WOW getting gradual graphics upgrade

By Oli Welsh Published 29 August, 2008

Draw distance, shadows and shaders first.

World of Warcraft producer J. Allen Brack has said that Blizzard is taking an "iterative, organic" approach to overhauling the hit MMO's graphics, rather than building towards one big revamp.

Brack made the comment to Worldofwar after he'd been quoted suggesting that a full graphical upgrade would be on the way with the next expansion (something he intimated to us a few months ago).

"It's important to note that in general we're taking an iterative, organic approach to graphics upgrades, going feature by feature as opposed to thinking in terms of an overall 'new graphics engine'," Brack said. "For example, we've discussed plans for new visuals for water, but this would be for a future content update or expansion."

Brack also underlined the enhancements coming in imminent expansion Wrath of the Lich King.

"We do have some graphics updates coming with Wrath of the Lich King, namely in three areas: shadow system, shader technology, and view distance. The shadow system will greatly improve the look of existing shadows, and players will be able to display both character and structure shadows," he said.

"The new shader technology we've implemented enables the team to create even better looking terrain, as well as some cool ice effects. And, the view distance has been increased, so players will be able to see farther than ever before in Northrend."

We can report from our own experiences on the beta that the game is indeed substantially prettier thanks to these effects, with only a minor hit on framerate.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • DFawkes #1 4 years ago

    Just don't put up the minimum spec, I love the fact I can run it on pretty much anything. Keep it optional (like the DX10 stuff in LOTRO) and I'm all for it.

  • Wyrm #2 4 years ago

    Minimum spec will stay the same I imagine, WOTLK has some gorgeous shadows, but you can still have the old blobs, or none at all.

  • spammage #3 4 years ago

    So long as i can play on my company laptop while on the road, i don't care! :D

  • hiddenranbir #4 4 years ago

    Iterative is good. Not everyone upgrades their PC at the same time or as much. So this is good.

  • bigbadbeasty #5 4 years ago

    About blooming time really!

  • TheDudesRug #6 4 years ago

    "About blooming time really!"

    Haha, very good. ;)

  • Gnort #7 4 years ago

    They can add shaders, shadows, up the draw distance, it won't cover up the fact that the models look rubbish. You'd need a full overhaul to solve that.

    However, I think it's worth more to Blizzard that WoW runs on just about any machine than if it looks really up-to-date but only a fraction of their userbase can run it properly.

  • naffers #8 4 years ago

    sorry but no, it is not the best looking MMO, just cos its more colourful then AoC doesnt make it better looking

  • Orange #9 4 years ago

    I did find the visuals in WoW to be far better than Conan, other than the fatalities.

    Conan is technically better, but it's immersion breaking when you encounter something that looks rough or unfinished. It helps a lot that in WoW everything is so smooth.

  • Bitkari #10 4 years ago

    The visuals are fine - such great art direction makes up for lack of technical wizardry.

    The real upgrade needed is the tedious grind-heavy gameplay.

  • Talk_Show_Host #11 4 years ago

    What's the use of upgrading some areas in graphics if you can only see them in the expansion? What of the previous areas?

  • Gurgeh #12 4 years ago

    WoW has the best animations. It doesn't matter how anatomically detailed your models are if they move like Thunderbird puppets. WoW is now lacking in detail *but* it still runs fine on very low end graphics cards, as I found out when I had to temporarily replace my new graphics card with an old GF2 MX.

  • Riggers #13 4 years ago

    Bitkari - shut up and bring me ten hog snouts, and stop whining about it!

    "WoW has the best animations. It doesn't matter how anatomically detailed your models are if they move like Thunderbird puppets."

    So very, very, true. Admittedly, I'm not terribly well versed in MMORPGs, but I certainly prefer the look of WoW to LotR and AoC.

  • rudedudejude #14 4 years ago

    "So long as i can play on my company laptop while on the road, i don't care! :D "

    Likewise. Being able to take my work machine anywhere and hit on WoW is one of the MAJOR advantages this game has.

  • Benno #15 4 years ago

    I dunno, i thouht my lvl 10 shit armor in AoC looked better than lvl 70 wow epics.

    I cant wait to see what Lich King looks like.

  • Bleh #16 4 years ago

    They can try and tweak the engine all they want but in the end the only thing which will work is a new engine. The game is to old to look nice.

  • Dizzy #17 4 years ago

    WoW indeed has the best animations. WotLK is a serious upgrade but it comes at a cost. My laptop can't run the beta very well.. my "big" PC has no trouble with the new graphics options. Overall it looks a lot better, especially when you go back to TBC and are faced with the rather crap draw distance.

    BTW LOTRO still is the best looking MMORPG ;)

  • Bleh #18 4 years ago

    @ farticusmaximus
    :D

  • Wyrm #19 4 years ago

    The game looks beautiful, it's one of the best looking games there is. If you can only judge graphics in terms of number of polygons then I despair. Northrend and it's dungeons are a staggering visual achievement.

    I would like new water though.

  • shamblemonkee #20 4 years ago

    *twitch* gimmah!



  • SamH #21 4 years ago

    WoW still has it's charms, and i'm sure that still passes for new players, or those who are still in love with the game.
    Having not played it for some months though, trying WoW again really highlights it's issues when not viewed through rose tinted glasses.
    Objectively it looks very dated, despite the excellent art direction.

    I'm another one voting in favour of Lotro though in the visual department (among other things). Lovely models, textures, environments and effects. But above all it's the atmosphere. It really hits that nail on the head.

  • MaxiSleep #22 4 years ago

    It's still the best looking MMO out there. "

    You must have never heard of LOTRO.

    Superior in everything. World design, looks, effects ... absolutely gorgeous.

    Well I would take Ironforge and the whole dwarven homeland over anything in LOTR....

  • waffle #23 4 years ago

    Odd. I found Lotro somewhat sterile. I also felt that the characters looked detached from the world, as though there was no connection. Kind of like when animation is badly overlaid onto live action film.

  • MrChallacombe #24 4 years ago

    I love how WOW runs fine on most computers, yet others mmos just die. well done.

  • Riggers #25 4 years ago

    I've never been a fan of the animation in LotRO, it just looks...wrong. Stilted, and weighted in the wrong places.

    LotRO does have bards though, it's almost worth playing the game for that alone.

  • Apologie #26 4 years ago

    WoW graphics are a joke... very weak indeed, AgeOfConan graphics are 5 times better, i'm not judging anyone who likes these kind of games but, i think they'r boring as hell, i tried, ireally did, but they'r absurdly boring for me and quited after reaching level 30 with a hunter... gimme gimme gimme some shooters 3rd person or 1st person, it doesn't matter, or RTS and i'll be fine.

  • Law07 #27 4 years ago

    Wow more lives to suck in

  • AphoticCosmos #28 4 years ago

    "the models look rubbish"

    It's still the best looking MMO out there. Yes, better than AoC which although has higher res textures still manages to look like ass.

    Technically or artistically?

    Technically, EVE Online, LOTRO and AoC are all far more advanced than WoW, and always will be tbh. EVE's ships and stations look like sex and spit on WoW's cartoony low-res bollocks.

    Artistically speaking, it's just a point of view thing. I would happily nominate Guild Wars, though. Artistically it's a thing of beauty and EotN regions are technically great, too.

  • iokthemonkey #29 4 years ago

    I always found the environments in WoW were superior to the character models. The effect of the colour palette changes and the way they render forests with PURPLE shades simply shouldn't work, yet they make it look beautiful.

    The problem I have with WoW though is that the character animations are lacking - look at the Male Dark Elf and watch the way they bounce around when they run/jump. They're like big floppy bunny wabbits or something...

    I personally think LOTRO is a better looking game, but LOTRO's animations and character models are weak. The characters run in an odd way (especially female characters) that would cause you to trip over your own feet and the torso-to-leg ratios on male humans is out.

    AoC has the most anatomically correct models, but they're smudgy and kind of undefined.

    But I think this interview proves why WoW's userbase is 2309324802394809 times bigger than AoC's - you can have a game that looks fantastic but if it plays like ass, well nobody's going to play it...