Blizzard Considering Major World of Warcraft Graphics Engine Update

[malware]

In an interview about next expansion of WoW called Wrath of the Lich King, World of Warcraft producer J. Allen Brack said that the game will "probably" undergo a complete graphical upgrade in the future. "Will we need a graphical update from the ground up at some point? Yep, probably," he said. "That's actually something we talk about every expansion," he added. "I'm positive we'll talk about it next expansion."
"A lot of people continued to play with the original client, because it was faster, or they preferred it, or were just used to it or whatever," he said. "And so for me as a game developer, the idea that we would spend so much time and energy on something and have people go, 'meh, that's not really for me,' that's not very exciting."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Kreij]

If the core gameplay does not improve, more eye-candy will not make a difference to most people.

Sony learned this with EQ.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

If the core gameplay does not improve, more eye-candy will not make a difference to most people.

Sony learned this with EQ.

+1 on this, people don't play games just for eye candy (except Crysis)

 

[FAXA]

I think it needs doing eventually, although, I agree with Kreij's point.

If blizzard do decide to upgrade the engine, they'd better make it an optional download, so that people running the game on an old machine can still play.

 

[NinkobEi]

If the core gameplay does not improve, more eye-candy will not make a difference to most people.

Sony learned this with EQ.

wow has great gameplay I think. some of the tactics required for raid bosses are just plain fun. like the big bad wolf in karazahn. he turns a random raid member into little red riding hood and that person has to run away from the wolf and cant attack or anything. thats just hilarious. and the chess boss is freaking great. what other mmo lets you play as a chess piece with heals/nukes and melee attacks? none. thats right.

 

[exodusprime1337]

it would be nice for a graphical update, but then again, i wouldn't be sad or unhappy if they didn't. WoW is just plain fun. I love logging in and having a multitude of thigns, and if one toon get's boring, i just start another one and level up. Endless amounts of fun with WoW.

 

[xvi]

I hope that a graphics update doesn't mean I need to upgrade my hardware. I always thought we should be seeing better performance out of today's WoW engine, but it's one of the few games I have to really dumb down the graphics on. Most other games run fine at medium to high on my X850. WoW runs sort of a lowish medium (and I still only get 10 FPS in Orgrimmar).

I wonder if this will bring back some of the people who quit.

 

[mullered07]

I wonder if this will bring back some of the people who quit.

u talking bout the people in rehab who spent 25 hours a day on wow lol

 

[Gam'ster]

Yeah an optional download would be better like the recent eve trinity patch, the patch was well received and adds a bit of life to it imo. Wouldn't hurt WoW to have a face lift again as long as its optional.

Gam

 

[Scheich]

wow has great gameplay I think.

You are right, but .. thats only a small part of the game. Lich king has nothing new and now
they are going the easy way, but theres always hope, maybe there are some ideas left for
Diablo 3, in 5 years

 

[a111087]

wow, they are going to need to do a LOT of work because the world is so huge
so, I would love to see how it would look with new graphics

 

[ShadowFold]

If they update the graphics I will start playing again.

 

[echo75]

its about freaking time!!!!!

 

[Azazel]

but then.....9 million people will have to quite...most people play wow...cos it can run on a toaster

 

[a111087]

but then.....9 million people will have to quite...most people play wow...cos it can run on a toaster

it will probably be voluntary and I don't expect requirements just that high

 

[Azazel]

yeah blizzard are not stupid enough to do such a thing i was just taking the piss

 

[NinkobEi]

but then.....9 million people will have to quite...most people play wow...cos it can run on a toaster

since when do Cylons get to play WoW? I thought that was specifically forbiddin by the Two's

 

[Assimilator]

Yeah, WoW's graphics are WAY past due for an update. Every time I watch my brother playing, I'm struck by how "cartoony" the game looks (which is probably why I've never played it).

As Gam said, the best way for Blizz to do this is in a similar way to what CCP did with EVE - allowing players to either stick with the old graphics engine that runs on any PC, or upgrade to the new and purty one that requires a decent graphics card.

@Ninkobwi: you win the Geek Humour Award for today

 

[spearman914]

I think it needs doing eventually, although, I agree with Kreij's point.

If blizzard do decide to upgrade the engine, they'd better make it an optional download, so that people running the game on an old machine can still play.

I SO agree with that. But I don' play it.

And I LOL at your sig.

 

[trt740]

the current engine looks very good and will run on just about anything improve the game content and leave the game alone.

 

[XooM]

there are some clips on youtube of how existing models would look if rendered in an engine with better lighting and shading options, and it looks awesome. IMO, blizzard doesn't need to redo all the art to make WoW look better, they simply need to upgrade the engine's lighting and shading capabilities.

 

[Mussels]

since when do Cylons get to play WoW? I thought that was specifically forbiddin by the Two's

the rebel cylons decided MMO's were fun.

 

[Kenshai]

wow has great gameplay I think. some of the tactics required for raid bosses are just plain fun. like the big bad wolf in karazahn. he turns a random raid member into little red riding hood and that person has to run away from the wolf and cant attack or anything. thats just hilarious. and the chess boss is freaking great. what other mmo lets you play as a chess piece with heals/nukes and melee attacks? none. thats right.

Actually dark age of camelot had a mini chess game in the trials of atlantis expansion. Which came out almost a year before WoW if I'm not mistaken.

 

[AphexDreamer]

Hey right now the only thing keeping me from playing WoW is its Graphics. If its gets some DX10 like Graphics, then thats the day I'll become a WOW adicte.

 

[Xolair]

Guess a part of my WoW ''fobia'' has been partially the graphics, they've just looked too cartoonish so far. If they added even a slither of realism and some graphical appeal in the future, I just might get into it.