Rumor mill: WoW on Xbox 360
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 14th 2007 at 12:59PM
Our friends over at Xbox 360 Fanboy (who routinely rock me at Gears of War) pointed to this Official Xbox Magazine list of their top 5 biggest secret games in development for the Xbox 360. And right there on the list, number one, is a World of Warcraft port.This isn't the first time we've heard this, but if you ask me, it'll never happen. Ever. Blizzard has their hands full with WoW on PC, and while the Fanboys say Microsoft is offering Blizz cold hard cash, I don't see how they could offer anything even close to what Blizzard is making already from their eight million subscriber fees. Of course, Microsoft is going to be pushing Live for Windows later this year, and trying to get PC gamers and Xboxers to play together, so if they make an offer Blizzard can't refuse, I could be eating these words. But I'll stick to my guns on this one: WoW isn't showing up on a console anytime soon.
Completely beside the point is the question of whether it would work or not. Of course, I'm sure Xbox allows a mouse and keyboard (anyone played FFXI on there? I haven't), so maybe it's a moot point. But with all the clicks WoW requires (on quest items, ability use, and such), I can't think of an easy-to-use controller scheme that would work as well as what we've got now.
Update: As if the word "rumor" wasn't warning enough, commenter rinks reminds us that this news came from the April issue of Xbox Mag, and we all know how videogame magazines get around April 1st. Plus, they also mention Duke Nukem Forever on the list, and we all know that game is basically a "joke incoming" flag.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Scruffy Mar 14th 2007 1:43PM
God I hope not.
Zuuler Mar 14th 2007 1:28PM
Unless Xbox 360 has some kind of software emulation allowing it to run PC games, I really doubt we will ever see WoW on Xbox 360.
Without some kind of emulation, it would mean bliz would have to assign developers to port the game to the Xbox, which would require a whole different support department as well. The PC game itself has enough software problems that need to be worked out, I just don't think bliz would spend the time and money that would be needed to bring the game to a console and then support it.
Also seeing as bliz has not yet created a game for the Xbox, a learning curve might also be an issue.
Twinny Mar 14th 2007 1:29PM
they would seriously need to redesign the ui, come up with a very clever, night, impossibly clever action menu for each class and still the pc gamers would have more functionality then the xbox players.
Karmakin Mar 14th 2007 1:29PM
FFXI uses an offshoot of the traditional FF menu system, augmented with a macro system.
The problem with WoW is the high number of skills/items that need to be used at a moments notice, that's what makes it hard to do.
You could probably do 24 slots or so, use one of the analog sticks in a 8 direction toggle with each of the top bumpers as a shift.
Matthew Mar 14th 2007 1:30PM
As compatible as Microsoft has made the 360 with XP Media Center (and even more so with Vista), I don't see this much of a problem. Heck, if you play with Media Center enough, you can "stream" your desktop to your TV via your 360. Now, for playing games it isn't the greatest (there's some lag there), but I could see it being a possibility. Not one I'd like to use (imagine handling mods!), but there might be a market out there.
Tigraine Mar 14th 2007 1:53PM
Imagine standing there in IF with the urge to ask somebody to port you to Shattrath, and 60 seconds later you get your reply because he had to use his Gamepad to write the message?
never..
rgoff31 Mar 14th 2007 2:10PM
I was like whatever, but I just realized an influx of uber idiots on all the servers would be like when AOL started offering internet access to it's users.
Krystian J Mar 14th 2007 2:12PM
I think the only way in hell they could do this is if they completely remade the game to work on console. Also like so many of you have said using a controller would almost be impossible. So they need to make a keyboard and mouse for the game and completely re-port the game. I think its just a bad idea, keep it on just the PC.
Chris Sutherby Mar 14th 2007 2:15PM
Many of the people I talked to on XI before I quit a while back PREFERRED controlers.
But yeah, 3 is right. Most 11 jobs outside of mages, actually used very few abilities. I myself had a 73 pld and a 75 monk. With my 75 monk all I did was auto attack, use my abilites when they were up, and try not to die so much.
From a technical standpoint, it could work. If they could get XI on a PS2, there's no reason they couldn't get WoW on a 360. 360 is the closest thing to a big graphics card plugged on a HD you're going to find.
Would the UI work? Well, with a mouse and keyboard sure. With a controller... I could see it working... just not too well. Then again, if Blizzard really want to (let's face it, Microsoft has enough money to throw at them to buy a small city if they wanted), they could have a seperated 360 UI similar to FFXI's. Open up the menu, scroll down, select your spell etc. It could work.
Will they do it? Well, let's just say before XI came out on the 360 (and I was a launch day PC XIer), if he told me it would have happened I would have shot you down so fast and so hard you would have cried all the way to the cookie jar. But, it happened. It could happen to WoW too. Just thank the heavens you can solo in WoW. You've never met hell on earth until you've played FFXI in Valkurm Dunes with a noob party.
I need therapy after that flashback.
Brandon Vieweg Mar 14th 2007 5:15PM
Wow for 369 would work if Microsoft comes out with a keyboard for the 360. Or just support for keyboards. Wow would be cool on the 360 due to the fact you won't need to run another program for voice chat. The only thing I can't see is how Blizzard would update. That would kill space on the HDD.
email Mar 14th 2007 2:30PM
What if they made a WoW specific controller with a side keyboard? I for one would enjoy playing WoW more if I was sitting on the couch.
jaydlawii Mar 14th 2007 4:07PM
I could happen, but its not the controls that would be the issue, it would be intergartion of the gameplay. with 360 and microsoft live together. my depends on if it would be a totally different enviroment then the one offered on pc. if not who would be in charge of updates and things like that, it may bee too much of a headache for Blizz. the only way i see this happening is if blizz outsources its technicial support dept to microsoft and they are in charge of applying updates/ upgrades to the servers.
Gamerz22 Mar 14th 2007 6:22PM
This would no twork to gain customers. I've liek to use a controller over a keyboard (not as many options, but alot more fun to use), however, WoW has too much abilities/features/mechanics that require a keyboard environment with an actual mouse.
Why not go the FFXI way? FFXI is turn-based (I believed, or a timed turn base) where WoW is live action, no takin-turns, just pure killz (unless feared or stunlocked, I mean).
All I want is new graphics out of it :P The curruent graphics are nice, with the detail in the texture tiles, but it is the old-style polygon rendering that makes it seem to waste.
Xtal Mar 14th 2007 3:33PM
It seriously wouldn't be that hard to be WoW on X-Box 360. The X-Box 360 already has the capability of running Windows if you know how to bypass all the blocks and install it. X-box 360 is a better gaming system graphically and functionally then most home computers (in terms of faming) for someone with a budget that can afford building their own or paying $2500+ on a PC.
As for the UI all that would need to be created to play the game accurately with the bars, professions, hot key's, etc… would be a mouse an a key board that are functional with the X-Box 360. I do not believe it will ever be available to play using a controller no matter how much they try to revamp UI. In order for it to work on the X-Box 360 they would need to offer a mouse and key board through USB connection (which the x-box has on each system) or wireless compatibly with wireless adaptors they already have built in for their controllers.
In fact, they would be a huge money making deal for both WoW and X-box. Granted neither of them need each other since they are already and huge success but think about the amount of new players WoW would receive who are either solely a consol gamer and thus won't invest their time in PC gaming or people who don't have the money for a PC with the capabilities to handle WoW the way they'd really want to play it yet they can afford the $200 - $300 X-box cost. If X-Box makes the game exclusive with their consol I wouldn't be surprised if they gain customers from Sony Playstation and Wii as well under the same circumstances I listed above. Keep in mind there are 100s of people who would love to play WoW but can’t afford a computer offering the graphics and capabilities they would want when playing it.
To add to the money factor this would give X-Box the ability to make exclusive X-Box 360 Mouse and Keyboards which are the only ones X-Box 360 is compatible with or they could choose to be a little nice and have it work like a PC where you’d just have to update the drivers and than any mouse and keyboard combination would work. If they decide to make exclusive X-Box 360 Mouse and Keyboards these peripherals could come with various skins and designs. Possibly even WoW related like Horde and Alliance designs. If it is wireless they could even go sad enough to offer two different keyboards whose power buttons represent the symbol of either the Horde or Alliance faction. If they mouse and keyboards light up the horde's could be in red and alliance in blue and so on and so forth. This also allows for the expansion of merchandise on both sides. This could end up be extremely profitable for both companies.
A down side would be the cost though. Either there would have to be some form of compensation to Blizzard based around the X-Box Live fee if that’s the only fee incurred to play (aside from the purchasing of the game) or they could keep the fees the same they are now meaning someone playing WoW on X-Box 360 would not only have to pay for the X-box Live fee but also the $15 monthly fee incurred by Blizzard to even play WoW.
I myself have an X-Box 360 as well as a personally built PC that I play WoW on but when I think of have the ability of playing it with my X-Box graphics on my large widescreen plasma TV (without having to run cords across my entire room from my PC to my TV to do it) I can't help but get excited at the thought.
rinks Mar 14th 2007 2:53PM
Once again, DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING printed in the APRIL issue of any video game magazine. Come on people, you should know this by now.
Adagar Mar 14th 2007 5:01PM
this wont happen, but if it did it would be pretty cool if you could use your current account on the 360 as well as the pc. of course you would need have a keyboard and mouse for the 360 to play properly. I used to play the PS2 version of EverQuest and it was unbearable to play without a keyboard (typing with the onscreen keyboard made me go insane.) But porting WoW to the 360 wouldnt be a bad idea if for nothing else but to open up a new target audience as well as new revenue.
For the Horde!
Jeff Mar 14th 2007 3:16PM
I cant see why a XBOX 360 with a VGA panel and some usb keyboard mice wouldnt replace a 2.0 ghz PC that play WoW... but WoW would just look more outdated on that console due to its oldschool graphic engine :)
Night Rider Mar 14th 2007 3:16PM
If the Wii had decent online support, then WOW would be perfect for it. The pointer could be the mouse obviously. Plus the graphics for WOW seem perfect for a Nintendo console, they're not too graphicly intense and the cartoony graphics seem to fit well with Nintendo's style of graphics.
Jeff Mar 14th 2007 3:18PM
@13 Nintendo + PC Market = WTF ?
Jeff Mar 14th 2007 3:23PM
Hehe Thinking back at the Nintendo idea ; It seems everytime a port go to Nintendo console, they add some nintendo stuff in it... Would there be a Plumber class, which focus on jumping on the head of Elite to CC ?