Blizzard Entertainment Inc. departed from its standard routine for Blizzcon this year, using the annual fanfest at the Anaheim Convention center to tout upcoming content releases for existing games and plans for a new e-sports league.
The Irvine-based company showcased a new hero—a notorious hacker named Somba—for its hit first-person shooter “Overwatch” game, which was released in May. New maps and an arcade feature were teased during a panel discussion on the game.
The company also announced new heroes, battlegrounds and challenges for its free-to-play online brawler “Heroes of the Storm,” which has become an e-sports staple in the collegiate and pro circuits since its release last year.
Blizzard is Orange County’s largest software maker, with about 2,000 local employees and revenue of $1.56 billion last year. It plans a Nov. 22 launch for the third and final expansion pack of its “StarCraft II” franchise, which has sold more than 11 million units, including a nod as the 2013 top-selling PC game in North America.
“Hearthstone,” a free-to-play collectible card game that has amassed tens of millions of players since its launch last year, debuted a new underground, Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, which includes 132 new cards to play in the territory ruled by three crime families.
New content updates are also slated for “World of Warcraft: Legion,” the sixth expansion set of the franchise role-playing game that helped usher the genre, and “Diablo III: Reaper of Souls,” which will take players back to where the franchise began some 20 years ago.
Blizzard’s plans to establish a professional eSports league centered on “Overwatch”—which is played by some 20 million globally—was the most surprising news that came out of the Nov. 3 and 4 event, which typically draws about 20,000 fans from around the globe.
The league will hold a NFL-style combine to assess players interested in trying out for teams that will be based in major cities. The first season will kick off next year, with pro players guaranteed contracts that include baseline minimum salaries and benefits packages.
The company, in a shift from previous years, did not announce or tease a new gaming title at this year’s Blizzcon.
China Price: $420,000
An Over-the-Counter clean-tech company in Costa Mesa has attracted a $420,000 investment from China-based private equity firm Cybernaut Zfounder Ventures LLC.
Clean Energy Technologies Inc., which trades under the ticker symbol CETY, plans to use the proceeds for international expansion as it develops a heat recovery steam generator and other products.
The investment from the Cyberfuture One LP fund builds on the company’s plans announced in October to establish a joint venture with China-based BR Energy to manufacture and commercialize Clean Cycle brand products in the world’s most populous country. Clean Cycle’s generator system is billed as capturing heat from a variety of waste sources and converting it to electricity. Â
Clean Energy Technologies, which posted revenue of $2.3 million last year and a net loss of $2.5 million, had a recent market value of about $3.3 million.
Alcatel Extension
Irvine-based Alcatel Onetouch has strengthened distribution ties with Amazon.com and Best Buy in the latest round of smartphone releases.
The Alcatel POP 4S, Alcatel POP 4 PLUS, Alcatel PIXI 4 (5) and Alcatel PIXI 4 (6) are now available from the retail giants. The devices all carry a two-year warranty and cost less than $180.
The local unit of TCL Communication in China was the 10th largest telecom in OC through July, with 100 employees, up from 65 a year earlier.
TCL, which posts annual sales topping $5 billion, is among the top five smartphone manufacturers in the world.
