Blizzard is already playing its next MMO

Exactly what Blizzard’s next MMO actually is remains a well-guarded secret, but while outsiders are left guessing what it might be, those inside the studio are already playing the game.

“We’re very confident in that product. It’s an awesome one. We’re playing it already,” Paul Sams, Blizzard COO, told Gamasutra.

“It is a total ball to play. We think that the reach of that product is greater than anything that we’ve done before. We’re very excited about that. I believe that it’s the type of game that will have a very long life, much like World of Warcraft has.”

Sams went on to reassure WoW fans that the hugely popular MMO won’t be going anywhere.

“I see World of Warcraft as having many more years in front of it. We have over 12 million subscribers. We’re continuing to grow and we feel very good about them. We’re going to continue to support that product for many, many years to come.

“As it relates to that other [MMO], we think that it’s going to be very impactful in our industry and, we hope, very impactful to the world. We think that that will be, after Diablo III, the next big thing from us. The thing that we hope will happen is that it will not stop World of Warcraft but we believe will eclipse it.”

Many MMOs have tried to take on WoW, but failed, so it seems obvious that Blizzard isn’t creating a direct rival to its multiplayer juggernaut. The question remains, what’s so special about the new game that means it will attract a wider audience than WOW?