Is Blizzard gettin' serious about next-gen consoles?

16 Comments by Ross Miller Jul 6th 2006 5:55PM
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Don't get too excited just yet, but Blizzard has just posted a new job listing for a Senior Producer with "extensive firsthand experience with Blizzard games" who has recently made and shipped a AAA title for a current generation console. However, it is the optional skills that has the internet fluttering:

Experience in writing software.
Localization experience on a shipped console title.
Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii production experience.

The latter inclusion is not really valid yet (anyone developing for PS3 or Wii have, obviously, not finished producing their next-generation game) and was likely added to keep the job listing fresh in a few months, but it does reveal Blizzard's intentions, StarCraft: Ghost notwithstanding, to rejoin the console market.

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. Aside from tweaking World of Warcraft and finalizing the expansion pack, do we have any idea what Blizzard is up to? ~~(Swimming pool of money)~~

See Also:
Diablo 3 is coming, an argument

[Via Codename Revolution; thanks, enbob89]

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Jay: Jul 6th 2006; 6:17PM

sweet lord, The Lost Vikings. I was so addicted to that back on the Amiga, and I only had the demo! Brilliant game.

I'm not really that bothered in Blizzards newest games so I can't get excited about this.

Laxcat: Jul 6th 2006; 6:28PM

Dear Blizzard,

That you haven't made an RTS for the DS yet has been very disapointing. (C'mon! It's like the thing was DESIGNED for RTSes!) Now, I see that you may make an RTS for the Wii. Please do so quickly. All this lost potential is killing me.

obo: Jul 6th 2006; 6:29PM

I really have to wonder what Blizz has their old RTS developers doing, to keep them with the company. I've got a feeling that when WoW goes south, those guys are going to bolt and form their own studio.

Nushio: Jul 6th 2006; 6:57PM

Still waiting for Starcraft 2.

epobirs: Jul 6th 2006; 6:59PM

Starcraft on DS would be the Nintendogs for Korea.

Kevan: Jul 6th 2006; 7:00PM

It may be an advertisement for a position already filled within Blizzard, for someone who is applying for legal permanent worker status with the company as sponsor. Such an advertisement is a requirement before filing for labour certification.

Probably not this at all, but it's possible.

Night Elve: Jul 6th 2006; 7:52PM

Heck i dont care a shit about Blizzard doing games for consoles.

We need a StarCraft 2 ¡¡¡

stiill: Jul 6th 2006; 10:02PM

Getting serious? They're just trying to ship friggin' SC:Ghost some day.

It's turning into a Battlefield-style team multiplayer game for 360 and PS3. You heard it here first.

decoyMethod: Jul 6th 2006; 10:03PM

Am I the only one who feels like I read this same article every month? Blizzard has had job listings for people with console experience for a while now. Guees what, Blizzard IS working on a console game. You may have heard of it, its called Starcraft: Ghost. They may have versions for the next gen consoles as well *gasp*

Obligatory "It must be a slow day in news" remark

obo: Jul 7th 2006; 12:42AM

"Guees what, Blizzard IS working on a console game. You may have heard of it, its called Starcraft: Ghost. They may have versions for the next gen consoles as well *gasp*"

Current-gen Ghost is cancelled. Next-gen Ghost was pulled off the Blizz "Under Development" list.

Keep carrying the torch, brother, but realise you can't carry it forever.

Dan: Jul 7th 2006; 1:11AM

Starcraft for the DS, if done right, would be one of the few ideas that I would throw down 50 bucks to obtain.

Darkblaster: Jul 7th 2006; 7:27AM

"Am I the only one who feels like I read this same article every month? - Guees what, Blizzard IS working on a console game. You may have heard of it, its called Starcraft: Ghost. They may have versions for the next gen consoles as well *gasp*"

Guess you dont read stuff much so I have to say that no you don't read the same thing every month because you dont read every month. Blizzard has cancled star craft:ghost fot consoles, and they did so awhile ago.

DG: Jul 7th 2006; 8:31AM

Speaking of RTS, has Rampart been ported for the DS yet? I can't think of another game that would be as easy to port yet so perfect for the DS. Can you imagine a good port of that game that would minimizes the lack of trackball and takes advantage of WiFi multiplayer? Oh boy. I hope someone else has tought of that.

crono141: Jul 7th 2006; 11:57AM

"I really have to wonder what Blizz has their old RTS developers doing, to keep them with the company. I've got a feeling that when WoW goes south, those guys are going to bolt and form their own studio."

Bizz doesn't have any of their old RTS devs left. They already have jumped ship. Guild Wars was made by some old blizzard crew, and I hear a few of them are working on project offset as well.

Blizzard now is a shadow of what it once was. WoW is so popular because its capitalizing on the concepts and ideas of people who left the company ages ago.

Don't count on any new concepts, or new good games, from blizzard anytime soon. I mean, you can count on 1 hand the number of blizzard titles EVER:

Warcraft series
Starcraft Series
Lost Vikings
Diablo Series

This company has 4 original ideas, that they've exploited for 15 or so years.

How about something NEW blizzard?

Chris Remo: Jul 7th 2006; 1:47PM

You don't need to have shipped a game for a particular system to have experience with that system. Developers have been working on Wii and PS3 games for over a year now. Obviously, a high-profile company like Blizzard is only going to be hiring people with experience (ie, people working at other game development firms) in the first place, so there's nothing odd or incorrect about that bullet point.

Skyteck: Jul 14th 2006; 10:25PM

I second that #'s 4,7 WE NEED A SC 2 or at least SC ghost with better graphics...

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