Blizzard's 'next-gen MMOG' to heat up consoles?

  • By TomM_GScom, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 13, 2008 12:55 pm PT

Source: An interview with Blizzard's Jeffrey Kaplan for MTV's gaming blog, Multiplayer. What we heard: That Blizzard is working on a massively multiplayer online game outside the realm of World of Warcraft isn't what's at question. The developer confirmed that fact back in December, when a Blizzard...

Source: An interview with Blizzard's Jeffrey Kaplan for MTV's gaming blog, Multiplayer.

What we heard: That Blizzard is working on a massively multiplayer online game outside the realm of World of Warcraft isn't what's at question. The developer confirmed that fact back in December, when a Blizzard community representative said on WOW's official forums that a spate of "Next-Gen MMO" job requisitions weren't for an expansion to the massively successful online game.

While the focus of last weekend's BlizzCon was the Starcraft II trilogy, Diablo III, and the WOW expansion Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard also dropped a few clues concerning this aforementioned MMOG. In an interview with MTV, World of Warcraft game director Jeffrey Kaplan confirmed he was involved in the unannounced project and addressed the possibility that the MMOG will arrive for consoles.

"We definitely aren't adapting World of Warcraft to the console at this time," Kaplan began. "But that's not to say that other MMOs couldn't [work well on consoles]. And we have a pretty savvy group of console developers--a lot of the guys we inherited from [Starcraft: Ghost developer] Swingin' Ape really know what they're doing on next-gen consoles. So we might have a few tricks up our sleeves in that regard."

For a developer who hasn't made a game for consoles this century, controversy over Blizzard's non-PC plans has been abundant. Dating back as far as Diablo II and churning up a maelstrom through the now indefinitely postponed Starcraft: Ghost, speculation has swirled, often for naught, over the developer's plans.

Still, it's worth noting that Blizzard has emitted a number of strong indicators that its unannounced MMOG will arrive for consoles. Most notably, the aforementioned job listings for Blizzard's new online game prominently count experience shipping "console titles" as a plus.

Furthermore, while Blizzard has maintained its reputation of being notoriously autonomous as the subsidiary of a variety of larger corporations, it may be that Activision will pressure the developer into going multiplatform, especially in light of the current piracy crisis afflicting PC gaming. Indeed, the upcoming Diablo III, which Blizzard's Jay Wilson recently indicated is still "years" off, currently boasts a work-in-progress user interface that would naturally lend itself to a gamepad.

One final note: Regardless of Blizzard's plans, don't expect the new MMOG to arrive for this generation of next-generation consoles. According to Kaplan, it's "going to be a while" before the game makes it to market, and many industry watchers believe the next wave of consoles will arrive in 2011 or 2012. Therefore, it wouldn't make much sense to launch a multimillion-dollar MMOG--which have in some cases proven to have life spans of 10 years and counting--at this stage in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or, yes, even the Wii's, life cycle.

The official story: "As we've mentioned many times before, Blizzard has not made any announcements regarding console projects, and we have no current plans on console," a Blizzard representative told GameSpot. "With three major games currently in development on the PC, our focus is squarely on making those PC games the best they can be."

Bogus or not bogus?: Eventually not bogus. It isn't so much a question of "if" there will be a Blizzard console MMORPG, but rather "when."

156 Comments

  • got_ice_tea

    Posted Apr 2, 2009 4:27 pm PT

    i must admit all mmos on xbox and ps2 have failed ffxi for xbox is probley the best 1 but psu and ffxi have both failed on xbox alone

    pso for dreamcast was great but there wernt much around back then lol

  • robertbyronz

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 12:26 pm PT

    Heck.. I'd pay just to have Diablo II on the Xbox! I would love it tho if it was Diablo III but doubtful. Hopefully Blizzard is branching out

  • Barighm

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 12:10 pm PT

    @at Vargre

    In 5 years, you'll have carpal tunnel, an increasingly thicker pair of glasses, back problems, and poor blood circulation to your legs, possibly even a crapload of computer viruses. In 5 years, I'll have money to spare, good health, a much less finicky piece of gaming software and hardware, and all the same features PC's have now (at the rate consoles are improving). With all the benefits MS gains by having their own private networking service, content, and all that jazz for their console, it's practically a given that this will be the future of gaming. PC gaming will probably be reduced to a gaggle of indie developers producing second-rate games in the hopes they can earn just enough money to feed their families for a day since MS will be sucking up all their revenue with network fees and PC gamers will just mod and pirate the game to suit their taste.
    I wouldn't suggest such a theory if PC gamers weren't so darn arrogant and elitist...they really think PC's are the be all and end all of gaming, but they SO aren't. All they really had was mods and multiplayer, and even that has been hijacked by consoles (and that stuff is still in its infancy for consoles). ANYWHO, my actual purpose of this post is to say I'd love to see an MMORPG conceived, designed, developed, and published for CONSOLES, by CONSOLE centric developers, with an enormous amount of CONSOLE development experience. Atm, far too many games you see on consoles these days, at least for the 360, are just ports of PC games, or are console games developed by PC developers. Of course you're gonna get these games where people will say "nice game, but it would have been so much better on PC's" because you got these PC developers creating games and saying "nice idea, but it's a console so don't bother trying to make it work. It's a console. It can't work". The very best of the best console games always rival the very best of the best PC games. That's because the very best games are, indeed, the best. Which games are BETTER is an irrelevant and foolish debate because it's all about taste; however, you can't really create such a great game unless you know how to, and really want, develop the game to suit the platform. It has happened before, but too many people seem to forget that.

  • 2ndWonder

    Posted Nov 10, 2008 12:52 am PT

    It would be awesome to have a console MMORPG from blizzard, though It could be awhile before we see one, considering that they have their hands full with games atm.

  • Beetroot502

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 6:23 am PT

    It took Blizzard how many years for WoW to come out? 4 or 5 years? If they havent started production yet, it would make more sense for them to release the game on the new batch of consoles in 2012 or whenever those come out.

  • tudyniuz

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 10:26 am PT

    I would certainly like a MMORPG on my PS3

  • IXIWhistIXI

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 9:30 am PT

    Mankeyador is sadly right.
    The only thing keeping MY pc gaming alive is valve. And they've moved some stuff to consoles, but it's not getting the support the PC versions are.

    I'm thinking that if I want to continue online gaming (not mmorpgs, I can't see a good one comming out for a lonnngggg time and I'm not going back to wow) I'm going to have to purchase probably microsofts console when the next generation of consoles comes out.
    I know I"m not bothering with nintendo anymore, and I don't see playstation going much further unless their next console can save them.

  • NickAnguiano

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 9:01 am PT

    @Vargre

    I think PCs have new generations that come out like every 6 months. Not a day goes by where i hear about a new computer with better crap in it. Not to mention you can get an Xbox 360 for as little as $200 right now as opposed to spending, for an actual decent PC, like $1000 if not more. Sure you can get the bare minimum but you will have to replace it pretty fast which makes the $500 or $600 invested into it a waste. You brag about how you might need to get a new video card, I've seen video cards that cost as much as 400-500 bucks if not more. For that much I could buy a console, some accessories, and some games as well. DLC is not a PC exclusive anymore either, not with XBL and PSN. I give that there are games that only work on PCs and PCs do have better graphics but as far as graphics go.. at some point I really do not care that the character's face on my screen has his face look 5% more smooth. I don't think people are that anal about it, at this point I think most games on any platform look pretty gorgeous considering 20 years ago we had like the NES or gameboy.

  • mankeyador

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 8:13 am PT

    @Vargre666

    It's not only crysis that has been pirated.assassin's creed and a few other were heavily pirated even before it they were launched. I'm not saying pc gaming is dead or console gaming is dead just consoles and PC's can coexist. But developers are moving away from the PC. Games just don't sell like they used to on the PC unless they are MMO's. That's why they would rather make a game for the consoles then port it over to the PC. And a lot of people are getting fed up with the installation limits on most of the new releases. The best thing PC's have going for them like you said is their MMO's, support, and digital distribution.

  • mrbo69jangles

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 9:20 pm PT

    gordois we get it you like runescape better then world of warcraft ok we get the picture

  • Vargre666

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 5:37 pm PT

    I love how they mention the pirating crisis for PC games...riiiight. Because the kifed copy of FO3 thats going around torrent sites is a 360 version? Take a look at any torrent site, youll find every bloody 360 game available for download. You lot that say PC games are dead or only alive because of MMO's? Yeah, thats why every console cum PC has extra content, better graphics, DLC...the list goes on. PC's are and always will be a better platform for gaming. Better control, better graphics, better support, everything. In 5 years your 360 will be out dated, in 5 years I might need a new video card. Nuff said.

  • barugalor

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 9:28 pm PT

    Goodois make up ur mind lol your saying how bad wow is and now your saying wow is alright whats next? ull tell us u have a lv70 dranai shaman or somethin. lol

  • barugalor

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 9:24 pm PT

    Goodois make up ur mind lol your saying how bad wow is and now your saying way is alright whats next? ull tell us u have a lv70 dranai shaman or somethin. lol

  • gordois

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 3:30 pm PT

    Yea WOW is an alrite game but runescape dominates it

  • wiirkokonuts

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 12:24 pm PT

    i hope that they make it for consoles, because my PC is slow

  • yrret876 posted Oct 19, 2008 6:39 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    yrret876

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 6:39 am PT (hide)

    please kill all Pc gamers plz when they play their games AIDS spreads across the world

  • yrret876

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 6:38 am PT

    WoW aint got nothin on Runescape am i right or what broes

  • gordois

    Posted Oct 19, 2008 2:41 am PT

    WOW arraiveing on consoles will not achive anything the game runs on any computer any way so theres no point it needs mass upgrades for me to even consider it a true game i rather free games such as runescape

  • BenBenBen93

    Posted Oct 18, 2008 7:26 am PT

    the wii has though Wii HD

  • rayrayob

    Posted Oct 16, 2008 6:07 pm PT

    champions online is for 360 and pc

  • OgreB

    Posted Oct 16, 2008 3:14 pm PT

    Microsoft and Sony have no plans at this time to release a new console.
    So it would have to run on an 360 or PS3.

  • Canadianjunkie

    Posted Oct 16, 2008 7:28 am PT

    finaleve Posted Oct 16, 2008 12:33 am GMT -4 if they do actually make a console MMO, it would really have to be near the start of a new console (relatively close to launch). FFXI got lucky and had a start with the 360, while its still out with the PS2 and PC.

    Actually, FFXI was out for over a year on PS2 before the Xbox360 even got it. The 360 version was released with the original game and 2 expansions in one package. This means that FFXI actually came out at the end of the last-gen era and still did well and is still around.

    I still believe a Blizzard MMO on a console would be a good thing though, regardless of when it's released.

  • Shaun373

    Posted Oct 16, 2008 5:53 am PT

    I love watching all the PC elitists cry about companies making games for consoles. There are more console gamers than there are PC gamers and in a lot of instances games for consoles are less taxing because the development team doesn't have to worry about the requirements to play the game. They just take the dev kit and move on from there.

  • TheoleDominion

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 11:00 pm PT

    Just goes to show you some "hate" for the sake of hating. Regardless of your "personal" feelings on WOW It's been very successful. So when people criticize anything that's successful, makes them look really ridicules. The fact that FFXI has had some success on consoles does give validity that MMO's CAN and WILL come to consoles. And it's gonna happen wether you want it or not, because there will be enough gamers who WILL like it.

  • gordois posted Oct 15, 2008 8:59 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    gordois

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 8:59 pm PT (hide)

    yea baby WoW is so bad that it will run in any computer even ones that have 1 pixels

  • finaleve

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 8:33 pm PT

    if they do actually make a console MMO, it would really have to be near the start of a new console (relatively close to launch). FFXI got lucky and had a start with the 360, while its still out with the PS2 and PC.

    But Blizzard is honestly slipping. BNet was shear awesome. Not only because it was free, but the amount of people using it, between Diablo 1 and 2, Starcraft, and the Warcraft series...not they are going to forget that community and charge them?

  • gamernut

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 8:16 am PT

    Say what?

  • weaselciuy

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 2:51 am PT

    lol gordois .... That made my day ..

  • gordois

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 6:42 pm PT

    wow sucks peace out

  • gordois posted Oct 14, 2008 6:41 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    gordois

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 6:41 pm PT (hide)

    i think wows a load of poo an runescape is the best game on the planet ur dixie nourmous

  • MidniteShadow

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    they announce games years ahead due to leaks, sometimes its on purpose, jsut to see how hype the game is and how many fans there are.

  • makoreactors

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 2:47 pm PT

    I noticed too so many developers and companys are showing off games or giving info for games coming out years from now. what a big let down for the gaming fans.

    true we want good games and the more they take there time the better but still man. waiting years for a video game is a big downer. why dont they make good 2d games meanwhile

  • GrimGravy

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 1:53 pm PT

    first off meh to a blizz game on consoles, second please tell me how fun an mmo would be with 2 playable races sorry i dont see how zerg would work they are mindless and even if they did sorry 3. then again maybe alot will change in SC2. oh and ya this merger with activison and blizzard makes we worried that this may lead to the ultimate downfall of blizzards greatness and well that makes me want to cry.

  • Timmy_Gwar

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 1:14 pm PT

    Enter the "World of We have you money now B^$%# Craft".

  • zhivago_x

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 11:10 am PT

    kakotan;
    not only they had a few flops, they aren't making games anymore. Just publishing. And I can't imagine these new kids playing X-Wing Alliance on their consoles with joypads. So many great companies had left their legacy on the PC before turning to consoles which are whether we want to admit it or not a less demanding market.

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