Blizzard planning six 'proven' releases by 2014

Blizzard is planning to release six "proven" products over the next three years: two StarCraft games, two WoW expansions, Diablo 3, and a Diablo expansion.

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Activision Blizzard COO Thomas Tippl is expecting Blizzard to release six "proven property" releases over the next three years. Tippl said at the Citi 2011 Technology Conference that this will include two expansion packs for World of Warcraft, the remaining two pieces of StarCraft 2, and Diablo III.

This would mean that Blizzard expects the third StarCraft 2 sub-game, Legacy of the Void, to hit by the end of 2014. The sixth release is a possible Diablo 3 expansion, but speculation is swirling that the Titan project could hit in that time frame too.

Tippl specifically mentioned a Diablo 3 expansion which would round out the six, but GameSpot notes that he chose his words carefully, outlining proven properties. Blizzard's secret "Titan" MMO isn't proven yet, but could still release before 2014. Rumors place it in fall of 2013.

Blizzard, meanwhile, issued a statement. "We haven't made any announcements in regard to plans beyond our current slate," a representative said. "Currently, we are focused on the next content update for Cataclysm, the upcoming release of Diablo III, and continued development on Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm."

An unspoken issue is the supposed Diablo console plans. The company has dropped more than a few hints about such a release, but that would likely be counted as part of the six existing slated releases, rather than a separate project. It's also interesting to note that despite plans to speed up World of Warcraft expansions, Blizzard only has two slated for the next three years. This could be a sign that Blizzard will still be taking its time with expansions, or that Activision doesn't want to count on their chickens before they're hatched.

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 9, 2011 9:45 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Blizzard planning six 'proven' releases by 2014.

    Blizzard is planning to release six "proven" products over the next three years: two StarCraft games, two WoW expansions, Diablo 3, and a Diablo expansion.

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      September 9, 2011 9:48 AM

      [deleted]

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        September 9, 2011 9:53 AM

        they need something because cataclysm blows

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          September 9, 2011 12:05 PM

          Cata seems like it should be great in terms of all the individual parts, but in actual practice it didn't grip me very much. Not like original WoW, and not even like BC, and as appallingly easy as WotLK was, it was still a super neat and well-focused environment. Cata is just aimless and spread out all over the place and feels grindy as ever. I fully admit that it could just be that I'm burned out on WoW after four iterations of roughly the same stuff, but to me it's just over-engineered.

          Maybe they knew they needed to revamp the Old World content, and were well aware that the rest of the high level content would suffer after dividing the effort. I don't know.

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            September 9, 2011 1:13 PM

            Cata was an excuse to bring the old world into up to date engine code, and remodel everything.

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        September 9, 2011 10:06 AM

        HotS, LotV, probably 2 WoW expansions, Diablo 3

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        September 9, 2011 11:20 AM

        Blizzard is on a 2 year expansion cycle. They are trying to be 18 months but I doubt it will happen. So yeah Mists of Pandaria or whatever the new expansion is will be out next year and revealed next month at Blizzcon. I actually think this expansion is going to be out before November and instead come out in late spring early summer since Cataclysm has not kept players playing. And as a result will be a smaller 5 level expansion similar to Cataclysm.

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          September 9, 2011 11:45 AM

          Why didn't they do The Emerald Dream?

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            September 9, 2011 12:32 PM

            To be honest I was shocked they didn't do another Burning Legion based expansion on Outland, and give Outland the same sort of revamp as Cataclysm.

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              September 9, 2011 1:41 PM

              this kind of sentiment always surprises me considering everyone seems to hate cata. i don't think blizz are going "well, everyone hates what we did there, let's do it again"

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                September 9, 2011 4:22 PM

                I haven't met anyone who hates what they did for Cata to the old world. Every complaint comes from the end game.

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                  September 9, 2011 5:10 PM

                  Exactly, I like the changes to the old world, but the end game content was terrible. Is it better now with Firelands? I quit not long after hitting 85 and felt burned by purchasing the expansion.

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          September 9, 2011 11:48 AM

          Cataclysm wasn't really smaller though, they just spent so much more time on reworking the old world instead of adding new levels and zones.

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            September 9, 2011 11:55 AM

            They totally could've done more with the new zones though. The experience required made it so you didn't have to finish all the quests in all the zones and depending on guild XP boosts, you could skip half of most zones and all of Vashj'ir. That was dumb of them.

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              September 9, 2011 12:02 PM

              That's not any different from the previous expansions. In WotLK you could completely skip either Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra, and in Burning Crusade you didn't have to touch Blade's Edge Mountains, Netherstorm or Shadowmoon Valley, nor did you have to complete every quest in the zones you did do to hit 70 or 80.

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              September 9, 2011 12:13 PM

              Yeah, I didn't get that at all. I felt like I'd skipped half the content when I hit max level, and it was mostly trivial the while way through. I *maybe* did a few dungeons. I don't think I fully completed even a single zone until I'd hit 85, because it just made more sense to move on after you out-leveled the content and weren't halfway done with the content. Just... Why?? Original WoW took forever to level, but somehow it felt more meaningful and adventurous.

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      September 9, 2011 9:53 AM

      Makes me wonder if they're still working on Starcraft Ghost.

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        September 9, 2011 9:55 AM

        The two Starcraft games in this time period would be Heart of the Swam and Legacy of the Void.

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        September 9, 2011 9:57 AM

        No.

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        September 9, 2011 10:14 AM

        They're throwing their first person desires into Titan probably, considering codevelopment rumors with Bungie

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        September 9, 2011 10:45 AM

        SCG is dead, best to leave it there.

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        September 9, 2011 12:52 PM

        [deleted]

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        September 9, 2011 3:02 PM

        they sold the rights to ghost away or something.. remember reading about it

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      September 9, 2011 9:59 AM

      where is HotS!?!?!?!?!!?!?

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        September 9, 2011 10:29 AM

        [deleted]

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          September 9, 2011 11:21 AM

          I always thought blizz said 16 months apart

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            September 9, 2011 11:23 AM

            Its pretty strange really. they had that press event a few months ago and there was a burst of new info, then....nothing.

            Maybe we will get a release date at blizzcon

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        September 9, 2011 10:34 AM

        6 months of debates on if the Lurker should return.

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          September 9, 2011 11:23 AM

          No I don't believe they have gotten past the how to make the Bunker better argument to focus on lurkers.
          Hydra's need a speed upgrade and yes the Lurker needs to return as a Tier 3 unit. Just because I miss seeing Hydra's in a game except as gimmicks.

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            September 9, 2011 11:46 AM

            Whaaat? Hydras are pretty useful!

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              September 9, 2011 12:35 PM

              They have their purpose but I miss them being the zerg backbone unit it is a personal preference thing.

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            September 9, 2011 11:48 AM

            if they buff bunkers in any form, and lurkers return, then toss is gonna need an area control unit.

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          September 9, 2011 12:34 PM

          I don't see the Lurkers coming back. They're basically designed for marine death like hellions, but Zergs are supposed to use banglings and burrowed banglings instead. Honestly, I don't know how Blizzard will introduce new(or new old) units to the game at all without completely reworking the races. Still it would be interesting to see some units overlap. Goliaths would be an interesting unit, but depending on implementation, they'd either be near useless or completely eliminate the need for terran to go bio.

          We'll probably see a large scale reworking of the races. I doubt Blizzard intended Reapers to end up like they have. They probably thought motherships would be more beloved. They didn't think that Ultras would stumble into mass ghosts and spontaneously combust. Regadless, SC2 as we know it will vanish.

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      September 9, 2011 10:02 AM

      One of these perhaps, the Diablo 3 on consoles project they have been hinting at?

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        September 9, 2011 11:08 AM

        i think diablo would do well on the console. I'd get it for sure.

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      September 9, 2011 10:09 AM

      Can't be titan, it's not proven.

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        September 9, 2011 11:02 AM

        Regarding Blizzards history of not really bringing out new IPs the last few years, I'd wager that Titan is a Starcraft based MMO.

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          September 9, 2011 11:15 AM

          They've stated specifically that Titan is a new IP.

        • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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          September 9, 2011 11:16 AM

          Pretty sure they've specifically said it's a new IP.

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            September 9, 2011 2:23 PM

            Blizzard and Activision have said lots of things in the past that turned out differently. I don't trust them to really go for a new IP.

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              September 9, 2011 3:58 PM

              So you're taking what they've said for the past three years, and just saying that they're lying? I mean, that's fine if you really think so, but when multiple devs/CM's all have said that it is a new IP, I don't see them saying "LOL NM GUIZE"

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          September 9, 2011 11:46 AM

          Not possible since they've already stated it's new IP.

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      September 9, 2011 11:00 AM

      WARCRAFT 4 pleaseeeee --- no more WoW shitttt

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        September 9, 2011 11:16 AM

        This is highly unlikely with 2 SC2 expos planned. I'd say 10 years would be optimistic.

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          September 9, 2011 11:45 AM

          But Warcraft and Starcraft are different types of strategy games.

          There is a large population that enjoys competitive Warcraft, so maybe if Warcraft III starts to wane, there might be a new one.

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            September 9, 2011 11:52 AM

            Considering it took them from 1998 to 2010 to release another Starcraft -- it may be a while, especially with the focus on WoW/Titan.

            Warcraft III was released in 2002, and the expansion in 2003. I have a feeling it will be around 2015 before we see Warcraft 4.

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              September 9, 2011 12:12 PM

              Well that sucks considering the world is ending in about a year

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                September 9, 2011 2:52 PM

                haha, i wonder what Blizzard is planning for the end of days.

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                September 14, 2011 4:15 AM

                Sexpansion Pack - "Yeah I think that's a reasonable estimate, if it ever happens. Is it even confirmed? I wouldn't be surprised if the WoW gravy train puts it on indefinite hiatus."

                yes, honestly read that as the reply.

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          September 9, 2011 11:59 AM

          Yeah I think that's a reasonable estimate, if it ever happens. Is it even confirmed? I wouldn't be surprised if the WoW gravy train puts it on indefinite hiatus.

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      September 9, 2011 11:22 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 9, 2011 12:09 PM

      screw all of this stupid crap, can I have my new Black Thorne now FFS ?????????????

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      September 9, 2011 12:17 PM

      Is this in line with the leaked document from a year ago?

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      September 9, 2011 12:19 PM

      lol blizz you so funny

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      September 9, 2011 12:19 PM

      "This would mean that Blizzard expects the third StarCraft 2 sub-game, Legacy of the Void, to hit by the end of 2014. "

      Why?

      • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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        September 9, 2011 1:46 PM

        Why would anyone think it won't?

        And what is this "sub-game" nonsense? They're completely typical expansions, there's nothing different about them at all other than using different a race for each campaign.

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          September 9, 2011 1:48 PM

          Typical expansions have single player length which is fractional compared to the original game, I'm under the impression that each of the SC2 products will have a full-length singleplayer experience and probably more extensive changes to multiplayer than a 'completely typical expansion'

          • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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            September 9, 2011 1:55 PM

            Brood War had a pretty comparable campaign too. And Cataclysm had more extensive changes than HotS will and nobody called that a sub-game.

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              September 9, 2011 2:38 PM

              Yeah, Blizzard is just being retarded about its branding of these expansion packs because calling them expansion packs is too oldschool now.

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                September 9, 2011 3:06 PM

                They should just go the Call of Duty route. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty 2: Heart of the Swarm.

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      September 9, 2011 2:19 PM

      Warcraft Adventures finally coming, I can feel it!

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        September 9, 2011 5:37 PM

        I sometimes forget how excited I was for that game when I saw the trailer for it.. :(

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        September 14, 2011 4:17 AM

        apparently that games actually playable

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      September 9, 2011 2:37 PM

      Probably an expansion for Diablo 3.

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      September 9, 2011 5:17 PM

      2 more xpacs? damn them

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      September 9, 2011 9:04 PM

      So six expansion packs... The way this read it'd make you think they were releasing new games...

      Go Blizzard, you're awesomely depressing even when trying to WoW us.

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        September 14, 2011 4:19 AM

        i know the feeling.. Blizz WoW's me every day and yet im consistently depressed.

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