Blizzard CEO Drops Hints About New MMO

[Greg Tito]

Blizzard CEO Drops Hints About New MMO

Blizzard has been working on a new MMO for a while and CEO Mike Morhaime finally gave some details on how it might coexist with World of Warcraft.

The new MMO is codenamed Titan, but other than that we know almost nothing about it. Speaking at the DICE Conference keynote last night with other top executives in the industry, Mike Morhaime divulged what he thought the game might do different than WoW and how the two MMOs would coexist without stealing each other's audience. The process starts with some of the best guys who built Azeroth now working on something new and exciting on Titan.

"Without giving away any details, we have some of our most experienced MMO developers, people who spent years working on the World of Warcraft team, working on this project," said Morhaime.

"We're really trying to leverage all the lessons we learned through the years," he told the audience at DICE. "Some of which we were able to address in World of Warcraft and others that maybe because of the design decisions we've made, you just can't address. So we're kind of taking a step back with all that knowledge to make something that's completely new and fresh."

It's important then that the new game is a chance to correct a lot of the mistakes made with World of Warcraft, something that not even the world-breaking of the last expansion could do. "With Cataclysm, we did something pretty dramatic. We went back and redid the entire old world, we redid the quests. But we didn't actually change the game itself. We think there's a lot more that we can do within the context of World of Warcraft, but sometimes to break the mold you have to start over.

"We're not trying to make a WoW sequel, so we actually envision these two games coexisting in the future," Morhaime said.

The new game will focus on social features like guilds and friends lists, but also competitive PvP. "We really value the social experience of being able to play with your friends, make new friends in the game, and the whole guild experience. Games are more fun when you're experiencing them with other people, whether it's competitively or cooperatively," he said.

"For me, playing with people that you know always deepens the engagement and connection," he said.

Source: Ars Technica [http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/710340/Blizzard-Talks-About-Their-New-Game-Wants-It-To-Coexist-With-World-of-Warcraft.html]

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[Outlaw Torn]

Imagine if they made a free-to-play game running off microtransactions, it might make so much money that Kotick chokes to death on it all and the world would be saved from Activision.

I figured that they might try to make a console based MMO, that way they are eating in to the WoW target audience less. And with Activision having an unhealthy ability to publish games on such media and having enough cash to throw at Blizzard to make it happen, surely it isn't such a crazy idea?

 

[drakythe]

My only question about this new MMO is whether it is going to be 'casual' or 'hardcore.' It seems like Blizz tried to make WoW more casual on the lower tier of content, but more hardcore in the Heroics and Raids. If they want these to co-exist then not only must the setting be different from WoW (some people just can't get into elves and orcs) but the experience will have to be different too. Which by the sounds of it, it will be.

So which is it, Blizz?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

"For me, playing with people that you know always deepens the engagement and connection," he said.

And, of course, the revenue.

I'd just like it if they'd stray away from the whole competitive PvP, levelbound areas, that change once an expansion and for Blizzard to catch up to the fact that character customization is now accepted as standard. (apart from in their games)

Titan: Well, let me guess - It's based around one of Saturn's Moons and it's a Oregon Trail space adventure; or they're going to totally rip off Titan Quest.

Either way; they're gonna have to break some new ground if they want it to be anything like as popular as WoW, and I'll be amazed if they try that.

Bets on Titan being WoW in Space are now on.

 

[BabyRaptor]

My only question about this new MMO is whether it is going to be 'casual' or 'hardcore.' It seems like Blizz tried to make WoW more casual on the lower tier of content, but more hardcore in the Heroics and Raids. If they want these to co-exist then not only must the setting be different from WoW (some people just can't get into elves and orcs) but the experience will have to be different too. Which by the sounds of it, it will be.

So which is it, Blizz?

Hopefully hardcore, so those of us who liked Vanilla and BC can get away from the people just want to faceroll.

Edited to be less broad and potentially offensive.

 

[Bretty]

Sounds like they are about to cash into the Social Gaming market...

 

[Fr]anc[is]

Edit: sick of inbox notifications despite my skepticism

 

[drakythe]

snip

Hopefully hardcore, so those of us who liked Vanilla and BC can get away from the Wrath babies who just want to be handed stuff.

I actually got in on Wrath, I only ever played a few hours a week but had a fully geared 80 and regularly ran Raids with my guild. When Cata came 'round things got difficult, and I like it, but it still feels relatively samey, not much in the way of skill based combat since in Heroics the two levels of skill are "live, beat boss" or "die, repeatedly". And I'm still not convinced that its actually skill that makes this determination or just a basic understanding of how the game works.

IRT Fr]anc[is: http://www.wowwiki.com/Titans <-- ehhh, sort of gods?

 

[Rossmallo]

Who knows, they could do a new kind of MMO. As Daniel Floyd (Extra Credits) said, MMO =/= MMORPG. Who knows, this could be something like a MMOFPS or something o:

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

i really hope all these social gaming claims people are making prove false. I remember WoW in vanilla it was cruel and unusual. By the time you'd got the best kit, you didn't become obscenely powerful, mainly because monsters stayed strong enough to still kick your ass.

I remember turning a wrong corner and having a giant dragon rip me three new ones before going home for dinner. I want a wow like that, where you have to actually interact with people to get anything done rather than wait in a queue for a few minutes to be thrown in a group with a moody tank, a complaining healer and a bunch of bitter dps.

 

[Baresark]

My only question about this new MMO is whether it is going to be 'casual' or 'hardcore.' It seems like Blizz tried to make WoW more casual on the lower tier of content, but more hardcore in the Heroics and Raids. If they want these to co-exist then not only must the setting be different from WoW (some people just can't get into elves and orcs) but the experience will have to be different too. Which by the sounds of it, it will be.

So which is it, Blizz?

It's an interesting question, but the highest profit margins cater to the most common denominator, so WoW has a good mix. Honestly, if they could apply current WoW logic and system to a different MMO (different setting, different classes, etc.) then they could probably remake their success.

OT:

Who really cares, it'll be 2020 by the time we see it. Yay, another MMO...... The truth is, when this game finally does come out, it'll be compared so closely with WoW, it'll just get ripped to shreds. Some parties will like it because it has elements from WoW (and we all know it will), while other decry it for the same reason.

WoW is the best selling most profitable MMO ever, so it doesn't make any sense to divide their audience. The only thing I can think of is either the interest in it has started to wane, or they are anticipating it will slip.

Very exciting stuff, regardless.

 

[Richard Allen]

anc[is]Aren't the Titans basically gods in Warcraft? So saying this isn't WoW2 is probably total BS

It's a code name. Do you really think sony is going to name the "ngp" next gen portable.... Blizzard has said time and time again, the next mmo out of our studios will be new IP. Blizzard has a fanbase that respects them and it shows in their numbers they are not going to pull a sony and say one thing and blatantly do the oppiset.

Rumor has it that it's a steam punk title but that is pretty much a guess at this point.

 

[Mumonk]

Bets on Titan being WoW in Space are now on.

^$$^

I lost most of my hope in blizz when it went to activision, they were fine and rich on their own, but they wanted to be richerer. And thats never good for the common man.

 

[BabyRaptor]

snip

Hopefully hardcore, so those of us who liked Vanilla and BC can get away from the Wrath babies who just want to be handed stuff.

I actually got in on Wrath, I only ever played a few hours a week but had a fully geared 80 and regularly ran Raids with my guild. When Cata came 'round things got difficult, and I like it, but it still feels relatively samey, not much in the way of skill based combat since in Heroics the two levels of skill are "live, beat boss" or "die, repeatedly". And I'm still not convinced that its actually skill that makes this determination or just a basic understanding of how the game works.

IRT Fr]anc[is: http://www.wowwiki.com/Titans <-- ehhh, sort of gods?

Yeah, I could have worded that better. Sorry for any potential offense.

 

[Richard Allen]

My only question about this new MMO is whether it is going to be 'casual' or 'hardcore.' It seems like Blizz tried to make WoW more casual on the lower tier of content, but more hardcore in the Heroics and Raids. If they want these to co-exist then not only must the setting be different from WoW (some people just can't get into elves and orcs) but the experience will have to be different too. Which by the sounds of it, it will be.

So which is it, Blizz?

It's an interesting question, but the highest profit margins cater to the most common denominator, so WoW has a good mix. Honestly, if they could apply current WoW logic and system to a different MMO (different setting, different classes, etc.) then they could probably remake their success.

OT:

Who really cares, it'll be 2020 by the time we see it. Yay, another MMO...... The truth is, when this game finally does come out, it'll be compared so closely with WoW, it'll just get ripped to shreds. Some parties will like it because it has elements from WoW (and we all know it will), while other decry it for the same reason.

WoW is the best selling most profitable MMO ever, so it doesn't make any sense to divide their audience. The only thing I can think of is either the interest in it has started to wane, or they are anticipating it will slip.

Very exciting stuff, regardless.

Or completely come out with new paradigm.... who's to say it won't be an mmo for consoles and pc's. That would definitly just add to the market not kill wow.

Also judging by blizzards sales and subscriptions I would say that they have a pretty good following and most people do care. I know blizzard realeses games every six years or so. Who cares every single one of them have been masterpieces and it's worth the wait. Much better then the activision CoD X every year.

 

[Baresark]

i really hope all these social gaming claims people are making prove false. I remember WoW in vanilla it was cruel and unusual. By the time you'd got the best kit, you didn't become obscenely powerful, mainly because monsters stayed strong enough to still kick your ass.

I remember turning a wrong corner and having a giant dragon rip me three new ones before going home for dinner. I want a wow like that, where you have to actually interact with people to get anything done rather than wait in a queue for a few minutes to be thrown in a group with a moody tank, a complaining healer and a bunch of bitter dps.

I understand what your saying, but that option is still open for you. You can find friends who you want to run raids with, and then go run raids. You are not compelled to do it the modern way, you can do it the vanilla way.

I personally found it a complete waste of time till the grouping system came along. The forced grouping, the annoyance of finding parties to do instances with, it was just dumb. And forget about running all over hell and back to get to the area where the instances were.

They have simply fit into a larger audience and offered more choices to players. That is never a bad thing. Do it your way, it gets done. Do it my way, it gets done. We both get what we want, enjoyment out of the game. And the core mechanics of the game have not changed, thy are simply more accessible now than they ever were previously.

 

[drakythe]

snip

Hopefully hardcore, so those of us who liked Vanilla and BC can get away from the Wrath babies who just want to be handed stuff.

I actually got in on Wrath, I only ever played a few hours a week but had a fully geared 80 and regularly ran Raids with my guild. When Cata came 'round things got difficult, and I like it, but it still feels relatively samey, not much in the way of skill based combat since in Heroics the two levels of skill are "live, beat boss" or "die, repeatedly". And I'm still not convinced that its actually skill that makes this determination or just a basic understanding of how the game works.

IRT Fr]anc[is: http://www.wowwiki.com/Titans <-- ehhh, sort of gods?

Yeah, I could have worded that better. Sorry for any potential offense.

What? oh, haha, no offense taken from my end, no worries there. With the initial difficulty of Cataclysm I saw my fair share of whining and the old player base wondering what the big deal was so I'm pretty aware that I got spoiled with Wrath.

OT again: I would LOVE it to be steampunk, that would certainly be an original IP from Blizz. Anything fantasy of theirs will always be considered WoW/Diablo-ish and anything in space will be "Universe of Starcraft."

 

[DasDestroyer]

This should be interesting, since if the want it to coexist with WoW, it'll have to be pretty different.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Ehhhhh I'm not that excited. I've been done with WoW for awhile. It was in it's prime during BC, when you needed crowd control for heroics. It was just all around more fun.