Writer Chris Metzen says the expectation of ”performing again or outdoing” competitors who’ve also ”learned from your big hit”, can be ”very, very intense.”
At one stage the Titan project has been prototyped using the World of Warcraft engine. ”Obviously, I can’t get into what our thinking is in particular,” teased Blizzard writer Chris Metzen, attached to World of Warcraft.
”But if you’re fortunate enough to have that hit game that’s beloved by X number of people, that expectation of performing again or outdoing the competition that’s also learned from your big hit can become very, very intense.” He added, ”It’s a bitch.”
”But there’s glory to be found – a testing or refinement process where you have to look soberly at the game. Projecting ahead ‘Well, what would be the next level?’ What did we learn from this one? And what will we absolutely never do again?”
”You have to take an exhaustive audit about what worked and what didn’t and really try to envision something that may be radically outside your comfort zone because no one’s ever tried. But it can be a very daunting process,” Metzen admitted.
Many MMO studios have reaped from the lessons Blizzard have had to learn the hard way, but none have managed to come close to usurping World of Warcraft as the biggest and most successful MMO. Can Blizzard achieve equal success with Titan? Time will tell.
The next two major MMOs on the way are BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, which focuses a lot on a story driven experience, and ArenaNet’s free-to-play Guild Wars 2. Do they offer something different enough from Blizzard’s World of Warcraft?
