Blizzard's next MMO 'won't be another WoW' - exec

By Tom Bramwell Published 22 January, 2007

Bassat promises something new.

Not content with committing the ultimate sin and mentioning unannounced games the other day, Blizzard's vice president of development Itzik Ben Bassat has dropped hints about the company's next MMOG.

"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," said Bassat, speaking to film magazine Empire around the time of Burning Crusade's launch. "It'll be something innovative and new that really brings entertainment to another level."

Bassat also offered a brief status update on the Warcraft film. "Hollywood has it's own pace but we're working as hard as we can to push it forwards," he said.

The Burning Crusade launched last week. We're playing it now, rather feverishly, so expect a review in the very near future. For more on the launch, check out our report on the night's events or marvel at the HMV Oxford Street photos.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JediMasterMalik #1 5 years ago

    World of Starcraft, heard it here first. ;)

  • neilka #2 5 years ago

    "Hollywood has it's own pace"

    ITS

  • Xerx3s #3 5 years ago

    NO MORE EFFIN MMO's! Please! For the luv of furby! A little fluffy bunny dies every time someone plays WoW.

    Seriously though, it is time that they made a real game again. Enough of this MMO money counting nonsense.

    Give us something new, D3 or SC2. Don't even dare to make them mmo.

  • space_ace #4 5 years ago

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

    a company that has done nothing but clones?! from blackthorne to wow O.O

  • Macross #5 5 years ago

    Well im looking forwards if they are planning something different. Could be somthing really zany like a massively multiplayer RTS game.

    thatd be new :) (unless you count stuff like boneyards, but im not)

  • NonnyMouse #6 5 years ago

    I'd do World of Starcraft if I were them.
    Don't build/level a single character, build/level an army...
    The persistent world has 1000 inhabited solar systems...
    With careful design parts of the universe can be a ladder, or a battleground, etc.
    Wouldn't that be fun?

  • Drpwnage #7 5 years ago

    "It'll be something innovative and new that really brings entertainment to another level."

    Chose one of the following:

    i) Starcraft based game

    ii) Diablo based game

    iii) Warcraft based game

    Or maybe The Lost Vikings :D

  • JediMasterMalik #8 5 years ago

    ITS

    Nowadays either can be used correctly in this context.

  • Fatallyflawed #9 5 years ago

    I really don't have enough time for another Blizzard MMO. Xerx3s i must have really done my duty for the FBGS (Fluffy Bunny Genocide Squad) if what you say is true. I didn't realise I'm sorry
    Edited by 1 at 22/01/07 @ 17:04

  • NonnyMouse #10 5 years ago

    They have to assume that revenue from WoW will go down in time. They surely want to create a new game which people will take up when they give up on WoW. Once you're hooked on MMO revenue being injected into the vein, it's hard to give up...
    (at least I assume so - I'll let you know if I ever experience this "problem";).

  • GrandpaUlrira #11 5 years ago

    "ITS

    Nowadays either can be used correctly in this context."

    No.

  • JediMasterMalik #12 5 years ago

    Sorry, my bad, getting confused myself. :)

  • Goolz #13 5 years ago

    It wont be WoW, but i bet you it'll be exactly the same type of quests etc.

  • crazyhorse174 #14 5 years ago

    Why do they need to worry about the income of WoW going down over time!?

    Haven't they made enough off of it since it was released!?

    What the hell are they doing with all that money - building an army? Creating a country!?

  • HyperShadow #15 5 years ago

    Galaxies of Starcraft!

    Travel between planets!

    BE teh Zerg!

    Rush other civilisations!

    Grow your own federation.

    You heard it here first folks.

  • spongebob #16 5 years ago

    Maybe something that is not based in fantasy, space or superhero surroundings? Contemporary MMO would be interesting.

  • rhinoxious #17 5 years ago

    Not sure about that,

    you need a fantasy setting to help suspend disbelief over the rigid gameworld that MMO's generally create.

  • MaxiSleep #18 5 years ago

    rhinoxious

    "Not sure about that,

    you need a fantasy setting to help suspend disbelief over the rigid gameworld that MMO's generally create."

    Also high lag makes fps style stuff rather harder, and melee based sf is hard to do even if you have a justification

    I would predict any new mmo is at least 2 years out. It would not make commercial sense to kill WoW yet.

  • Xerx3s #19 5 years ago

    WoW is tripe. It's like heroine, if you are addicted to it you will think it's the best thing since sliced bread because the stuff overstimulates your neurons. If you are clean however, you can see that it really is a step down from the quality of previous blizzard games.

    Anyone who disagrees is clearly in the denial phase of their addiction. ;p

  • Fatallyflawed #20 5 years ago

    I haven't reached the denial phase yet and TBC has opened up a whole new world of bliss

    /skips off to play more WoW

  • Veldaban #21 5 years ago

    Well, obviously it's not going to be another WoW, all they'd do is cannibalize the WoW userbase if they did that. Surprised they even want to make another MMO at all, at least so soon.

  • Mudo #22 5 years ago

    "we're not a company that tends to tread the same ground "
    Starcraft, Warcraft, Warcraft II and Warcraft III say different.

  • Khanivor #23 5 years ago

    I too got a chuckle out of that claim they don't retread the same territory.

    Apart from TLV, exactly which game have they done which has not been a sequel with the bare minimum of one expansion pack? And kill me if I am wrong, but WoW is utterly derivative of their first major IP.

  • Venkman90 #24 5 years ago

    Didnt I just read a few months ago that they think there is another 5 years in WoW yet and they want a new expansion each year?

    So this would have to be something differenet enough not to tread on WoW's toes I guess, no-one is giving up on 8Mil+ subscribers, WoW will run for 20 years if the demand is there...too much money in it ;)

    I guess a RTS MMO would be new, Im hoping for Diablo 3 but with a Guild Wars style grouping system, you can play solo or go off with your mates and kill stuff, that would be an MMO of sorts. (no subs though...)

  • neuroniky #25 5 years ago

    Given the success of World of Warcraft, they'll probably be doing...

    World of Money!!!

    /runs

  • ZeroAX #26 5 years ago

    Mudo i bet your only contact with any of these games is seeing them on the self. just cause the name is similar doesn't mean they play similar as well.

    And I don't get it why so many people who havn't played WoW try to bury it so much? Are you looking for an argument with one of us 8 million people

  • Genji #27 5 years ago

    "Are you looking for an argument with one of us 8 million people"

    No, we wouldn't dare. It's hard to talk sense into addicts, after all.

  • NonnyMouse #28 5 years ago

    Addicts? Hah! I could give up any time I wanted....

  • Collie #29 5 years ago

    I'll just be happy to see a MMO that doesn't feature elves, dwarves and beards for a change.