Ah shit. Blizzard to make all franchises MMOs.

[Diff-chan]

Blizzard has pretty much always kept their main focus on just one large title at a time.

that is EXACTLY why they shouldn't be doing multiple MMOs. MMOs need constant attention. SOE, once they release the new hot shit they just want to get people off the old. I maintain it is very close to impossible to fully support more than one MMO at the same time.

Anyway, some people from Blizzard went on the forums and refuted this, so we're back to speculating until they announce something.

[Yoshi]

SOE, once they release the new hot shit they just want to get people off the old.

This is definitely true. They had EverQuest then EverQuest 1.5 in Space then EverQuest II. What blew up in their face is that no one who played the first two wanted any part of the third, so now they're stuck supporting three games and not doing a good job with any of them.

[Ryan]

StarCraft 1 is perfected. There is nothing left to do to the game.

An expansion pack with more units and shit would destroy the play balance that millions of hours over 9 years has brought forth.

Finally one who understands.

[Diff-chan]

Finally one who understands.

And I dont even like the game.

This is definitely true. They had EverQuest then EverQuest 1.5 in Space then EverQuest II. What blew up in their face is that no one who played the first two wanted any part of the third, so now they're stuck supporting three games and not doing a good job with any of them.

Sony really fucked it up. I can imagine them sitting around saying, "we'll make EverQuest 2 bigger and better, and make it good for noobs, that way we'll get the EQ audience + new people! $$$". And then they made a game totally different from EQ1, but with the same setting and story, except nobody plays MMOs for settings and stories.

Since the game is so different, they cant import characters, and nobody is going to throw out a character they spent thousands of hours on.

This example has proven to me that Blizzard cannot count on a built-in audience for their wares, all the more reason not to do this. Not to say they cant make another WoW-sized hit but less people will move from WoW than you think.

[FirstBlood]

A MMO-Diablo, that fits into their "short-session" market would be the best idea.

"oh i'm tired of farming in WoW... lemme hop on diablo and clear a dungeon in an hour and a half"

*hour passes by*

"oh, it's time for the Molten Core raid, better hop back on WoW!"

*four hours pass by*

*pays two monthy fees*

[Beefy Hits]

There goes what little social lives we've all had in the first place.

[kingoffighters]

And I dont even like the game.



Sony really fucked it up. I can imagine them sitting around saying, "we'll make EverQuest 2 bigger and better, and make it good for noobs, that way we'll get the EQ audience + new people! $$$". And then they made a game totally different from EQ1, but with the same setting and story, except nobody plays MMOs for settings and stories.

Since the game is so different, they cant import characters, and nobody is going to throw out a character they spent thousands of hours on.

This example has proven to me that Blizzard cannot count on a built-in audience for their wares, all the more reason not to do this. Not to say they cant make another WoW-sized hit but less people will move from WoW than you think.

Microsoft/Turbine committed the same exact error with Asheron's Call. AC1 was archaic, but it was fun and a group of dedicated players. AC2 was complete crap and all the AC1 players dropped it like a hot potato a few months after release.

[Cheebs]

So now.....

PC games = huge startup costs + huge upgrade costs + monthly subscription costs + 3000 hours of your time

PC games = lol

[Dipstick]

I honestly think it is impossible to make a sequal to a MMO and not have it fail. There is too much social interia, and unless you forcibly move people into the new world, they are not moving on their own. Of course, if you forcibly move people into the new game, you will get a lot of people to leave because they will not be happy with some random change (even if the changes are for the better, overall).

....

In an interesting twist, Blizzard has no idea what the hell Vivendi is talking about. From Kotaku (who quotes a forum post from a Blizzard developer on the WoW forums, but doesn't actually cite it. Way to be, toolbag.)

Nothing in that rumor is true in regards to Blizzard. If I had to guess, there was some confusion between what Vivendi has planned for its game division versus what Blizzard has planned. While Blizzard is owned by Vivendi, their game division operates seperately from Blizzard.

So we're just getting shitty Vivendi properties? File under 'no one cares'.

-Dippy

[nocturne]

it was cleared up today that isnt true, i would love a starcraft MMo though....