Features

Chojin · #1

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=32610

Report suggests NetEase working with Blizzard on new MMO

Chinese online games operator NetEase is said to be breaking into the overseas market backed with a huge MMO licence – StarCraft Online.

According to a report on Tradingmarkets.com, NetEase will be operating StarCraft Online, a title developed by World of Warcraft team Blizzard.

Blizzard has not confirmed the existence of any such game, although it has advertised for staff for a new MMO title, currently under wraps at the US developer.

Last May Blizzard revealed a sequel to the popular PC real-time strategy title StarCraft, saying it had been working on the game since 2003.

NetEase operates Fantasy Westward Journey in China, an internally developed MMORPG, which recorded 25 million registered users in April 2005.

MetalMilitia · #2

I'm sure they are. The problem is they're not going to able to release it for years or they'll just be cannibalising their WoW subscriber base.

MarioRPG · #3

Remember this was an april fools joke last year?

mew barios · #4

i figured a starcraft mmo would be the next wow expansion

Fathom Zero · #5

I kinda figured something like this would've happened.

Chojin · #6

Well, this suggests that it'd mostly be an asian MMO at first. Which would make sense, since the president of south korea is an infected Terran.

Zomboid · #7

AChimp · #8

I'm pretty confident that Blizzard won't be making a Starcraft MMO until Warcraft is breathing its last. Blizzard has never competed with itself because the gamers who play Blizzard games tend to play all of them, not just Diablo or Starcraft or Warcraft.

Each of their games are always released far a part from any others despite having separate development teams.

Angryhydralisk · #9

Still no love for a Diablo series.

They also have a Starcraft board game out with 180 pieces. Too bad you'd have to buy like, ten of 'em (at 84.99USD no less!) to re-enact a Zerg Rush.

Chojin · #10

Chimp, you're forgetting that activision owns Blizzard now, and plans to 'exploit these franchises on an annual or near-annual basis'.

AChimp · #11

Blizzard is too big to be manipulated like that, though, and it's fans are way too fickle to put up with watered-down games. Vivendi has owned Blizzard for a long time and the Blizzard developers have stated publicly that they've basically been left alone to do their own things.

Activision wants to compete with EA, though, but I don't think that they're going to be churning out new games at any incredible pace... maybe additional expansion packs to extend the life of old games, but that's technically not a "new" game.

Great Mighty Poo · #12

I remember reading a long time ago in an interview with one of Blizzards' reps that they planned some time in the future to develop a MMORPG for Diablo and Starcraft. I always thought a Diablo one would be pointless since WoW has taken so much from Diablo that it pretty much is a hybrid game between the two worlds. A Starcraft MMORPG seems possible however.
Millions of asians that eat-sleep-breathe Starcraft now would return any investment they made 10 fold easily, even if the game never made it to the rest of the world (which of course it eventually would).

It's all about the money.

Action Ham · #13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chojin

Chimp, you're forgetting that activision owns Blizzard now, and plans to 'exploit these franchises on an annual or near-annual basis'.

Warchief Thrall's Pro skater 3, anyone?

Great Mighty Poo · #14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Action Ham

Warchief Thrall's Pro skater 3, anyone?

Smackdown vs RAW featuring Blackthorn, Raynor and Olaf!

Spruce Moose · #15

I'm not kidding when I say I almost cried upon seeing this.

Tears of sorrow, mind you. Tears of the blackest sorrow. The KKK is taking my baby away.

Fat_Hippo · #16

Oh for fucks sake, aren't there are enough MMOs out there yet?! C'mon Blizzard, you can do better than that! You already made WoW, now move on to something else! The world does NOT need another MMO, you twats! What happened to Ghost you fucks. I was really looking forward to that, and now THIS! RRARGH!

Sorry, but I'm starting to dislike Blizzard more and more: First they cancel Ghost, then they make the Protoss look like toys in Starcraft 2, and if this is true, then...fuck. I get emotional sometimes. Tease me if you wish.

AChimp · #17

Stay out of our threads. Thanks.

Pentegarn · #18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat_Hippo

Oh for fucks sake, aren't there are enough MMOs out there yet?! C'mon Blizzard, you can do better than that! You already made WoW, now move on to something else! The world does NOT need another MMO, you twats! What happened to Ghost you fucks. I was really looking forward to that, and now THIS! RRARGH!

Sorry, but I'm starting to dislike Blizzard more and more: First they cancel Ghost, then they make the Protoss look like toys in Starcraft 2, and if this is true, then...fuck. I get emotional sometimes. Tease me if you wish.

Problem is that with the future of PC gaming, the bulk of the demand seems to desire the next big MMO. Many of the so called experts seem to think the future is on-line interactive gaming. As such, the money will go in that direction. Will that mean the end on non on-line games? Not by any means, but development dollars seem to be trending toward the online gaming market because people have proven they are willing to pay 15$ a month for a game they already payed 50$ to begin with. You can't ignore those dollars unfortunately, so you will likely see a continuing scramble for the next big thing in on-line games.

Not that anything Blizzard announces matters in the near future anyway. Just look at their track record. They are known for delays, long waits, and development setbacks that make us wait for years for their newest product. Remember the wait for Warcraft 3 after it was announced? How about Diablo 2? World of Warcraft took forever after they first announced it too. It makes for the best possible product in the end, but you can't deny the fact that they are slow to produce. So even though we are hearing about a Starcraft MMO, I don't expect to see an actual buyable copy to appear until 2012 at least.

Great Mighty Poo · #19

Yeah Pent, mabey by then you will have stopped playing Dark Age of Camelot eh? As for release date, IF this game ever does come out expect it to be years from now. Acclaim-Blizzard will make sure Starcraft 2 has everyone's interest held and fired up before they release a Starcraft MMO. Take WoW for example. They released Warcraft 3 and its Expansion while they were working on WoW and made the MMO just a continuation of the RTS. I would at the very least expect Starcraft 2 and an expansion pack for it the following year to come out before we see any MMO.

Pentegarn · #20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mighty Poo

Yeah Pent, mabey by then you will have stopped playing Dark Age of Camelot eh? As for release date, IF this game ever does come out expect it to be years from now. Acclaim-Blizzard will make sure Starcraft 2 has everyone's interest held and fired up before they release a Starcraft MMO. Take WoW for example. They released Warcraft 3 and its Expansion while they were working on WoW and made the MMO just a continuation of the RTS. I would at the very least expect Starcraft 2 and an expansion pack for it the following year to come out before we see any MMO.

I stopped playing it a few months ago, tumbleweeds seldom are looking for groups