Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Blizzard CEO calls shipping an unfinished product, 'devastating']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/blizzard-ceo-calls-shipping-an-unfinished-product-devastating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/blizzard-ceo-calls-shipping-an-unfinished-product-devastating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/blizzard-ceo-calls-shipping-an-unfinished-product-devastating/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When you're going to make a statement, you may as well make it a good one, right? Well, Blizzard CEO Paul Sams has delivered in that regard. Speaking with Gamesindustry.biz (a free account is required to read the whole article) Sams went on to make a bevy of remarks that reinforce the developer's stance of, "It's done when it's done." while also commenting on the "devastating" effects of shipping an unfinished product.

So what gets devastated? The people who put in all those long hours of hard work, says Sams. We believe it, too. This kind of issue is bad for any game, but for an MMO we can only begin to imagine the sort of downtrodden emotions that can permeate a dev team after seeing their work pushed out into the world before it's ready. And while we all know MMOs are living, breathing things that are never "Finished." there's still a point where more gestation time is far better than getting pushed out the door prematurely.

MassivelyBlizzard CEO calls shipping an unfinished product, 'devastating' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-fps-mmoblizzard-mmogamesindustry.bizmmopaul-samsworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 19 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Blizzard's next MMO to be an MMOFPS]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/rumor-blizzards-next-mmo-to-be-an-mmofps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/rumor-blizzards-next-mmo-to-be-an-mmofps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/rumor-blizzards-next-mmo-to-be-an-mmofps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Yep, another MMO rumor for you guys about the Blizzard's next title. While Blizzard has been very adamant in saying that their next MMO would be very different from World of Warcraft, there might be more difference here than just the game's setting.

The French gaming site NoFrag is reporting that Blizzard's next game will include an FPS portion as well as a social portion, splitting the player between two systems. While the player will be able to meet people, chat, and make friends in the social area of the game, they will also be able to then launch into the FPS portion with their friends and battle over objectives.

Adding this to the widely spread rumor that this next game is going to be a sci-fi title and Kaplan's hints that the game might be hitting consoles? We have a feeling we might be looking at a cyberpunk setting here, if players are switching between two "modes" of play. The social play would be set in the real world while the FPS would be set in a virtual landscape. But, of course, that's just our best guess.

[Via Blue's News]

MassivelyRumor: Blizzard's next MMO to be an MMOFPS originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzard-entertainmentblizzard-mmobreakingcyberpunkfpsmmofpsrumorsci-fisocialsocial-mmounnamed-mmoFri, 08 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Will Blizzard show their next MMO at BlizzCon 2010?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/will-blizzard-show-their-next-mmo-at-blizzcon-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/will-blizzard-show-their-next-mmo-at-blizzcon-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/will-blizzard-show-their-next-mmo-at-blizzcon-2010/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

WoW.com's Zach Yonzon takes a speculative look at BlizzCon 2010 and all the possibilities that lie ahead. The article predicts that Blizzard will officially announce their sophomore MMO effort this year, which seems likely given StarCraft II's impending release and Diablo III being a known quantity. To top it off, the developer probably wouldn't mind stifling some of the substantial buzz building up around Star Wars: The Old Republic.

We'd love to see the cyberpunk MMO described in the article, but who wouldn't want a sci-fi MMO that's like Diablo's dark fantasy to Warcraft's light-heartedness? Nobody (well, except for Blizzard) really knows what the future holds, although for now you can read about it and share your thoughts if that helps out -- at least, it helps us feel slightly less helpless when pondering our MMO gaming future.

MassivelyWill Blizzard show their next MMO at BlizzCon 2010? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardbiowareblizzardblizzard-mmoblizzconcyberpunkdiablo-3diablo-iiieaelectronic-artslucasartspredictionsspeculationstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstarcraftstarcraft-2starcraft-iiswtorthe-old-republicwarcraftFri, 08 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What is Blizzard planning for its next MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/what-is-blizzard-planning-for-its-next-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/what-is-blizzard-planning-for-its-next-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/what-is-blizzard-planning-for-its-next-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


According to a recent interview with Wired's GameLife, Blizzard's next MMO project will be "Significantly different" than what they have now with World of Warcraft. This alleviates most concern over self-competition, since they seem fairly confident that the new MMO will scratch a new itch. And seriously, even if it did take players away from WoW, would it be such a bad thing for Blizzard?

This interview with COO Paul Sams (by our own Tracey John) touches on much more than this next MMO, which Blizzard is understandably tight-lipped about. Sams discusses the future of WoW's expansions, the potential of Battle.net across multiple titles and even a bit on micro-transactions. So as we can only speculate at this point, what do you think will be Blizzard's next MMO?

MassivelyWhat is Blizzard planning for its next MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-mmogamelifepaul-samswiredworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First official confirmation that new Blizzard MMO is original IP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/first-official-confirmation-that-new-blizzard-mmo-is-original-ip/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/first-official-confirmation-that-new-blizzard-mmo-is-original-ip/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/first-official-confirmation-that-new-blizzard-mmo-is-original-ip/#commentsFiled under: , ,


While we've had reason to believe that Blizzard's next MMO would be a new IP, but this marks the first occasion that we've had some kind of official confirmation of our speculation.

In a post on the official World of Warcraft forums, Blizzard community manager Zarhym came out and said the new MMO was in fact an original IP, saying, "We have nothing to advertise for the new MMO because it's a shell of a game thus far. We've already stated it'll be a brand new franchise, which means the lore, art, and game play are being developed entirely from scratch. It's an overwhelming process, but a process through which we excel. Our track record supports this." While it's no press release or big event reveal, this is certainly the closest we've come to someone officially with Blizzard saying that, yes, it's not a previously created franchise.

So now that speculation on whether or not it's a new IP is over, we can begin to speculate on what genre this new IP will be! Science fiction, steampunk, cyberpunk or another fantasy setting? It's hard to say, although our hopes go for something decidedly not fantasy since Blizzard has already spent plenty of energy in those genres up to this point.

MassivelyFirst official confirmation that new Blizzard MMO is original IP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-mmobreakingcyberpunkdiablofantasysci-fistarcraftsteampunkunannounced-mmoworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 13 May 2009 00:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard is not even thinking about making World of Warcraft II]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/blizzard-is-not-even-thinking-about-making-world-of-warcraft-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/blizzard-is-not-even-thinking-about-making-world-of-warcraft-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/blizzard-is-not-even-thinking-about-making-world-of-warcraft-ii/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you were hoping the next-gen Blizzard MMO currently in development would turn out to be World of Warcraft II, prepare to be disappointed. Blizzard's Frank Pearce told videogamer.com that the folks at Blizzard "haven't even started to think about a sequel" to World of Warcraft. So, we can knock one potential title off the "could be the next Blizzard MMO" list.

We're not surprised. MMO sequels have had an uninspiring past. Ultima Worlds Online: Origin was canceled before it even reached the beta testing stage. EverQuest II and Lineage II have both been fairly successful but they've failed to attract anywhere near as many players as their predecessors. There's also the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing. World of Warcraft is still growing in terms of global numbers (though that growth is probably mostly thanks to China). People numbering in the millions across all continents are still playing WoW. It might make sense to make another kind of MMO with a different sort of motif so as to expand your current base, but as for a sequel to WoW; what would be the point of spending millions of dollars to challenge your own throne?

MassivelyBlizzard is not even thinking about making World of Warcraft II originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-mmobreakingsequelvideogamerworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-2world-of-warcraft-iiwowwow-2Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:01:00 EST