Blizzard confirms new MMO is completely original IP

by Griffin McElroy on May 13th 2009 2:30PM

A year and a half ago, we learned that Blizzard was hiring for an infinitely titillating "Next-Gen MMO," one which we assumed would be based on brand new intellectual property (as repeatedly hinted at by Blizzard COO Paul Sams). We haven't heard much about the project since then. However, the silence was recently broken by Blizzard community manager Zarhym, who confirmed on the official WoW forums that the upcoming MMO will "be a brand new franchise."

While this is the first official confirmation of the franchise's freshness we've heard, it's still up in the air as to what the genre of said project will be. If you'll remember, the game is reportedly being developed on the World of Warcraft engine until its developers work up a fittingly new interface. Therefore, we think it's safe to assume it won't be an online dating sim. (Unfortunately.)

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Tags: blizzard, ip, mmo, online, rpg, wow

Reader Comments (62)

Damn. Now, I'm really craving a Blizzard made online dating sim. :(

hm... "Universe of Warcraft" maybe?

You didn't even read the title of the article, well played.

no "world of lovecraft" ?
:'(

Warcraft of Worlds I'm thinking.

World of Lovecraft would be effing awesome.

Or maybe it would give me nightmares.

Wait... you all know who H.P. Lovecraft was, right?

I think he was referring to the dating sim idea
it was kind of an accidental double entendre

I can imagine being attacked by blocks of text that read "Indescribable Horror", "The Unnamable", "Inter-Dimentional Terror" only to have your character go insane and disapear from the world.

With Starcraft II coming out, I assumed the next logical step would be Universe of Starcraft. But if it's not going to be based on any of their other IP's, I wonder what they've got cookin'. One thing's for sure, I can add this to my list of reasons to get a new PC....

I don't think they would want to split their SC II fanbase up like that. The are going to be feeding SC II expansions to the world for a while after the game comes out.

I could see that risk. But who says you can't play both? And people who have left WoW I think would come back for the change of scenery. Being an RTS fan and a huge WoW player, I would pick both up in a heartbeat. Again, it is relieving to see that Blizz isn't taking the easy way out and I'm excited nonetheless.

I would like something like that, but it'd only be good as a MMOFPS. Something like planetside.

Seeing as how they already have a 'hard-core' MMO that's 10-12 million strong, they won't want to segment their own fans. The only thing I see that's both viable financially and in terms of subscribers would be something casual (possibly F2P) which is a little depressing. Then again, it could blow all our minds.

As long as it is nothing like WoW, I might be interested.

As long as it's nothing like the biggest cash cow in the gaming world?

Fat chance.

I play WoW, though I agree with you. It would seriosuly irk me if Blizzard were to come out with a new MMO that plays like their current one.

Oh man, what if its like another comic book MMO. I would bowed down and welcome my Blizzard overlords....

Only if they brought Cryptic Studios into their fold. :)

Why? They got a very experienced team and I pretty sure that they could hire comic book writers stories and missions. Cryptic got Champions Online, which I am looking forward to but I couldn't image what Blizzard Comic MMO would be like.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/warcraft_sequel_lets_gamers_play

It will be named "Crack". There will be warning labels on the box.

A completely original IP? From Blizzard? LOLOLOL

Which games-workshop property do you think it will be then?

My money is on a Blood Bowl MMO.

Two thumbs up, sir. Maybe the title will simply be ImitationCraft.

World of Heroquest?

Galaxy Hulk Online?

I just think it's hilarious they claim they're going to be making something "new" instead of milking their Warcraft or Starcraft cash cows. :)

You really think Blizzard is going to be saying that it is "new" and then just put it out as something in their existing franchises?

No way, it actually is going to be new. Blizzard isn't THAT deceiving!

@Preston

Your kind of implying Blizzard Milks Franchises a lot. Me thinks you need to go look at OTHER companies first. Like Capcom and Street Fighter. There have been how many different versions of street fighter? Then all the versions of street fighter versus x? the tv series, movies, novels/manga, action figures, dolls, bedsheets, clocks, etc etc.

Starcraft has "2" games and some action figures/novels. That's it. They technically have a starcraft movie/dvd but its just the fmv in-game from starcraft one and the music on a dvd.

"Oooooooh Ffffffffuuuuuuuuddddggggggeeeeeee......"

New IP sounds good. I think too many old franchises are being recycled, and Blizzard is capable of creating a GOOD new franchise with the backing of Activision now. Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, everything Blizzard creates turns to gold, it is exciting that a new IP is on its way.

Maybe I missed something... but I'm pretty sure Blizzard could have handled started a new IP just as well without the "backing of Activision".

Someone want to use the let me google that for you site and tell me who was worth more pre-merger? xD

Nothing in space and no D & D type creatures...what does that leave? A WWII MMO!

Nazi Zombies please!

Ah man, I was totally hoping for:

World of Call of Duty.

World of Modern Warfare.

World of Modern Warfare 2.

Craft of Warfare.

Duty of Crafting Warfare.

Call of Warfare.

You forgot Call of Warcraft.

But I wanted World of Starcraft : (

Let's see..Starwarscraft?

Despite it not being Starcraft, I hope it's something scifi. I can't imagine them creating another fantasy MMO to compete with WoW.

I'm a Blizzard fanboi. I just can't help it. I first played Warcraft II in 1998 when I was 11 years old. Then I discovered Starcraft and finally Diablo. They've been pumping out a stream of pure awesome ever since my first forays into computer games.

Whenever they announce something new I can't wait for it to hit, and this time is no different. Blizzard, you are gods among game developers.

/ecstatic fanboism

now all I have to do is wait 5 years for it to come out.....

sorry for replying to myself, but it was an afterthought, and it's true.

World of Joystiq

I'll be a level 50 Troll named Anticrawl

It's actually going to be called World of Datecraft, lol.

Might be a scifisih mmo.

On another note, if anyone ever made a good MMO that was in a universe set up like the .hack series of games, I would probably lose all interest in anything else in my life.

Dear Blizzard,

I would like a new regular game.

Tanks, Scott

Starcraft 2? Diablo 3? Two non-MMO games being developed at once not enough for you?

You know this is probably because so many people playing WoW cried about how they were messing up the Warcraft IP. lolore probably won't be one of the ways the players insult the direction the story takes in this new IP.

With that said, this is really bad for me because I've been WoWfree for several months after playing since launch but I have to try this new MMO when it comes out...

Do I look like a Korean? I'm a Southern Gent. A Gambler if you will.

Warcraft 3 came out in 2002. That's much to long between single player titles. Even sequels.

Star Trek Starfleet MMO... FTW.

I'm thinking Dominions of Diablo!!! Please let it be Diablo!

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Blizzard confirms new MMO is completely original IP

Reader Comments (62)

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