I have been tracking and following most of the former Blizzard staff who started new companies. I am sure I have missed some though!
It takes many years to develop and release a game, esp an MMO. I am trying to think of any former Blizz folks, esp former WoW folks, who have actually gotten to the point of releasing a game from their new company yet. Dreamhaven and Bonfire seem most likely to go in the MMO direction. Second Dinner was former Heatherstone and went with a card game. Frost Giant is former Starcraft and is going RTS.
Which former Blizz staff have actually released an MMO from their company?
With regard to GC, I have also been following his Twitter for years just to see what he was up to. Also because sometimes he has interesting game design commentary. Having deaths in the family, esp if you are no longer a spring chicken, can take a toll on people. So did the pandemic. A lot of people have come to the decision to focus on different priorities, and that might mean more time with family, moving to an area they actually ENJOY vs having to be stuck somewhere for work, getting rid of commutes, etc. His decision to move where his family is and to start a remote studio seems reasonable and I hope it gives him the quality of life that he needs to be happy. I wish him the best of luck, from one Bio degree geek to another!
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I might be wrong but didnât Wildstar have a few ex Blizzard employs working for them on that MMO?
Oh man, citation needed, I feel youâre giving him WAYYYYYY too much credit there.
Edit: Looking at the credits right now:
Executive Producer - Frank Pearce
Game Director - Tom Chilton
Production Director - good olâ JAB
Art Director - Chris Robinson
Technical Director - Mike Elliott
Creative Director - Chris Metzen
fast forwarded -
Lead Systems Designer - Greg Street
So the talent system and class design probably? Yeah class design was on point, peak even. But he didnât BRING us MoP.
Buttercleave the Gnome just isnât the same.
To be fair, class design is one of the most-cited aspects of MoP that put it among the best expansions.
That list is interesting, though, because it underscores two other people whose input is sorely missing from WoW:
Metzen and Chilton. Especially the latter.
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Agreed, in looking through the credits I actually was surprised that Greg Street was responsible for as much, I thought his contribution had been encounter design.
You bring up a good point though, that Metzen and Chiltonâs print on the whole thing is also of note. My argument here would be is that the forums tend to rally to a single person to hang their laurels on or as a single scapegoat, when the reality is far more complicated.
You are talking about WoW, and the stupid greens send of this subforum
Well, if it is as it says, it brought MoP, maybe there is hope, but for the next expansion, because HELLO KITTY ISLAND OF WOKECRAFT: DRAGOONFLIGHT I donât give it any hope.
I wonder what he fought with the leadership at Riot about in regards to the MMO.
Probably monitization - itâll likely be what I fear - insanely monitized in all aspects but âpay for win.â So monitized that you can only buy nice looking gear at their store, and you are only handed scrap pieces in game.
Ghostcrawler one would hope would have the MMO bring forth multiple Sea-Life Zones without subjecting us to the horror of âplaced-on-the-groundâ-type AoEs(the only AoEs that should be used would be the sort that would exude outward from the Playerâs Body).
Ghostcrawler knows about Marine Life so he should make his Zones based on what he knows.
Yeah Iâm not sure how many left Blizzard to work on Wildstar but I think it was only a few? always enjoyed the videos that came out for it.
Still hurts that it was so poorly managed, and to an extend, developed.
Such a great idea for a MMORPG.
A developement focus that was going the wrong direction, too much âthe 1% will keep playing and bring the othersâ and too many bugs early on.
Such a shame.
It was really fun. Yeah the telegraph system was a pain sometimes dealing with but it had a amazing housing system.
Isnât he also the man that was tasked to lead Riotâs MMO then abandoned it