Blizzard Lead Producer Moves To New MMO

Jeffrey Kaplan, lead game designer, responsible for world design in Blizzards' popular MMO World of WarCraft just announced that he is moving away from development within World of Warcraft to be able to work full-time on Blizzard's new, unannounced MMO.

[Dorjan]

ooh... they are pulling out the big guns for this new one then...

[Leord]

Well, yes, if you can call Kaplan the big guns. But he is pretty senior in Blizzard, so I suppose he has been promoted and probably in charge of this project. Very interesting to see what comes out of it. He must be one of the people with most MMO experience in the business, so it's just a matter of WHAT greatness will be made, not whether or not it will be...

[Dorjan]

It is Blizzard and they can pull off whatever they want atm but using a big gun from WoW creates the danger of maybe running into the same ideas as WoW and just making a clone.

I'm sure Blizzard will be careful of this and maybe he is there to make sure things aren't too WoW like?

[BRG9000]

This seems like a good move. Warcraft is so well established and its design team is so large that I'm sure it will continue on just fine without him. But a new(ish) team on this MMO can stand to gain a lot from this experienced developer.

And I'm not convinced Blizzard is against the game being WoW-like. WoW has been unimaginably successful, so they'd be sticking with a formula they created and everyone knows is great. Plus by keeping the game similar (with obvious engine upgrades among other improvements), they keep it likely that the huge WoW populating will funnel into the new game. At least, I imagine that is Blizzard's eventual goal for this new game. Putting out a game to compete against a still-expanding WoW would seem like an odd choice.

*crosses fingers for Galaxy of Starcraft*

[kalos]

Guess this project is getting some serious attention. I do worry for future developments in WoW though, looks more likely that it'll get sidelined and see smaller, less worthwhile expansion packs.

[Dorjan]

Yeah it could be the start of WoW being put on the side-lines if they are moving top-crew around

[QUNE]

They could totally drop the R&D on this game and still make a ton of money for years to come.

[BRG9000]

I fully expect the next WoW expansion to be the last, then for Blizzard to release and heavily push this new MMO about 3 years from now. Maybe Blizz realizes that something, someday, will defeat WoW, and they figure it might as well be themselves.

[Perjoss]

"I fully expect the next WoW expansion to be the last, then for Blizzard to release and heavily push this new MMO about 3 years from now"

I cant agree,
Everquest has been going for what, 10 years? and i think it has around 15 expansions, this is a game that peaked at 500k subs iirc. WoW will be around for a long time to come and the expansions will not stop until the demand goes away.

Bliz are too smart to release an mmo to be in direct competition with wow, it will be something that appeals to gamers that dont like the fantasy setting, maybe it will be sci-fi, maybe not.

[BRG9000]

I think setting is irrelevant though, if Blizzard releases a new MMO it's going to be in the "BLIZZARD MMO" genre, and people are going to play just one game or the other. Most will probably leave WoW for the new shiny one.

Frankly I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who's never given WoW a try, but would play a sci-fi MMO if Blizzard made one.

[Synteny]

World of Starcraft? Unlikely for me.
World of Vikings? Highly unlikely.
Diablo MMO? Seems like a waste to make D3 then.

So a new franchise seems possible, very interesting indeed.

[Leord]

StarCraft MMO, pleeeeease, for the love of me!

[Dorjan]

I hope it's not a SC mmo, it would be rubbish and ruin the name.

[SCFreelancer]

I don't think an Starcraft MMO is what I would wan't to see! Its nice to play but it ruins the whole Lore :( Thats what WOW did to the Warcraft Lore.

[sh8kes]

ooo, this sounds promising

[thetamer]

I wonder what will happen with WoW now.

Go Kaplan go, you'r a power ranger.

[Leord]

I don;t think there is any danger of anything happening with WoW. I mean Kaplan is nice and all, but not the Alpha Omega of WoW. They will tread along fine.

I am MUCH more curious about the unannounced project!

[Dorjan]

You say that Leord, but if you look at most things the momentum comes from the person who created the idea and lead the bull by the horns.

It could easily go down hill from now, what with Star Trek and KotoR MMOs coming out...

[Cogo]

Good point, and the history of WoW proves my point. Kaplan was nobody in terms of Blizzard before he started with WoW. Many people from the original team leader structure left, and the game continued to become a huge success when released.

I don't think Kaplan is the leader that holds the bull by its horns...

[UIOP]

Cool, this was exiting news! :-)
I just wonder what will happen with WoW when they do release this new gigant on the playground..

[Cogo]

If it's SC MMO, I don't think it will hurt WoW very much. For that same reason it would seem stupid with another fantasy MMO. WoW 2 or Diablo MMO seems unlikely to me.

A new IP, or SC, really.

[Medievaldragon]

Holy cow. Could this be the 2009 major game announcement?

[Cogo]

Was there a game ANNOUNCEMENT this year? Well, if they don't have any other games under wraps, it's definitely it. I thought the big "thing" this years was a release (SC2)

[Maticus]

Oh my goodness, that is a sign this new project is very big.

[SCFreelancer]

True, but I think that the huge size is somewhat tied to any MMO.

[SCFreelancer]

Nice to hear and all but I would like them to finish Starcraft 2 now please!

[Elly]

Wow. Huge nooozz!!

[Llort]

I would play it in a heart beat.

[Medievaldragon]

Could it be Starcraft Ghost remade as a next-gen MMO? Curiously there is a Starcraft Ghost: Spectre on late 2009 from Pocket Star Books, and a manga trilogy from Tokyopop. Too much attention on Ghost through 2010 no?

[Leord]

Man, lots of people seems to think just as me - SC MMO, NOOOW! =D

[TheColbertinator]

A Starcraft MMO would stop the presses

[Jikla]

New blizzard mmo would be fun. if they make it as good as their current mmo that is. Or maybe an action mmo o.o

[Cogo]

Hehe, well, it IS an MMO, that's confirmed. I think I'll side with the people wanting a SC MMO, actually!

[NarFan]

it will be something new that we have never seen
that what they say

[Leord]

Yeah, well, from a PR perspective, anything fits that category.

I am a bit afraid that you are right though, it could very well be a new IP completely...