from Big West.[2]

While the sellers welcomed the cash influx in early 1989, they underestimated how aggressively Blizzard would monetize and expand these properties in the years to come. The combined price tag of these and other purchases along with assumed debt were well over a billion—an outlay dwarfed only by the potential returns—marked one of the largest entertainment acquisitions of the decade. This wave of investment was the foundation stone upon which Blizzard intended to build its ambitions: launching pathways for blockbusters, cable networks, and global merchandise deals.

Part of this vision was the creation of a new Japanese Animation Division led by the esteemed Takeyuki Kanda. Formalized in May 1989, this division operated with notable autonomy, tasked with managing existing licenses while developing new international partnerships to broaden the reach of its anime content. Break-even projections were conservatively set for late 1992, buoyed by strong overseas demand and licensing rights.

On the domestic front, Vega established Blizzard Animation Studios in Burbank toward the end of summer 1989. Placing veteran animator William Hanna at the helm, till late 1991 lent immediate credibility and continuity to the venture. The studio served as a melting pot where veteran American animation talent from Hanna-Barbera, Ruby-Spears, and alongside Japanese animators temporarily seconded from their Animation Division and animators from Pixar would collaborate.

The studio's inaugural projects included an American-produced Gundam series, marking a historic first for the mecha franchise, combined with a reboot of Robotech: The Sentinels and what was then known only as Project Glitch. The dissolution of Harmony Gold USA by September 1989 precipitated an internal reshuffle, with valuable staff absorbed into Orion Pictures to fulfill extant contracts, smoothing the transition and preserving essential institutional knowledge.

Meanwhile, company-wide restructuring was a consistent theme. Orion Pictures' executive ranks were purged thoroughly, save for key individuals willing to operate under Blizzard's exacting control. Maria Vega personally recruited David Forbes, then MGM's marketing president, to steer Orion's rebirth. From their earliest meetings, it was clear Forbes's role was constrained; autonomy was curtailed under the watchful eyes of Andrew Scott Baker, Blizzard's enigmatic creative czar known for issuing mandates to greenlight any script in the pipeline.[2] While limiting for senior executives, this top-down approach shielded them from accountability for any failures, creating a unique corporate culture where risks—and any blame—were centralized.

Forbes's responsibilities quickly expanded. Beyond revamping Orion's output and cost structures—including consolidation of offices from New York to Los Angeles and selective portfolio pruning—the company was tasked with launching multiple broadcast and cable outlets. Foremost among these was the nascent Blizzard Television Network, poised for a 1991 fall debut with the express aim of challenging the dominance of ABC, NBC, and CBS. Complementing this was The Hub, a children's cable channel launched in early 1991, tapping deep into Blizzard's newly acquired animation libraries. Early programming was drawn heavily from Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears, designed for broad appeal and syndication.

Close to BTN launch was Syfy, a channel dedicated exclusively to science fiction and horror genres, carefully named after legal counsel's advice that "Sci-Fi" was not protectable as a trademark. Syfy's programming strategy focused not only on classic genre staples but also leveraged Blizzard's growing library of international and homegrown productions, including new works from its new animation studio.

On the video gaming frontier, Blizzard's takeover of Mediagenic heralded a return to the iconic Activision brand name in mid-1989. This rebranding aimed to recapture market share and consumer trust after Mediagenic's struggles. Downsizing followed swiftly; the once-legendary Infocom studio was shuttered, with only a fraction of its staff relocating to Blizzard's California headquarters. Leadership changes also accompanied the shift, with William Volk replacing Bruce Davis at Activision's helm, injecting renewed energy and a fresh direction.

Activision's new strategy was pragmatic: repackaging classic games and compilations to raise revenue quickly and sustainably while focusing development resources on key new titles. A landmark moment came in April 1989, when Sega of America signed Activision to develop Joe Montana Football for the Genesis, targeting a holiday season launch that year. Production delays early in the process threatened launch timelines—a critical risk given the escalating console wars against Nintendo's NES. Responding decisively, Maria Vega sent her daughter, Jessica Vega, then a college student and head of Blizzard's new gaming studio, to oversee the project. Remarkably, Jessica avoided the notorious crunch culture prevalent in game development by exercising self-discipline rather than imposing harsh demands on staff. This leadership style galvanized the team, returned development to schedule, and secured a successful November 1989 launch.

Joe Montana Football would sell over half a million units over the Gensis lifetime and emerging as the quintessential "killer app" that propelled the Sega Genesis's rapid market penetration in North America.[3] This triumph not only validated Blizzard's multi-sector acquisition strategy but also underscored Maria Vega's ruthlessly efficient operational philosophy. Through 1989, Blizzard Industries had changed from simply an unusual conglomerate to a potential media power house, a vast distance from its humble software origins. Funding new major content divisions, plans for launching multiple high-profile cable networks, and rigorously integrating production studios and gaming franchises, the company had engineered a new archetype for vertically integrated media conglomerates. Though early operational challenges and personnel upheavals were significant, the foundation for the company's later dominance was firmly laid. The years 1990 and 1991 would prove the ultimate test as Blizzard prepared to roll out its sprawling empire's first fully functional stages on the international and domestic fronts to what the company would hope would be plentiful returns on its sizeable and growing investments

-Excerpts from The Everything Company: A History of Blizzard, Brad Stone 2023

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[1] ASB powers including mind control and influencing people are mighty helpful.

[2] Plus what rights it had in relation to Robotech

[3] Baker being a fictional character

[4] 250,000 copies and had four sequels despite EA sabotaging the game in OTL after Sega of America turned to them to salvage the game.