The Blizzard speculation thread (with poll)

Though I reallllly would rather have Diablo 3, based on the evidence of announcing the game in Korea, I'm gonna have to vote Starcraft 2. Starcraft has never had a proper sequel and it's long overdue. Also, Starcraft was one of the best games ever made, so it's bound to be awesome. Still, I have a small hope that it's Diablo 3. I don't think whatever is announced is going to be an mmo, however. But if it is, I'm fairly sure it's going to be a new ip.NocturnalDemon

jesus... theres 3 other threads on this page about this... why keep creating them?? 

Though I reallllly would rather have Diablo 3, based on the evidence of announcing the game in Korea, I'm gonna have to vote Starcraft 2. Starcraft has never had a proper sequel and it's long overdue. Also, Starcraft was one of the best games ever made, so it's bound to be awesome. Still, I have a small hope that it's Diablo 3. I don't think whatever is announced is going to be an mmo, however. But if it is, I'm fairly sure it's going to be a new ip.NocturnalDemon

[QUOTE="NocturnalDemon"]Though I reallllly would rather have Diablo 3, based on the evidence of announcing the game in Korea, I'm gonna have to vote Starcraft 2. Starcraft has never had a proper sequel and it's long overdue. Also, Starcraft was one of the best games ever made, so it's bound to be awesome. Still, I have a small hope that it's Diablo 3. I don't think whatever is announced is going to be an mmo, however. But if it is, I'm fairly sure it's going to be a new ip.aFrostyBears

I wonder if it will be a spin-off.  Possible ressurecting Starcraft Ghost as an mmo. 

why would they make World of Diablo, diablo is already an mmo.....BenTheJamin

No offense but Diablo is definitely not a MMORPG.

i was really expecting starcraft 2, but then cvg ran this article and now i believe it'll be world of starcraft, i trust cvg

but the thing i find most interesting is that people always assume that world of starcraft will be a mmorpg - and while there's pretty good odds on that being true, it's hardly a certainty

it could be a mmorts

it could be starcraft 2 and world of starcraft at the same time - whatever it is, though, i have no doubts that it'll be starcraft related

Well, I loved Starcraft, so I'm fervently praying for Starcraft 2.

It's probably not going to be World of Starcraft (too soon), nor world of Diablo (that's a bit too far-fetched).

I hope it's not Diablo 3 (I hated those games so much).

Warcraft 4 would be cool, athough unlikely.

And I don't think they'd be so secretive about a new expansion for WoW 

.....though we now know that the title is in fact an online spin-off and not a new RTS game as previously assumed.From the article posted by A-S_FM

This article supports my theory that it will be a Starcraft spin-off...if so, most probably a ressurrection of sorts of Ghost. It may not even be called Ghost, but it may perhaps be build upon it's foundation.

i was really expecting starcraft 2, but then cvg ran this article and now i believe it'll be world of starcraft, i trust cvg

but the thing i find most interesting is that people always assume that world of starcraft will be a mmorpg - and while there's pretty good odds on that being true, it's hardly a certainty

it could be a mmorts

it could be starcraft 2 and world of starcraft at the same time - whatever it is, though, i have no doubts that it'll be starcraft related

A-S_FM

Why would Blizzard create another MMO to take away some of the customers from WoW? 

[QUOTE="A-S_FM"]

i was really expecting starcraft 2, but then cvg ran this article and now i believe it'll be world of starcraft, i trust cvg

but the thing i find most interesting is that people always assume that world of starcraft will be a mmorpg - and while there's pretty good odds on that being true, it's hardly a certainty

it could be a mmorts

it could be starcraft 2 and world of starcraft at the same time - whatever it is, though, i have no doubts that it'll be starcraft related

Infernal246

Why would Blizzard create another MMO to take away some of the customers from WoW?

That arguement doesn't make any sense. How could they possibly lose?  Even if WoW lost half it's subscription base, that would still be 4 million people (many times the population of any other mmo).  Then lets say that WoS had 12 million at the same time. That's a grand total of 16 million active subscribers- a far improvement over 8.5 that they have right now.  16 > 8.5

Also, keep in mind that WoW's population will never drop too low because future expansions will keep people interested.  It's not like Blizzard would drop all support for it after a WoS comes out.

[QUOTE="Infernal246"]

Why would Blizzard create another MMO to take away some of the customers from WoW?

NocturnalDemon

That arguement doesn't make any sense. How could they not lose? Even if WoW lost half it's subscription base, that would still be 4 million people (many times the population of any other mmo). Then lets say that WoS had 12 million at the same time. That's a grand total of 16 million active subscribers- a far improvement over 8.5 that they have right now. 16 > 8.5

Also, keep in mind that WoW's population will never drop too low because future expansions will keep people interested. It's not like Blizzard would drop all support for it after a WoS comes out.

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

Gamespot pretty much confirmed it will be a Starcraft game. It might a spinoff or it might be Starcraft 2...Probably not a MMORPG, though, that would be a dumb move.

Gamespot pretty much confirmed it will be a Starcraft game. It might a spinoff or it might be Starcraft 2...Probably not a MMORPG, though, that would be a dumb move.

NWA_31

They didn't confirm anything. That rumor mill article that they posted last night only talked about stuff that EVERYONE allready knew (infact, I'm not sure why they even bothered posting it). Theres a lot of good reason to think that this will be StarCraft game, but its certainly not confirmed.

[QUOTE="NocturnalDemon"][QUOTE="Infernal246"]

Why would Blizzard create another MMO to take away some of the customers from WoW?

Infernal246

That arguement doesn't make any sense. How could they not lose? Even if WoW lost half it's subscription base, that would still be 4 million people (many times the population of any other mmo). Then lets say that WoS had 12 million at the same time. That's a grand total of 16 million active subscribers- a far improvement over 8.5 that they have right now. 16 > 8.5

Also, keep in mind that WoW's population will never drop too low because future expansions will keep people interested. It's not like Blizzard would drop all support for it after a WoS comes out.

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

Yeah I messed up the "How could they lose" sentence.  lol.  But WoW at only 4 million subscribers would rake in $60,000,000 a MONTH.  I'm sure they'll have money to spend on running the game :P

Though I reallllly would rather have Diablo 3, based on the evidence of announcing the game in Korea, I'm gonna have to vote Starcraft 2.  Starcraft has never had a proper sequel and it's long overdue.  Also, Starcraft was one of the best games ever made, so it's bound to be awesome.  Still, I have a small hope that it's Diablo 3.  I don't think whatever is announced is going to be an mmo, however.  But if it is, I'm fairly sure it's going to be a new ip.NocturnalDemon

[QUOTE="NocturnalDemon"][QUOTE="Infernal246"]

Why would Blizzard create another MMO to take away some of the customers from WoW?

Infernal246

That arguement doesn't make any sense. How could they not lose? Even if WoW lost half it's subscription base, that would still be 4 million people (many times the population of any other mmo). Then lets say that WoS had 12 million at the same time. That's a grand total of 16 million active subscribers- a far improvement over 8.5 that they have right now. 16 > 8.5

Also, keep in mind that WoW's population will never drop too low because future expansions will keep people interested. It's not like Blizzard would drop all support for it after a WoS comes out.

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

Almost nothing about your argument makes sense, Infernal, with all due respect. Yes, it's always possible that in the end, the market will prove that Blizzard will make more long-term cash by abandoning one MMO and focusing on another... but typically, the strategy in any industry is calculated to increase your company's overall influence on the market.

In other words, even if the combined sales of WoW and WofStarcraft were a bit less than, say, twice the sales of WoW today, the plan would hold that it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the sake of increasing Blizzard's profile. There's a potential for long-term company profits and company stability from building legacy and loyalty among customers.

But ideally, the sales & marketing teams at Blizzard would aim to promote both. There will be, for instance, some players who invest in both MMOs. There will be some WoS players, additionally, who never had an interest in WoW--they'd be new customers. And even if some WoW subscribers are lost, the game might still remain profitable.

Bottom line? These things are complicated. It definitey is NOT the case, though, that releasing two competing products is always a bad strategy. Most good companies do it all the time.

Regarding the vote... I voted Starcraft 2 as my guess, because (though there's very little evidence), there seems to be more pointing in that direction than any other. But I'd really want a new franchise altogether.

Blizzard had been sitting on these three franchises a little too long, if you ask me. Branch out, you goons!

Releasing a new MMO would make perfect business sense. 

First off all...it doesn't matter that it would "compete" with WoW.  What does it matter to Blizzard if out of the 8 million players, 6 million move on to WoS?  They still get the same $15/Mo from each player, and a MMO with 2 million players is STILL wildly successful anyways. 

Secondly, they would make tons of money off the box sales alone for a new MMO. 

Third, you guys are forgetting about something, retention.  As WoW gets older, and newer MMO's are released, WoW stands the chance of losing more and more of it's player base.  If Blizzard released a brand new MMO, chances are people who were once satisfied with WoW, will now move to WoS.  It doesn't matter if they are adding some overhead to the network costs, what matter is retention of current customers, and bringing in new customers.

Fourth, the starcraft IP is already big, so it's a no brainer that it would attract lots of current and new people, and with Blizzard's track record of quality games, this is a no brainer.

It's all about retention of current customers, and bringing in new ones.  There is absolutely no way to do this without releasing new MMO products.  Blizzard doesn't care which MMO you play...just as long as it is a MMO they profit from.

Think about it people : in a recent interview blizzard said the most part of the dev team have "had it" with wow. they are working on a new MMO, and i think we have all the reasons to believe it will be a new "EVE" kind of game.

just think about it ; it would be a "mature" thing to do now, as their next step - they know EVE is a massive and successful game, and they want to put it off the throne.

It is obvious blizz have a liking for Sci-fi themed games, and i think they have the economics to do the game that puts EVE to shame, and thats exactly what i think they will do. A "space trader" game can't go wrong in my book, not when its done by a famous company, and these kind of games have huge fan bases as it is. (oldschool ELITE gamers, anyone?) ;)

they will probably do starcraft 2 too, but thats an RTS , not an MMO.

 what other choises do they have? make a new fantasy MMO? no chance! a starcraft mmo? dont think so. a new diablo? i dont think they will, it will be compared to WOW all the time, so the time is not right for it, seeing there are so many fantasy MMOs coming already.

Think about it people : in a recent interview blizzard said the most part of the dev team have "had it" with wow. they are working on a new MMO, and i think we have all the reasons to believe it will be a new "EVE" kind of game.

just think about it ; it would be a "mature" thing to do now, as their next step - they know EVE is a massive and successful game, and they want to put it off the throne.

It is obvious blizz have a liking for Sci-fi themed games, and i think they have the economics to do the game that puts EVE to shame, and thats exactly what i think they will do. A "space trader" game can't go wrong in my book, not when its done by a famous company, and these kind of games have huge fan bases as it is. (oldschool ELITE gamers, anyone?) ;)

they will probably do starcraft 2 too, but thats an RTS , not an MMO.

 what other choises do they have? make a new fantasy MMO? no chance! a starcraft mmo? dont think so. a new diablo? i dont think they will, it will be compared to WOW all the time, so the time is not right for it, seeing there are so many fantasy MMOs coming already.

trollfan

While EVE is certainly profitable and successful, it is by no way successful in a way that would capture Blizzards attention.  A MMO with a user base of around 200k is NOT what Blizzard is looking to replicate.  In fact...it is pretty safe to say Blizzard is not making a game similar to EVE.  While EVE might be great, it is just too much of a niche type of game, and Blizzard is into bringing games to the masses. 

I think you are WAAAAY off...

they even had a space trader /strategy game in the works before they released starcraft (what was that game called anyway, it got cancelled - you can see a trailer of it on your original warcraft 2 cd:s lol)...

i think they just might surprise you this time, hehe 

I really doubt that...but who knows?  Heck, for all we know it could be "World of Vikings" :P

My money is on World of Starcraft or Diablo III though...

world of starcraft would be so stupid... wtf? suddenly a whole bunch of ghosts grind zerglings in a ditch? :p

i really really really hope they won't go there ;) 

world of starcraft would be so stupid... wtf? suddenly a whole bunch of ghosts grind zerglings in a ditch? :p

i really really really hope they won't go there ;) 

trollfan

It could be great, why would it be different then any other game?  Starcraft has a pretty good story with great factions.  Who is to say you would be restricted to the ghosts anyways?  Maybe you could also be the zergs...

a zergling grinding level 2 marines doesnt make alot of sense either ;)trollfan

Have you actually played a highly successfull MMO?  Becuase actually...it makes plenty sense ;) 

And I am sure Blizzard knows how to make successful and fun games a bit better then you...

Let's wait and see on the 19th though, at this point we know squat about Blizzard's plans.

i smell starcraft 2, at least i hope it is.

diablo 3 would also kick ass 

I just finished going through the Zerg campaign of Brood War again.  There IS going to be a sequel.  The ending set everything up for it.  Raynor vowed to kill Kerrigan.  Artanis went off to rebuild the Protoss empire.  Mengsk is rebuilding the Terran Dominion.  Duran said he was of an even more ancient and power species and that he was making something that would change the universe- the new species.

All signs point to Starcraft 2 or a Starcraft game of some sort.  Playing the single player again has me all excited for any new Starcraft game, even if it's an mmo.

Have you actually played a highly successfull MMO? Becuase actually...it makes plenty sense ;)

And I am sure Blizzard knows how to make successful and fun games a bit better then you...

Let's wait and see on the 19th though, at this point we know squat about Blizzard's plans.

dnuggs40

While I can see them making the Zerg a playable race in a Starcraft MMO because it would be "cool", it just doesn't seem to make sense storyline-wise.  After all, the zerg are all just drones of the overmind and have no sense of thinking for themselves, right?  How do you explain 3 million zerg that just go off and do their own thing all suddenly?  Also, last I checked Zerglings didn't use gear, since they WERE the weapons.  That kind of shoots down the whole looting game that is WoW and a lot of other MMOs.

Well regardless, I'd probably play a World of Starcraft, even though I'd rather just see a Starcraft 2. 

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

Have you actually played a highly successfull MMO? Becuase actually...it makes plenty sense ;)

And I am sure Blizzard knows how to make successful and fun games a bit better then you...

Let's wait and see on the 19th though, at this point we know squat about Blizzard's plans.

Alaris83

While I can see them making the Zerg a playable race in a Starcraft MMO because it would be "cool", it just doesn't seem to make sense storyline-wise.  After all, the zerg are all just drones of the overmind and have no sense of thinking for themselves, right?  How do you explain 3 million zerg that just go off and do their own thing all suddenly?  Also, last I checked Zerglings didn't use gear, since they WERE the weapons.  That kind of shoots down the whole looting game that is WoW and a lot of other MMOs.

Well regardless, I'd probably play a World of Starcraft, even though I'd rather just see a Starcraft 2. 

Good points, and I really can't argue any of them :P 

Though just for the hell of it, they could do something totally different with them.  For instance, when you level you could grow larger and stronger, or maybe even morph into the different classes of zerg. 

- Hmmm would you like to evolve into a Zerg Queen?

- Eurrr no I would like the Ultralisk one.

- You have chosen the Queen, injecting pheromones pods

- What!?!? 

Hmmm I think my head is elsewhere...

Good points, and I really can't argue any of them :P

Though just for the hell of it, they could do something totally different with them. For instance, when you level you could grow larger and stronger, or maybe even morph into the different classes of zerg.

dnuggs40

Yes, I was thinking of something similar.  Like how in LOTRO with monster play, as you kill things you get points that are used to improve your monster.  Not only would this make more sense story wise, but by making Zerg progression fundamentally different from Terran/Protss, it would add an additional level of variety and strategy to the game. 

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

Good points, and I really can't argue any of them :P

Though just for the hell of it, they could do something totally different with them. For instance, when you level you could grow larger and stronger, or maybe even morph into the different classes of zerg.

Alaris83

Yes, I was thinking of something similar.  Like how in LOTRO with monster play, as you kill things you get points that are used to improve your monster.  Not only would this make more sense story wise, but by making Zerg progression fundamentally different from Terran/Protss, it would add an additional level of variety and strategy to the game. 

Would be nice if a MMO had real, fundamental differences between the races and classes, not just the typica, your a human, you get +5 to maces...yay!

Would be nice if a MMO had real, fundamental differences between the races and classes, not just the typica, your a human, you get +5 to maces...yay!

dnuggs40

Yeah.  Probably an awesome idea in concept, but a nightmare in practice.  Just how do you go about balancing different races that would be so radically different in play? 

i was really expecting starcraft 2, but then cvg ran this article and now i believe it'll be world of starcraft, i trust cvg

but the thing i find most interesting is that people always assume that world of starcraft will be a mmorpg - and while there's pretty good odds on that being true, it's hardly a certainty

it could be a mmorts

it could be starcraft 2 and world of starcraft at the same time - whatever it is, though, i have no doubts that it'll be starcraft related

A-S_FM

Oh god I hope not.  WoW was fun for a while until blizzard banned me for NOTHING (didn't even send me an email saying why and after 2 months havnt responded to any of my emails).  In general I hate blizzard but hoping for Diablo 3 (not likely) or starcraft 2.  But i really dont want World of Starcraft

[QUOTE="Infernal246"]

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

lokstah

Almost nothing about your argument makes sense, Infernal, with all due respect. Yes, it's always possible that in the end, the market will prove that Blizzard will make more long-term cash by abandoning one MMO and focusing on another... but typically, the strategy in any industry is calculated to increase your company's overall influence on the market.

In other words, even if the combined sales of WoW and WofStarcraft were a bit less than, say, twice the sales of WoW today, the plan would hold that it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the sake of increasing Blizzard's profile. There's a potential for long-term company profits and company stability from building legacy and loyalty among customers.

But ideally, the sales & marketing teams at Blizzard would aim to promote both. There will be, for instance, some players who invest in both MMOs. There will be some WoS players, additionally, who never had an interest in WoW--they'd be new customers. And even if some WoW subscribers are lost, the game might still remain profitable.

Bottom line? These things are complicated. It definitey is NOT the case, though, that releasing two competing products is always a bad strategy. Most good companies do it all the time.

Just out of curiousity (and I respect your opinion on the subject as well), has any company ever had 2 competing MMOs at the same time to compare this to? 

... I just really want a true sequel to Starcraft, thats all. 9 years and all that has come out are novels and more patches for the game (oh, and that slap in the face called Ghost)... I don't want Blizzard pulling a ShadowRun (originally pen/paper D&D type game, now a cross-plat multiplayer shooter) with a World of Starcraft. 

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

Would be nice if a MMO had real, fundamental differences between the races and classes, not just the typica, your a human, you get +5 to maces...yay!

Alaris83

Yeah. Probably an awesome idea in concept, but a nightmare in practice. Just how do you go about balancing different races that would be so radically different in play?

In an MMO or RTS? :P 

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

Good points, and I really can't argue any of them :P

Though just for the hell of it, they could do something totally different with them. For instance, when you level you could grow larger and stronger, or maybe even morph into the different classes of zerg.

Alaris83

Yes, I was thinking of something similar. Like how in LOTRO with monster play, as you kill things you get points that are used to improve your monster. Not only would this make more sense story wise, but by making Zerg progression fundamentally different from Terran/Protss, it would add an additional level of variety and strategy to the game.

Indeed.  There could even be different spines for the Hydralisk to shoot.  The Zergling could have speed and poison damage upgrades.  The Ultralisk form would get special hard hitting moves and mabey even melee stuns.  I don't see how the player would be a flying unit, but could instead possibly ride them like mounts.  Or even combat mounts.  Alot of people here are thinking of the Zerg too simplisticly.  They're a very complex species.

[QUOTE="lokstah"] [QUOTE="Infernal246"]

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

Infernal246

Almost nothing about your argument makes sense, Infernal, with all due respect. Yes, it's always possible that in the end, the market will prove that Blizzard will make more long-term cash by abandoning one MMO and focusing on another... but typically, the strategy in any industry is calculated to increase your company's overall influence on the market.

In other words, even if the combined sales of WoW and WofStarcraft were a bit less than, say, twice the sales of WoW today, the plan would hold that it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the sake of increasing Blizzard's profile. There's a potential for long-term company profits and company stability from building legacy and loyalty among customers.

But ideally, the sales & marketing teams at Blizzard would aim to promote both. There will be, for instance, some players who invest in both MMOs. There will be some WoS players, additionally, who never had an interest in WoW--they'd be new customers. And even if some WoW subscribers are lost, the game might still remain profitable.

Bottom line? These things are complicated. It definitey is NOT the case, though, that releasing two competing products is always a bad strategy. Most good companies do it all the time.

Just out of curiousity (and I respect your opinion on the subject as well), has any company ever had 2 competing MMOs at the same time to compare this to? 

... I just really want a true sequel to Starcraft, thats all. 9 years and all that has come out are novels and more patches for the game (oh, and that slap in the face called Ghost)... I don't want Blizzard pulling a ShadowRun (originally pen/paper D&D type game, now a cross-plat multiplayer shooter) with a World of Starcraft. 

That's a really good question... but the answer is yes. I did a little quick research and stopped after two companies.

Sony Online currently has Everquest, Everquest II, and Vangaurd in play. Those are games they've developed and published. They've also developed at least one MMO for distribution by another company: Star Wars Galaxies for LucasArts. And, they've got another--an untitled DC Comics MMO--in development.

NCSoft has Lineage II out, along with Auto Assault, City of Heroes + City of Villains, and and is about to release Tabula Rasa. They're also working on Dunegon Runners. And, of course, Guild Wars is not exactly an MMORPG, but it does attract some of the MMO market; it's also an NCSoft release.

I could keep cross-referencing MMO publishers; I'm positive I'd find plenty more examples. But right there, you've got a number of high-profile MMOs in release from the same publisher. And I'd argue again what I argued before: that's an ancient, accepted business strategy, and it happens in every industry. This isn't some quirky PC world anomaly.

[QUOTE="Infernal246"][QUOTE="lokstah"] [QUOTE="Infernal246"]

What do you mean how could they not lose? They can split the userbase of their 1 MMO into 2, plus double the server/maintenance costs. There is no guarantee that WoS + WoW would push enough combined sales to offset the increased costs involved of running 2 MMOs.

Not mention Guild Wars 2 and Warhammer online are coming up as well for more competition.

lokstah

Almost nothing about your argument makes sense, Infernal, with all due respect. Yes, it's always possible that in the end, the market will prove that Blizzard will make more long-term cash by abandoning one MMO and focusing on another... but typically, the strategy in any industry is calculated to increase your company's overall influence on the market.

In other words, even if the combined sales of WoW and WofStarcraft were a bit less than, say, twice the sales of WoW today, the plan would hold that it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the sake of increasing Blizzard's profile. There's a potential for long-term company profits and company stability from building legacy and loyalty among customers.

But ideally, the sales & marketing teams at Blizzard would aim to promote both. There will be, for instance, some players who invest in both MMOs. There will be some WoS players, additionally, who never had an interest in WoW--they'd be new customers. And even if some WoW subscribers are lost, the game might still remain profitable.

Bottom line? These things are complicated. It definitey is NOT the case, though, that releasing two competing products is always a bad strategy. Most good companies do it all the time.

Just out of curiousity (and I respect your opinion on the subject as well), has any company ever had 2 competing MMOs at the same time to compare this to?

... I just really want a true sequel to Starcraft, thats all. 9 years and all that has come out are novels and more patches for the game (oh, and that slap in the face called Ghost)... I don't want Blizzard pulling a ShadowRun (originally pen/paper D&D type game, now a cross-plat multiplayer shooter) with a World of Starcraft.

That's a really good question... but the answer is yes. I did a little quick research and stopped after two companies.

Sony Online currently has Everquest, Everquest II, and Vangaurd in play. Those are games they've developed and published. They've also developed at least one MMO for distribution by another company: Star Wars Galaxies for LucasArts. And, they've got another--an untitled DC Comics MMO--in development.

NCSoft has Lineage II out, along with Auto Assault, City of Heroes + City of Villains, and and is about to release Tabula Rasa. They're also working on Dunegon Runners. And, of course, Guild Wars is not exactly an MMORPG, but it does attract some of the MMO market; it's also an NCSoft release.

I could keep cross-referencing MMO publishers; I'm positive I'd find plenty more examples. But right there, you've got a number of high-profile MMOs in release from the same publisher. And I'd argue again what I argued before: that's an ancient, accepted business strategy, and it happens in every industry. This isn't some quirky PC world anomaly.

Indeed.  It's a little like Pepsi Co. having both Pepsi Cola and Mountain Dew.  Would Pepsi Cola generate more money itself if Mountain Dew weren't around?  Yeah.  Is Pepsi Co. making alot more money by having both Pepsi Cola and Mountain Dew?  Oh hell yeah.

Precisely, my dear Nocturnal Demon. I mean, it's true: given the wrong circumstances, along with poor planning, a company can ruin itself by cannibalizing sales from its big earners... but succesful companies, like Pepsi Co (and nearly every other beverage company), know how to use the strength of one brand to leverage other brands in a way that minimizes damage and expands their overall piece of the pie.

And yes, companies which operate in the entertainment world, doling out subscriptions, do it to. Magazine publishers are a good example.