Blizzard Advises Rival MMO Developers to Not Copy WoW

**Valigarmander** · 12-01-2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

It might come across as cockiness, but Blizzard doesn't think anyone should try to copy the formula that World of Warcraft follows. WoW has a dominant grasp on the subscription-based MMO market and, try as they might, rival developers who attempt to create a similar type of MMO experience -- whether that be in the form of Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online, or any of the other games that are often classified as "WoW clones" -- have yet to succeed in challenging WoW's position as top dog. And that's why Blizzard lead producer Shane Dabiri told PC Zone magazine (via CVG) that developers working on an MMO should try to innovate rather than copy what's been successful in the past.

"There are a lot of people that try to emulate World of Warcraft -- and as flattering as that is [on] our end it's definitely not the right move," he explained. "I know that World of Warcraft is very successful, and so people think if they were to make another game just like it they could somehow capture that audience. However, I don't think that's what players are looking for."

Dabiri said he believes that gamers want to do something different than what WoW offers when playing other games. And in that regard, he does seem to be right -- otherwise, wouldn't gamers just play WoW?

He continued, "I think the industry needs to move in that direction to come up with some innovative new MMOs that are trying really different things. Take City of Heroes -- at least that's something that's not a fantasy game."

It doesn't sound like he gives City of Heroes much credit for being unique outside of its setting even though it does offer up an experience that doesn't mirror that of WoW's as closely as many other MMOs.

As simple as it sounds to innovate and do something different than World of Warcraft, it does feel like countless MMOs have been released that do little to add to the genre. Do you think Dabiri is right, or is there success to still be found by mimicking what's worked for Blizzard?

Wasn't WoW copying Everquest in the first place?

**LASER BEAR ASSAULT UNIT** · 12-01-2009, 04:54 PM

yeah it pretty much was.

**Loot** · 12-01-2009, 05:33 PM

Wait, is Blizzard actually bragging?

SephirothKirby · 12-01-2009, 07:56 PM

WoW is copying D&D

Sim Kid · 12-01-2009, 10:54 PM

Are you sure they're not telling MMO Developers to stop copying WoW so they can make their games DIFFERENT?

***Cosmonautical*** · 12-01-2009, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valigarmander

Wasn't WoW copying Everquest in the first place?

Wasn't Everquest just a crappy copy of Ultima Online? You know, minus the awesome stuff like owning castles.

Sim Kid · 12-02-2009, 12:07 AM

And Wasn't Ultima online just a copy of Neverwinter Nights and various MUDs that were ripoffs of Dungeons and Dragons?

Bomby · 12-02-2009, 12:10 AM

Wasn't Beethoven just a copy of Mozart but with more emotion?

Robotazy · 12-02-2009, 12:54 AM

Aren't Humans just a copy of God, except they don't last as long.

***Booyakasha*** · 12-02-2009, 08:05 AM

This clearly isn't a "we invented fantasy role-playing so don't copy off us or we'll tell on you" warning---it's a "you're going to have a really hard time selling a fantasy MMO in the current climate, what with WoW's preeminence and the glut of competitors; maybe you should come up with a different setting, the way CoH has done" warning.

***Cosmonautical*** · 12-02-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sim Kid

And Wasn't Ultima online just a copy of Neverwinter Nights and various MUDs that were ripoffs of Dungeons and Dragons?

Umm, Neverwinter Nights was D&D licensed. It is D&D. The Ultima series predates the gold box series by 8 years, anyway. Ultima Online and its clones play similar to the format of the later games in the Ultima series, up to 8. Goldbox NWN was made in a style not dissimilar to the other Goldbox TSR/D&D titles, which were a rudimentary tactical/turn-based series, navigated by a chunky first-person interface and overworld map. Ultima is a realtime hack'n slash. The execution could hardly be more dissimilar.

**NintendoNut** · 12-02-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bomby

Wasn't Beethoven just a copy of Mozart but with more emotion?

Wasn't Beethoven just a dog?

Sim Kid · 12-03-2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bureau

Umm, Neverwinter Nights was D&D licensed. It is D&D. The Ultima series predates the gold box series by 8 years, anyway. Ultima Online and its clones play similar to the format of the later games in the Ultima series, up to 8. Goldbox NWN was made in a style not dissimilar to the other Goldbox TSR/D&D titles, which were a rudimentary tactical/turn-based series, navigated by a chunky first-person interface and overworld map. Ultima is a realtime hack'n slash. The execution could hardly be more dissimilar.

That wasn't exactly point I was getting at because really, if you look at it from any perspective...eVERYthing is a ripoff of SOMEthing.

Xyion · 12-05-2009, 12:44 AM

Isn't WoW, (and every other fantasy game) a rip off of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

Robotazy · 12-05-2009, 12:59 AM

nnnnnnnnnot really.

some1important · 12-06-2009, 11:46 AM

Neh, I thought WoW was boring anyways. I got bored of it and stopped playing when I reached Level 21 :/

Quote:

Originally Posted by NintendoNut

Wasn't Beethoven just a dog?

Eh, probably :V

**LASER BEAR ASSAULT UNIT** · 12-06-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xyion

Isn't WoW, (and every other fantasy game) a rip off of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

... *facepalm*

Lurch1982 · 12-07-2009, 12:55 AM

I have better advice: don't waste time or money developing MMOs in the first place.

***Cosmonautical*** · 12-07-2009, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xyion

Isn't WoW, (and every other fantasy game) a rip off of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

Warcraft is derivative of the Warhammer franchise, which Blizzard originally hoped to license for use with their Warcraft engine. They couldn't acquire rights, and so resigned themselves to redesigning many elements to become something entirely different. For clarification, Warhammer is a science fiction series rather unlike LotR. So no, Warcraft isn't too similar or derivative of LotR beside having similar language.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sim Kid

That wasn't exactly point I was getting at because really, if you look at it from any perspective...eVERYthing is a ripoff of SOMEthing.

Your point is moot. There were no massive multiplayer online games before UO. Its predecessors did not have to deal with hundreds of thousands of users in a single environment, and did not have to manage a simulated economy in the same manner. The games since it have played off of what UO established, making use of what features were successful. You can claim some of the gameplay elements are derivative of MUDS, but many of those are clearly derivative of the Ultima series' execution of gameplay, whose history predates the lot of them. Just as you can say that SMB is truly the first sidescrolling platformer title, even though there were rudimentary platformers before it. It did not make use of elements in the predecessors to its genre, but instead accomplished something similar by entirely different means. You are inappropriately cross-comparing mediums.

Electronic gameplay is still a young medium. There are many franchises around today, such as Ultima, that established gameplay in an original manner that was impossible outside of that entertainment. So no, not all electronic gameplay is a copy of something. If you'll recall, the medium was invented less than 40 years ago.

Kargath · 12-07-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bureau

For clarification, Warhammer is a science fiction series rather unlike LotR.

That's Warhammer 40,000.
Warhammer is a fantasy game with green orcs, inventor dwarves, high elves, human knights ...

12-01-2009, 04:54 PM	#2
LASER BEAR ASSAULT UNIT Videos Mod Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: In my pants Gender: Posts: 4,613 Thanks: 2,502 Thanked 767 Times in 422 Posts	yeah it pretty much was.

12-01-2009, 05:33 PM	#3
Loot Apparently I'm a mod? Join Date: May 2001 Location: LEGITIMATE BUSINESS Gender: Posts: 13,208 Thanks: 236 Thanked 1,237 Times in 659 Posts	Wait, is Blizzard actually bragging?

12-01-2009, 07:56 PM	#4
SephirothKirby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Those who criticize our generation forget who raised it. Gender: Posts: 7,213 Thanks: 373 Thanked 760 Times in 447 Posts	WoW is copying D&D

12-01-2009, 10:54 PM	#5
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	Are you sure they're not telling MMO Developers to stop copying WoW so they can make their games DIFFERENT?

12-02-2009, 12:07 AM	#7
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	And Wasn't Ultima online just a copy of Neverwinter Nights and various MUDs that were ripoffs of Dungeons and Dragons?

12-02-2009, 12:10 AM	#8
Bomby You just freaking blew Joe Biden's mind! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: WHAT?house Gender: Posts: 19,491 Thanks: 513 Thanked 1,449 Times in 849 Posts Blog Entries: 5	Wasn't Beethoven just a copy of Mozart but with more emotion?

12-02-2009, 12:54 AM	#9
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	Aren't Humans just a copy of God, except they don't last as long.

12-02-2009, 08:05 AM	#10
*Booyakasha* SuperMod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 9,945 Thanks: 157 Thanked 1,481 Times in 763 Posts	This clearly isn't a "we invented fantasy role-playing so don't copy off us or we'll tell on you" warning---it's a "you're going to have a really hard time selling a fantasy MMO in the current climate, what with WoW's preeminence and the glut of competitors; maybe you should come up with a different setting, the way CoH has done" warning.

12-05-2009, 12:44 AM	#14
Xyion Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Gender: Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Isn't WoW, (and every other fantasy game) a rip off of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

12-05-2009, 12:59 AM	#15
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	nnnnnnnnnot really.

12-07-2009, 12:55 AM	#18
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,850 Thanks: 127 Thanked 365 Times in 192 Posts	I have better advice: don't waste time or money developing MMOs in the first place.