New Blizzard MMO will be 'Brand New Franchise'

Blizzard poster Zarhym has addressed Blizzard's upcoming MMO in a thread that was started by a player who doesn't believe such a game is actually in the works. While Zaryhm doesn't provide much information, the statement does emphasize the in-development MMO is definitely not a sequel or spin-off of any of the company's current franchises:

"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."

Zaryhm addresses numerous other points in the post in an attempt to dispel misconceptions about how Blizzard operates. For example, here's Zaryhm's response to the comment that Blizzard has shifted focus away from WoW: "If a position is vacated, it is filled. ... We're never short on talent and our teams are constantly growing. There's absolutely no reason or evidence to support the theory that we've shifted focus away from the Warcraft franchise."

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TMNT Online!
# May 14 2009 at 8:03 AM Rating: Decent
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155 posts
Quote:
it's a shell of a game thus far


CLEARLY its going to be a TMNT mmo.
MMO
# May 13 2009 at 9:10 PM Rating: Decent
They say its MMO why so many people assume that it is going to be MMORPG? It could be something totally different from World of Warcraft and there is possibility that it is not even MMORPG. I don’t mean it could not be MMORPG but I haven’t seen any interview that any blizzard employee has used any other term than MMO.
Well
# May 13 2009 at 7:06 PM Rating: Decent
Blizzard is a company that is used to having multiple projects under development at the same time. When I used to play Everquest and we found out that WoW is coming out everybody knew it was going to be a great game. We knew this because blizzard was making it.

There are a few truths with these types of games. They will change over time and at some point they will end. SoE was claiming they they were going to continue working on Everquest even after Everquest 2 came out. They did and I think they still have Everquest up and running but I don't know what their player base looks like. Wow is getting old, it's on it's third expansion. Look at it this way, if they don't make another game somebody else will.
hmm
# May 13 2009 at 5:26 PM Rating: Decent
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Maybe they will go and made a more hardcore game so the hardcore people will go play it and quit trying to make WOW non casual friendly.

____________________________
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hmm
# May 13 2009 at 6:59 PM Rating: Decent
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1,882 posts
fronglo wrote:
Maybe they will go and made a more hardcore game so the hardcore people will go play it and quit trying to make WOW non casual friendly.



Or maybe they'll create a mind numblingly lazy game so all the "casual" (ie. lazy players) will go play something else. Oh wait. Someone already did that. Its called Guild Wars.


Not to kick a dead horse, but its more of a lazy/solo/selfish players vs self sufficient/team players more than casual vs. hardcore... I'm by far "casual" in my take of the game. But want a game where I actually have a challenge. If I wanted everything handed to me I'd still be playing GW.
hmm
# May 14 2009 at 6:07 AM Rating: Decent
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132 posts
Quote:

Or maybe they'll create a mind numblingly lazy game so all the "casual" (ie. lazy players) will go play something else. Oh wait. Someone already did that. Its called Guild Wars.


Not to kick a dead horse, but its more of a lazy/solo/selfish players vs self sufficient/team players more than casual vs. hardcore... I'm by far "casual" in my take of the game. But want a game where I actually have a challenge. If I wanted everything handed to me I'd still be playing GW.


Ahhh, the response of the ignorant.

Why is it that people like you automatically assume that "casual" equals "lazy" or "wants everything handed to them"?

Sorry, but just because I don't have the time to play 40 hours a week IN ADDITION to being available 5 nights a week to raid, that does not make me lazy. It means I have a life.

The fact is that, like pretty much every other MMORPG, there are a small but vocal crowd of "bean counters." People that squeeze everything down to the last number for THE maximum build. Then they start screaming for more challenging content. They get their wish, and then anyone that is not a geek in mom's basement playing for 60 hours a week with the "optimal" build starts getting left behind. I've seen it happen over and over since the MMO's of the late 90's.

I'm not asking for things to be handed to me. I'm saying that everyone should have a more equal chance of seeing the end game.
hmm
# May 14 2009 at 12:26 PM Rating: Good
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1,882 posts
and you do have a more equal chance. but then Blizzard introduces an ALTERNATIVE method of play known as "hard mode" and you have the so-called "casual" players complaining they can't get the rewards from it because they don't have the time/skill/ability etc.

Again you're making assumptions that everyone who engages in raiding or end game content and wants a challenge is a fanatical elitist with no life.

You're going into content that requires 10-25 people. It shouldn't be a cake walk. It shouldn't be one shottable. It should take weeks or months of group effort to get down. It was created specifically for people who DO want a time sink and challenge.

My guild is dominated by casual players. There is maybe one or two people in it you could consider "hard core". The majority of us have tight family, work, and social schedules. Yet I don't see any of us begging for the game to be made "more casual". Every time we go into a raid its a big event for everyone and people look forward to the weekly "grind" of going in and accomplishing something. Even if its a couple of bosses in Naxx 10.

World of Warcraft compared to any other game EXCEPT maybe runescape or Guild Wars is mind numbingly casual. Every example I've seen of a demand for a "more casual" game equates to nothing more than hidden laziness or wants for EZ Mode WoW. Completely defeating any purpose for people to expend any effort.

Edited, May 14th 2009 4:28pm by ekaterinodar
hmm
# May 13 2009 at 8:07 PM Rating: Decent
Wow is marketed for casual players. That's how they got to where they are now. It's not a lack of skill vs. hardcore players thing, if that was the case then gear would provide a minimal bonus. That is not the case, gear will make a break a character and gear intentionally takes a while to get. Hardcore players are in the guilds that are going to raid and get to current end game items before everyone else making them stronger than everyone else. It's ok because after a while everyone is wearing the new gear and then the hardcore players are asking for new content.
lol...
# May 13 2009 at 4:28 PM Rating: Decent
Quote:
There's absolutely no reason or evidence to support the theory that we've shifted focus away from the Warcraft franchise.


Oh I dunno...maybe the fact Blizzard is working on a new MMO; said it was a new franchise. Sure sounds like they're shifting focus. Anyone with half a brain knows people will have trouble splitting time between multiple MMOs and will eventually drop the one they like the least.
lol...
# May 13 2009 at 4:42 PM Rating: Good
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1,882 posts
Dyner wrote:
Quote:
There's absolutely no reason or evidence to support the theory that we've shifted focus away from the Warcraft franchise.


Oh I dunno...maybe the fact Blizzard is working on a new MMO; said it was a new franchise. Sure sounds like they're shifting focus. Anyone with half a brain knows people will have trouble splitting time between multiple MMOs and will eventually drop the one they like the least.



Although this may be true, it is also possible that they are attempting to tap a different audience that wouldn't be attracted to WoW. So it may not be a sign of WoW being dumped, but simply a company attempting to make more money and attract new customers.
lol...
# May 13 2009 at 8:07 PM Rating: Default
With 11million subs, I highly doubt they'll be able to capture many more; most likely they'll leech 90% of this MMOs population from WoW.
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