A Starcraft mmog is likely, what kind should it be?

It’s been ten years and running of feverish battle between the Protoss, Zerg, and Terran - carpal tunnel soon to be a national pandemic in some countries where limp wrists and mangled fingers might be a common sight with medics running around yelling, “state the nature of your medical emergency!” Given Starcraft’s global acclaim some sort of sequel is long overdue, even if the last iteration is a ghost of the past and not a sequel worthy for the millions who prefer Starcraft in real-time strategy form. In the coming weeks, from South Korea, Blizzard will answer the one question on everyone’s mind: What exactly is Blizzard making?

The rumor mill, lit ablaze as various sources claim the unannounced game is a mmog based on Starcraft. This makes sense as Blizzard headhunters scour the talent pools for top notch talent to work on a “next-gen” mmog and the announcement will take place in South Korea, the hub to the most ravenous Starcraft fanatics. When Blizzard says next-gen mmog I want to believe it - the downside cvg sources say the foundation for the Starcraft mmog will be copied from World of Warcraft, making the mmogs eerily similar. I hope the game is really next-gen from a game design perspective and not its launch date. I won’t give into the flapping lips, spreading rumored gossip until Blizzard sheds light on some specifics, knowing Blizzard’s past that could be awhile if the game is in an early stage of development.

World of Warcraft is a mmog that is not very popular in South Korea, and a Starcraft mmog based on the diku formula won’t be embraced as a rts evolutionary mmog - something different than the norm. I hope the projects differ, the upcoming announcement relates to a Starcraft rts and Blizzard is working on a new mmog. I can’t help but not want a rts over a mmog, but if it’s a sub based mmog, that’s where the big money is and after WoW’s success. It is hard to resist a repeat success and Blizzard has a good chance with a Starcraft mmog. I guess Blizzard is no longer an innovative company with fresh new ideas, but more along in playing it safe and milking their established franchises.

I loved Starcraft, it is my all-time-favorite rts along with big game hunters as the most played map - I can’t help but chuckle when thinking about an interview I read years ago - Launch loomed, the Starcraft team in crunch mode, oozing passion and dedication, so much that in one instance, a developer’s wife was in labor with their first child and he continued to work on Starcraft’s code in a paper notebook. When it comes to sci-fi mmogs, no one should complain about there not being enough, in the next few years there will be plenty since there are at least half-a-dozen in development and if no one likes any of them, we are better off playing Virtual Laguna Beach.