Tobold's Blog
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Warcraft 4

It's "reader suggested topics day" today here at Tobold's blog. :) A reader asked me how I think that the events of World of Warcraft would influence the lore of the Warcraft universe, and how that would impact Warcraft 4. If Kel'Thuzad is killed in Naxxramas in WoW, will that be mentioned in Warcraft 4? Will the lore contain references on how he got killed by a platoon of 40 heroes? Seems unlikely.

My personal take on that is that I doubt that "Warcraft 4" will ever be released. Not because of lore, because lore can always be fudged. But because of the far more mundane concept of "return on investment". Which investment do you believe would give higher returns, "Warcraft 4", "World of Starcraft", or some WoW expansion? In my opinion the WoW expansion is a sure moneymaker, World of Starcraft would be a potential multi-million dollar earner, and Warcraft 4 would just be a reasonably well selling RTS in a huge crowd of other RTS games. Blizzard has simply grown too big and too successful to still waste their time on some RTS game.

Of course I could be totally wrong there, this is just my personal opinion, with no inside knowledge. But seeing how resources are limited, I can't see Blizzard producing anything but MMOs in the next 10 year. It is not the lore that is tainted by WoW, but the Blizzard and Warcraft brand that have completely changed since Warcraft 3.
Warcraft 4 will be a MMO RTS and World of Starcraft will be Blizzard's response to Eve Online.
Don't forget the Diablo franchise. That thing is a license to print money. And with the lower development cost compared to an MMO, they'd be crazy not to pursue it.
I agree that on a lot of points it wouldn't make sense to take attention and effort away from the WoW cash cow to do something else..

If they ever get 'pressured' into doing WC4 or another 'normal' game, it would probably have to go via Licensing Rights and get done by a 3rd party with Blizzard overlooking..

But if we look at the whole Ghost chapter.....maybe they won't be tempted to try that real soon again.
I think they would be wise to keep the franchises separate.

You're right, I can't really see playing a "Warcraft 4", it even seems wierd to go back and play Warcraft 3 now. WoW provides a very slow story experience, but one with a rich background and history that is still being fleshed out.

I don't know that Diablo and Starcraft can say the same.

Perhaps they should keep each franchise as a different kind of game. The MMORPG belongs to Warcraft, RTS(or MMORTS) belongs to Starcraft, and the dungeon crawler belongs to Diablo.

I'd think that would work better than converting everything to a MMORPG, etc.
The idea of Warcraft never being an RTS game again is too depressing to contemplate.
I don't know anything about Starcraft. People mention it often but I've never bothered to research it. However, given Blizzard's prowess for developing an MMO that delivers, you can bet whatever MMO they release next, it will be purchased x3 in my household. Period.
World of Starcraft would sell like hotcakes in South Korea. Well, it would sell like Kimchi in South Korea (I don't see many hotcakes here).

I'm just not a fan of anything related to starcraft. Koreans have an entire channel dedicated to Starcraft, 24 hours a day. (This is not a joke) All of my students constantly talk about starcraft in class. They start moaning if I mention WoW, and they say it's so boring. It's a very different audience here.
The key for Blizzard is timing. I agree that World of Starcraft is a no-brainer (heck, sign me up now and I'll prebuy the thing) but I don't necessarily agree there won't be a Warcraft 4. I think there certainly will be, but timing is everything. World of Starcraft can't get anywhere close to release until World of Warcraft's number dip substantially. Robbing yourself of revenue is never a good business model.

Warcraft 4 won't be released until WoW is really circling the drain. It's an opportunity to advance the lore as they see fit, sell a non-online game which will see greater than expected sales thanks to the power the brand now holds, as well as not directly competing with whatever online game is their current focus (again, World of Starcraft seems likely).

Churn out Wacraft 4 and any expansion, maybe even 5. Get the lore nice and in line again, and then you're ready for World of Warcraft 2.

Sure, it's looking way the heck in advance but it all makes sense.

Diablo is an odd property now. WoW has a whole lot of Diablo in it already. I'm not sure how they intend to move forward with that franchise.
Possibly WC4 will be a hybrid of WoW and WC3, where you play the Hero, directing your troops into battle and fighting alongside them and influencing the outcome depending on how successfully you apply your skills.
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WoW is pretty similair to what I wanted diablo 3? to be.

If they drag diablo genre back, they would have to add some new game-addicting ticks while keeping it the same on the core.

The core stuff im talking about is
1.) Endless grind to get hard to find items, endless but not dull.

2.) Boss kills, and skill trees and mercenaries. <3
I think WOW has already messed up the Lore.
The idea that there can only be 2 playable factions is laughable.
Explain how the Forsaken could ever be allied to the Tauren - two complete extremes (nature lovers v undead creations). Seeing as the undead destroyed the Bloodelf homelands, I really can't see them being allies, either.How can the Forsaken communicate with Orcs but not humans?
Didn't Arthas kill Illidan in Warcraft 3?
As for the Draenei and their spaceship - isn't that a backdoor way to introduce Starcraft to WOW players? I really don't see any reason to bring Science Fiction into a fantasy seting.
Why not develop a gameworld and change something. I cannot understand users anymore especially these comments around the release of Burning Crusade. On the one hand they do not like changes at all and want to keep all their farmed epic-gear but on the other hand they get bored if there are no changes but "only raids".
I wished there was a bit more open-mindedness.
I must admit I like blizzards move to science fiction although I am a lover of fantasy settings and was sceptical looking at the Draenei and all these other sci-fi-elements. But this new Race and also the Mobs in Zangarmarshes or this Space-Thief-Faction, everything feels good and despite all critics consistent for me.
In my opinion it gives this world a kind of felt development over time and distinguishes it from boring static fantasy-scenarios.

What makes these complaints and this whole discussion about the news of BC interesting is the psychological dualism between the lust for new thing and the conventionalism. Why can't gamers be objective and see that there is no solution to satisfy every single special need?

On Topic :-) I think for WC4 it would be a very hard way to success. But of course success is possible. WC3 is established within e-sports and has a broad fanbase. World of Warcraft made progress to this Warcraft-Story ok. I do not see any problem to integrate the new story-elements into a Warcraft 4. But as it was said above the point is more an economical. Does it pay off to produce an RTS or is it the better - more profitable - way to work on WOW or perhaps on another MMO.
I think it'd be wise for blizz to include both WoW as a convential 'casual' gaming experience for online players, and then have a deeper sci-fi, mmo setting with some more strings to it, like that of Eve Online.

World of StarCraft could very much prove to be the latter, if it were made.

One of the blizz representative guys felt the need to mention that they'd announce up to 3 new games at some point in 2007. Sounds kinky in my opinion.
Personally i hat WOW and think its a horrible game...and too easy however i love WC3 and i'll be very disapointed if WarCraft 4 is never made as far as WOS goes i doubt Blizzard will want to run 2 major MMO's that would just be competing with themselfs. More expansions to WOW or a WOW 2 is much more likely
ok well i think theres nothing wrong with WoW and its added lore.
Not to be rude but there were 2 factions in both wc1 and wc2
i belive wc 4 would be nice though .
I believe warcraft 4 should have more races and new alliances, a definite betrayal of the forsaken, and a campain including the dwarves in northerend. But i doubt warcraft 4 is coming soon or ever.
I think blizzard doesnt focus on warcraft 4 because the game is still being played and it still has a large succes, but in time it will become like starcraft, t wil be played only for the money(if you know what i mean).

As for starcraft they cand hope to be as succesful as with his predecesor so it could prove a waste of time..... it would have to be very good to have a big succes.

Diablo is old news,the will come up with some kind gameplay like Star Wars Knights of the old republic and you now it will get boring fast enough.

Warcraft is stil a growing community and with a great story that community cand grow even larger.

The story from the frozen throne can be contuinued in a 1000 ways...but it needs to be in an extraordinary way so if they put half as much efort in warcraft 4 then into WOW it will be a big succes.

Anyways i dont think they care about the community much as long as money is coming into their pockets so....we have to wait.

StarCraft II has been announced. I guess you were wrong.

Haha. RTS ftw.
Ask any Wow player if they would play Wc4 and they would say yes. Wc4 wouldnt even be competing w/ Wow for money because of 2 different types of gameplay. If blizzard knows what they are doing they will make a WC4 to make the WC fans happy and keeping the cash flowing.
Starcraft 2 is annocunced alrdy. Warcraft 4 also. dunno about world of starcraft but PPl will die too play starcraft 2 and warcraft 4
ok so much that has been said is dead wrong really worng. first of the sci fi people are talking about isnt changing wow the dranei are just more advanced dont forget the gnomes and goblins have made planes and roket cars. next WoW doesnt mess up the warcraft lore at all it continues it. like ex. while narrting how kel'thuzad died theyd say something like with the armies of the horde and alliance gone to far away lands the people of azeorath took it apon themselves to clense the land of the vile tain of naxxaramas dun dun dun that easy. also the next warcraft rts they make will have to come after the death of WoW or blizz would have to find a way to intertwine the 2 stories also it is explained why the blood elfs sided with the horde. the alliance would let them come bak but i see in the future blood elfs coming back to the alliance by like betraying the undead so allies and horde would both then have blood elfs same with the dranei who want to remake peace with there orc brethren
the story is confusing, such as what happened to arthas b.c wow doesnt show it, does he sit on the frozen thrione for eternity or what. Also i dont think illidan is dead, either arthas didnt kill him all the way or the leigon or kael and vashj come to assist him. It would be very cool if the leigon was a playable race.
Another thing they could do is a prequal and do a game on the first coming of the burning leidon with ashzara and such.
There are many cool ideas for races and i probably couldnt name them all
Just use ur imagination and there are some rlly good ideas for races.

And before you all so NOO!! read blizards history, got sued twice because they were a former warhammer company, and then Games Workshop ditched them and they did not scratch their games.

BTW id play warcraft 4 if naga became a normal race. And World of Starcraft would be hard to do. Items for tyranids*COUGH* sorry, Zerg? Quite hard indeed

I think that blizzard is the smartest franchise among video games to date, and they know how to make money. With the release of Starcraft II in 2008 and WoW is now 9 Million strong... they will wait a few years to get Warcraft 4 out, and pump out as much money off of these games before releasing any other HUGE money makers.

Anyways, I think Warcraft 4 will come out in about 4-5 years. Also, a new World of Warcraft MMORPG will probly be out a couple years after the release of Warcraft 4.
All of the good people from warhammer must have went to blizzard - haha. Warhammer could keep suing them and blizzard would still have, and make more money.. :) - trust me I know..
You are right they will probly wait some time to make a WC4 :( . but they'd better do it quickly as new and better games will be made in the mean time.
If blizzard doesn't announce plans to come out with either WC4 or Diablo3 I am going to write them off completely. Those greedy bastards only care about money now and not at all about pleasing there fanbase. If you started your company off with a RTS wouldn't you want to keep that tradition alive?
I can't wait for Warcraft 4 and a Dota 2 :D

If you feel the same visit
wait....let me get this straight. You don't think they are gonna make a Warcraft 4, just because, it would be average compared to all of the other RTS's out there? that is SO wrong. you think there weren't a lot of RTS's back in Warcraft 3? there were many,even back then. It also won Game Of The Year. that reason is totally false. If blizzard wanted too, they could make GOTY again. Nothings changed, besides a spin off.
"Blizzard has simply grown too big and too successful to still waste their time on some RTS game"

Oh,so now blizzard is too good for RTS's? yeah right. RTS games are usually better then crappy online games. WOW would be nothing if its wasn't for Warcraft, and your ignorant if you think blizzard is too big to make RTS's
I don't expect to see a Warcraft RTS for at least another five years, but it would probably rock, and I'm not a big fan of WoW due to the absurdly high monthly fee, slow leveling, the fact that it overshadowed the old school Warcraft games which IMO were better, rag tag militias of heroes killing off some of the biggest villians and raiding some of the biggest cities of the Warcraft Universe, and the restructuring of the factions (blood elves=horde=wtf?).

Oh yeah, and EA is big and it still has a decent RTS repertoire with the C&C series. Might want to take that account. That and that the MMO probably won't go on forever.
Hey Warhammer guy! Warhammer's just a ripoff of Lord of the Rings, and Warhammer 40k Space marines were ripped off from the original Starship troopers, so shut your bloody trap
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