So, Blizzard knows how to make an MMO. Getting the players hooked may have been somewhat lucky, but no one can deny that the developers have made the most of their good fortune, and continued to shape and tweak WoW into the giant that it is today. However, we've seen other good games trodden into the dirt as a result of WoW's presence in the genre. It seems no one can get close to WoW's figures here in the west, so will another game by the same developer be able to?

A new Blizzard MMO will have to overcome the same hurdles that new MMOs from other companies do. It has to be good enough to draw people away from what they are playing now, and it has to be addictive enough to make them give up their old habit entirely. To be another WoW, it should attract new people to the genre, and it should offer features that players don't have in existing games, while doing away with things that annoy us in our current pass-time.

As highly speculated, Blizzard's new game will be science fiction instead of fantasy. This in itself is an interesting choice, because sci-fi is notoriously difficult to translate over to an MMO. Many have tried, and failed, to make a mark in the genre. Some have even vanished without a trace after a short period (Tabula Rasa, Hellgate: London).

However, if Blizzard does manage to nail it, there's presumably a whole generation of sci-fi MMO players itching for a good game to sink their teeth into. The hype over the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic proves that. It's a good job that WoW's developer has a couple of aces up its sleeve.

Financial backing is something that always helps when making MMOs, which are notoriously expensive. Money is something Blizzard is certainly not short of, and its healthy bank balance will ensure that this secret MMO will be shipped when Blizzard is happy with it, not rushed out of the door before it's finished due to costs. If need be, the company can probably afford to carry it through difficult times while it works to improve any areas that players may not be happy with, something many developers simply can't afford to do. Advertising is also another tactic that Blizzard makes good use of, hiring the likes of Mr T., Ozzy Osbourne, William Shatner and Verne Troyer to peddle WoW to the masses via TV. You can bet your bottom dollar that the new game will get the same treatment, again, something most other games don't have the luxury of.

Let's not forget Blizzard's biggest weapon though – its loyal fans. There are at least 11 million people who currently play Blizzard's games, and that's just WoW, their other franchises, StarCraft and Diablo, also have massive followings. There's somewhat of a cross-over with the three titles, many who have played one have played at least one of the others, so it's likely that a new IP from Blizzard would have millions willing to try it out. Add that to the untapped sci-fi MMO community, and that's potentially ground-breaking numbers. With the emphasis on Potentially.

But will Blizzard's own success be its downfall as far as a new MMO is concerned? Despite all the wonga that Blizzard is going to pour into the game, despite the salivating fans and despite the sci-fi gamers desperately in need of something good to play, will WoW smother the budding title like it has with every other MMO that's come along? Is there room for another giant MMO? Will Blizzard be the one to make the fabled WoW killer? I honestly don't know, but I'm certainly going to enjoy watching the makers of WoW trying to go one better.

Comment

Add a comment using your Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Google or OpenID accounts.
blog comments powered by Disqus