Blizzard Confirms New MMOG in the Works

[Junaid Alam]

Blizzard Confirms New MMOG in the Works

Following much speculation, Blizzard's plans for a new MMOG unrelated to its cash-cow franchise have been confirmed.

A company representative announced on the American branch of the World of Warcraft forum that a "next-gen" MMOG was being worked on, addressing new job openings listed on Blizzard's website for character and environmental artists.

"No, it is an unannounced Next-Gen MMO. And that doesn't mean an expansion for World of Warcraft either," he said, batting down suggestions that the listings were for the planned WoW add-on Wrath of the Liching King.

The company's World of Warcraft game universe has attracted millions of subscribers around the world, previously leaving many observers skeptical that the company would be inclined to stake out efforts in new or different IPs.

Gamesindustry.biz [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=31492]

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[Annom]

Prediction is Diablo, but the lore behind diablo is too weak for an mmo. Could we finally see a whole new title from blizz?

 

[Melaisis]

Universe of Starcraft?

It'll take them a few years to develop this one; and in that time Starcraft 2 will be out long enough to be deemed 'old', but also to build that infamous fanatical Korean fanbase back up who would love such a creation as we Westerners adore WoW.

 

[Joe]

You know, as much as I really dislike WoW, I'd probably pick up a StarCraft MMO.

 

[Annom]

Universe of Starcraft?

It'll take them a few years to develop this one; and in that time Starcraft 2 will be out long enough to be deemed 'old', but also to build that infamous fanatical Korean fanbase back up who would love such a creation as we Westerners adore WoW.

I'd play it, they made screen shots for it as an April fools joke once.

 

[Northern]

Even though they are making a new one, this will probably bring even more people onto the blizzard train. I'm eager to see how this plays out.

 

[Andy Chalk]

My temptation is to call Diablo, but I think Blizzard is too smart to make another entry into the fantasy MMOG genre they already own. On the other hand, by the time this new game is ready for release, WoW will be awfully long in the tooth, and they may think that people will respond strongly to an up-to-date fantasy MMOG in a different setting. (I don't really see the lore behind Diablo as being any weaker for an MMOG setting than that of Warcraft.)

Dammit, I think I've managed to outsmart myself.

 

[Aglet]

... by the time this new game is ready for release, WoW will be awfully long in the tooth, and they may think that people will respond strongly to an up-to-date fantasy MMOG in a different setting.

They don't have to do that. First: See what happened to Eve. Graphic overhaul. And voilà! A game that can be played for another 18 months! If they do that to WoW (which is *very* likely that they will) they won't have to sell another fantasy MMO.
Second: They have practically everyone playing. And those who doesn't play yet, they will get eventually. Just take their "Scroll of Resurection"-campaign where they have players to draw old players back in to the game. In exchange they are given a few weeks free play time. It's genious. Diabolical, but genious.

No, I'm thinking this will be a new game (gameplay-wise) because WoW isn't about the playing anymore, it's about the social interaction/competition. To snare new players they will have to make it differ from WoW in terms of gameplay. Maybe an online shooter like Tabula Rasa/Mass Effect? Or maybe a squad-based game more in style with Rainbow Six?
Maybe a completely new game universe where different people take on different roles? Where you can play as everything from a politician down to the most insignificant cannon fodders?

Or they will just skin WoW and make it WoSC, which will probably sell as hell too.

 

[Agent_4]

Can't they just stick to WoW and Starcraft? It takes them forever to make sequels, aka Starcraft II. World of Warraft still has many bugs in it, such as oh say how omg overpowered Warlocks are!!!!! fucking bastards....

Honestly, just stick with what you know, don't give yourselves too much work cause then you just start having all the games go to the pits of hell.

 

[Quistnix]

Can't they just stick to WoW and Starcraft? It takes them forever to make sequels, aka Starcraft II. World of Warraft still has many bugs in it, such as oh say how omg overpowered Warlocks are!!!!! fucking bastards....

Honestly, just stick with what you know, don't give yourselves too much work cause then you just start having all the games go to the pits of hell.

They take a long time to create games, but that's because they have high standards and everything they release has great quality. Remember Warcraft Adventures? That game got scrapped when it was 80% finished, because it didn't get as fun as it was supposed to be.

And Warlocks overpowered? My lock dies to about every rogue I encounter. No class is to strong or weak, they just have different drawbacks and are vulnerable to different classes. Just as a well-balanced mmo should be.

Warlock kills Warrior, Warrior kills Rogue, Rogue kills Warlock. Seems fair to me.

 

[Niccolo]

Blargh. If it comes out as Starcraft I would love to play it... But, I swear, they had better not use the same graphics as WoW... that would be suicide for the game.

 

[KaynSlamdyke]

I'm hoping Diablo.

Please god let it be Diablo. Diablo would work. Diablo has just enough lore to make it clever and unique but not enough to feel like I'm defacing a work of art (ala WoW in response to me playing WC3...), and has enough of an online playerbase to make it work.

Please don't let them make Star Wars Galaxies / Tabula Rasa with Starcraft. I can't stand the idea of anyone running around as a Protoss with a pair of powered blades pwning n00bs before pulling a Vulture out of thier pocket and kiting an elite Ultralisk boss back to Mar Sara...