Blizzard is a smart company they would evermake a game like that. And if they did it would be a financial failure, because it doesn't matter how good the devs are or how much polish you put on the game, sandbox is a fundamentaly flawed game design that will not do very well.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I think what other people have already stated in this thread, that the possibility isn't very high but that it would be logically sound in terms of market control, are correct in their deduction. To say it would be unintelligent for a company who already owns one large portion of a market to target the other is either a misunderstanding or a colossal error of judgment. Financially speaking, a sandbox MMO is a risky endeavor for any company, but what sandbox enthusiasts like myself have been saying for years is that the sandbox genre could really see a renaissance with a AAA developer like Blizzard. I'd like to further add that any "fundamental flaws" anyone see's in sandboxes, or in theme parks to boot, are directly related to their perspectives and desires regarding which games they enjoy, and which games they spend the majority of their time. If I were to be speaking regarding my personal distastes, I would say that theme parks are fundamentally flawed because they don't offer what I want in my MMO's. That being said, I understand your point, Cactus-Man: you don't like sandboxes, or think there is something wrong with their development style. Others disagree, and I think a UO reboot with Blizzard quality Testing and QA could really change some of your opinions regarding the sandbox genre, and there's more than enough reason for a company like Blizzard to be planning to offer the other "half" of MMO gamers what they're looking for. It'd be a great way to maximize profits.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
Blizzard is a smart company they would evermake a game like that. And if they did it would be a financial failure, because it doesn't matter how good the devs are or how much polish you put on the game, sandbox is a fundamentaly flawed game design that will not do very well.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I think what other people have already stated in this thread, that the possibility isn't very high but that it would be logically sound in terms of market control, are correct in their deduction. To say it would be unintelligent for a company who already owns one large portion of a market to target the other is either a misunderstanding or a colossal error of judgment. Financially speaking, a sandbox MMO is a risky endeavor for any company, but what sandbox enthusiasts like myself have been saying for years is that the sandbox genre could really see a renaissance with a AAA developer like Blizzard. I'd like to further add that any "fundamental flaws" anyone see's in sandboxes, or in theme parks to boot, are directly related to their perspectives and desires regarding which games they enjoy, and which games they spend the majority of their time. If I were to be speaking regarding my personal distastes, I would say that theme parks are fundamentally flawed because they don't offer what I want in my MMO's. That being said, I understand your point, Cactus-Man: you don't like sandboxes, or think there is something wrong with their development style. Others disagree, and I think a UO reboot with Blizzard quality Testing and QA could really change some of your opinions regarding the sandbox genre, and there's more than enough reason for a company like Blizzard to be planning to offer the other "half" of MMO gamers what they're looking for. It'd be a great way to maximize profits.
Sandboxes are flawed because they don't have much appeal and from a business standpoint largely a waste of time.
See I don't think the sandbox crowd is very large at all, they are vocal sure but rather tiny. Any kind of AAA MMO for the sandbox crowd is a mistake because you would be investing a lot of money into something that has little appeal. That is why sandboxes are better suited to indie developers or as a smaller project from a professional studio, since they make much less money they warrant much less investment, to minimize risk. If Bliz made a AAA sandbox maybe it could do well, but it could also fade into obscurity and financially harm the company.
The outcome depends on whether you think sandboxes of the past didn't do so well because they weren't as polished or because they are just a type of game most people don't like. If you think the first one then Bliz could make a very successful game but I think it is the second one in which case all the polish in the world wouldn't help it that much. To go after the sandbox market is mostly a waste of time with a company that size because they don't have much to gain. So yeah I am bascally saying that the sandbox market is so small it doesn't matter.
I think sandbox games are like train sims, well not that niche, they have a small devoted following, but there is a reason you don't see AAA train sims.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Blizzard is a smart company they would evermake a game like that. And if they did it would be a financial failure, because it doesn't matter how good the devs are or how much polish you put on the game, sandbox is a fundamentaly flawed game design that will not do very well.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I think what other people have already stated in this thread, that the possibility isn't very high but that it would be logically sound in terms of market control, are correct in their deduction. To say it would be unintelligent for a company who already owns one large portion of a market to target the other is either a misunderstanding or a colossal error of judgment. Financially speaking, a sandbox MMO is a risky endeavor for any company, but what sandbox enthusiasts like myself have been saying for years is that the sandbox genre could really see a renaissance with a AAA developer like Blizzard. I'd like to further add that any "fundamental flaws" anyone see's in sandboxes, or in theme parks to boot, are directly related to their perspectives and desires regarding which games they enjoy, and which games they spend the majority of their time. If I were to be speaking regarding my personal distastes, I would say that theme parks are fundamentally flawed because they don't offer what I want in my MMO's. That being said, I understand your point, Cactus-Man: you don't like sandboxes, or think there is something wrong with their development style. Others disagree, and I think a UO reboot with Blizzard quality Testing and QA could really change some of your opinions regarding the sandbox genre, and there's more than enough reason for a company like Blizzard to be planning to offer the other "half" of MMO gamers what they're looking for. It'd be a great way to maximize profits.
Sandboxes are flawed because they don't have much appeal and from a business standpoint largely a waste of time.
See I don't think the sandbox crowd is very large at all, they are vocal sure but rather tiny. Any kind of AAA MMO for the sandbox crowd is a mistake because you would be investing a lot of money into something that has little appeal. That is why sandboxes are better suited to indie developers or as a smaller project from a professional studio, since they make much less money they warrant much less investment, to minimize risk. If Bliz made a AAA sandbox maybe it could do well, but it could also fade into obscurity and financially harm the company.
The outcome depends on whether you think sandboxes of the past didn't do so well because they weren't as polished or because they are just a type of game most people don't like. If you think the first one then Bliz could make a very successful game but I think it is the second one in which case all the polish in the world wouldn't help it that much. To go after the sandbox market is mostly a waste of time with a company that size because they don't have much to gain. So yeah I bascally saying that the sandbox market is so small it doesn't matter.
I think sandbox games are like train sims, well not that niche, they have a small devoted following, but there is a reason you don't see AAA train sims.
Since we are going to go with what we are thinking, then I don't think WoW's game play matters at all. If it did, then one of these WoW clones would have succeeded as well. The outcome of WoW clones has sucked and they have all failed. This leads me to believe that WoW's success has to do more with marketing and IP, rather than gameplay or any mechanic.
So I think a Blizzard Sandbox could work and succeed. They could use the Star Craft IP and market it as the Sandbox Un-WoW for all us "Sandbox WoW haters." This way they kill in Korean sales, draw in the rest of the MMORPG market that hates WoW, and have another 12+ million MMORPG.
You really have to look to why people vote. We do not vote on substinative issues, we vote on brand. The Republican brand, the Democrat brand, etc...
Here is an example:
Democrats vote Democrat because the Republicans are evil corporate scumbags. That has been established through negative marketing.
Republicans vote Republican, because the Democrats are ungodly Founders of Americ haters and the Founders of America would want you to vote Republican. That also has been established through marketing.
We don't vote on substance, nor do we consume based on substance.
--When you resubscribe to SWG, an 18 yearold Stripper finds Jesus, gives up stripping, and moves with a rolex reverend to Hawaii. --In MMORPG's l007 is the opiate of the masses. --The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence! --CCP could cut off an Eve player's fun bits, and that player would say that it was good CCP did that.
Since we are going to go with what we are thinking, then I don't think WoW's game play matters at all. If it did, then one of these WoW clones would have succeeded as well. The outcome of WoW clones has sucked and they have all failed. This leads me to believe that WoW's success has to do more with marketing and IP, rather than gameplay or any mechanic.
The reason is because when you copy a game you are not going to do as well as the original unless you can make it all around better, it is like the rash of GoW or MW2 clones. Even more so for a MMO where people have invested their time and have friends established. Otherwise you are only mildly successful, which is what the WoW clones have been. Marketing and IP can't carry a game, it may make for initial interest, but it can't carry it, 6 years down the line WoW is still the most successful MMO out there, the reason is because it has really good gameplay that keeps people playing.
So I think a Blizzard Sandbox could work and succeed. They could use the Star Craft IP and market it as the Sandbox Un-WoW for all us "Sandbox WoW haters." This way they kill in Korean sales, draw in the rest of the MMORPG market that hates WoW, and have another 12+ million MMORPG.
But the gameplay would have to be there for long term success, not just box sells. It may have a lot of initial interest but being a sandbox game, and being niche, it probably wouldn't have a lot of subscribers after a while. And you need subscribers. IP didn't save SWG and I don't think it would be able to elevate a niche genre to WoW status. Plus Bliz doesn't just keep the 12 million subscribers, they have to work to keep them, WoW will not last forever they would have to make a replacement that is that much better to keep that market. They would be developing 2 AAA MMOS, not to mention their RTS games and Diablo.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Blizzard is a smart company they would evermake a game like that. And if they did it would be a financial failure, because it doesn't matter how good the devs are or how much polish you put on the game, sandbox is a fundamentaly flawed game design that will not do very well.
Couldn't be further from the truth. Minecraft (can't really call it MMO, but maybe Multiplayer Sandbox game) is developed by one developer and already has half a million purchases. If Minecraft, a game that looks like it was released in 1995 and with very little content other than mining and building can make 500k+ sales with no marketing at all then I believe there is a future for massively multiplayer sandboxes, even ones with no fighting included or added as an afterthought. Also games like the Sims have been holding in the top 10 most sold computer games in the last decade.
Blizzard is a smart company they would evermake a game like that. And if they did it would be a financial failure, because it doesn't matter how good the devs are or how much polish you put on the game, sandbox is a fundamentaly flawed game design that will not do very well.
Couldn't be further from the truth. Minecraft (can't really call it MMO, but maybe Multiplayer Sandbox game) is developed by one developer and already has half a million purchases. If Minecraft, a game that looks like it was released in 1995 and with very little content other than mining and building can make 500k+ sales with no marketing at all then I believe there is a future for massively multiplayer sandboxes, even ones with no fighting included or added as an afterthought. Also games like the Sims have been holding in the top 10 most sold computer games in the last decade.
MInecraft and the SIms have little in common with sandboxes MMOs though. I mean the Sims is well a sim game and Minecraft is a building game that is in vogue right now. I don't think they reflect upon the profitability of sandbox MMOs at all. The only proxy we have for sandbox MMOs is well sandbox MMOs and other than Eve they haven't done very well. I think Eve has done pretty good because it is more of a space sim than RPG so it managed to appeal to the crowd that likes space sim games. Now if you are talking about sandbox MMOs of different genres like space sims or civ sims, then I think those could have some marketability, but sandbox MMORPGs, not so much.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
I think its gonna happen , If Blizzard don't have any Idea to change something massive into a money, For example FB games I know its not worthy to be compare with MMo etc. but my point is every company should know that almost Internet User I.e more than 80% is a freebies , , so if theirs company doesn't want go into a deep sandbox like dinosours," Big" but have no brain to adapt with an ecosystem , that always evolve, or in english changes something massive into a money "Big B (blizzard)" will end like dinosaur , hopefully its only my intuition , and not gonna happens
PS. Rumor said Big G I.e Google just Investing theirs billion dollar and make some partnership With Zynga I.e free quality games provider lolz, hopefully zynga wouldn't Smack Big B in futures , but just like wise man always said "Sometimes, money can changes peoples/Company I.e Greedy"
Blizzard would more than likely have a combination of both but lean towards sandbox moreso as the casual themepark is already done to bits adn of course they want to keep wow.
They will also more than likely have a Sci-Fi MMO genre as once again the fantasy/modern sword and shield has been done SOO many times and too many times honestly i think they will capture more audiance with a new sci-fi title.
All in all - its time will tell. Lets wait and see.
Blizzard will NEVER release a sandbox game. I've been playing their games since WarCraft 1 in 1994 (didn't play Vikings) and I've seen their trend and pattern. They are anti-sandbox they always like to have a specific aim for their games. The brains behind Blizzard games are themepark-minded which nets more money to the company (Diablo and World of Warcraft are the founding fathers of dumbing down their respective genres and themeparking the standards of gaming).
Blizzard makes simple games copied from previously successful games, and markets them to simple people. There's no way they'd ever make a sandbox, and if they tried, it'd be the most dumbed down sandbox to date.
By the time the game actually released I would be blind, deaf and the arthritis in my fingers would make my hands look like claws. Hopefully they'll have a brain/computer interface perfected by then.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
It might happen,if you think about it, WoW isnt as popular and 'everywhere' like it was a few years back which could mean they are loosing players and money.But if they create a great sandbox and if it was for PC, they might, just might, get their ratings to go through the roof.But they have to consider the types of games that are able to make sand box games and which one they should choose, they choose one worng the game will fail and company will loose money, they get it right, the game will be a success and Blizzard will get a 'crapload' of money
if blizzard made a sandbox, you'd see Activision's stocks fall fat within the hour
its business suicide, you dont spend years gathering a crowd of idiots,feeding them with braindead easy products that even cows could master, to then present them a more complex one.
if anything, blizzard's next MMO will be literally on rails, have auto aim/target/cast/run, it will have less than 5 skills total, and it will show their users some kind of cool sign and epic music everytime they get an achievement....and to those people, tying up their own shoe laces every mornign IS an achievement.
Blizzard makes simple games copied from previously successful games, and markets them to simple people. There's no way they'd ever make a sandbox, and if they tried, it'd be the most dumbed down sandbox to date.
Eve have almost as many players as EQ had at the time Wow launched and they have more or less maxed out the themepark market so there is some logic to it.
But I still don't see them doing something like a sandbox, it just isn't their style. I don't think they will make something similar to Wow either unless they think Wow will be dead and gone at the time the game is releasing, I doubt they will competing with themselves.
Maybe they make a more RTS influenced game, that would make sense since most of their old games are either RTS or action games.
As for the dumbed down game that isn't exactly sure either, while Wow target very young people were Diablo at least somewhat harder, they might aim to get more older players with the new game, that makes good sense. Wow is more or less their only game that aims for teens and even pre teens.
Don't underestimate Blizzard, they are good on selling game and making another Wow is not the best way to sell games now, maybe a Wow 2 in 5-10 years but now they need to find another group of customers if they want their empire to grow.
In all honesty.. I don't think Blizzard has the brain power to understand what a sandbox is... Sandbox games target the social player.. and from what I've witnessed by Blizzard, is their lack of understanding what social is all about.. LFD option is NOT a social tool.. Being social is more then clicking on an "accept" box to a group that kills a group of mobs that takes 15 minutes then disband.. Here's hoping that one day a good sandbox, or social themepark comes to light..
They already have a game that is going to do that, it's name is SWTOR.
Much as I am looking forward to that game can't say anything I have seen about it leads me to believe it is going to be a hybrid combining themepark and sandbox elements. Granted I haven't been following it real closely so I could have overlooked them.
What are the sandbox elements?
Well... you'll be able to call your character whatever you like! Talk about EPIC STORY CREATING FREEDOM! Any name you like!
"What if Blizzard's next mmo was as sandbox?" -Hell will freeze before this is going to happen.
Sandbox is about the player's freedom.
Blizzard though are ABSOLUTE CONTROL-FREAKS.
In the past 5 years, whenever players found a way to break out (i.e. taming a different pet, finding a different, non-exploitive way to do a certain thing) Blizzard often hotfixed that option faster than they ever fixed anything else. On their part, it was always all about keeping control about every single aspect of their game.
Alot of Blizzard egos would enter the barn with a rope and a stool the day players would be given more control as to how they play a Blizzard game.
"What if Blizzard's next mmo was as sandbox?" -Hell will freeze before this is going to happen.
Sandbox is about the player's freedom.
Blizzard though are ABSOLUTE CONTROL-FREAKS.
In the past 5 years, whenever players found a way to break out (i.e. taming a different pet, finding a different, non-exploitive way to do a certain thing) Blizzard often hotfixed that option faster than they ever fixed anything else. On their part, it was always all about keeping control about every single aspect of their game.
Alot of Blizzard egos would enter the barn with a rope and a stool the day players would be given more control as to how they play a Blizzard game.
LOL, agreed, we'll see a guy with a pitchfork throwning snowballs at the next Blizzcon before this transpires.
I can't even conceive of any way for Blizzard to embrace the sandbox concept, other than if they were really shrewed they'd realize their flagship MMO has the theme park crowd pretty well sewn up and they might want a title to appeal to the (very large) market of MMORPG gamers who don't play WOW.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I for one hope for a stable hybrid of the two. All in all though it will be what Blizz feels is a solid platform that will place them in a position to maintain the current position they hold in the market. I hope it will have a different feel than WOW but that isnt likely. I just hope it has higher end graphics than WOW and a good story and some good physics. Now by the time the game comes out I will be too old and arthritic to play it LOL!!!
Wow, a lot of sweeping generalisations and assumptions in this thread. A lot of you don't give Blizzard enough credit for what they have achieved. Number one, the MMO market was a niche market before Blizzard got involved. That's a fact, and one that's already been raised in this thread. Number two, after years of stale RTS titles that have tried to redefine the genre by changing the economic model and base building, Blizzard releases an old school RTS that becomes one of the highest selling games of all time (yes, that would be SC2). Who would have thought that in redefining the genre, the other companies were removing the things that the traditional RTS market actually enjoyed most? i.e. base building and destruction, and economic management? If it hadn't been Blizzard, and the game wasn't Starcraft, most analysts probably would have called it dated and stale, because it didn't draw upon any of the new genre staples like squad based combat, streamlined unit production and no resources. Then we have Warcraft III, which for its time was revolutionary in the way it brought in RPG elements and heroes and made them a central part of what was essentially an RTS title.
Funnily enough, when you look at their track record, they don't always take the easy option. They have a reputation for doing so, mainly because WoW's mechanics were essentially a logical extension of EQ's, but Blizzard knows that if something is broke, you shouldn't try and fix it. If they do make a sandbox game, it will be genre defining, and probably silence a lot of their critics. The market is definitely out there; minecraft has made well over 500,000 sales, and has 1.7 million subscriptions in alpha alone. You might argue that it isn't an MMO, but the only thing stopping it from being an MMO is the massive part. It already has an in-depth crafting and building system that allows you to create everything from houses and mines to weapons and armor. Then there are games like LOVE and Wurm online which both have stable audiences, and EVE online which is arguably the second most successful MMO after WoW (given that it is the only one to have grown consistently, and came from what was essentially an indie company).
Finally, I believe Blizzard when they stated that they learned a lot from the development of WoW. The trend with leveling in WoW is that it has become faster and faster over the years to get people to the end game. Kalgan once mentioned that the majority of people who tried WoW never actually made it past the first 20 levels; maybe if they didn't have to grind to 80 to be able to 'have fun', they'd stick around. Then there's the problems in PVE that level based systems have, brought up by GC a few months ago. Level-based games may seem to be easier to balance than sandboxes, but they're not. From both a design and a market perspective, making a sandbox game would make sense.
Comments
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I think what other people have already stated in this thread, that the possibility isn't very high but that it would be logically sound in terms of market control, are correct in their deduction. To say it would be unintelligent for a company who already owns one large portion of a market to target the other is either a misunderstanding or a colossal error of judgment. Financially speaking, a sandbox MMO is a risky endeavor for any company, but what sandbox enthusiasts like myself have been saying for years is that the sandbox genre could really see a renaissance with a AAA developer like Blizzard. I'd like to further add that any "fundamental flaws" anyone see's in sandboxes, or in theme parks to boot, are directly related to their perspectives and desires regarding which games they enjoy, and which games they spend the majority of their time. If I were to be speaking regarding my personal distastes, I would say that theme parks are fundamentally flawed because they don't offer what I want in my MMO's. That being said, I understand your point, Cactus-Man: you don't like sandboxes, or think there is something wrong with their development style. Others disagree, and I think a UO reboot with Blizzard quality Testing and QA could really change some of your opinions regarding the sandbox genre, and there's more than enough reason for a company like Blizzard to be planning to offer the other "half" of MMO gamers what they're looking for. It'd be a great way to maximize profits.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
What if I had tits and 20 years less?
Not going to happen.
An honest review of SW:TOR 6/10 (Danny Wojcicki)
All I want is for Blizzard to remake Shadowbane ;p
Sandboxes are flawed because they don't have much appeal and from a business standpoint largely a waste of time.
See I don't think the sandbox crowd is very large at all, they are vocal sure but rather tiny. Any kind of AAA MMO for the sandbox crowd is a mistake because you would be investing a lot of money into something that has little appeal. That is why sandboxes are better suited to indie developers or as a smaller project from a professional studio, since they make much less money they warrant much less investment, to minimize risk. If Bliz made a AAA sandbox maybe it could do well, but it could also fade into obscurity and financially harm the company.
The outcome depends on whether you think sandboxes of the past didn't do so well because they weren't as polished or because they are just a type of game most people don't like. If you think the first one then Bliz could make a very successful game but I think it is the second one in which case all the polish in the world wouldn't help it that much. To go after the sandbox market is mostly a waste of time with a company that size because they don't have much to gain. So yeah I am bascally saying that the sandbox market is so small it doesn't matter.
I think sandbox games are like train sims, well not that niche, they have a small devoted following, but there is a reason you don't see AAA train sims.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Since we are going to go with what we are thinking, then I don't think WoW's game play matters at all. If it did, then one of these WoW clones would have succeeded as well. The outcome of WoW clones has sucked and they have all failed. This leads me to believe that WoW's success has to do more with marketing and IP, rather than gameplay or any mechanic.
So I think a Blizzard Sandbox could work and succeed. They could use the Star Craft IP and market it as the Sandbox Un-WoW for all us "Sandbox WoW haters." This way they kill in Korean sales, draw in the rest of the MMORPG market that hates WoW, and have another 12+ million MMORPG.
You really have to look to why people vote. We do not vote on substinative issues, we vote on brand. The Republican brand, the Democrat brand, etc...
Here is an example:
Democrats vote Democrat because the Republicans are evil corporate scumbags. That has been established through negative marketing.
Republicans vote Republican, because the Democrats are ungodly Founders of Americ haters and the Founders of America would want you to vote Republican. That also has been established through marketing.
We don't vote on substance, nor do we consume based on substance.
--When you resubscribe to SWG, an 18 yearold Stripper finds Jesus, gives up stripping, and moves with a rolex reverend to Hawaii.
--In MMORPG's l007 is the opiate of the masses.
--The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence!
--CCP could cut off an Eve player's fun bits, and that player would say that it was good CCP did that.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Couldn't be further from the truth. Minecraft (can't really call it MMO, but maybe Multiplayer Sandbox game) is developed by one developer and already has half a million purchases. If Minecraft, a game that looks like it was released in 1995 and with very little content other than mining and building can make 500k+ sales with no marketing at all then I believe there is a future for massively multiplayer sandboxes, even ones with no fighting included or added as an afterthought. Also games like the Sims have been holding in the top 10 most sold computer games in the last decade.
MInecraft and the SIms have little in common with sandboxes MMOs though. I mean the Sims is well a sim game and Minecraft is a building game that is in vogue right now. I don't think they reflect upon the profitability of sandbox MMOs at all. The only proxy we have for sandbox MMOs is well sandbox MMOs and other than Eve they haven't done very well. I think Eve has done pretty good because it is more of a space sim than RPG so it managed to appeal to the crowd that likes space sim games. Now if you are talking about sandbox MMOs of different genres like space sims or civ sims, then I think those could have some marketability, but sandbox MMORPGs, not so much.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Deep, involving sandbox? NEVER going to happen.
Think made for console, vampires and zombies, and something that somehow taps into social networking and instant messaging.
I think its gonna happen , If Blizzard don't have any Idea to change something massive into a money, For example FB games I know its not worthy to be compare with MMo etc. but my point is every company should know that almost Internet User I.e more than 80% is a freebies ,
, so if theirs company doesn't want go into a deep sandbox like dinosours," Big" but have no brain to adapt with an ecosystem , that always evolve, or in english changes something massive into a money "Big B (blizzard)" will end like dinosaur , hopefully its only my intuition , and not gonna happens
PS. Rumor said Big G I.e Google just Investing theirs billion dollar
and make some partnership With Zynga I.e free quality games provider lolz,
hopefully zynga wouldn't Smack Big B in futures , but just like wise man always said "Sometimes, money can changes peoples/Company I.e Greedy"
Just my 2 cents
Hubpages
Blizzard would more than likely have a combination of both but lean towards sandbox moreso as the casual themepark is already done to bits adn of course they want to keep wow.
They will also more than likely have a Sci-Fi MMO genre as once again the fantasy/modern sword and shield has been done SOO many times and too many times honestly i think they will capture more audiance with a new sci-fi title.
All in all - its time will tell. Lets wait and see.
Blizzard will NEVER release a sandbox game. I've been playing their games since WarCraft 1 in 1994 (didn't play Vikings) and I've seen their trend and pattern. They are anti-sandbox they always like to have a specific aim for their games. The brains behind Blizzard games are themepark-minded which nets more money to the company (Diablo and World of Warcraft are the founding fathers of dumbing down their respective genres and themeparking the standards of gaming).
Blizzard makes simple games copied from previously successful games, and markets them to simple people. There's no way they'd ever make a sandbox, and if they tried, it'd be the most dumbed down sandbox to date.
By the time the game actually released I would be blind, deaf and the arthritis in my fingers would make my hands look like claws. Hopefully they'll have a brain/computer interface perfected by then.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
It might happen,if you think about it, WoW isnt as popular and 'everywhere' like it was a few years back which could mean they are loosing players and money.But if they create a great sandbox and if it was for PC, they might, just might, get their ratings to go through the roof.But they have to consider the types of games that are able to make sand box games and which one they should choose, they choose one worng the game will fail and company will loose money, they get it right, the game will be a success and Blizzard will get a 'crapload' of money
if blizzard made a sandbox, you'd see Activision's stocks fall fat within the hour
its business suicide, you dont spend years gathering a crowd of idiots,feeding them with braindead easy products that even cows could master, to then present them a more complex one.
if anything, blizzard's next MMO will be literally on rails, have auto aim/target/cast/run, it will have less than 5 skills total, and it will show their users some kind of cool sign and epic music everytime they get an achievement....and to those people, tying up their own shoe laces every mornign IS an achievement.
ahaha true!
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Eve have almost as many players as EQ had at the time Wow launched and they have more or less maxed out the themepark market so there is some logic to it.
But I still don't see them doing something like a sandbox, it just isn't their style. I don't think they will make something similar to Wow either unless they think Wow will be dead and gone at the time the game is releasing, I doubt they will competing with themselves.
Maybe they make a more RTS influenced game, that would make sense since most of their old games are either RTS or action games.
As for the dumbed down game that isn't exactly sure either, while Wow target very young people were Diablo at least somewhat harder, they might aim to get more older players with the new game, that makes good sense. Wow is more or less their only game that aims for teens and even pre teens.
Don't underestimate Blizzard, they are good on selling game and making another Wow is not the best way to sell games now, maybe a Wow 2 in 5-10 years but now they need to find another group of customers if they want their empire to grow.
In all honesty.. I don't think Blizzard has the brain power to understand what a sandbox is... Sandbox games target the social player.. and from what I've witnessed by Blizzard, is their lack of understanding what social is all about.. LFD option is NOT a social tool.. Being social is more then clicking on an "accept" box to a group that kills a group of mobs that takes 15 minutes then disband.. Here's hoping that one day a good sandbox, or social themepark comes to light..
Well... you'll be able to call your character whatever you like! Talk about EPIC STORY CREATING FREEDOM! Any name you like!
Give me liberty or give me lasers
"What if Blizzard's next mmo was as sandbox?" -Hell will freeze before this is going to happen.
Sandbox is about the player's freedom.
Blizzard though are ABSOLUTE CONTROL-FREAKS.
In the past 5 years, whenever players found a way to break out (i.e. taming a different pet, finding a different, non-exploitive way to do a certain thing) Blizzard often hotfixed that option faster than they ever fixed anything else. On their part, it was always all about keeping control about every single aspect of their game.
Alot of Blizzard egos would enter the barn with a rope and a stool the day players would be given more control as to how they play a Blizzard game.
LOL, agreed, we'll see a guy with a pitchfork throwning snowballs at the next Blizzcon before this transpires.
I can't even conceive of any way for Blizzard to embrace the sandbox concept, other than if they were really shrewed they'd realize their flagship MMO has the theme park crowd pretty well sewn up and they might want a title to appeal to the (very large) market of MMORPG gamers who don't play WOW.
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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I for one hope for a stable hybrid of the two. All in all though it will be what Blizz feels is a solid platform that will place them in a position to maintain the current position they hold in the market. I hope it will have a different feel than WOW but that isnt likely. I just hope it has higher end graphics than WOW and a good story and some good physics. Now by the time the game comes out I will be too old and arthritic to play it LOL!!!
The next Blizz mmo will probably be a facebook game.
Well probably not but that wouldnt surprise since a llot of facebook game copanies are making money hand over fist.
At this rate it is going to be a while before they even spill anything about the new game...
Wow, a lot of sweeping generalisations and assumptions in this thread. A lot of you don't give Blizzard enough credit for what they have achieved. Number one, the MMO market was a niche market before Blizzard got involved. That's a fact, and one that's already been raised in this thread. Number two, after years of stale RTS titles that have tried to redefine the genre by changing the economic model and base building, Blizzard releases an old school RTS that becomes one of the highest selling games of all time (yes, that would be SC2). Who would have thought that in redefining the genre, the other companies were removing the things that the traditional RTS market actually enjoyed most? i.e. base building and destruction, and economic management? If it hadn't been Blizzard, and the game wasn't Starcraft, most analysts probably would have called it dated and stale, because it didn't draw upon any of the new genre staples like squad based combat, streamlined unit production and no resources. Then we have Warcraft III, which for its time was revolutionary in the way it brought in RPG elements and heroes and made them a central part of what was essentially an RTS title.
Funnily enough, when you look at their track record, they don't always take the easy option. They have a reputation for doing so, mainly because WoW's mechanics were essentially a logical extension of EQ's, but Blizzard knows that if something is broke, you shouldn't try and fix it. If they do make a sandbox game, it will be genre defining, and probably silence a lot of their critics. The market is definitely out there; minecraft has made well over 500,000 sales, and has 1.7 million subscriptions in alpha alone. You might argue that it isn't an MMO, but the only thing stopping it from being an MMO is the massive part. It already has an in-depth crafting and building system that allows you to create everything from houses and mines to weapons and armor. Then there are games like LOVE and Wurm online which both have stable audiences, and EVE online which is arguably the second most successful MMO after WoW (given that it is the only one to have grown consistently, and came from what was essentially an indie company).
Finally, I believe Blizzard when they stated that they learned a lot from the development of WoW. The trend with leveling in WoW is that it has become faster and faster over the years to get people to the end game. Kalgan once mentioned that the majority of people who tried WoW never actually made it past the first 20 levels; maybe if they didn't have to grind to 80 to be able to 'have fun', they'd stick around. Then there's the problems in PVE that level based systems have, brought up by GC a few months ago. Level-based games may seem to be easier to balance than sandboxes, but they're not. From both a design and a market perspective, making a sandbox game would make sense.