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03-06-2012, 06:52 AM
By Tom Magrino (http://uk.gamespot.com/users/TomM_GScom/),
Posted Feb 23, 2012
Develop source says company has unannounced freemium game on its hands, but official word points to Blizzard DOTA.
Source: UK gaming news site Develop (http://www.develop-online.net/news/39915/New-Blizzard-game-to-be-free-to-play) reports Blizzard Entertainment is working on a new, unannounced free-to-play game.
What we heard: One reason cited as why Blizzard's World of Warcraft has been shedding subscribers at a steady clip in the last few months is the proliferation of high-quality free-to-play games. Now, if a report from Develop is to be believed, Blizzard is taking the join-them tack with an as-yet-unannounced project.
According to Develop's sources, the game company plans to implement a free-to-play, microtransaction-supported business model into an upcoming project. Develop then suggests that this project could be Blizzard's upcoming massively multiplayer online Project Titan, details for which remain largely under wraps.
http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/53/blizzarddota_47906_embed.jpg (http://au.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/index.php?single=1&path=2012%2F53%2Fblizzarddota_47906_screen.jpg&caption=Blizzard%2BDOTA%2Bwill%2Bbe%2Bfree-to-play%2C%2BOK%3F&blog=1&cvr=rGO1)Blizzard DOTA will be free-to-play, OK? (http://au.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/index.php?single=1&path=2012%2F53%2Fblizzarddota_47906_screen.jpg&caption=Blizzard%2BDOTA%2Bwill%2Bbe%2Bfree-to-play%2C%2BOK%3F&blog=1&cvr=rGO1)
The key word in Develop's report is "unannounced," mostly because Blizzard actually has an announced free-to-play project on its hands. At last year's BlizzCon, the company revealed the rebooted Blizzard DOTA (http://uk.gamespot.com/blizzard-dota/previews/blizzard-dota-first-look-preview-playing-with-stitches-6341792/), confirming that the title will join many other multiplayer online battle arena games by using a microtransaction-based business model.
So is this what Develop's source was talking about?
The official story: Probably. A Blizzard representative responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter with a set (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/) of (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/21/first-glimpse-at-blizzard-dota-may-be-entirely-free-to-play-through-sc2-starter-edition/) links (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-22-blizzard-dota-free-but-there-will-be-costs) all pointing to the free-to-play plans for Blizzard DOTA.
Bogus or not bogus: Blizzard's response allows for a bit of wiggle room, but this one's looking bogus.
Posted Feb 23, 2012
Develop source says company has unannounced freemium game on its hands, but official word points to Blizzard DOTA.
Source: UK gaming news site Develop (http://www.develop-online.net/news/39915/New-Blizzard-game-to-be-free-to-play) reports Blizzard Entertainment is working on a new, unannounced free-to-play game.
What we heard: One reason cited as why Blizzard's World of Warcraft has been shedding subscribers at a steady clip in the last few months is the proliferation of high-quality free-to-play games. Now, if a report from Develop is to be believed, Blizzard is taking the join-them tack with an as-yet-unannounced project.
According to Develop's sources, the game company plans to implement a free-to-play, microtransaction-supported business model into an upcoming project. Develop then suggests that this project could be Blizzard's upcoming massively multiplayer online Project Titan, details for which remain largely under wraps.
http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/53/blizzarddota_47906_embed.jpg (http://au.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/index.php?single=1&path=2012%2F53%2Fblizzarddota_47906_screen.jpg&caption=Blizzard%2BDOTA%2Bwill%2Bbe%2Bfree-to-play%2C%2BOK%3F&blog=1&cvr=rGO1)Blizzard DOTA will be free-to-play, OK? (http://au.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/index.php?single=1&path=2012%2F53%2Fblizzarddota_47906_screen.jpg&caption=Blizzard%2BDOTA%2Bwill%2Bbe%2Bfree-to-play%2C%2BOK%3F&blog=1&cvr=rGO1)
The key word in Develop's report is "unannounced," mostly because Blizzard actually has an announced free-to-play project on its hands. At last year's BlizzCon, the company revealed the rebooted Blizzard DOTA (http://uk.gamespot.com/blizzard-dota/previews/blizzard-dota-first-look-preview-playing-with-stitches-6341792/), confirming that the title will join many other multiplayer online battle arena games by using a microtransaction-based business model.
So is this what Develop's source was talking about?
The official story: Probably. A Blizzard representative responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter with a set (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/) of (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/21/first-glimpse-at-blizzard-dota-may-be-entirely-free-to-play-through-sc2-starter-edition/) links (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-22-blizzard-dota-free-but-there-will-be-costs) all pointing to the free-to-play plans for Blizzard DOTA.
Bogus or not bogus: Blizzard's response allows for a bit of wiggle room, but this one's looking bogus.