Blizzard exploring World of Warcraft on iPhone

Blizzard Entertainment is exploring an iPhone version of the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, the developer revealed to Eurogamer at an event last week.

Senior WOW producer John Lagrave told the site Blizzard is always exploring bringing the popular MMORPG to mobile devices.

"So yes we have [looked into mobile] and we always are," he said. "Maybe we'll stumble on the great way to put WOW on the phone, maybe we won't; but we're certainly looking into it."

As for when a mobile version of WOW might become available, as is typical with Blizzard, the developer said it won't ship the product until it is ready.

"We won't do it until we think it's decent," he said. "But it's interesting and the world is evolving towards that little handheld device; I'd have fun on it, that's absolutely the case."

How might WOW work on an iPhone? Lagrave said certain game systems--like fishing and pet battles--would translate better than others.

"Certainly you look at systems," he said. "You can look at fishing and say, 'Is fishing tailored to being on a table or on a mobile?' That would be awesome, right? You're sitting at the airport and think, 'I'll just go fishing.' We certainly look at pet battles too, but right now we're focused on PC; that's our bread and butter, PC and Mac."

Blizzard already has a toe in the mobile space, as it released the WOW Mobile Armory in 2009, which lets gamers view character statistics, browse the Auction House, and manage guilds.

Next up for WOW is the Mists of Pandaria expansion. The add-on is set on the new continent of Pandaria and focuses on the Pandaren as well as the monk player class. The expansion pack, which does not have a release date, will also increase the player level cap to 90.