Blizzard believes mobile is the future, VR taking the back seat

Blizzard may not release titles very often, but they are known for launching game-changers… literally. Franchises like Starcraft and Warcraft dominated the strategy game market, only to then release World of Warcraft and take over the MMORPG industry. What’s next?

Well, we know the smartphone boom has brought upon us a whole new way of looking at technology, which does include gaming. This is not only an activity you indulge in for hours. You can do it on your way to work, while drinking coffee or maybe even hitching a ride on the bus for a couple stops.

Blizzard loving mobile

Where does Blizzard fit into all of this? Their popular game Hearthstone has become one of the top grossing titles in the industry, and it makes them about $20 million a month, according to research firm SuperData.

Blizzard knows the importance of mobile gaming and the need to adapt to this evolving market. In an interview with Venture Beat, president and co-founder Michael Morhaime, senior vice president and co-founder Frank Pearce and senior vice president Chris Metzen talked about the future of Blizzard, and it is looking very pocketable.

The only issue is that most other games are not exactly designed to be viewed in the smaller screen… nor are they casual. The company is bound to run into some issues, and needs to adapt its strategy to fit today’s gaming needs.

“If we were going to continue to evaluate experiences in real-time strategy, I think we’d have to figure out what that means to the current player space. [StarCraft II expansion] Legacy of the Void is great. [But] I don’t think that people want to sit down and play 45 minute missions any more. I think that space might need some reinventing.”

“I feel like there’s still a big opportunity in mobile beyond just casual games. I’m not sure we’ve figured out what that is yet.”

What will we see coming from Blizzard, aside from their Hearthstone series? We will have to wait and see. But it seems we won’t be seeing anything in the VR department… at least not for a while.

A bit about VR

You may have noticed we are pretty excited about VR here at Android Authority. It’s one of those things you have to experience to really understand. It not only seems like the next step in gaming, it looks, sounds and feels like it. Just imagine looking at World of Warcraft through a VR headset!

The guys at Blizzard can envision this, and seem to like the idea, but so far they have no plans to invest on such venture. This is sad news, but at least they are keeping their minds open to the idea.

“Everybody’s talking about VR and wearing funny helmets. Culturally, we’re interested, and we’re watching. How rad would it be to run around in World of Warcraft and see it 1-to-1? That does appear to be the next horizon. But we’re kind of watching. It’s possible that other companies will take more tentative steps and plant their flags. I don’t think we’re quite ready to conquer all that yet.”

Wrapping up

The information is still a bit general and the company still needs to do some planning, but at the very least we get an idea of where they aim to go.

What kind of games would you like to see coming from Blizzard? Are you down for 45-minute missions? Are you itching for some more complex titles, or do you prefer them going the casual route? Maybe a balance? Hit the comments and let us know!