Whether it’s intending to bring World of Warcraft next-gen or it has something entirely different in mind, it seems as if Blizzard Entertainment is getting very serious about entering the next-gen game.
It might not be known for console development, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be. Blizzard has multiple job listings going for next-gen related positions. It’s looking for a next-gen senior engine programmer, a next-gen engine programmer, a next-gen tools programmer and even a senior producer.
It would seem the writing on the wall couldn’t be clearer. Blizzard will be a next-gen creator and, really, why wouldn’t it be?
The company’s World of Warcraft title is the hottest MMORPG going today with more subscribers than the population of some small countries. Plus, Diablo is pretty much a gaming legend.
Although it’s been dedicated to PC development, for the most part, the next-gen consoles are hot, really hot, and they give Blizzard the kind of graphics capabilities the company likes for its games. The move seems pretty logical. Besides, if Blizzard wants to up that WoW subscription figure a few more million, this is likely the way to go.
And while Blizzard hasn’t made its full intentions clear, there are lots of ideas out there.
The folks at Nintendo Dojo have some admittedly speculative ideas of what Blizzard might be up to, including bringing the WoW title to the Xbox 360.
Of particular interest is a suggestion that Starcraft: Ghost might be revived. This conjecture is echoed on Joystiq, “We have heard mutterings before, about this time last year, of Blizzard's interest in a DS version of StarCraft ... and have heard nothing of it since. Given Blizzard's reticence and long development times, it would likely be a couple of years before we heard anything.”
And, then there’s Video Game Generation with a suggestion it could be a “revival of The Lost Vikings or Rock & Roll Racing franchises (two of the few console games the company has worked on).”
No matter what it turns out to be, it sure does seem as if Blizzard is going next-gen. The last line on the main job description for the producer position couldn’t be more plain: “Experience working with Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii is a big plus.”
Whatever is cooked up, you can bet gamers will be interested.
Related:
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