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Blizzards Next - Gen MMO
bronecar
Member Posts: 685
I stumbled across a site dedicated entirely to this.
There are a few reasons we could consider Blizzards new MMO being released on consoles.
On all the programmer and artist job listings they have mentioned having shipped console titles as a plus.
Blizzards Rob Pardo has confirmed that he is in talks with Microsoft over the sucessor to the xbox 360.
All known software engineers working on the next-gen MMO have experience with development on consoles.
However, here is what Rob Pardo had to say about bringing MMOs to consoles:
Blizzard Quote: (Source)
''Microsoft has shown us some stuff they have in development and they asked us our opinion about it – that's all that was. But as far as MMOs on consoles, there's a lot of challenges. I'd say challenge #1 is the input device. So if you're going to port a game like WoW how does that work? Do you ship a keyboard and a mouse? Do you try to make a game that [adapts] to all the different controls and buttons? That's a porting issue. The bigger issue would be things like hard drives. I think WoW now is about 10 gigs and we're always pushing out more content. That's something cloud computing could eventually solve, but in the current generation of consoles that's a lot to deal with. You'd have to eat almost the entire hard drive, and there are Xbox consoles [sold to consumers] that don't have hard drives. So that's a big issue.
Another big issue is how to actually do patches because the certification process is pretty arduous to do that. I know that's something Microsoft is trying to work out so you can do more updates and the certification process is faster, but it's not going to be nearly as fast as we can do it. We just put it through our QA department and upload to our servers. ... Then, the other big issue is the business model. Right now, Microsoft and Sony charge platform fees for retail, but if you do an MMO there and it's subscription-based, they're going to want a cut of the subscription revenue too, and so that becomes a hurdle. So there's definitely a lot of hurdles right now for doing MMOs on a console, but it all can be overcome and I think in the next generation of consoles it'll be much easier.''
It's safe to assume that if Blizzards next-gen MMO is to come out on consoles, it will not be on the xbox 360 or the ps3.
All that and much more here http://www.nextmmo.com/
Enjoy 
Comments
Isn't the final fantasy MMO on console?
.
Probably why they've been pretty constant in subs for the last five years. The players can't go anywhere else.
Well shave my back and call me an elf! -- Oghren
Yes FFXI was on the ps2, I played it just using the keyboard alone....you could use the controller but it felt weird to use...overall tho it wasn't that bad...
Played:TheRealm,FFXI,WoW,FE,Eve
Playing: Nothing( stuck on a ship)
Future play: FFXIV,SW:TOR
Some of the assumptions are incorrect. MMO developers seek console designers because they are adept at getting the most out of limited resources; an important trait when you're designing games that are massively multiplayer. Scott Hartsman of Rift: Planes of Telara recently praised his staff of half console programmers (3:50). That said, I think making the connection between their job opening and a definite console title would be a mistake.
Other than that the other "reasons" seem pretty weak. But that's not to say it couldn't be true.
Not sure why Microsoft is talking to Blizzard for advice. Microsoft has either cancelled or blocked any MMO they became involved with.
Two recent examples:
Just before Champions Online was released Jack Emmert said they were finishing up the Xbox 360 version but the major problem they were having was Microsoft's approval process.
When Square Enix announced FF14 and Xbox 360 was not one of the platforms listed Square Enix said it was because they could not reach a deal with Microsoft because of its approval process.
If Blizzard's next gen MMO is on consoles I doubt it will be on the Xbox and it will likely be Microsoft's fault.
MS also killed the Age of Conan 360 port.
Alltern8 Blog | Star Wars Space Combat and The Old Republic | Cryptic Studios - A Pre Post-Mortem | Klingon Preview, STO's Monster Play
Blizzard will go through all the possibilities, that's why they are checking whether the next version of xbox or PS will be able to give great MMO experience to the player. But, it's only a check, it's far from reality.
The plus you mention on the job ads:
"Pluses: Have shipped AAA PC or console titles" (Does not say only console.)
is only mentioned on jobs that work on graphics rather than code, (3D/graphic artists). That is because, the models of consoles and PC games when on the design phase, are created using the same software.
Also, not all known software engineers have console experience, some do, some don't. Generalizing just to prove a point is inaccurate.
MMORPG.com Supporter
But ffxi is almost turnbased combat and slow as hell combat that game is so easy to play with gamepad and without keyboard becouse it was designed from beginning for console, its dumb down mmo.
Why do you think ffxi have no pvp worth mention lol.
And all mmo's that will be released on consoles will always be dumb down versions so it can be played on console even future consoles they will always behind pc's that will out perferm consoles on day there released, plus fact that with keyboard you can laways play much better then gamepad.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
I think you may be confusing "dumbed down" with "non-twitch". Just because fast reflexes are required for a game does not mean that it involves smarter gameplay. In fact, quite a few people are hoping that the combat system for FFXIV is not significantly faster than FFXI, because the general consensus is that fast WoW-style combat boils down to mashing the same couple of abilities in the same order as they come off of cooldown without any real need to think about it. Slowing combat down means that success or failure has less to do with rote hotkey rotation and more to do with communication and mastery of your class.
I think there's no question that a keyboard is a better input device than a gamepad and allows you to choose from a huge set of actions instantly... but while this is ideal for twitchy action games, I don't agree that it's vital for a good MMO combat system.
If the devs build the UI properly, I agree. That takes talent and effort though.
Vagrant Story was a console RPG which had a very good UI consisting of mini-menues which were called up through the use of the shoulder buttons.
I do think a good MMORPG can be designed using console controllers for input.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Age of Conan was released way to early. Are the servers even up still?
League of Legends Signup. Awesome game!
https://signup.leagueoflegends.com?ref=4b84708c6736b
They opened with 25 servers in NA, and are down to 4 last I saw.
Yes its on Ps2 and 360 and PC but the majority of players Ive ran into either own both 360 and PC or just own the PC version.
@Evasia ; I don't get why you see FFXI as being dumed down. IMO most games are Dumbed down compared to FFXI. Aslo FF games were always about working together thats why there is no PvP worth mentioning in XI.
I want to see an MMO on the Wii :P
The game setting for Titan is going to be Earth.
I came across an article making this claim over at www.titanwatch.net. Of course it’s still speculation at this point but he actually made a convincing case why this was true. Apparently Blizzard is looking to place real life consumer brands (i.e. Code, Nike, McDonalds) into the new game world and this would really only make sense if the world was Earth. There is a bunch of other Titan info at this site as well.
When Square Enix announced that FF14 is not listed, and Xbox 360 platforms Square Enix said that this is because they can not achieve with Microsoft because of its examination and approval procedures...
The latest mmo report http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/tag/3321/the-mmo-report/ has a Rumor about the Titan project catering to the very casual players.. just a heads up.
https://www.ticketsolutions.com/blogs/intentional-foul/images/keyboardsmash.gif
It's just more money for them bringing it to consoles because then they can sell consoles.
Also as Linux is getting more and more user-friendly and things may/could be starting to look out better for gaming on Linux they may be trying to abuse their power once again to dominate the gaming world.
In my point of view, companies like Blizzard and Microsoft are nothing more but power addicts trying to get more from you with less input.
So no, I hope they don't get mmo's to consoles. I don't have a console, I don't need one and I don't want one. My MMO LOTRO on my pc that I can use for work also is enough.
just based upon this, if its true, then I think what blizzard is trying to do is create an interesting and unique MMO that would be entirely F2P. No item store, no DLC or expansions, just purely free. Think about it: If Blizzard was making a game based on the real world, and placing products like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, etc. into their game, wouldn't Blizzard have to pay these companies for the use of their logos? Its not a smart business decision, however what IS a smart business decision is getting companies like Nike and Coca-Cola to pay Blizzard, this giant mammoth of a game company with extreme sucess in the MMO department, to put their products into the game as a way to advertise to millions of players at once, and for every player that sees the banner, these companies make more money, thus having to pay blizzard large sums of money because of it, thus having the game paid for itself and then some.
I don't know if this Titan MMO is going to be the real world in a different setting, with war and stuff, Maybe a Sci-Fi MMO of a near-future earth, or just a very casual MMO (Basically a Second Life 2), but I definitley see Blizzard changing the MMO Genre again with it. (And no, i'm not a Blizzard Fanboy.)