Blizzard Advises Rival MMO Developers to Not Copy WoW

Valigarmander · 12-01-2009, 05:24 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?

Master of the Obvious · 12-01-2009, 05:54 PM

yeah it pretty much was.

**Loot the Orphan Shover** · 12-01-2009, 06:33 PM

Wait, is Blizzard actually bragging?

SephirothKirby · 12-01-2009, 08:56 PM

WoW is copying D&D

Sim Kid · 12-01-2009, 11:54 PM

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

Throbbing Mob · 12-02-2009, 12:00 AM

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, 01:07 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, 01:10 AM

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

Black Belt Tazy · 12-02-2009, 01:54 AM

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

**Booyakasha** · 12-02-2009, 09:05 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.

Throbbing Mob · 12-02-2009, 09:30 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, 01:17 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, 06:08 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, 01:44 AM

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

Black Belt Tazy · 12-05-2009, 01:59 AM

nnnnnnnnnot really.

some1important · 12-06-2009, 12:46 PM

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

Master of the Obvious · 12-06-2009, 02:09 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, 01:55 AM

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

Throbbing Mob · 12-07-2009, 07:30 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, 08:11 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 ...

12-02-2009, 09:05 AM	#10
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 8,295 Thanks: 128 Thanked 1,009 Times in 487 Posts Points: 27,928.21 Bank: 2,973,659.36 Total Points: 3,001,587.57 Donate	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. __________________ Boo---OH NO

12-01-2009, 05:54 PM	#2
Master of the Obvious Anime mod? I think so... Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: In my pants Gender: Posts: 3,979 Thanks: 2,107 Thanked 594 Times in 343 Posts Points: 77,165.95 Bank: 1,184,099.08 Total Points: 1,261,265.03 Donate	yeah it pretty much was.

12-01-2009, 06:33 PM	#3
Loot the Orphan Shover Has earned the achievement "Meanie" Join Date: May 2001 Location: At this point, in a DP factory. Gender: Posts: 8,958 Thanks: 132 Thanked 678 Times in 350 Posts Points: 5,426.43 Bank: 3,519,547.38 Total Points: 3,524,973.80 Donate	Wait, is Blizzard actually bragging?

12-01-2009, 08:56 PM	#4
SephirothKirby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Well then, let's begin the scoring. Gender: Posts: 6,344 Thanks: 313 Thanked 666 Times in 386 Posts Points: 6,234.20 Bank: 17,598,502.63 Total Points: 17,604,736.83 Donate	WoW is copying D&D

12-01-2009, 11:54 PM	#5
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 7,894 Thanks: 47 Thanked 146 Times in 86 Posts Points: 116,556.22 Bank: 13,652.08 Total Points: 130,208.30 Donate	Are you sure they're not telling MMO Developers to stop copying WoW so they can make their games DIFFERENT?

12-02-2009, 01:07 AM	#7
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 7,894 Thanks: 47 Thanked 146 Times in 86 Posts Points: 116,556.22 Bank: 13,652.08 Total Points: 130,208.30 Donate	And Wasn't Ultima online just a copy of Neverwinter Nights and various MUDs that were ripoffs of Dungeons and Dragons?

12-02-2009, 01:10 AM	#8
Bomby Lychee Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: A tree Gender: Posts: 17,561 Thanks: 303 Thanked 1,072 Times in 650 Posts Blog Entries: 5 Points: 30,955.14 Bank: 351,931,431.10 Total Points: 351,962,386.24 Donate	Wasn't Beethoven just a copy of Mozart but with more emotion?

12-02-2009, 01:54 AM	#9
Black Belt Tazy I specialize in HORN DRILL! HRARGH! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Cianwood Gym Gender: Posts: 12,867 Thanks: 432 Thanked 993 Times in 709 Posts Blog Entries: 18 Points: 61,348.89 Bank: 5,486,434.01 Total Points: 5,547,782.90 Donate	Aren't Humans just a copy of God, except they don't last as long.

12-05-2009, 01:44 AM	#14
Xyion Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Gender: Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 1,090.53 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 1,090.53 Donate	Isn't WoW, (and every other fantasy game) a rip off of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

12-05-2009, 01:59 AM	#15
Black Belt Tazy I specialize in HORN DRILL! HRARGH! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Cianwood Gym Gender: Posts: 12,867 Thanks: 432 Thanked 993 Times in 709 Posts Blog Entries: 18 Points: 61,348.89 Bank: 5,486,434.01 Total Points: 5,547,782.90 Donate	nnnnnnnnnot really.

12-07-2009, 01:55 AM	#18
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,806 Thanks: 127 Thanked 364 Times in 191 Posts Points: 64,637.31 Bank: 14,584,113.27 Total Points: 14,648,750.58 Donate	I have better advice: don't waste time or money developing MMOs in the first place.