GDC 09: Blizzard talking to Microsoft about new Xbox

Posted Mar 26, 2009 at 8:14AM by QJ Staff Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: Blizzard, GDC, Junction Point, Microsoft, Rob Pardo, Warren Spector
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Blizzard in talks with Microsoft for next Xbox - Image 1 

Lots of rings to rule all living rooms


At the ongoing GDC event, Rob Pardo of World of Warcraft studio Blizzard has confirmed that they are in talks with Microsoft over the next iteration of the Xbox console. He doesn't elaborate on the matter, only saying that they are actively talking about it with Microsoft. May still be too early to expect a new console in the near future though.

If they are in the process of developing a new console, developers seem to be in the dark about it, worrying some people that the next generation of consoles might be more focused on "owning the living room" rather than actually putting out games. Says Disney's Junction Point Studios' Warren Spector:

I get the impression they're focusing on owning the living room. One device that lets you watch movies, television and play games and music and all that stuff. They're so focused on that that I'm not even sure they're thinking about the games that are going to come out. Which is kind of crazy.


Pardo suggested that Blizzard may be vying for a more RTS-friendly console, possibly looking into possibilities to bringing their popular but console-unfriendly games like Starcraft outside of PC gaming:

There are are so many games like we make at Blizzard that we don't take to consoles because they don't support the input device and you end up with crappy ports. That's why RTS games never do well on consoles.


If I was them, I'd be sitting around trying to figure out what's a cool input device that supports all types of new kinds of games.




Related Articles:


Via GamesIndustry.biz

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by Yamagushi - 2009-03-26 05:54
» ...

Piss off dude and get a life. Fact of the matter is theres a lot more 360s in peoples living rooms than ps3s. A LOT MORE.



The current xbox can do everything the ps3 can besides bluray. Which dont make any difference. I can go buy a bluray player for 100$ if I feel the need. Look at last gen, nobody bought a ps2 or an xbox1 for a dvd player... Bluray is dying anyway, its only done well because ps3 has it. Cds are a thing of the past, there unstable, easily damaged, and inconvenient, as are cd-drives. Next gen will more than likely go digital with the use of downloads and flash cards for those without internet. Unless you live in japan the 360 owns the living room this generation.



Get over it already and stop trying to defend your 400$ doorstop.

by jrsmaster411 - 2009-03-26 06:31
» ORLY??!?

"The current xbox can do everything the ps3 can besides bluray" I'd like to see your 360 play killzone 2, lbp, or mgs4 and cheap blue ray player are 200 not 100. Blue Ray disks are very hard to scratch, a lot of people picked the ps2 over dreamcast because of dvds and it was a lot of people first dvd player, I'm not even sure why you got so offended by narutosaiyans comment but maybe you should get your facts straight

by Isaac C. - 2009-03-26 07:08
» Cool it

No more flame wars. Any more like that and this thread will be deleted.

by Yamagushi - 2009-03-26 07:25
» @jrsmaster

"I can't argue with an insane person their for I'm done with this"



You can't argue cause I just totaled your argument and you can't come up with any retaliation. So as a last resort you go to name calling. Prove me wrong, otherwise all I have left to say is checkmate.

by poopoopilot - 2009-03-26 07:25
» You know what you can do with a PS3?

Google up "one guy one cup".



He cooks a PS3.

by Yamagushi - 2009-03-26 07:27
» Aww..

Common Isaac, I pwned him, now my response is gone.. You might as well just delete all the comments except for yours and give it a fresh start.

by poopoopilot - 2009-03-26 07:33
» Re: Yamagushi

Yeah, the mods are a bunch of queers. That's the problem with QJ is a little healthy ribbing which might masquerade as content gets deleted. QJ is like a low quality gamespy with this kind of moderation.

by Isaac C. - 2009-03-26 07:56
» Hm

Ok you guys, you can go at it all you want, just keep-it-clean and respect each other's views.

by hush404 - 2009-03-26 07:57
» Bull

RTS friendly? The PS3 has support for keyboard and mouse controls and yet the RTS games don't seem to take advantage of it. So I highly doubt it's about making a console RTS friendly.

by phiyuku - 2009-03-26 11:08
» Though the PS3 does support Mouse and Keyboard

which is a great feature that the 360 should have also and is the perfect console for a port at this moment. I think Blizzard wants something like an all new controller that would be perfect for it rather than the mouse and keyboard. Or else the talk would be simple.

Blizzard: I want you to support Mouse and Keyboards on the next generation of consoles.

MS: Okay... It's not that hard since its definitely going to have USB Ports.



As for the owning the living room. Both Xbox 360 and PS3 support movie playback and both can stream movies on a home network. PS3 having support for more formats and fully backed by DivX and the XBox 360 Media Center which makes it relatively easy to set up. The thing the PS3 has that the 360 doesn't is Blu Ray Playback and in Europe only the PlayTV so you can watch TV on your console. Both support music playback as well. Though sadly your not allowed to move music in an mp3 format straight to your 360. You have to burn it as an audio cd and then have the 360 rip it out of the cd. Now the PS3 I'm not sure since I never tried.

by Retrohelix - 2009-03-26 16:55
» wait a minute.......

Does this mean blizzard will develop exclusively for the next microsoft console?

by Diablith - 2009-03-26 17:57
» Owning the living room

I have to say, if there's one company that want's to own the living room would be Sony. Now they've always been a home entertainment company so it's only natural. With the PS3, Sony really focused too much on it media functions and not enough on its gaming prowess. I think Microsoft is more interested in making the Xbox work with Windows more than the living room.

by Justingraziano - 2009-03-27 04:22
» ...

***** YOU BLIZZARD YOU HOMOPHOBIC PILE OF ***** COMPANY. I HOPE YOU ALL ROT IN A BLIZZARD YOU SCUMBAG *****S. *****ING PILE OF ABSOLUTE ***** COMPANY WONT LET YOU HAVE GAY MARRIAGE IN WoW. *****ING CATHOSIC SCUMBAGS *****ING THINK OF MAGICAL CREATURES LIVING IN THE SKY. ***** YOU I HOPE YOU DIE.

by icypsp - 2009-03-29 05:38
» Owning the living room

They've mastered gaming!!!!!!!!

what else could you want???

so ..... why not add in all of these FEATURESSSSS.....

Technology is so advance it would be crazy not to add random features. music, video, photo, DLC, internet,etc

PLEASE REMEMBER THO!!!

Focus on gaming

we really dont care about this other stuff, we do but dont get sidetracked.

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