You're Mike Morhaime. What's the next Warcraft game?

[TheMediator]

However, the thread topic is what would I do

Eh. Not really. The topic is if you are Mike Morhaime, what would you do... to me, that means making a business decision as well. I think a SP RPG could compliment Blizzard's current lineup, but not an RPG like Elder Scrolls, since free-roam is already completely viable in WoW and there's too much cannibalization in that case. Someone mentioned Witcher, that'd actually probably be the best bet. A linear action RPG with strong character moments is actually the perfect synthesis of what I was thinking the Blizzard lineup could use (a linear-ish SP RPG like Mass Effect and an action game like Metal Gear Rising). Minimizing cannibalization while still tapping your existing playerbase and using your strong IP as best you can.

Basically, the idea should be 'What Warcraft game would people play and still maintain their sub to WoW?'. Hearthstone is one example - I can't think of anyone who unsubbed WoW because Hearthstone came out, but plenty of people play Hearthstone in addition to WoW.

[Deleted]

Eh. Not really. The topic is if you are Mike Morhaime, what would you do... to me, that means making a business decision as well. I think a SP RPG could compliment Blizzard's current lineup, but not an RPG like Elder Scrolls, since free-roam is already completely viable in WoW and there's too much cannibalization in that case. Someone mentioned Witcher, that'd actually probably be the best bet. A linear action RPG with strong character moments is actually the perfect synthesis of what I was thinking the Blizzard lineup could use (a linear-ish SP RPG like Mass Effect and an action game like Metal Gear Rising). Minimizing cannibalization while still tapping your existing playerbase and using your strong IP as best you can.

The similarities between WoW and Elder Scrolls end at the door. The 'free-roaming' in WoW is great for an MMORPG, but it doesn't attract the same audience as Skyrim or the Witcher would (at least not for that reason).

WoW's only real selling-points at this stage are the community and the lore, as it's the only flagship Warcraft game right now. A huge crowd of people, I dare say, would explore the franchise if there was a more up-to-date and "serious" (for lack of a better word) game attached to it.

[hablix]

Total war: Warcraft: It is Total War but it takes place i Azeroth.

Now that's an interesting idea. Blizzard already scrapped an MMO because they don't want to be "the MMO company"... I would think the next Warcraft should be something that's not another RTS (SC2) or another ARPG (D3). Also the idea of an open world single player RPG just doesn't seem to fit Blizzard's style, plus it would be too similar to WoW anyway. (I'm not opposed to Blizz doing a Witcher style RPG but in the Warcraft franchise doesn't make a lot of sense.) Blizzard is at their absolute best when they take an existing genre and put their own unique spin on it, so a Blizzard interpretation of the Total War genre could be a lot of fun.

[TheMediator]

The similarities between WoW and Elder Scrolls end at the door.

Since I would break my hands listing how they're similar, can you go ahead and list how they're DIFFERENT? And again, as I said before, ignore that it is a single-player world or that 'your decisions make impact' because I've already said those things could be handled with phasing. I'm almost positive if someone put their mind to it, they could make a Warlords of Draenor mod for Skyrim.

[Deleted]

I'm mike morhaime eh?

Well first I'd have to issue an ambiguously worded year long wow pass offer to get into the beta which I could after renege on once the cheques had cleared, but after that I'd make a single player RPG in the SC universe.

[Demindar]

Removing Rogues from the game.