Blizzard's Next Game

[tniem]

Blizzard Entertainment has one of the best reputations in the industry. Every game they have released since War Craft II has gone on and been named by a few gaming magazines as the best of the year. Their games always go on to be huge sellers.

And there is one simple reason for this, their games are good. Even though I wouldn't normally play a game like Diablo, I found that it was extremely well done. Every part of the game was balanced, organized for multiplayer, and had few bugs if any noticable ones in them.

So in my opinion Blizzard is probably the best producer in the industry in just making quality games. I see their name and know that even if the game doesn't appeal to me I will enjoy it. I have said in the past they are the type of company that BHG or Firaxis or Quicksilver or any other should strive to be. But that is not what this thread is about.

Instead it is about my excititement for the announcement of a new game.

That's right a new game other than WarCraft III.

First the facts.

I have read that Blizzard is making a speech this weekend in London. Following the speech or announcement they are holding back to back hour long press confrences. So two hours of questions, what other topic would the media be that interested in hearing from Blizzard other than their next game?

Second, I went to their website today and was given a different index page. This one has an image that I have attached and then text that says "In every saga there lies a journey of wonder and imagination..."

I think these are pretty strong indications that an announcement of the next game is coming this weekend.

The question I pose to all of you, is what do you think it possibly could be?

[yin26]

"The Dawn of Man"?

"The End of Man"?

"Aliens Visit Man"?

"Man, my car just blew up!"?

[Moral Hazard]

Starcraft 2

[yin26]

Ah, it's the landing on Mars.

MarsCraft.

[yin26]

MarsCraft: In every saga there lies a journey of wonder and imagination...until a fat, bearded man gets in the way. Like an innocent child sent to explore the sand and seashells, a mechanical angel was sent by Earth to bid an ancient planet 'Greetings! I wish peace between us! I am but a mechanical angel...do not tear off my wheels.'



For a time, we lost contact with the craft. Until now. This image was just recieved from the planet Mars. It is graphic and brutal. Please turn your eyes away if your stomach is weak:



MarsCraft: Time to teach this fat Mars dude some manners!

Coming Spring 2002!

[Buck Birdseed]

It's obviously SMAC2.

BTW, new image:

[tniem]

The line for the new image is...

As the veil of darkness gives way to a new dawn...

[korn469]

according to Voodoo Extreme Blizzard's new game is

World of WarCraft

the website is working though it doesn't contain any information yet, just the picture snapcase posted

here is what VE had to say about it

During a press conference today at the European Computer Trade Show, Blizzard Entertainment unveiled World of Warcraft, a massively multiplayer, online role-playing game set in the rich fiction of Blizzard's Warcraft universe. Featuring bold 3D graphics and deep, immersive gameplay, World of Warcraft will allow thousands of players to adventure together in this epic setting and will provide them with a new, in-depth perspective on familiar lands, former battlefields, and heroes from the legendary universe. In addition, World of Warcraft will introduce new, uncharted territories and foes never before seen by followers of the series.

btw is the Blizzard team making this game (the guys who made Warcraft and StarCraft) or is it the team at Blizzard North (the guys who made Diablo, Diablo2)? if it is Blizzard North that might mean StarCraft 2 could be out there on the horizon (probably winter of 2004)

[tniem]

korn, thanks for the information. It looks great.

I would have to think that since WarCraft III is still in developement that this new game World of WarCraft is being built by Blizzard North. On their website it says that Team Two is working on a project. Does that mean that there is a new team or is Blizzard renaming North?

Any way new pic this morning:

with the caption:

Ancient worlds and timeless dangers are rediscovered...

[tniem]

World of WarCraft

Well Korn was proved right of course this morning when Blizzard announced the game.

More information is up at Blizzard.com including movies of gameplay and trailer. Only thing really to add to the information already provided is that it the time of the game is four years after WarCraft III. The races are picking up the pieces and cleaning up the rubble after the Reign of Chaos. And now you get to work with others in a massive online MP game.

What is interesting is most games like this charge monthly fees but Blizzard has always kept Battle.net free. Could this game take over the online RP games?

[DinoDoc]

Re: World of WarCraft

Originally posted by tniem
What is interesting is most games like this charge monthly fees but Blizzard has always kept Battle.net free.

Not this time:

Will there be monthly fee to play the game?
Yes; however, we are still investigating our business model and have not yet determined what the fee will be.

Why isn't World of Warcraft free?
World of Warcraft will require a fee to play. This fee will be used to support the costs associated with the high-quality levels of service, support, and ongoing content creation that we are planning for World of Warcraft.

However, I must say that if the fee isn't that expensive I'll be sorely tempted to sign up for an account.

[yin26]

I wonder: What age group does this target? As a 30 year-old father of one, I simply don't have the time to invest in such an on-line 'life,' though I'd really like to.

How old are the people here who plan to buy this game? Oh, and do you have jobs?

[tniem]

yin-

I have no idea who will buy it. While it looks like a very intruiging game and the graphics look phenomenal and is something I would definitely be interested in and be willing to spend 50-65 dollars to buy. But then pay a 10 dollar monthly fee and only get to play once or twice a week. I am sorry but the game is just not for me. I am in school and just won't have time to justify the 10 monthly cost. Although I am sure it will be good, I just don't think I will have time for it and probably won't buy it unless it is great and maybe then I will play in the summer.


And I believe korn asked which team was working on this one. Finally found an answer I believe to be correct from another forum:

Blizzard HQ (South) in Irvine, CA, has two product development teams. Team 1 is their RTS team, composed of many of the developers who brought us Warcraft II and Starcraft. Team 2 is comprised of mainly new hires (from companies such as Activision and ID) as well as some previous members of Team 1.

Blizzard North is taking a short break after working on Diablo games for six years. They have not announced what their next project will be, but their design team has probably begun story-boarding it already.

Team 1 then is working on WarCraft III while Team 2 is working on Worlds of WarCraft. Blizzard seems to work on games now for a year before announcing them so this Blizzard North short break is probably just their beginning prototype time period and we will find out in 6 months to a year what they have been working on.

[yin26]

tniem:

Precisely. I can't justify the monthly charge either knowing that I won't be able to play it often. Yet, these things are making millions and millions. I just wonder who is playing them? I suppose I *could* make time like I did for MP AoK...but that was before my daughter was old enough to cause trouble. So I would have to guess the people who get the most out of these kinds of MMORPGs are:

** Unemployed, or
** Teenagers, or
** College students who don't need sleep, or
** College students who don't do homework,
** Independently wealthy, or
** Have no children, or
** Have no spouse, or
** Are Crazy! Actually, a mix of many of these could work, too. The target audience could be a crazy, unmarried, childless college student who doesn't do homework and doesn't need sleep but doesn't need to because he's independently wealthy.

Truth is, I'm just jealous of the people who have the time to spend on those things. Then again, I had my glory days back with the Ultima series, so I shouldn't complain.

[Buck Birdseed]

Just like (the considerably more impressive looking) Star Wars Galaxies, they're trying to appeal to both Casual and Hardcore gamers. This game probably has levelling, though, because it certainly has classes.