Blizzard Cinematic Overview

If you’re anywhere near the gaming spectrum, then you’ve most likely heard of the top-grade cinematic shorts produced by Blizzard Entertainment. Rivaling those of modern animation giant Pixar, these animated shorts and cinematic trailers have blown away audiences with their stunning visuals. At the top of the market stands the highly anticipated Overwatch shorts, which delve into the backstories of the game’s playable roster, adding the touch of story that game so desperately needs. Hype is one of the strongest responses from the spectacle, with the added benefit of new consumers gravitating toward the Blizzard universes.

This conversation was sparked from the release of the most recent Heroes of the Storm commercial labeled “MechaStorm – Heroes of the Storm.”

In the opening shot, an approaching enemy freighter is seen masking the sky in its foul shadow. Meanwhile, the green and gold clad Mecha Rehgar lands on the city streets and is soon swarmed by a legion of Mecha Locusts. Putting his full strength into a single punch, a sonic force manages to stall the swarm’s approach. Pan zoom to Xenotech Abathur sitting on his throne. Listening to the actions that had just been witnessed, he lounges back down, suggesting that Rehgar did little to stop his onslaught. Reigning down from the air, an angelic sword skewers a locust and creating an electrical shockwave around Rehgar. Mecha Tyrael lands in front of his friend for a brief reunion; however, the entirety of the hive-mind have been awoken before they get the proper time to greet one another.

As Tyrael gets slammed from Rehgar’s side, the smoke reveals a Mecha Ultralisk they have to face. Though Rehgar and Tyrael seem to be in a losing situation, Rehgar activates his bloodlust to vanquish this foe. Tyrael follows suit, charging forward and activating his ultimate to obliterate the Ultralisk. Not amused, Abuther activates his trump card, creating evil incarnations of the two fellow heroes. Shadow vs. light, the trailer ends with the four clashing together. The logo flashes onto the screen, an overall excellent display put forth.

Words escape the mouth after watching a perfect homage to the Japanese style of animation. If only everyone had the chance to experience what it’s like to be a “Mecha Hero of the Storm.” It is a strange phenomenon how enticing this commercial is, and how badly it makes us want to play their game. Awestruck playing right into their hands, the commercial is a perfect blend of advertisement from Blizzard Entertainment. Engrossing audiences once again, luring stragglers into their worlds.

The Analysis

Let’s take a step back from the enticing visuals and extravagant details set into each of these animations. The big question to ask is why does this work so effectively? Promoting cosmetics through a source of alluring and high production shorts shows the story behind the whole sub-expansion. This invests the characters into these new skins and further raises the bar on the cool factor. Emotions are a powerful thing to invoke: caring about the characters, enthralled by the action, enticed by the worlds, or even just awestruck in general. These breathtaking trailers invoke powerful emotions that get the viewer to play and become invested in these games. 

While even though the direction of the corporation itself is creating high-quality gaming experiences, other fields within the company do not lack behind in quality or entertainment. Hearkening back to one of the initial points I make very clearly when talking about Blizzard Entertainment is the respect it shows its community. This does not just go for live events or the games themselves, but all forms of media. Sure, it is a business first, trying to sell its product on a global sphere, however Blizzard takes the time and uses its resources to create flawless works of art. Whether or not it’s necessary, all are thankful for the effort shown throughout this visual medium.

A lot of this skill within the field begs the question from fans of the possibility of a full-length animated movie in the future. While even I would love the magic that would come from an Overwatch movie, it would take precious time and assets from the form of creation that Blizzard is truly passionate about: games. Blizzard Entertainment, at this moment in time, seems to want to focus on creating quality content in gaming and provide grand experiences for its audiences. The prospect of a movie would be great, though one would have to sacrifice the production of a great game. As it stands, I want Blizzard Entertainment to keep reinventing the gaming market, keep challenging creativity, and  continue to provide epic game experiences.

The Conclusion

To sum up the thoughts collected here, the recent Blizzard cinematic shorts have been proven successful in their goal. Their cinematic marketing works so well because of the ability to invoke emotion. With this, players get invested in the universes and wish to play more. Though Blizzard is a corporation set on making great games, it always wants to reach an epic gaming experience, which is achieved by each team over-performing in their respective roles. Though many would see these great cinematic shorts as an opportunity to deviate into the realm of film, Blizzard Entertainment, for the time being, seems focused on creating quality games. It is important for gamers to sit back and analyze what works well in the current market, and remember that designing video games should be a form of art, rather than a business.