WoW Expansion Sells 2.4 Million, New MMOG Planned

Computer and Videogames is reporting that 2.4 Million copies of Burning Crusade were sold on the first day of retail sales. Those numbers are just for North American and the EU, too, which totally discounts any sales the box may have had in Asian markets. Even without our eastern brethren, that number pretty much destroys every other launch-day sales number for a PC game. Meanwhile, the same gent that teased us with the next StarCraft game has tossed out this bone as well: Blizzard's next MMOG 'won't be another WoW'. From the article: "'When we announce our next MMORPG it's not going to be another WOW--we're not a company that tends to tread the same ground,' he told British film magazine Empire. 'It'll be something innovative and new that really brings entertainment to another level.' American Blizzard reps declined to expand on Bassat's comments, although the fact that the company began hiring real-time strategy developers last summer might offer a clue." So ... another Blizzard MMOG. Huh.

Comments

Innovative

[0racle]

"'When we announce our next MMORPG it's not going to be another WOW--we're not a company that tends to tread the same ground,' he told British film magazine Empire. 'It'll be something innovative and new that really brings entertainment to another level.'

Innovative. Not like when they released Warcraft 2 then 3 then a MMO based on Warcraft. It will be new, innovative just like the last time they got innovative.

It will be Universe of Starcraft. New and innovative, never been done before.

Re:Innovative

[fishybell]

You're missing the real innovation: One company taking in vast amounts of money from two MMO games. It's brilliant!

Re:Innovative

[Gothic_Walrus]

I'd say taking a franchise from RTS to MMORPG requires at least some innovation. Innovation doesn't necessarily require an entirely new setting; if the mechanics and the game itself change significantly (as did Warcraft), that could be enough on its own.w

Besides, "MMO" doesn't entail the same thing as "MMORPG." If Blizzard were to release a Starcraft MMORPG, I suspect that it would cannibalize subscribers from WoW more than it would bring in new players. Since we don't know anything yet, why not have a little bit of faith?

Re:Innovative

[CarnivoreMan]

Innovative. Not like when they released Warcraft 2 then 3 then a MMO based on Warcraft. It will be new, innovative just like the last time they got innovative.

There was a Warcraft 1 as well... ya know, just FYI. =)
.. but anyway, each of those games were innovative(Actually I cant really comment on WC1 vs WC2. I dont know WC1 worth beans). They each take place in the same universe and follow a storyline, but still, the changes from one to the next were not trivial.

Re:Innovative

[HaloZero]

This $50 expansion is basically a big patch for their game. Look at what they added.. basically they fixed a bunch of problems with the game, does that warrant $50?

You know nothing. They've added an entire new world, two new races, new professions, extended the existing professions, as well as having fixed a host of issues (and introducing entirely another set!). Of course, the game is not without it's flaws (and deep ones, at that), but Blizzard has actually done a very good job with this expansion. It isn't just more of the same old shit.

Re:Innovative

[eht]

He truly does know absolutely nothing about Burning Crusade, not even the price, as the MSRP on it is $40 ($39.99).

Re:Innovative

[Wornstrom]

I agree. I took a couple months off before the expansion, partly due to the growing boredom with the same old content, among other things. This expansion is VERY refreshing, with metric asstons of new content and features. Despite the server crashes... I think there is a lot of juice in this orange they haven't squeezed out yet, and there would be no real logic in releasing another MMO like warcraft, at least until they start seeing a dramatic drop in their subscription base. A starcraft MMO, IMHO would probably be released to coincide with Stargate Worlds

Re:Innovative

[MBGMorden]

Warcraft 1 played much like 2, but with much worse graphics and a clunkier feeling interface. Warcraft 2 also introduced naval units and I think flying units (I know WC2 had flying units but can't remember for sure whether or not WC1 had them).

Overall though, WC1 wasn't that bad. I got the Warcraft 1 demo version on a huge CD I bought with all sorts of sample games (I loved when I first got a CD drive and could buy shareware CD's with hundreds of demos for $10. For a kid whose only online access was a 2400 BAUD modem connection to a BBS a CD full o' stuff is a God send :)). Liked that demo so much I decided to go to the store and buy the full version, but when I got there I noticed that Warcraft II was already out and wasn't much more expensive, so I got it instead. Many years later, after the expansion, Starcraft, WC3, and now WoW, I'm still a Blizzard addict . . .

Re:Innovative

[NeutronCowboy]

Uh? All they did was take the Warcraft setting, slap on Diablo 2 mechanics, put up a persistent world, and presto - Wow! There was zero innovation in Wow. Though that was rarely Blizzard's claim to fame. Their strength is in very polished, very well thought out game mechanics with oodles of built-in variety.

Re:Suckered me in

[Cyraan]

At least you've admitted it, thats the first step.

Treading the same ground?

[Samus]

we're not a company that tends to tread the same ground

This from the company that brought us Diablo, Diablo 2, Warcraft, Warcraft 2, Warcraft 3, Starcraft and World of Warcraft?

Re:Treading the same ground?

[MeanderingMind]

Contrary to popular belief, you can make a game within the same world and context without treading the same ground.

This isn't Team Ninja where they keep rereleasing Ninja Gaiden in new, prettier forms. The differences between Diablo 1 and 2, between WarCraft 2 and 3, and between WoW and anything else Blizzard has done are huge.

Most companies would have taken Diablo and stuck exactly to the formula. Diablo 2 would have had the same three classes, the same book system with a few new skills, some reason to revisit tristram and kill Diablo again, and maybe prettier graphics. Instead we got 5 new classes (and none of the old ones, unless you count killing them), a completely different skill system, socketed items, an expansive world across multiple acts, waypoints, and even more in the expansion. The only thing that remained the same was the clickfest.

While Lord of the Clans died, and StarCraft: Ghost may never see the light, Blizzard is known to tread new ground in familiar worlds. Simply listing off game titles without the context of how different each was is disingenuous.

Let's see how long it is before I'm proved wrong.

[Gothic_Walrus]

Between the hiring of RTS developers, the constant hints about Starcraft, and the fact that the game's tenth anniversary is coming up...well, it's just a hunch, really, but it's starting to sound more and more likely that this project is some kind of Starcraft MMOG, however that would work.

I know that I'm not the only one considering this, and that there have been thousands - if not millions - of wrong predictions about gaming. That said, considering how popular Starcraft still is today, if Blizzard doesn't bring the franchise back in some form in the future it would be a horrendously bad business decision. As long as the game isn't terrible (and Blizzard's track record is still very solid, lest we forget), it'd sell like hotcakes and would help to bring in money from the crowd that's not up for the time commitment and fees that MMORPGs require.

Vote no to Starcraft MMO

[Dan Slotman]

I sincerely hope that the next Starcraft game is not a MMO. Starcraft is still my favorite Blizzard game because it was a delicious union of sci-fi coolness with three wildly unique races. Blizzard has talented designers, but I hate to see them ignore those of us who prefer real time strategy games. If they want to chase the money pot of another MMO, they should make one from Diablo since I don't care if they whore that franchise out. (Plus I think they'll just be stealing their own customers away from WOW.)

Re:Vote no to Starcraft MMO

[eclipser13]

I think you're talking about 10six. It was shutdown, but revived as Project Visitor

New from Blizzard! Starcraft Idol!

[RyanFenton]

Currently Embargoed Press Release for late 2007:

-------------------

New from Blizzard! Starcraft Idol!

Primp your Protoss! Fire up your firebat's singing voice! Practice your zerglings' choreography! It'll all be worth it when your peers decide who is the new...

STARCRAFT IDOL!

Tired of resolving ancient animosities, genetic imperatives, and vital resource conflicts through a bloody battlefield? Change those horrific screams to cheers of joy, as the new name of the game is style! Choose from over 40 dance moves, 15 voice styles, and 5 sets of 'attitudes' to make your perfect performance. Win contests, and earn accessories. Learn crafting skills and dress to impress! You'll be amazed what a little makeup and elbow-grease will do for an ultralisk.

Bring out the beautiful alien in you!

----------------

You *don't* want to see the screenshots.

Ryan Fenton

Yeah...

[j0nkatz]

Those numbers are just for North American and the EU, too, which totally discounts any sales the box may have had in Asian markets. Even without our eastern brethren, that number pretty much destroys every other launch-day sales number for a PC game. Yeah can't leave out the Asians. How else am I supposed to buy my in-game gold?

Diablo MMORTS

[fyrie]

They turned a RTS into a MMORPG, so why not take an RPG and turn it into a MMORTS?

Re:New Game ? not WoW?

[MeanderingMind]

The screenshot was from an april fool's day joke by Gamespot, it has nothing to do with any projects Blizzard may actually be working on.

Fun? Probably. Innovative? Probably not.

[hellfire]

I have to say the development/testing/design team is pretty good. I've had my issues with them in the past but over all they are well above most.

That being said, I'm really sick and tired of Blizzard super media hype attitude. I'm tired of anyone in the computer industry using the word "innovative" to describe their next itteration of software. World of Starcraft will be fun, if that's what they do, but it will not be "innovative." You keep using that fucking word! I do not fucking think it means what you think it goddamn means!

(apologies to Mandy Potenkin)

Blizzard tries to do everything better than the next guy in terms of design, gameplay, and quality. Trying hard to make the game balance out while giving people lots of options and strategies. Trying hard to have good quality graphics that won't break machines not sold by alienware. Trying to kill as many bugs as possible. Trying to make sure the game isn't dominated by one trick ponies. Providing an background to the game so that players can feel more immersed.

It's better, yes, but more of the same. Warcraft was their first success. They made a second one. then they tried their hand at Diablo. Good game, that was reasonably innovative. Then they made Starcraft and the innovation stopped. Starcraft was fun, but it was orcs in space, stop kidding yourself. It wasn't "all new." It was only "all new" in that "All new 2007 Toyota Camry" kind of way. Then Diablo 2, then WC3. Then they saw two of their successful francises and merged the idea of the two together and now you have WoW. Recycling old ideas with improvements, and giving people the same thing as before.

I'm not belittling Blizzard or their games, I'm just really tired of their marketing department making sound like they are going to sell software that will give you instant multiple orgasms.

Re:As a WoW player, I couldn't agree more

[flyingsquid]

True, another WOW-like game doesn't make sense from a business standpoint. Offering the same gameplay but with different character classes (Oboy! I wanna be an SCV pilot!) would just cannibalize the existing business they're getting from WOW.

The clever thing to do would be to create a massively multiplayer online game which involves a completely different model of gameplay, so that it doesn't compete with World of Warcraft so much. The fact that they're hiring RTS people could be an indication of the direction they're going: MMORTS.

What if your character isn't a Marine, he's a squad leader. He gets a dozen marines, half a dozen firebats, a couple of goliaths. And maybe by leveling up you can move up the tech tree and get different units, command more units, ultimately become an Admiral, and soforth. The gameplay could be like Starcraft, but unlike online Starcraft- where you face the same units over, and over, and over no matter how long you've been playing- you'd have the opportunity to acquire new technologies and face ever more challenging enemies.