Posted by Juggynaut on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 - 30 Comments
Tags: activision, blizzard, development, diablo iii, diii.net, expansion, job listing, mmo, new game, silicon alley insider, starcraft II, unannounced, warcraft
We know Blizzard is developing a third expansion for World of Warcraft. We know they’re developing Diablo III, Starcraft II, and a nameless next-gen MMO. As it turns out, they’re also developing a fifth project that will use a completely new engine built from scratch.
Silicon Alley Insider reported on a post on DIII.net as they discovered a few job listings filed under “Unannounced Project,” which is a different category from the “Next-Gen MMO” that has been used for Blizzards upcoming unnamed MMO. A couple of days later, there was confirmation that the job listings were for a game that had previously not been mentioned:
The job openings mentioned in this newspost is indeed a brand-new game that has not been mentioned before.
1. This brand-new game is not a World of Warcraft expansion, and it is not related to the Next-Gen MMO.
2. In the present, the brand-new game is using the World of Warcraft engine merely for testing purposes.
3. The Client Software Engineer job opening is to hire the person that will have the responsibility to develop an engine from scratch for this game. This new engine will be built depending on the skill and interest of the person hired for this position.
Whether this game is based on the three major franchises (Warcraft, Starcraft or Diablo) or a new IP, that remains unknown.
Blizzard has expressed plenty of interest in starting a new franchise, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to learn that this new project was completely unrelated to their other works. On the flip side, it would be interesting to see a new Warcraft-related game. What could it possibly be?
What are your thoughts? Excited at the prospect of new Blizzard games every year? Nervous that Blizzard may be spreading itself too thin? Silicon Alley Insider sees it as a great new revenue stream for Activision. I just can’t wait to see what else Blizzard has up its sleeve.
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By Nerdbomber on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
First!
By imbetterthanyou on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
First
By Nextgener on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Nerdbomber: Die in a fire. Please do.
Now: I think Blizz may be spreading thing’s a little tight here. As it is, well only get to see So many month’s of raiding content in Wow as it is.
Now, as to What this fifth project may be, comes to the question “What type of game will it be?” or “Is it even a MMO?” come to mind.
By Nextgener on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
imbetterthanyou: Get a life.
By mythereian on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Great. I realy hope that when bliz makes thier new game its as cool as Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, and WoW combined
By Fwibib on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I think this should be world of starcraft because the original starcraft is GREAT…..so I hope it will be starcraft related. DONT MAKE ME SAD BLIZZ!!!!! =)
By Cadia on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
My money would be on Warcraft 4. I believe the next-gen MMO is most likely going to be the new franchise.
Not to mention WoW has matched Warcrafts Lore pretty well but without delving purely in to ‘back-story’ its most likely the expansion will hit ground not mentions in the Warcraft RTSs which a new RTS could venture into to.
Also despite Starcraft being split into 3 other games alot of the developers will be less pushed once the main engine/units/maps etc is finished with the first Starcraft so another RTS project isn’t unbelieve-able.
As for Blizzard stretching itself out. Personally I don’t see it that way, blizzard has ALWAYS taken the ‘it’s done when its ready’ stance and even tho theres always patching blizzard has always delieved very high quality games on launch and I don’t see them jeopardizing our expectations.
Plus Blizzard are one of the few (along with Valve & Relic) great PC developers out there and so the more from them the better.
By Maybe on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
World of Diablocraft?
By kiley on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
i definitely look forward to all the new goodies blizz has in store for us in the upcoming years
By jaime on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I would have to say warcraft 4 since Blizzard are already working on StarCraft II and Diablo III
the only concern I have is for the fans of thos two games is if it will delay them at all or even delay in the making of this game and with this economy I also question the fact as to why they are making a new game and I know a ton of people are going to say that people are going to buy it any ways but im just putting the idea out there
By Alayea on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I would like there to be a Warcraft 4 game so we can have actual new plot in the Warcraft universe (WoW expansions don’t cut it, sorry).
On the other hand, it’d be nice for Blizzard to create a game that’s outside their Starcraft/Diablo/Warcraft franchises.
By jaime on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
1 more thing i guess they are also trying to create more jobs i guess is another way to look at it
By Cieb on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
im just thinking out loud here but myabe its for a diablo mmo. just becasue they made WoW after warcraft 3
By Sean on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Warcraft 4, to lead them to be able to work on WoW2 with shiny new engine etc, in a more steampunk-esque era, I believe.
Or, it’ll be one of their old franchises, pre-WarCraft.
By Riotfrost on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Well, how about a new Lost Vikings? I don’t know about you guys, but I would spend hours on that game. Could you imagine 3D version of The Lost Vikings, using the same concept as the previous 2?
But in all reality…it’s probably a brand new idea the company mailboy was talking about at the water cooler.
By Percolatte on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Yay for job creation.
By jaime on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
at cieb:
they havent even finished that yet……? but it makes sense logically speaking if it was out
By Jason on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
This news is at least a year old.
By Lasher on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
@Jason - all the news sites linked in this block of text date it as March 26th 2009, or something around that. I don’t think it’s old news …
I doubt it’s a MMO. They already have WoW and that next-gen super secret MMO. Enough already …
By Mezzy on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 1:01 am
I personally hope it’s Warcraft 4
By Voldenmist on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 2:52 am
I for one would really like to see a new Warcraft RTS. It would be a nice bundel to the lore and attractive to Wow players and “non wow players whom are still big Warcraft RTS fans.
It would also be loads of fun for me. But probably a WOW killer for the lore freaks out there as they could get there “dose” by simply playing this game…so it’s prbably not a new Warcraft RTS game….though I can still wish.
By mcb172 on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 10:29 am
please please PLEASE be warcraft 4
By Matt Lopez on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
@nextgener: THANK YOU. Those types of posters piss me off.
By Kyndranigar on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Let’s see what’ve we got so far?
SC 2. There’s their next RTS, so Warcraft 4 is very unlikely.
Diablo 3: So not likely to use the Dia liscence for anything, and unlikely that it’ll even be RPG in flavor.
Unknown MMO: Since they’re developing another one, it will be unlikely to be massive-multiplayer in any sense.
What’s that leave?
Action-shooter. Platformer. Sports. Racing. FPS.
What has Blizz developed in the past that fit these criteria? Lost Vikings was their platformer, Rock and Racing was their racing and there’s that Darkstone or whatever for an action/shooter (with some platforming).
They cancelled SC: Ghost after putting a -lot- of work into it. Maybe they’re ressurecting that project?
They’re said to be using the WoW modelling for now until they get their engine built. So what’s that offer? A 3-D environment to run around in with the capability of jumping and using buttons to activate abilities/powers, phasing worlds to allow for objective completion to alter the interactability of NPC models/enemies to exist. Click targetting. FPS maybe?
By Eric on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
This is all Activision who’s behind it. They want to make as much money with as little work as possible. Just look at the 3-split Starcraft2. So I think either these games are going to be mediocre or they’re going to take +5 years to develope.
By chimychunga on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
In a way i hope it is warcraft 4. But i just got to 80 and if it is warcraft 4 then that means i probably have to lvl my guy even more.
By Dan on Saturday, March 28th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
lol personally I don’t really care what they are doing. I’m one of the few people in the world that doesn’t care about Diablo 3, I didn’t even like 1 and 2 that much. Starcraft 2 I am excited about mainly because I am a huge RTS fan and that was one of the first I have ever played ( I never played anything warcraft related until WoW though) This new MMO I don’t really care about, especially if it’s something stupid like starcraft online, I may try the week trial though and check out what it’s like though.
All in all, I personally don’t think Blizzard is that AMAZING of a company to get all excited about 2 unannounced games that no one has any clue what they are about yet. They make decent games, but with the release of Lich King feeling rushed and completely unprepared in many aspects of the game, I’m starting to wonder if they are stretching themselves thin.
By Elwero on Saturday, March 28th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
You can see the new game in here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw8gE3lnpLQ
By Mr.Vincent on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Warcraft 4 please please please…
By Leonitis on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 10:15 am
‘I would have to say warcraft 4 since Blizzard are already working on StarCraft II and Diablo III’ posted above.
I agree with this, as it would also fit in nicely with the lore for the 3rd WoW expansion and give them something to build on for instancing, raids etc.
thoughts?