This Wouldn't Be News Except For The Whole Eleven Million Subscribers Thing

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Scott Jennings| 46 Comments

Jeff Kaplan leaving as World of Warcraft lead designer, moving to new Blizzard project

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  • Enydiem

    Who will nerf pallys now that Tigole is gone?

    …

    someone had to say it.

  • Raad

    Don’t forget mages. I generally screw around the MMORPG.com site every now and then and I’m just stunned no one mentioned any nerf related posts on the news thread.

  • Ross Smith

    Oh crap. And here was me foolishly hoping World Of Newhotness would have something original in it instead of the same old same old. Silly me.

  • http://www.therealstupid.com Stupid

    I wonder if the WoW fanbois will call the new unannounced Blizzard MMO a failure if it doesn’t attract eleventy-billion subscribers in 17 seconds after release.

  • http://www.crymore.de EpicSquirt

    @Stupid
    Oh dear.

  • Jackbnimble

    Interesting, you could draw the conclusion from this that either Blizz was dissatisfied with with the current development on their new MMO or that they are slowly pulling development resources away from WOW in favor of their new baby.

  • Daniel

    @jackbnimble. Or simply that the dude is looking for new challenges. Let’s be honest, the design work on a new MMO is different than the design work on a established MMO. I would think he just wants the opportunity to put his stamp on a new product.

    The real issue I think is how much of Blizzard’s new MMOs going to cannibalize their WoW base. It will be interesting to see if most of the new players come from WoW or if they come from people who have never played WoW. I would think that there has to be an upward limit, somewhere, as to how many people will play an MMO, period. I’m sure we are not at that limit, but it will be fun to see how it pans out.

  • dartwick

    Well if there was any doubt the the new game would be “WOW” in a different setting – the doubt is over.

  • Jackbnimble

    @Daniel
    Well, the impression I get that except for a few more content patches, Blizz is basically finished with WOW. By the time their new MMO hits the market WOW will be 6+ year old tech. I think a lot of players will move over immediately assuming it’s well developed at all (considering blizzards track record I consider this nearly guaranteed). Eventually as no new content is developed for WOW people will grow bored and move on, very likely to blizzards newest offering.

    @dartwick

    We all know that Blizzard operates best when they a pre-existing idea and polish it until it shines. So although I doubt their new game will be that different from anything available currently on the mmo market, we can be likely assured that it will feature the best, most shiny features of all of them.

  • http://www.mobhunter.com Moorgard

    Jackbnimble :
    Eventually as no new content is developed for WOW…

    That will not happen for another decade. Probably more.

  • Random Poster

    I’m with Moorgard on this. EQ is still geting expansion packs and it has a fraction of WoW’s playerbase. Even with a new MMO there will be people who will still prefer WoW for a very long time to come. I would be absolutely shocked if they just “pulled the plug”. And lets not forget they’ve mentioned there will be at least one more expansion for WoW.

    I do wonder what it is set in. D3 would not interest me as much as Starcraft because D3 is yet another fantasy world. Of course it could always be WoW 2 (I wonder if Sequels really work for MMO’s, neither EQ2, Lineage 2 or Asherons Call2 ever really replaced there originals) or maybe a new IP.

  • Jeff

    @Jackbnimble

    As Moorgard said, they are not anywhere near done with WoW. They have already stated that they are working on the next expansion.

  • Jeff

    @Random Poster

    While EQ 2 did not replace EQ 2 per se,I am not sure that was ever the goal. A lot of people had left EQ do to a frustation with many design decisions. EQ 2 brought back a lot of people that loved EQ but were done forever with the first one.

    As to sequels as a whole, I am not really sure either. I would have really loved to have played the Ultima Online sequel, as I think the idea works. A lot of people have fond memories of the Ultima games but were done forever with Ultima Online. But I don’t see the point of a WoW 2 for example.

    If I had to guess I would say Blizzard would be doing a Sci-fi MMO, as to not compete directly with WoW. Maybe Starcraft, maybe a new IP.

    With Stargate Worlds, Star Trek Online and of course Star Wars: The Old Republic all in development it would make sense for Blizzard to want a piece of that pie.

  • http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com Rohan

    It could just be that Kaplan wanted a change of scenery. The man has been working on World of Warcraft for 6+ years now. That’s a pretty long time. May have nothing to do with the future plans of WoW.

  • Queso

    World of Starcraft.

    To move in on the Eve Online base.

  • Freakazoid

    I like to guess what it could be, because it’s so funny to point out blizzard never makes anything unique, just takes other people’s ideas and makes them better.

    However, they could grow some balls and make a semi-new set of lore. That would leave them free to try copying the success of rmt-based MMOs like guild wars or *insert asian mmo here* without really stepping on the toes of their other lore.

    God. Blizzard making another set of lore. I almost want them to do it now, it’s been so long.

  • Random Poster

    Queso :World of Starcraft.
    To move in on the Eve Online base.

    I’m not up on the Starcraft lore as much but an Eve type game doesn’t seem like it would work for it. Eve is focused on rather large space battles whereas Starcraft has always been about the pound the ground stuff. I think the most direct comparison you could come up with from a “style” standpoint would be Anarchy Online.

    I agree that a Starcraft is the most likely, they do afterall have new games coming out for it. They said one race per year gets a campaign for Starcraft II. That basically amounts to three years of free advertising for the MMOG (not counting the cost to make the games themselves obviously)and at least three more years for them to fiddle with the MMOG

  • roc

    Whatever it is, it still has *at least* three years from being officially named and announced until it releases. Not to mention Activision is leaning awfully hard on Blizzard to squeeze more money out of their games.

    There’s simply no way in hell that they’re turning off the expansion spigot any time soon.

  • Octopaganini

    Umm…if its just WoW console, makes perfect sense to me.

  • yunk

    oh god, I was hoping they’d fire him, not allow him to try to ruin another game like he almost ruined WoW raiding

  • L’Emmerdeur

    Queso :
    World of Starcraft.
    To move in on the Eve Online base.

    The number of folks who play Eve Online is smaller than the number of folks who join or quit WoW every month.

    I’ll venture to say any new Blizzard game will have slightly higher goals (numerically) than that.

    This is not meant to be a flame against Eve – games targeting a small niche will never come from a behemoth like Blizzard.

  • Trife

    @L’Emmerdeur
    I’m sure less people pass through Eve, and surely Blizzard doesn’t care about something that to people with finicky tastes is totally awesome. They just want the money I’m sure.

    Granted, it probably is likely to be something like World of Starcraft, just with all different things than wow. Even if it was space-ship based as Eve is, I’m sure it wouldn’t have the people run government style, it would be something more static and controllable by the devs.

    Everyone has their tastes, and Blizzard dishes out french fries, not calamari.

  • http://bdadv.blogspot.com Bonedead

    I hope I live long enough to see WoW die.

  • http://relmstein.blogspot.com Relmstein

    Not entirely unexpected since I believe Kalgan said at the last Blizzcon that he was mostly focusing on their new MMO.

  • someone

    Queso :World of Starcraft.
    To move in on the Eve Online base.

    I think we’ll be able to call it when Starcraft II releases, and we see where they take the IP. Warcraft III really set up WoW, and brought that IP in the direction where an RPG is possible.

    The Starcraft IP, as it stands, doesn’t really seem RPG friendly, but it seems like the sequel is fleshing out the lore and such, and potentially acting as a bridge into a MMO-friendly state.

  • tannenburg
  • http://lost-war.org Mist

    The addition of a 3D adventure style environment between SC2 missions is certainly a point in the direction of some kind of MMORPG. The fact that they’re evolving the storyline over 3 separate releases is also an indicator that they’re going to more fully develop the IP.

  • http://www.rerollz.com Teljair

    @Bonedead

    I doubt it, I wouldn’t be suprised if WoW lasted 100 years. :P

  • Iconic

    Some information for an information starved thread:

    Blizzard’s already stated their intention to release multiple additional expansions for WOW. The idea that they are near the end with WOW lacks any sort of sense for the life span of a major MMO. EQ and UO are still kicking, more than a decade after launch. WOW figures to be around at least that long.

    Also, the new MMO is not World of Starcraft or WOW 2, or World of Diablo. It’s been stated by multiple people at Blizzard that it’s a new property for them (not WOW, SC, or Diablo, basically). This probably means that it’s a completely new world, but it’s remotely possible that they’re developing some one else’s IP.

    As for whether it cannibalizes some of their existing base, who cares? It’s so far away that a bigger concern for Blizzard is whether some one else steps in during the interim to steal their customers. Releasing a product that steals people away from your other dominant product is the kind of problem you want to have.

  • http://hgamer.blogspot.com Heartless_

    yunk :
    oh god, I was hoping they’d fire him, not allow him to try to ruin another game like he almost ruined WoW raiding

    Maybe ruined it for the 1% of hardcore raiders that original WoW Raids catered to, but for the casual majority, its probably the best move Blizzard has made. IMHO, I don’t think Blizzard can hear you over the sound of 500,000+ new accounts signing up since WotLK launched.

    I don’t even play WoW currently, but I can’t deny Blizzard is making changes that the current WoW player base is gobbling up.

  • Amp

    First being hooked to the crack…then getting off it.
    Looking back on the gameplay…I can’t believe how “unfun” it is.
    Yea, that’s not a proper word.
    And WoW isn’t a fun game. Hell it’s not even a game, it’s a goddamn rat’s maze with a stupid pellet at the end.
    Putting the guy that helped create one of the most unoriginal games (although exceptionally polished) back in charge is setting this industry in reverse.

    And won’t do anything to bring my money or anyone else sick of staring at 39 other character’s asses, while hitting f7 repeatedly, back.

    It’s really too bad, Bliz points the direction of the industry because of the money and numbers they produce.
    And the game is total shit. I mean I can’t get over how utterly boring it is.

    BRING BACK UO… really I don’t mind you stealing all my shit, and standing over my corpse capslocking a$$R4p3, if I have an equal chance at being as big a dick back.
    And if the game is actually fun.

  • Trife

    @Heartless_
    Piss the hardcore people off, satisfy the masses. That’s what blizzard is doing, I’ve said it before. They want the money, not a unique experience. If you were a business, you’d do the same.

  • Iconic

    “BRING BACK UO… really I don’t mind you stealing all my shit, and standing over my corpse capslocking a$$R4p3, if I have an equal chance at being as big a dick back.
    And if the game is actually fun.”

    For a lot of people, the “actually fun” part is made impossible by the a$$r4p3 and the “being as big a dick back.”

  • Viz

    Hey man, if you just want to experience UO again, it’s easy enough to roll on a horribly population-imbalanced server and just let jerks corpse-camp you all the time.

  • Jeremy Preacher

    UO… never left. Go play on Siege Perilous, they’d love to have you.

  • http://www.damnedvulpine.com/ J.

    Except the UO that was is not the UO that is. It’s like Neverland. You can’t go back.

  • Freakazoid

    Oh, you can go to neverland… the one run by Mr. Schmee. And he’s got a lot of pent up anger putting up with captain hook’s shit all these years.

  • UnSub

    Personally I think Blizzard will pick a new game category to polish, and a MMOFPS would seem to be a prime candidate. Or, if you look at how a lot of MMOs are going, a more action-orientated Third Person MMO.

    Also, Vivendi basically has their pick of any IP they want. Although Blizzard could come up with their own, it would make more sense if a major IP that is currently available (say Marvel) gets the nod (and Vivendi did have that license at one point, so it isn’t unthinkable).

    Regardless: the entire MMO industry holds its breath on what the new title will be.

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  • http://bdadv.blogspot.com Bonedead

    I don’t. Fuck those motherfuckers.

  • Iconic

    A perfect scenario for me would be Blizzard creating a Shadowrun MMO.

    Chances of that happening are virtually zero, but some one is going to make a Shadowrun MMO at some point and if it’s not Blizzard, there’s a really high chance of it being bad.

  • Amp

    J. is right you can’t go back. Which is too bad. Was a fun time.
    I don’t actually want UO back…or I’d go play it.
    I did leave the game originally for a reason, but for goddsakes please break this seriously shit mold you guys are forcing on MMO players.

    UO allowed you to do pretty well do whatever you wanted and anyone else also. Which usually lead to people being dicks.
    After 10 years are you telling me you can’t come up with a system that still allows this bad behaviour (which is obviously a viable and legit game style like it or not) yet allows for some sort of justice also?
    Gimmie a break.

    Have fun in your MMO mold. Electric tape holds “F” buttons down well but leaves black marks.
    Let me know when someone takes a chance and makes a “fun” game again.

  • JuJutsu

    “UO allowed you to do pretty well do whatever you wanted and anyone else also. Which usually lead to people being dicks.
    After 10 years are you telling me you can’t come up with a system that still allows this bad behaviour (which is obviously a viable and legit game style like it or not) yet allows for some sort of justice also?
    Gimmie a break.”

    I think you’re SOL. Early in the development of SWG, Raph Koster had a system called ‘outcasting’ that let victims of PKers drastically reduce the future ability to PK freely. The PK types complained bitterly and it never made it very far let alone into the game.

    People like me [victim] aren’t interested in being part of your ‘viable and legitimate’ game style. The only ‘just’ way of enabling it is to make it consensual; segregate the dicks from the rest of us and let you do whatever you want to each other. Since that is very common in mmos, and its not satisfactory to you I think you’ll have to play a game with a significant chunk of FFA PvP like Eve or Darkfall [assuming it actually releases].

    There is no system that can be designed that can force people to be victims for the dicks of the world, we can just go to many of the other games availble.

  • yoshi

    @JuJutsu

    ROFLMAO! The whole point of pvp servers and games with PVP is to KILL PEOPLE!! If it was always “fair” then no one would ever be killed since most people hate getting killed.

    Also the reason “ganking” “spawncamping” etc. is allowed is specifically because it is not fair! It makes the game more realistic.

    REAL LIFE is not fare at times, and because this is true, it will also be true for most games. (People tend to flock twords things that aren’t fair. If everything were fair and easy no gaming company would ever make ANY money)

  • http://[email protected] JuJutsu

    “The whole point of pvp servers and games with PVP is to KILL PEOPLE!!”

    Yes to the first and maybe to the second. The game I’m spending most of my time in now has PvP servers available but I don’t play on one. Although the game has PvP that’s not the whole point on my PvE server.

    You seem to be missing the point. I know what PvP is; I’m not a dullard although I sometimes act like one. Amp wants a game where people are free to be dicks. Fine. I’m just pointing out that many of us don’t want to put up with dicks and in a world of choices we don’t have to.

    I really don’t care what happens on PvP servers or 0.0 space in Eve. People can gank, spawn-camp, teabag, trash talk, what ever. I don’t give a $hit because I don’t play there. When I occaisionally feel the need for PvP I fire up my Planetside account and provide cannon fodder for the 8 people still playing till I come to my senses.

  • Longasc

    World of Warcraft is a bad game. Really. At least for veteran MMO players. It is founded on a stone-old, yet tried and true formula and is great at catching newbie players and addicts. Yet it also coined the term MMORPG for the masses, defined what a MMO is.

    Now I wonder if Blizzard really can innovate. And even more so, Tigole.

    So far they were polishing and optimizing games like nobody else, but trying new stuff, something really new?

    So far they always needed someone else to create the box, and then they made it a shiny box and reaped the benefits.

    Bottom line, I hope that the infamous Tigole can get over his hardcore EQ raiding roots. Wisdom of age, call it whatever you want.

    If they are going to deliver us World of Starcraft to push their next re-hash of a stone old formula, Starcraft 2, even more, well…

    … if this again turns into gold and is a major success, I lose all fate in humanity.