WoD before or after Blizzon?

[Azrile]

Blizzard has already mentioned they lose money on Blizzcon.

[mgs]

If they DON'T release before Blizzcon, they are risking to get too much negative "booooos" from the crowd at Blizzcon (I certainly hope they do anyway, for all the crap comms and misleading promises of quicker development cycle at Blizzcon 2013, but that's a different story...).

I imagine they'd prefer to keep the mood at Blizzcon as jolly as possible.

[Kryos]

I say WoD release will be September (that still a full year of the same raid). That's enough time so people are not still leveling when Blizzcon starts November. If WoD is not out after 14 months (!) of the same content and they expect the crowd to celebrate them at Blizzcon they will get booed and told to go back to work and release the expansion already. That would not go well.

The interview on the main page also shows that they want to focus on testing raid content and pvp balance first with special testing environments. Questing and world design is hardly any problem these days with the many good tools they have to create them as they showed us at the last two Blizzcons. So they don't need so much beta testing comparted to the past. Balance issues in raids and pvp on the other hand need many people and time, so with their new way to check those first and the world quest content later they might cut down the beta phase.

[Facerockker]

God, I hope before. ;(

[Zenotetsuken]

By cancelled you mean they never said they were going to do one, and they didn't. And wikipedia says there's never been a November Blizzcon before now.

Really? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlizzCon

As far as WoD, before.

[Souflikar]

Two Blizzcons pimping the same expansion would be a slap in the fan-base face. I don't think Blizz would be that reckless this time around. So I'm guessing....hoping before.

[mikencarly]

Nah it will be before not after think about me for a sec people they went to that thing i forget the name of that event got those beta invites for wod closed beta and now this its clearly coming out before the signs our right there!

[shoc]

Well no doubt the Blizzcon will be all about celebrating WoW's 10th Birthday for sure, my guess is that we'll see WoD in September so there won't be an angry mob showing up to Blizzcon.

We'll probably see the SC2 expansion, loads of info on the Warcraft Movie, Hearthstone Adventure Mode and iPhone/Android release, and up to our dicks in Heroes of the Storm content.

We probably won't be getting a ton of WoW content this time around, with the expansion having just launched. We'll probably get the next WoW expansion announcement at PAX East 2015.

[Melorandor]

Are you kidding me, Before. Closed Beta keys were given out a la PAX east which means it's just around the corner.

Just an FYI for you 12 year olds.

[Masser]

I think WoD will come out in october. September is reserved for Destiny and November is for Call of Duty.
Remember that they have to put out a product in their fiscal year or the shareholders get mad.

[Rumred]

What games do they have to show at Blizzcon this year?

Other than WoD, Heroes of the Storm is the only one that is up and coming isn't it? Other than the rumored Squad based Shooter or Titan, that is. I guess it'll come just in time for the WoD Cinematic trailer tho.

Legacy of the Void should get some more info shown i would guess.

On topic: I would say they will have it out before Blizzcon i just cant see them holding on til after. The sub loss might dip the game to Sub 3 mill if they wait that long.

[Saichotick]

Been telling my guild it will be December, and even then that's if they keep to whatever craptastic schedule they have right now. I'm no longer expecting Blizzard to actually care about their customers when they sit them in the same content for 15 months.

[Darknessvamp]

Releases have been close to Blizzcon before, but I think Warlords will release before. My guess is September, but just a guess.

That's a really optimistic guess. Though unfortunately it's highly unlikely they'll be releasing before October with their current progress on the development of WoD. They've already mentioned that they haven't properly got the Friends & Family Alpha going yet earlier this month and from what has been data-mined so far from the Alpha builds with lots of stuff that is unfinished and whole zones missing I gather that they still have a lot of development still to go. This is also not taking into account they will still need to test everything, balance things as much as they can and then go into beta testing as well before release. That cap December release date for their release window doesn't seem so unlikely to happen now either.

[Bigbazz]

As crazy as it sounds, I can't see them releasing the new expansion to their premier franchise before their marketing event for said game. Sadly I think we will see WOD after Blizzcon, probably within 2-3 weeks of Blizzcon but not before, that would not make sense.

[DingDongKing]

December is too damn long in my opinion. It's possible but I think it's a real issue since I cannot be arsed to be playing the same game for that long. Wildstar's out soon and I'm very much debating whether to make the jump for the time being. Issue is if I do, my friends will be in that game and I don't know if I'll be wanting to come back and essentially solo the game's story content at that point. It's going to be a hard debate for Blizzard's more 'casual' players who love the lore. I'm hoping it's September. It's not impossible. Just a bit tight.

[Orlong]

As crazy as it sounds, I can't see them releasing the new expansion to their premier franchise before their marketing event for said game. Sadly I think we will see WOD after Blizzcon, probably within 2-3 weeks of Blizzcon but not before, that would not make sense.

Yeah because they really need to market WoD to the people who already play WoW They will sell the same amount of copies whether they release it before or after Blizzcon. Nobody who plays is NOT going to buy it. And if they dont want it they will or have already quit WoW because there is no reason to play it if youre not getting new content. Marketing it at Blizzcon wont draw any new customers either as the only people who are going to spend $200 to go to Blizzcon are people who love Blizz and already know about WoD and already know if they are going to buy it or not. They arent going to walk into Blzzcon and say "awesome, there is a new expansion coming out, I gotta get it". They could hold a Blizzcon with no WoD posters or information and they would sell the same amount of copies as they would if they plaster it all over the convention hall.

- - - Updated - - -

I think WoD will come out in october. September is reserved for Destiny and November is for Call of Duty.
Remember that they have to put out a product in their fiscal year or the shareholders get mad.

I doubt they even care about Destiny and CoD, since neither are the same market. People who play MMORPGs arent usually die hard FPS gamers. I doubt either Destiny or CoD would draw more than a few hundred people away from WoD and the ones that they did would still buy WoD a month later when they beat those games

[Deleted]

Why not during? ;P

Because then people would be actually playing the game, not attending the convention.

[Velerios]

Well no doubt the Blizzcon will be all about celebrating WoW's 10th Birthday for sure, my guess is that we'll see WoD in September so there won't be an angry mob showing up to Blizzcon.

This is exactly what I think too: It will be before, because they have other things to focus on this year's blizzcon: Not that they will be nothing about WoD at this years blizzcon: But I think they will show what comes for 6.1 and beyond. Additions to Ashran, Garrisons and a complete new Zone (far bigger than Timeless Isle or Isle of Thunder): Farahlon that is at least a bit bigger than Netherstorm and should be an outland-version of Westfall that wait for us. So there is enough content coming up; so WoD will be before Blizzcon.

And if it really comes after blizzcon; then, at least this I am sure: Around 100 Miles all Pitchforks and Torches will be sold out!

[quras]

After I'd say. Pathetic really.

This ^

How many months will that be with nothing new to live? That is embarrassing for an MMO these days charging $15 a month and still putting out things for their cash shop.