Blizzard release schedule up to 2015

[Lakov_Sanite]

Sources are saying it looks legit, of note is Titan, slated to be an MMOFPS

[NiX]

SC2 Zerg Campaign release in tandem with D3? Seems fishy.

[Trouble]

Where's WoW mobile at now?

[Rendakor]

Could be the mobile armory and auction thing, which has been out for a bit.

[Trouble]

Oh yeah that's probly it. For some reason I was thinking a playable mobile WoW or something.

[Goreschach]

So the followup mmo that they announced several years ago isn't slated for release until q4 '13, which means it'll probably come out q2 '15?

[Hawkbit]

It makes sense overall.  Blizzard stated that they wanted WoW xpacs on 18 month intervals before, and looking at how content was launched in both BC/Wrath in six month spurts with the last six months being dead, 18 months is about perfect. 

I think the D3 schedule explains why development is taking so long... they're likely building all the xpacs right along with the base game. 

Cool find. 

[Rendakor]

So what's the difference between SC2 Phoenix and SC2 X1?

[Margalis]

Am I wrong in thinking that all this says is that they are releasing regular expansion packs for each of their 3 franchises?

This is like seeing a release schedule for Call of Duty or Madden.

[Kageru]

I don't think that comes as any surprise.

I do like the idea of Blizzard doing a MMOFPS though. If anything is going to test whether the concept has legs this will probably be it.

[Goumindong]

So what's the difference between SC2 Phoenix and SC2 X1?

StarCraft 2 eXpansion 1

Pheonix is probably a stand alone version or not an RTS

[Malakili]

So what's the difference between SC2 Phoenix and SC2 X1?

Phoenix must be an unannounced project. X1 has to be heart of the swarm, and x2 is likely Legacy of the Void

[Hawkbit]

Would not surprise me if SC2 Pheonix is a Facebook game.

[K9]

Protoss-themed Starfox-esque console game perhaps?

[patience]

The sequel to Lost Vikings.

[Ratman_tf]

Phoenix is the code name for Starcraft: Ghost! 

[Stabs]

So the followup mmo that they announced several years ago isn't slated for release until q4 '13, which means it'll probably come out q2 '15?

I strongly suspect there's no point releasing the followup MMO. At the moment 90% of NA/EU MMOers play WoW. What would be the point of releasing something that would compete with WoW?

They'll probably sit on it until WoW's numbers significantly drop. Not just mid-expansion doldrums but people actually being so bored they don't bother buying the expansions.

[Ingmar]

If the rumors about it being a FPS MMO rather than an RPG are true, that's a different market really.

[Stabs]

Heh, well so far FPS MMOs haven't had many customers (APB, Planetside).

The point is it's a Blizzard MMO. A lot of people might buy it because it's a Blizzard MMO and they trust Blizzard to keep them entertained.

In terms of Venn diagrams there's a tiny circle containing FPS MMO fans who play every FPS MMO and a very large circle of Blizzard fans who try every Blizzard game. The FPS MMO fans are statistically insignificant next to the Blizzard fans.

[Ingmar]

You're thinking about it the wrong way. The draw of the FPS MMO for developers is not to try to tap the little FPS MMO fan circle, but to try to suck in the much, much larger circle that is FPS fans in general.

[koro]

Phoenix is the code name for Starcraft: Ghost! 

Well, it does make a degree of sense...

[Goreschach]

Heh, well so far FPS MMOs haven't had many customers (APB, Planetside).

The point is it's a Blizzard MMO. A lot of people might buy it because it's a Blizzard MMO and they trust Blizzard to keep them entertained.

In terms of Venn diagrams there's a tiny circle containing FPS MMO fans who play every FPS MMO and a very large circle of Blizzard fans who try every Blizzard game. The FPS MMO fans are statistically insignificant next to the Blizzard fans.

Let me guess, you're one of those people who thought, before WoW, that the potential MMO userbase consisted of around a million people, right?

The popularity of awards/ranks/grind shit in contemporary FPS's shows that there are millions of players out there who would jump on an actual quality mmofps.

[waffel]

D3 at the end of NEXT year.

Fuck that 

[Tarami]

Let me guess, you're one of those people who thought, before WoW, that the potential MMO userbase consisted of around a million people, right?

I bet you called "11 million subs in 2010" first.

[NiX]

I strongly suspect there's no point releasing the followup MMO. At the moment 90% of NA/EU MMOers play WoW. What would be the point of releasing something that would compete with WoW?

Battle.net pass. Plus, the genre and fell will be a big enough change as not to compete with WoW.

[Draegan]

After 10 years your game starts to look dated. 

[Thrawn]

Anyone want to start a betting pool on D3 not being out until at least 2013?

[Kageru]

I remembered a blizzard whiteboard leaked way back at the start suggested two more expansions after the current. Kill Death-wing in this one, Free Ysera in the emerald dream expansion and then we're about ready to take on the legion for the finale. I could almost imagine blizzard (over the screams of Vivendi) declaring the game as complete, in maintenance mode and maybe even f2p. Especially if their next MMO launches at the same time and proves popular and drains players from WoW.

[Tearofsoul]

I heard Blizzard was pissed about this leak ...

no way to confirm that tho.

[Kageru]

Given how good blizzards information control normally is, and how sensitive to competition this information is (if it were true), I'd not be in the least surprised.

On the keeping of secrets.

[Margalis]

After 10 years your game starts to look dated. 

WoW looked dated on release.

[Teleku]

I don't really get why people say that.  I thought WoW looked better at release, and for a long time after, than any MMO at the time.  I know a bit later some games had higher polygon counts and other stats, but they still looked like shit compared to WoW.  Good artwork goes a long way.

[Reg]

If the artwork isn't so advanced that it has to be reused endlessly to keep your computer from melting then it's just not good enough.

[Kageru]

The base models need some more poly's badly... but even so I still prefer it, especially in motion, to the plastic doll with attachments look of EQ2, CO and SWTOR. In the case of EQ2 the dolly having a replaceable head.

[apocrypha]

WoW looked dated on release.

And has significantly improved every year since. Thing is they mostly save the really good artwork and design for the endgame raids. Have you seen inside Ulduar and ICC? Amazing stuff for such an old engine.