Anyone want to comment on the new Blizzard.com splash page?

[DeeBye]

http://www.blizzard.com/

So what's a-brewing?

[Munkay]

http://www.blizzard.com/

So what's a-brewing?

I still vote for a new SC game. Weird how they display a timeline and only show the first two Warcraft games though.

Cheers,

Munk

[Chesspiece_face]

http://www.blizzard.com/

So what's a-brewing?

my crystal ball prediction? Battle.net 2.0

I've been expecting for a long time that blizzard would revamp Battle.net to not only include diablo, starcraft, and warcraft but to include architecture for WoW as well as any future MMO's or other games.

New server architecture to bridge functionality between MMO's as well as improved server functionality and community services for all future RTS's in the pipeline. How about persistant world aspects in a new Starcraft RTS.

also of note, if you click through the splash page, is the top news item for a new position:

Blizzard is looking for a seasoned Senior Programmer to work on core technology that will be leveraged across all Blizzard games. Technology that includes product/community launchers, installers, automated testing systems, and data distribution technology to name a few. The ideal candidate will be a good communicator, be able to balance requirements against implementation, and have the ability to envision and help design work flows. This role gives an exciting opportunity to be involved on programming projects that are utilized across all current and future Blizzard products including World of Warcraft.

Blizzard offers a fun, creative and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation and a full range of benefits.

Requirements

7+ years experience in software engineering in various programming languages
5+ years experience in C++
Strong background in two or more of these APIs: Win32, Mach, Cocoa, BSD or Linux, sockets, STL.
Strong background in one or more of these subjects: AI programming, Control Theory, UI design or framework architecture.
Technical writing experience
Description:

Mentoring and development of associate level engineers
Design and development of common internal systems libraries for Blizzard tools and games
Design and development of systems such as patcher, installer, downloader and launcher for all Blizzard games
Continued development support for Blizzard legacy games, including StarCraft, Warcraft III, and Diablo II
Design and development of internal automation tools such as build servers, unit test frameworks and game testing
Plusses:
Scrum/Agile experience
Statistical analysis
Boost API

[DeeBye]

Weird how they display a timeline and only show the first two Warcraft games though.

That's part of the mystery. It's apparent to me that they will be cycling through the timeline of games as the days progress, until they get to the big ? and the unannounced game is revealed.

[Quark]

also of note, if you click through the splash page, is the top news item for a new position:

Doesn't seem to relate. The skills listed there aren't for a networking architecture. They're for patching programs, download programs, launchers (first used by WoW), MPQ editors. This is for the type of person that spends hours at work developing scripts to make their job easier. Performance isn't much of an issue, and the tools that are developed show that.

[Lissa]

If Blizzard is going for symmetry on that page, it's going to be something involving Starcraft. If you look at the symmetry you have two Diablo games up top with two Warcraft games and on bottom you have two Warcraft games, Starcraft, and just the ?. I doubt it will be a MMO as I'm not sure how Starcraft could break out the standard Tank, Healer, Nuker, Buffer, and Debuffer style characters with the known races of Starcraft and known units. IMO, they're going to go with something kind of irreverent that combines game genres with maybe an RTS crossed with Diablo type scroller to, in essence, take WC3 to a new level.

[Quark]

If Blizzard is going for symmetry on that page, it's going to be something involving Starcraft. If you look at the symmetry you have two Diablo games up top with two Warcraft games and on bottom you have two Warcraft games, Starcraft, and just the ?.

I love speculation like this:)

It's already symmetrical. Anything new breaks the symmetry. 2 WC, Diablo, SC, Diablo, 2 WC. It also is probably just a heavy coincidence, since it's organized by release date.

[roguebanshee]

I doubt it will be a MMO as I'm not sure how Starcraft could break out the standard Tank, Healer, Nuker, Buffer, and Debuffer style characters

If they make a SC MMO and they break with the usual Tank/Heal/Nuke setup, then I'd probably try to squeeze it into my budget for a while. I very much prefer a game where you do not have to sit around for a couple of hours, looking for that last "required" party member.

Of course, making a multiplayer game where everyone can be independent, still synergize in a team and not be tank/mages isn't easy.

[Thecla]

Well, whatever it is (and I doubt it's a MMO game), I'm guessing it will have at least the option of a monthly subscription for extra online goodies, like Hellgate:London. If nothing else, WoW has proved that that's a viable option for a large number of players. I suspect the whole gaming industry is going that way (and it's not necessarily a bad thing).

[lemekim]

http://www.blizzard.com/

So what's a-brewing?

http://www.starcraft2.com/

Notice any similarities between that page and Blizzard's main splash page? =P That, along with tons of circumstantial evidence (hiring of 3D RTS level designers, announcing this in Korea, partial rumor confirmation) squarely points to SC2 as the next project.

It is unlikely to be SC MMO with WoW still sporting millions of players and having several expansions coming up, given that the biggest competitor of that MMO would be Blizzard themselves. However, we might see some twist to the traditional formula of RTS, perhaps it will be more oriented on squad combat or there will be extensive online play options unlike others we have seen... But I believe that it will still be a SC2 RTS (or at worst, SC2 FPS!).

[Ashock]

http://www.starcraft2.com/

Notice any similarities between that page and Blizzard's main splash page? =P That, along with tons of circumstantial evidence (hiring of 3D RTS level designers, announcing this in Korea, partial rumor confirmation) squarely points to SC2 as the next project.

It is unlikely to be SC MMO with WoW still sporting millions of players and having several expansions coming up, given that the biggest competitor of that MMO would be Blizzard themselves. However, we might see some twist to the traditional formula of RTS, perhaps it will be more oriented on squad combat or there will be extensive online play options unlike others we have seen... But I believe that it will still be a SC2 RTS (or at worst, SC2 FPS!).

Knowing how long Blizzard takes to develop games, by the time a new Blizz MMO came out, WOW would be if not dead then at least dying. So I really do not see a problem (from a business standpoint) with another Blizz MMO, be it SC or Diablo.

I'd say that they would take another 2-3 years to actually release it, and looking at the fact that the current lvl cap in WOW is 70 and that Blizz is planning a one/year XPack, and that they will probably raise the cap by 10 with every XPack..... yeh, 2-3 years.... lvl 90-100. Sounds about right. I bet they planned it from the time they made the original lvl cap at 60.

Of course I could be wrong.

[Quark]

http://www.starcraft2.com/

Notice any similarities between that page and Blizzard's main splash page? =P That, along with tons of circumstantial evidence (hiring of 3D RTS level designers, announcing this in Korea, partial rumor confirmation) squarely points to SC2 as the next project.

sc2.com has been around since 1999, and was a copy of blizzard.com the last time they did a major announcement, announcing WoW.

Once again, reading too much into things.

[lemekim]

Knowing how long Blizzard takes to develop games, by the time a new Blizz MMO came out, WOW would be if not dead then at least dying. So I really do not see a problem (from a business standpoint) with another Blizz MMO, be it SC or Diablo.

I'd say that they would take another 2-3 years to actually release it, and looking at the fact that the current lvl cap in WOW is 70 and that Blizz is planning a one/year XPack, and that they will probably raise the cap by 10 with every XPack..... yeh, 2-3 years.... lvl 90-100. Sounds about right. I bet they planned it from the time they made the original lvl cap at 60.

Of course I could be wrong.

I think we are actually in agreement here - the current announcement is most assuredly about something coming relatively soon, so it is unlikely to be any type of MMO, but there is definately room in the future for SC MMO or Diablo MMO of sorts.



That pretty much leaves us with 2 options - SC2 or Diablo3. Given lack of any real move to secure Diablo 3 domain and the disbanding of Blizzard North (Diablo makers), along with direct competition from Hellgate:London, it makes release of Diablo3 unlikely and probably unwise choice. Given some circumstantial support in favor of SC2 and lack of anything similar in favor of anything else, I can only say one thing:

"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem"

[Ashock]

I think we are actually in agreement here - the current announcement is most assuredly about something coming relatively soon, so it is unlikely to be any type of MMO, but there is definately room in the future for SC MMO or Diablo MMO of sorts.
That pretty much leaves us with 2 options - SC2 or Diablo3. Given lack of any real move to secure Diablo 3 domain and the disbanding of Blizzard North (Diablo makers), along with direct competition from Hellgate:London, it makes release of Diablo3 unlikely and probably unwise choice. Given some circumstantial support in favor of SC2 and lack of anything similar in favor of anything else, I can only say one thing:

"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem"

So, why not an announcement about an MMO in development now? I mean just because they are announcing something now, does not mean that it is something that is close to release. I mean D2 was announced to be in development like 3 years before it actually came out. I just do not see Blizzard spending any more money on a pure non-subscription game anymore. Maybe as the one who does not cut his nails suggests above, it could be a sort of a hybrid, but it's got to be at least a game of that type.

[lemekim]

So, why not an announcement about an MMO in development now? I mean just because they are announcing something now, does not mean that it is something that is close to release. I mean D2 was announced to be in development like 3 years before it actually came out. I just do not see Blizzard spending any more money on a pure non-subscription game anymore. Maybe as the one who does not cut his nails suggests above, it could be a sort of a hybrid, but it's got to be at least a game of that type.

I thought Diablo 2 was announced at most a year before the intended release, but it kept getting postponed over and over again, so in the end it was 2-3 years to the actual release. Wow was released fairly quickly after it's initial announcement, as was Warcraft 3.

I mean I definately see them riding the MMO horse again, but with at least 2 more expansions for WoW (we have Northrend, Emerald Dream, Goblin/Priate southern islands, Maelstrom, Kirin Tor, Guilneas left), it will be at least 4 years (1 year to finish off current expansion and 1.5 years for each of the upcoming expansions) before WoW will start running out of content.

I can see however some sort of hybrid viable though as you mentioned, but not purely an MMO, as it really wouldn't draw many new subscribers, since most likely it would draw players from WoW. Perhaps a Starcraft RTS with an extensive online pay-to-play model and direct ties to TV and other medium. Meaning, Blizzard goal is making the next Starcraft a true e-sport with all the benefits that come with it. Can you imagine if Baseball, America's national past time, was owned by one company, and everything ever related to it would bring profit to that one company? It may sound farfetched in most places, but in Korea, Starcraft just may become one of the national past times, and that may be what Blizzard is aiming for.