14 DAY TRIAL // Elves, dwarves and orcs are becoming such a common feature in fantasy games these days, that some are actually beginning to make a selling point out of not having them. But since the most popular MMORPGs around use these creatures to their full potential, it's pretty safe to say that they're still liked, and most likely, that they will continue to be so for a long time. Still, the lore of these creatures started long before video games were born, but most people still attributed them to video titles.
And while the most knowledgeable of us know that Warcraft has a lot of its roots in J.R.R. Tolkien's books, it's a bit surprising, but also nice, to see Blizzard admit this as well. Talking to PC Gamer, the VP of creative development at Blizzard, Chris Metzen, was asked by the magazine what he believed people connected with inside World of Warcraft.
As he sees it, "It's hard to say, because there are so many cool fantasy settings out there. In terms of its DNA, I don't know that Warcraft is all that different from a lot of Tolkien fantasy. You've got elves and dwarves and magic. But we toss in these crazy things like space crystals and Steam rifles."
And by having the courage to add its own little ingredients to the cooking pot, and not just being another testament to the fact that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Blizzard managed to give birth to one of the most popular gaming lores ever created.
"It is broad enough that people can actually mesh with this world... but part of the magic is that we try to give this world a lot of heart. That seems a little cheesy, but it's part of the X-factor for me," Metzen added. The world Blizzard created is a diverse and unique one, in spite of its origin of inspiration. It's a world that has guaranteed Warcraft games a vast and loyal fan base.