Some people are reading too much into this. First of all the May announcement is in Korea, so it's probably a RTS or similar. Also since they are just now recruiting to build a team, they won't be making an announcement about that game within a month, think about it. Whatever that "next-gen mmo" is going to be isn't even started on design yet, so it's several years off. It's quite likely that Blizz is looking at their WoW numbers and they are thinking that they need a new MMO in about 3 years when WoW will be dropping in numbers, so they start recruiting now. Also Blizz makes PC games so "next-gen" probably just means a new MMO, not some consoles. Current consoles are not gonna be that good in a few years.

I really doubt that. A Starcraft MMO would have to be designed from the ground up with a ton of vehicles and to be much more 3d that a Warcraft one. You couldn't just paste Space Marines into WoW and have a blockbuster game.

It's ironic that I read these forums nearly every day for WoW related information, but the one thread that finally gets me to register and post is nothing of the sort. What can I say, I'm a sucker for speculation.

I am really, really looking forward to finding out what Blizzard is going to release next. At first I was hardcore 'pro-diablo3', but after I thought about it alot a Starcraft MMO done properly would be intensely fun. However, what has me even more intrigued is not necessarily what is coming next, but when it is coming. Quite frankly I am getting a bit bored of WoW. I think it lacks a certain competitive aspect to it that a Starcraft MMO focused heavily on PvP could possibly deliver. It seems though as whatever the title is, it's going to be at least one-two years away, and I really don't want to wait that long. (As if I really have a choice)

Regardless of the title I will be purchasing it. I just hope it comes out within a reasonable amount of time.


(Think about it- the units in Starcraft are a PvP dream. The developers could create an amazingly competitive game with the right ideas and balancing. Heres hoping it won't be an RTS!)

A Stacraft MMO seems simple and obvious but when you really think about it, there's a lot of challenges involved. Would it be entirely planet-based or would there be a space element? Space combat, even? Probably not, but how are they going to allow planet and system management/travel? Is it going to be heavily PvP oriented (almost certainly)? Will there be a conquest system with player-owned planets etc - EVE Online style, perhaps, but with surface combat? How the hell do you integrate those two ideas?

A new RTS announced now and released in probably 12-18 months would renew interest in the franchise to peak in time for a new MMO going into sneak-peak devblog mode in 3 years and releasing in about 5 years. Wouldn't you know it, a dev team commencing work in about 3 months and with Blizzard's resources would be able to release an MMO on that kind of schedule. Wouldn't you know it, armchair punditry says after another 5 years it will be time for Blizzard to let a seriously aging WoW sail into the sunset (not shutdown or anything, but no more heavy development support) and re-conquer the market.

If it's not SC2 to be announced in Korea and "Universe of Starcraft" or whatever to be the "next gen MMO" going into development, I'm shocked.

The timing also lets them switch gears without TOO many sunk costs on the MMO if people don't get as into SC2 as Blizzard hopes. A system developed for Universe of Starcraft could still be adapted to some other property; it's when you start sinking money into world design and artwork that the costs become really unrecoverable, and they wouldn't get to those before seeing how well SC2 was doing.

The scheduling is too nice for this not to be the case, really.

Pfft, of course starcraft or diablo could be MMOs. Hell you could make a "My Little Pony" MMO if you wanted to! Please dear god don't though =/.

I would be amazed if those job openings are for a game they are going to announce in a month. Why announce something without even a game engine in place? That just is not how it works, they are going to announce something we all know about, such as SC2 or Diablo3. Or a new sports game.

So my guess is they are looking to make WoW2, SC online, Diablo Online or something, and THAT is what the job openings are for. This announcement will be something else entirely.

I feel absolutely horrible for whoever at Blizzard will have to sort out the resumes of people who apply and has to sort out among the 10000 people with absolutely zero design experience who somehow think that dropping out of college to play WoW fulltime qualifies them as a designer.

Don't forget about Planetside's predecessor : WWII Online.

My hunch says Starcraft MMOFPS, along with rumors that have been spread since early last year in and around Irvine of why Ghost was scrapped, and the subsequent recycling of the dev team into the SC MMOFPS. Hey we can only hope right?

Any source of this rumor?

I would love a starcraft MMOFPS. I'm cool with whatever they make as long as it isn't WoW + Aliens.

Just to throw some more wood onto the fire, listeners of the 1up network podcasts were rewarded with commentary from Luke Smith on 1up Yours(always a favorite), about how he, Rob, and and Damien from Gamevideos.com, explaining how he was up at Blizzard a week ago gathering some interviews with Tigole and Friends that will be airing late May/early June.

They discussed the background of how they developed WoW, and the lessons they learned, as well discussing some interesting 'special developments' going on at Blizzard.

Coincides with the rumored announcement of a new game, and having Tigole as a cornerstone of the interview rather than generic Blizzard corporate may lend itself to the new "online multiplayer something" rumors.