Blizzard's black ops title, and why it's a long way off
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 29th 2008 at 2:00PM
As with all of this "black ops" stuff, there's not too much to get excited about yet -- the reason these companies haven't officially announced any of these games is not only because their release is likely years off, but companies will very often develop games that they don't end up releasing at all (case in point, as Blizzard fans well know). So the reason we don't know anything about Blizzard's next MMO is because Blizzard likely doesn't know anything about it yet either -- will it be a successor to World of Warcraft, a much-awaited Starcraft MMO, or a completely new IP from the company that has conquered the MMO genre? Odds are that right now they're working on engine and code mechanics, and the final form that the project will take is just a gleam in a Blizzard employee's eye.
Still, it's fun to dream, isn't it? With the coming release of Wrath (and Diablo III and Starcraft II coming into focus), we've got plenty of Blizzard games to look forward to as it is.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Darthregis Sep 29th 2008 2:19PM
Starcraft III? Already? ;)
Naix Sep 29th 2008 2:44PM
Yeah SC2 is still 6 months out and it took Blizzard 10 years to make it.
Liljon Sep 29th 2008 2:20PM
BTW, it's Starcraft II, not Starcraft III...
Mike Schramm Sep 29th 2008 2:52PM
Of course I mean Starcraft II. I'm glad you guys are here. :)
cjshrader Sep 29th 2008 2:20PM
I'm sure you meant to type Starcraft II up there.
We'll still get Starcraft: Ghost! All you have to do is believe real hard and clap your hands.
Now Warcraft Adventures, well, we'll never get that.
cjshrader Sep 29th 2008 2:30PM
Haha great, now I just look like an ass for saying what the two before me said. At least I added some more info than just a correction.
Darthregis Sep 29th 2008 2:47PM
In my defense, I made a smarmy remark... not really a correction. :)
cjshrader Sep 29th 2008 3:00PM
Forgiven :)
Trem Sep 29th 2008 2:25PM
World of Rock n Roll Racing (WoRnRR) FTW!!
Balino Sep 29th 2008 2:32PM
It's going to be World of Lost Vikings.
Kaizen Sep 29th 2008 2:35PM
I wish we knew thing one about it.
Vorgaak Sep 29th 2008 11:58PM
lol - I noticed that too
Zan Sep 29th 2008 2:39PM
Blizzard's next MMO is no mystery at all. Simple logic reveals what it is (at least the way I see it).
The first question to ask is:
- Will it be a new IP? Simple answer is, absolutely not. Not for an MMO, an MMO is a huge production and the financial risk to bring a new IP to an MMO is definitely not going to be taken by Blizz.
Next question:
- Which IP will have the MMO? Obviously Warcraft is out. Which leaves Diablo or Starcraft (I wouldn't count a Vikings MMO :). Diablo is too much like Warcraft, which leaves Starcraft.
Now assume it is Starcraft:
It is a sci-fi IP so does not directly infringe on WoW and may possibly bring others to the genre who otherwise dislike high fantasy. It will probably be ready about 2 or so years after the release of Starcraft II which follows a somewhat similar patter of Warcraft III followed by World of Warcraft. And finally it would out sell anything on the planet if made.
Anyway, that is how I see it and I don't expect to be wrong (though I would be disappointed if I were).
cjshrader Sep 29th 2008 2:41PM
Why wouldn't it end up being WoW 2?
Verakum Sep 29th 2008 2:46PM
it cant be WoW 2 because they arent still finished with the expansions they promised... not even finished with Wrath -.- and they will jump so fast into WoW 2 -.- that is just stupid
Zan Sep 29th 2008 2:46PM
I don't see a WoW 2 with how development goes into the expansions nor with the talk of future graphic engine updates. The question about WoW 2 is why? WoW is still doing incredibly well. And what would they do differently? A new graphic engine? They can do that without a completely new game. New lore? They can do that in an expansion. New content? They can do that in an expansion. Why would it possibly be a WoW 2? Especially considering all the sequels that have failed in the MMO industry. WoW 2 would be lower on my list than Lost Vikings :)
zappo Sep 29th 2008 3:16PM
Zan - while you make that sound like Blizzard could do anything with an expansion, as you pointed out WoW 1 is quite successful - and there is no way they would kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
However there is a ton of stuff that could be advanced: completely different set of races, and race alliances, totally new set of classes and dump some existing ones, new graphic engine, no one wants to level to 110+, old world content is a wasteland, etc.
So at that point they could do an EQ2 and hit the big reset button. I don't think EQ2 necessarily failed, you just have to remember that WoW came out around the same time and stomped it. Next generation to Blizzard I would guess would actually be years from now.
I don't think Starcraft could have the same mass appeal as Warcraft, however it's quite possible that Blizzard would be alright with making only half of the gigantic mountain of cash they currently sleep on.
dAnixx Sep 29th 2008 4:16PM
If it is a new MMO its probably either World of Starcraft... i think blizzard should release a new warcraft rts game b4 they launch WoW2...
kabshiel Sep 30th 2008 12:09AM
I pretty much guarantee it's WoW2. I give WoW two more expansions before the level cap becomes too high that it starts scaring off new players and Blizzard feels it's time for a restart. That should be 4-5 years from now, so it'd be the perfect time for them to release WoW2.
I'm also 99% sure that we'll never see another Warcraft RTS. I think Blizzard wants to make Warcraft their MMO IP and let StarCraft be the RTS IP.
World of StarCraft? Never going to happen.
Verit Sep 29th 2008 2:42PM
I thought John Romero lost all credibility in the gaming industry with Daikatana. I can't imagine what an MMO made by him would be like...