DailyTech - Blizzard Wants To Bring World of Warcraft To Cell Phones

Submit News

Blog: Gadgets Blizzard Wants To Bring World of Warcraft To Cell Phones
Chris Peredun - February 13, 2008 8:46 PM

E-mail

del.icio.us

18 comment(s) - last by SlipDizzy.. on Feb 14 at 5:37 PM

The WoW experience, available soon on your cell phone?

Guild chat and auction house status, soon on your cell phone?

During the wrap-up for the recent 2008 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, Blizzard co-founder and executive vice-president of product development Frank Pearce was sharing some future insight into the ever-expanding World of Warcraft.

One of the tidbits of information that got the most raised eyebrows was the announcement of the "Blizzard Mobile Team" -- but hopes for a full-fledged World of Warcraft experience on a hand-held platform was quickly squashed by Pearce. "We want to look at the mobile devices as something we can use to enhance the experience of our existing games. So we're going to have to look at ways to use the mobile device to enhance their 'World of Warcraft' experience."

Pearce mentioned the possibility of an IM-style link to guild chats, in-game mail, and auction house monitoring. "We probably wouldn't allow you to actually buy or sell via the mobile device, but you could certainly monitor."

In addition to giving the ten-million-plus current WoW users yet another avenue for connecting to the world of Azeroth, Blizzard is hard at work on content for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, and a method to stream a trial version to prospective new clients in as little as ten minutes.

Finally, the sights have been set on another popular fantasy world -- the World of Warcraft movie is actively seeking directors, and Uwe Boll will not be making the cut, if the standards of Blizzard are to be taken seriously. "When we talk about the quality of our movie and the quality of the movie we want to see delivered, we're talking about the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy," said Pearce. "That's what we want to deliver, that kind of epic experience."

Comments

Threshold

Username
Password
remember me

This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

WoW..... *cry more*

By LazyBoyTony on 2/13/2008 10:05:12 PM , Rating: 4

Just when I thought it was easy to get over WoW Crack, I was wrong. Soon they'll be invading our smart phones and the temptation to get back in it will be harder than ever.

On another note, mobile data transfer costs in Australia make this feature expensive. Maybe my small wallet can deter me from getting addicted again.

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By Master Kenobi

(blog) on 2/13/2008 11:41:54 PM , Rating: 2

I canned my subscription a few days ago. You can only rehash the same garbage so much before it gets stale.

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 2/13/2008 11:44:52 PM , Rating: 5

Third horseman of the apocalypse. You heard it here first.

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By jadeskye on 2/14/2008 1:19:58 AM , Rating: 2

been clean 6 months now. the pull is still there though. i really gotta get myself into beer and women so i have something else to be addicted to XD

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By Caffeine Addict on 2/14/2008 7:57:29 AM , Rating: 3

Ha, it took a deployment to Ramadi, Iraq for 15 months to get clean off of WoW. LOL I'm coming back soon though ... and I'm feeling the pull still from WoW.

LOL! I'll probably need my best friend to do an intervention again and "steal" my modem.

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By SlipDizzy on 2/14/2008 9:11:01 AM , Rating: 2

15 months? Try 4 years since I finished the Planes of Power expansion in Everquest. Every now and then I just want to install the game and see if my characters are still there.

I'm playing WoW now, but that Evercrack still tugs on my shirt from time to time.

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By ninjit on 2/14/2008 3:18:25 PM , Rating: 4

Errr, are you seriously trying to compare your 4 years off of everquest to his 15 month stint in Iraq?

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By SlipDizzy on 2/14/2008 5:37:09 PM , Rating: 3

Yes, I am comparing the time frames involved in both posts. You don't know what I did in those 4 years because I never mentioned it. So I'm not comparing the events that occurred during his time in Iraq to the events that occurred in my life over 4 years. I'm merely stating that even after 4 years, without seeing the game, that I still feel the need to play.

Are you happy now? Clear enough for you, or are you trying to make me look bad?

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By SavagePotato on 2/14/08, Rating: 0

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By Dello on 2/14/2008 10:30:03 AM , Rating: 2

Ya...Blizz being sued for workers being fired because of being addicted lol!

Parent

RE: WoW..... *cry more*

By nekobawt on 2/14/2008 10:39:04 AM , Rating: 4

even better, the tragic accidents as a result of DWWs--Driving While WoWing (someone's sure to be dumb enough to try this).

Parent

is this really wise?

By Screwballl on 2/14/2008 12:05:32 PM , Rating: 2

as if the addicition wasn't bad enough with home PCs and laptops...now they take it on the road causing car accidents just because they had to check their players status on the road and get hooked into the game while driving....

those who get hooked into this game generally are a few cans short of a six pack anyways so you want to give them a way to cause death and destruction in real life???

Very bad idea blizzard

RE: is this really wise?

By ninjit on 2/14/2008 3:23:00 PM , Rating: 2

Hah, it maybe a bad idea in terms of individual mental health, but it is the dream of any and every company for their product to be addictive and legal.

Blizzard isn't (and shouldn't) stop milking this anytime soon.

Tobacco and Alcohol addiction are the traditional examples of this idea in action; and look how long it took people to stand up and start fighting these as detriments to society.

Parent

Nice!

By Aikouka on 2/14/2008 8:37:10 AM , Rating: 3

I've actually been looking for something like this for awhile. But I wish it wasn't cell phone only (or what I assume might end up cell phone only). It'd be nice to check mail or chat with the guild from any PC as I mean WoW is meant to be a social game... something many, many people tend to forget. Although, I swear once you get the murloc game or the harry potter game started up in trade chat... well, I really don't feel like being social anymore :P.

I want this!

By Dello on 2/14/2008 10:06:32 AM , Rating: 2

I want it to be on cellphones but i say they make a deal with like nitendo or Playstation to put it on the DS or PSP. And man i wish i was talented enough to play in the WOW movie. :( I WOULD LOVE THAT!! I want to be somone that dies a slow painful death.

Wait!

By Dello on 2/14/2008 10:28:47 AM , Rating: 2

What Cellphones will it be on only the Apple touch??? i cant afford that right now :(

In other news...

By geddarkstorm on 2/14/2008 12:22:09 PM , Rating: 2

The rate of car accidents across the globe has dramatically increased. Back to you, Bob.

Great!!

By Vanilla Thunder on 2/14/2008 4:31:32 PM , Rating: 2

Now the hordes of WoW'ers can finally leave their parents basements without fear of missing one second of their "real" lives.
Blizzard is the Nino Brown of the video game world. And all y'all are nothing but their Pookies.

Vanilla