Former Blizzard exec Rob Pardo on the evolving game industry

Activision Blizzard ATVI -1.16% remains a powerhouse in the global video game business. While Activision Publishing focuses on annual mainstream hits like Call of Duty and Skylanders, Blizzard Entertainment has managed to retain millions of subscribers for its World of Warcraft massively multiplayer online (MMO) game despite the influx of free-to-play games and helped usher in the eSports phenomenon with its StarCraft real-time strategy (RTS) franchise.