After confirming it was working on a new massively multiplayer game in 2007, Blizzard Entertainment has divulged only a few details on the project. Today at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick offered another breadcrumb of information about the unnamed title--which won't be a competitor to World of Warcraft.
When asked about the efforts behind the new Battle.net online gaming service, Kotick listed Blizzard's upcoming slate. "What we've announced at Blizzard is that we have Starcraft [II] coming, Diablo has been in production?and a new, unannounced MMO that has a little more broad appeal," said the executive.
Kotick's talk of a more accessible MMORPG ads a bit more detail to the still very sketchy picture of Blizzard's mystery-shrouded project. Before officially acknowledging it was in development in 2007, Blizzard said that any new massively multiplayer game it may would not be a World of Warcraft clone. This February, now-ex-World of Warcraft game director Jeff Kaplan began working full-time on the unnamed title, which will be a brand-new property.
Besides mentioning the Blizzard MMORPG and Activision's plans to begin bypassing consoles, Kotick dropped hints of what features the new Battle.net might have. "As we start to add cash play and prize play and better rewards and recognition systems that come through the Internet, you will start to see audiences expand even further," said Kotick, showing a slide of a BlizzCon StarCraft II tournament.
When asked if Kotick's comments meant that cash prizes would be awarded directly over Battle.net, a Blizzard rep pointed out his company's longstanding tradition of having contests that begin online and end at BlizzCon with large cash prizes. "Tournament play and e-sports have been part of the Battle.net experience for years," said the rep, who declined to comment further.
But chances are it's "something so cool I don't even know about it".
I really can't think of anything that hasn't been done before, but I'm sure they will.
I really have no idea what they're gonna come up with for a new IP, but I'm sure it'll catch us all by surprise, unless it's Lost Vikings.
It will be fresh. An altogether new franchise.
i can hope they change their mind
I'd prefer a better optimized Cry2 lol.
i agree, to most ppl a f2p mmorpg with cash shop and other pay features is more appealing than the monthly subscription of wat wow offers
1. more spare time, if u subscribe to wow, for say 2 months, most likely u'd want to make best use of the 2 months by playin nonstop so u squeeze every bit of juice out of the buck u paid for, leading to: parents yellin, reduced schoolwork quality, reduced reallife social
2. 'u may pay' is always better than 'u must pay' :thumbsup:
ps: wat u guys think the next mmorpg will b? i vote on 'World of Starcraft' lmfao
World of Farmville?
they will always put in crap for you to buy.
not only that they will force you to buy by making top end stuff only available through crafting with items that are only available in cash shops.
making areas accessible with items only available in cash shops and even getting to high ranks dependent on items available in cash shops
and in the end you pay alot more than what you would have paid if the game was monthly
Exactly. IMO, series like Warcraft and Starcraft already have a broad appeal. I can understand Diablo being darker and gritter and therefore having a smaller audience. But geez...
Spore is a fun game and so is sims. :rolleyes:
Spore was one of the most disappointing games ever made...
Sims is okay but wears its welcome out too, unless you're really really into that kind of stuff.
Yeah, that's why Batman doesn't do well as a movie -- oh wait. Well then what about Spiderman turns to the Darkside, or Superman's Evil Twin, or Anikin Freakin' Vader? Niche market. riiiight.
Maybe what'll really bring in the dollars is if we can sell this game to 5-year olds. For $80/pop. Their parents will buy it for them, I'm sure. All we gotta do is market it as the new improved baby sitter. Oy vey.
There seems to be an utter lack of games for the rather large demographic of over 21, and I don't mean gratuitous sex.
The news here is the 'broader appeal.' A lot of us were hoping that since they don't want to cannibalize WoW subscribers, that perhaps it would be a more intricate, serious, progressive game. Not so, apparently. It will be even worse than WoW. Awesome, huh?