WoW Sequel Could "Kill Off Franchise"

[Logan Frederick]

WoW Sequel Could "Kill Off Franchise"

Blizzard finds "no requirement" to develop another World of Warcraft when they intend on improving the original game for years to come.

With Wrath of the Lich King's [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/5445-Review-World-of-Warcraft-Wrath-of-the-Lich-King] release to millions of devotees worldwide, role-playing game kingpin Blizzard is looking forward into the Warcraft franchise's future for what project to pursue next. Since the original title launch four years ago and two expansion packs in the meantime, could it possibly be time for Warcraft to get the Starcraft 2 treatment?

"I don't personally think that there's a requirement to do a sequel," stated Paul Sams, Chief Operating Officer at Blizzard.

Instead, the studio will continue improving World of Warcraft with expansions and content updates "so long as there's a meaningful number of players that are interested in playing it."

"We think World of Warcraft is a great stand alone product and one that a lot of people are very much enjoying," he continued.

Sams and company have little reason to think differently. When a majority of players [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/morhaime-warhammer-and-conan-subscribers-returning-to-warcraft] who left World of Warcraft to play Age of Conan or Warhammer are returning to the product, the game has a near monopoly on the MMO market.

Blizzard understands WoW's position and only intends on preserving its dominance. Sams stated, "As it relates to other MMOs, time will tell what we're going to do but doing a sequel can help kill off the franchise and so I think we want people to be able to focus on this and again I think that we're going to be able to provide compelling content that's going to definitely feed the needs of players."

Source: Videogamer [http://www.videogamer.com/news/14-11-2008-9928.html]

Permalink

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Wait, so no WoW 2 or no Warcraft 4? The former I couldn't care less about, but to completely disregard the series to improve the MMO is kind of stupid. I don't think we *need* a Warcraft 4, but WoW is not part of the Warcraft franchise, it's simply a spin-off.

 

[Zer_]

Wait, so no WoW 2 or no Warcraft 4? The former I couldn't care less about, but to completely disregard the series to improve the MMO is kind of stupid. I don't think we *need* a Warcraft 4, but WoW is not part of the Warcraft franchise, it's simply a spin-off.

The point is that Blizzard doesn't think World of WarCraft is a spinoff. Your statement is moot.

Anyways, it is bad news, but some franchises need to end while they are ahead anyways. Personally, this is a better fate for WarCraft then letting it wither away like a beaten dead horse.

 

[Lt. Sera]

No WoW2 makes sense, there has to be a massive decline in subscribers first to even consider launching a new one. As it seems, these expansions serve a large role in getting cancelled accounts back and draw in new people, so why bother making a whole new product?

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Wait, so no WoW 2 or no Warcraft 4? The former I couldn't care less about, but to completely disregard the series to improve the MMO is kind of stupid. I don't think we *need* a Warcraft 4, but WoW is not part of the Warcraft franchise, it's simply a spin-off.

The point is that Blizzard doesn't think World of WarCraft is a spinoff. Your statement is moot.

But that is my statement. Blizzard is making a major mistake in my opinion to not consider WoW a spinoff, because it essentially is. Ah well, like I said, Warcraft 4 would be great to have, but completely unnecessary.

 

[Rezfon]

I agree with blizz, it's going fine as it is and from what i've seen the sotry line is to continue and dive deeper in the normal WoW. Also why make WoW2 when theres over 11 million active subscribers on WoW today. I think if they made a WoW2 or a spinoff then people would just think blizz is being overly greedy.

 

[John Funk]

WoW 2? No.

WC4? Likely [http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/conferences/blizzcon_08/5358-Blizzcon-08-WoW-Diablo-3-Press-Conference].

 

[tendo82]

I'm waiting for WOW to become a generational right of passage; when a father gives his son his first WOW account.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

I'm waiting for WOW to become a generational right of passage; when a father gives his son his first WOW account.

Son, I want you to take my Lvl 146 Paladin out for a spin. Yeah, I mean it, here's the password. Don't do anything too crazy, okay? Just drop a few meteors on some Horde scum and...God, you've grown up so fast.

 

[NeedAUserName]

Instead, the studio will continue improving World of Warcraft with expansions and content updates "so long as there's a meaningful number of players that are interested in playing it."

That to me anyway, kind of sounds like hes saying
"As long as people are paying us enough, there is no point in making more stuff for them, if they want to wait patiently for more let them. Until other MMORPGs start rivaling us, we can just leave WoW users to keep paying and playing."

But unfortunately, I'm an addict, and just re-subscribed, even though I haven't got a chance of buying WoTLK, until about Christmas, (I'm broke 'til then)

 

[tendo82]

Why on earth would they have to make a sequel to WOW? Assuming they keep making iterative changes to the game, they can shape it in anyway they like.

The only thing I could see Blizzard doing is reaching a point when WOW as an intellectual property has grown stale and then creating an entirely new IP to base an MMO around.

 

[Darkong]

but doing a sequel can help kill off the franchise

Its kind of nice to see someone taking this approach rather than the EA style approach of flog a franchise til its dead, flog the corpse til its mushy and pulped, keep flogging it until the flesh is flayed from the bones then try and sell the skeleton as something new.

 

[Not Good]

Warcraft IV would be nice, though.

 

[ElephantGuts]

Well it would be ridiculous to make a WoW 2. But I might add that my brother (who plays WoW) got a new computer and had to install WoW onto it, and according to him the patching took 2 straight days. On a fast, new computer and a pretty good internet connection. Sort of ridiculous.

 

[John Funk]

The WotLK disc actually has all three games on it, IIRC, and each new game has all the old patches (BC had all the Classic patches, WotLK has all the BC patches), so it should be much, much quicker now.

 

[Angel Emfrbl]

I don't see how they could improve it... Upgrade the graphics and improve areas of the world so it LOOKS better... But everything else... Don't touch it Bliz. I hope they think about another expansion in a years time that takes you to 90 with a new hero class other then the Death knight. After a "Warrior" type of hero I'd like a "mage-ish" type.

 

[Pigeon_Grenade]

I'm personally staying away from Blizzards Franchises

should have made Starcraft: Ghost, Warcrafts stuck in MMO limbo, Starcraft 2 is being torn into bits when it shouldent, and Diablo 3 (last i cared to check) was having a debate to see if they should make players Pay to Access Battle.net

 

[John Funk]

They should not have made Ghost if it wasn't going to be good, WC4 will eventually come, SC2 is still going to be awesome, and Battle.net will not be subscription based.

 

[Amnestic]

They should not have made Ghost if it wasn't going to be good, WC4 will eventually come, SC2 is still going to be awesome, and Battle.net will not be subscription based.

Do you ever get tired of repeating such things and being nice about it, Haro? (*points to avatar*)

I'm a tad confused that they're not looking to release a new MMO actually. I recall they were recruiting for a super secret "Next-Gen MMO" 6 months or so ago which most people pegged as either a new IP, WoW2 or World of Starcraft. Guess they might have just been hired to work on WotLK, but that had already been announced so it seems odd they'd keep the cards close to their chest in such a way.

Eh, who knows. Not complaining really, I quite enjoy playing WoW still.

 

[John Funk]

They should not have made Ghost if it wasn't going to be good, WC4 will eventually come, SC2 is still going to be awesome, and Battle.net will not be subscription based.

Do you ever get tired of repeating such things and being nice about it, Haro? (*points to avatar*)

I'm a tad confused that they're not looking to release a new MMO actually. I recall they were recruiting for a super secret "Next-Gen MMO" 6 months or so ago which most people pegged as either a new IP, WoW2 or World of Starcraft. Guess they might have just been hired to work on WotLK, but that had already been announced so it seems odd they'd keep the cards close to their chest in such a way.

Eh, who knows. Not complaining really, I quite enjoy playing WoW still.

Haros repeat. It's what they do.

And they're certainly still working on a new project [http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/conferences/blizzcon_08/5348-WarCry-Goes-to-Blizzard], but we have absolutely no idea what it is. Talked to Oli (from Eurogamer) a bit at EVE Fanfest about it, he and I are both thinking that it's a new IP which would be nice.