They took a concept (coop/role FPS such as TF, and MOBA) and tried to make a great franchise and implementation of it. I'd say they did the same with Hearthstone (hello Magic: the Gathering), and RTS (Warcraft I wasn't the first RTS). Not sure if Diablo was the first ARPG. Starcraft obviously was not the first RTS. Arguably, the only original game they ever made was their coop platform game, Vikings back when it wasn't even called Blizzard.
Overwatch is a completely new franchise though, so in that regard its novel.
The cashing in can be seen in different ways. Selling out their Diablo IP to NetEase for a mobile game (and having the guts to market it for a PC crowd). Their microtransactions in WoW while still having the subscription model as well. Them laying off nearly a thousand people while profit is at all-time high, while CEO gets bonus. All the silly DLCs for SC2. At least they didn't bother with another DLC for Diablo 3 after RoS.
Mike Morheime left for Dreamhaven together with a crowd of entrepreneurs and daredevils. Hopefully he succeeds where Schaefer brothers failed.
Overwatch is a completely new franchise though, so in that regard its novel.
The cashing in can be seen in different ways. Selling out their Diablo IP to NetEase for a mobile game (and having the guts to market it for a PC crowd). Their microtransactions in WoW while still having the subscription model as well. Them laying off nearly a thousand people while profit is at all-time high, while CEO gets bonus. All the silly DLCs for SC2. At least they didn't bother with another DLC for Diablo 3 after RoS.
Mike Morheime left for Dreamhaven together with a crowd of entrepreneurs and daredevils. Hopefully he succeeds where Schaefer brothers failed.