Given the upcoming MMO, Warhammer Online, there has been a lot of discussion over the past year or so about who's ripping off who. As hopefully everyone knows by now, Warhammer (first published in 1983) has been around long before anyone even heard of the Internet. But what many don't know is that before Warcraft, Blizzard had been in negotiations with games Workshop to make a Warhammer game. For whatever reasons, the deal fell through, Blizzard modified a few things and released Warcraft (which is why the games seem similar in many ways). I guess there was enough ambiguity for Blizzard to avoid a lawsuit.
Anyway, in short, Warhammer has been around for a long time, Blizzard was undeniably, heavily influenced by Warhammer when they created Warcraft, and now, Warhammer has a lot of work ahead to claim its rightful section of the MMO pie.
9 comments:
So what your saying is that Warhammer is the original Warcraft and WoW? I can understand that Blizzard has used similar ideas to Warhammer, being that they are both fantasy games, but they go off in completely different directions. And on that note, every MMO steals of other MMO's. We wouldn't be where we are at with ANY game if they didn't have the very first games. Where do you think the majority of MMO ideas came from? Space?
They came from the MUDs. MUD = Muti user Dungeon. They were made by people to play their pen and paper games online and with out pen and paper, they were text based and at the time, new and exciting. And then MMOs like Everquest and Asheron's Call came that were just like MUDs, only with graphics.
I just realized that this minor post got a ton of hits because someone linked to it on the WoW forums a few days ago.
I created this post in response to the numerous number of people claiming that WAR was copying WoW when we first started getting videos and detailed info about WAR.
Of course good games will look at other games for inspiration, thats to be expected, and accepted. I was just trying to point out that Warhammer was around long before anyone considered creating a game-making company called Blizzard.
I threw in the fact about Blizzard approaching Games Workshop for a licensing deal because I thought it was an interesting footnote. No, I don't have citations. I'm not trying to publish a paper. If you don't believe it, you can do some research yourself or just go on continuing to believe whatever you want to believe. Doesn't really matter to me.
With Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft, Blizzard have indeed taken their creation in a markedly different direction from the grim world of Warhammer, chiefly by introducing new races that did not have direct parallels in Warhammer, though the visual feel of Warcraft is still very similiar to Warhammer, and ideas like dwarves being technologically advanced are straight out of the Old World. Warcraft: Humans and Orcs and Warcraft 2, however, are pretty blatant in their rip-offishness. Even more damning, I think, is the very obvious parallels between Starcraft and Warhammer 40k/Space Hulk. The Zerg ARE the Tyranids, in almost every detail. The fact that some people now think Warhammer is a rip-off of Warcraft only really goes to show how wide the appeal of MMORPG's has become.
That's just the thing though, sure, blizzard did copy warhammer with warcraft, but years later, they made a mmorpg, with alot more lore and differences compared to Warhammer (which does also, have alot of lore).
MMORPG and RTS are two different game genres, and the board game of warhammer, and their video games have been rts, until now, with their realise of Warhammer Online.
So now, many years later, the tables have turned, and it is now warhammer copying warcraft.
Besides, what's wrong if someone can make something someone else made, only better, isn't that would happens pretty much everyday in this world? Like a piece of basically cooked steak, compared to a fancy seasoned deliciously cooked steak.
Warhammer - RIPPED OFF, dungeons and dragons, Lord of the rings, Aliens from Geigers work, and Starship troopers, not to mention it took most of its ideas from scifi around the time of its making, including judge dredd.
now ffs why is it that you guys think that its blizard thats doing the ripoffs?
STARCRAFTS UNITS COME FROM STARTREK and STARSHIPTROOPERS.
and not to mention americas own history has shaped their making.
GO READ SOME MOAR B4 YOU TROLL
Okay, #1 orcs and elves are considered STANDARD fantasy fare in all fantasy media. This was a standard set by Tolkein, and has defined the genre and much of the fantasy worlds it is based upon.
#2 Why is no one mentioning that Starcraft IS Warhammer 40k?!??! Space Marines = Space Marines? Zerg = Tyrannid? Protoss = Eldar?!?
#3 Warhammer / Warhammer 40k are my favorite mass-authored book worlds, and Diablo II ensures that Blizzard is a saint. Plus, I used to play WoW. And Starcraft is a beautiful game. And I hear that table-top stuff is real top notch.
Now, with all those three, I ask you one thing:
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!?!
It's clear Blizzard massively ripped off Games Workshop, rendering both Warhammer and Warhammer 40K in video game version for the less table top inclined. It's ironic that Warhammer Online is the first MMO I've found that feels 'finished' like WoW does, and not sketchy where you teleport back and forth due to lag, glitch into a tree, engage in combat with a squirrel, accidentally drag your HUD off your screen, and stand there D: face while it kills you one hitpoint at a time.
Needless to say Warhammer 40K Dark Millennium Online looks even more like WoW. I think it's poetic justice that Games Workshop get close to complete rip off of Blizzard, Blizzard have had it coming for years.
Keep an eye on Sargos Sector fan base for upcoming debate on the issue, it's inevitable! ;)
i've searched every single page on google for every search involving blizzarrd workshop games warhammer and or warcraft and i can't find anything to back up your claim about the deal. this blog is hte only one ever cited when this subject comes up. would you care to link a source which you claim anyone can find? because apparently no source for that claim exists. nevermind that thefirst 2 wc games are more like bad lotr lore than warhammer lore.
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