World of Warcraft has long been celebrated for its distinctive visual style, described as both “homely” and nostalgic by the community. Despite advancements in gaming technology, WoW has avoided dramatic graphical updates, opting instead for periodic updates to lightning and textures! Executive Producer Holly Longdale shed light on this creative decision in a Daily Star interview, emphasizing the importance of preserving the game’s unique aesthetic…
Staying True to WoW’s Style
Longdale explained that while the team often experiments with graphics, they prioritize community feedback above all else. “Players of WoW don’t want something different,”, she shared. “They want it to feel like WoW, and they appreciate the style that it is.” Blizzard’s cinematic team may create polished, cutting-edge visuals, but the in-game style remains grounded in what resonates with the player base.
Basically, they want a balance between innovation and familiarity when it comes to the game’s future.
Gaming for Everyone, Everywhere
Accessibility has become pivotal to Blizzard’s approach to WoW. Longdale emphasized their commitment to making the gameplay on a variety of devices, saying, “We want everyone on the planet on whatever device they’ve got to be able to experience Warcraft in some way.”
The engineering team has worked to ensure backward compatibility, enabling the game to run on older systems. This philosophy jokingly described as making WoW “playable on a potato,” aligns with Blizzard’s “no player left behind” mantra.
The Console Question
As the gaming landscape shifts, questions about WoW arriving on consoles has grown LOUDER. While Longdale confirmed that no announcements are currently in the pipeline, she didn’t dismiss the idea entirely. “We’re always exploring,” she said, hinting at Blizzard’s willingness to adapt and expand access to new platforms in the future. Now under Microsoft’s ownership, Blizzard may be uniquely positioned to bring WoW to consoles like Xbox, a move that could introduce the game to millions of new players!
For more details, we encourage you to read the full Daily Star interview.
