14 DAY TRIAL // We already know that developer Blizzard is working on a new MMO project, but the company has been very slow in offering details about its new video game, sticking to the idea that it is not working on merely a sequel to World of Warcraft but that it is crafting an experience which will feel completely new to all those who played its current hit.
Speaking in Las Vegas, Mike Morhaime, who is the chief executive officer of Blizzard, has stated, “We’re really trying to leverage all the lessons we learned through the years. Some of which we were able to address in ‘World of WarCraft’ and others that maybe because of the design decisions we’ve made, you just can’t address.”
He explained, “we’re kind of taking a step back with all that knowledge to make something that’s completely new and fresh. We’re not trying to make a ‘WoW’ sequel.”
Morhaime has also offered some more hints about the future and Titan saying that his company is very interested in social gaming where groups of friends from real life are working together and communicating, citing the iPhone platform game Words with Friends as a title that could serve as inspiration.
In late 2010, World of Warcraft has received its third expansion, titled Cataclysm, and the game currently leads the subscription-based MMO space with more than 12 million gamers playing and paying for the privilege.
The fact that Blizzard plans to have its next MMO exist alongside World of Warcraft can mean one of two things: either the company will develop a very different experience in a totally new game universe, attracting a whole new segment of players, or Blizzard is ready to explore the free-to-play and micro transaction space with its next project.
Blizzard will only probably offer concrete details on its new MMO at some point in 2012.