Unfortunately, that Blizzard advancement quote is true of a number of companies, and it's also true of salaries (it's an unfortunate fact that, in some companies, if an employee leaves for a higher-paying similar position at another company, then return to the same company, they'll often be hired back on at a payscale that would never be what they got had they remained at the company - this happened at Obsidian). This is also the easiest way to get promoted - again, you can get a more senior role easier by leaving a company and coming back, which is bizarre, but true.
Also, with the Blizzard quote, the other challenge is the titles they produce take a long time to make, so the idea of having 2 shipped titles could mean (or did mean) 5-10 years if someone remained at the company (this was at the time).
THEN, you have the issue of entrenched leads - places like Naughty Dog, sometimes Blizzard, and especially small companies, there's little room for promotion or advancement upwards b/c the leads are already set and there's not enough projects for people seeking more responsibility (that's why DLCs and small titles at a company can be good - they can set up new lead positions, even if the projects are small).
Neither Rich or Anthony were forced out. While I wouldn't want to speak to the reasons (they can), it's hard to ignore that Orange County is a very, very expensive place to live, and salaries need to match that.
So if you're only get cost of living raises/minimal raises each year (even if your review is excellent), you'll be subsisting, not living, and a few years of that and you'll find yourself in a hole you can't get out of.
That said, both opportunities at Blizzard sound great for programmers, so god speed.
