The Blizzard Bank

I reckon if you wanted a sure fire investment opportunity then blizzard would be well worth having a look at. Although you may have missed the band wagon a bit, however, the bubble hasn't quite burst for Blizzard. With World of Warcraft managing to collect over 5 million subscribers and still going strong it looks like Everquest is going to have to forgo the mantle of online crack and hand over the pedastal to Blizzard. World of Warcraft has been a never ending money tree for Blizzard. They have managed to create one of the most successful MMO franchises to date.

Obviously, people are talking about it. Even James Cameron wants to jump in on the MMO cash cow and create his own MMO, which I think is currently codenamed "Project 880" (Why does he need a code name for it if he is telling people about it? Isn't a codename used if you want to keep something a secret). It was only a matter of time before Hollywood jumped on the MMO printing press band wagon. However, Hollywood and the gaming industry don't necessarily go hand in hand. Movie tie in games are some of the worst ever made. With only a handfull being worthy of release (for my money Chronicles of Riddick is one of the best movie tie in games). What can hollywood possibly offer the gaming industry that it doesn't already have? Movie stars are starting to realise that their is money voicing games. You see big names in games more and more often. Oblivion had a heap of them from Patrick Stewart to Sean Bean. I must admit that the quality of movies coming at of Hollywood at the moment is nothing more than schlock. What will they create the Posiedon MMO? Where the objective is to be the first rescued from the ship? Or, an MMO based on Gymnasts?

When the gaming industry is already suffering from a severe lack of "original" releases and "original" concepts what is Hollywood possibly going to bring to the table and make gaming a better place? Are we going to have to put up with re-releases of re-releases? Hollywood remaking classic games just so they can cash in on the resale value. Look at what was done to Bard's Tale. The original Bard's Tale was a gaming classic and the remake was nothing more than regurgitated garbage.

Anyway. Look out for the James Cameron MMO. I am sure he is going to rock the industry the same way that he rocked Hollywood. I can't wait till he releases the Titanic MMO. A tragic love story. I hate to tell you but they all die in the end.

This is what James Cameron apperantly said about it (look out for his use of the word "cool". I always think when older people say the word "cool" it just doesn't sound right).

"In my next film, I can only tell you what we're planning on doing, which is simultaneously developing a major motion picture and, hopefully, a major game title that coexists in the same world that shares characters," said Cameron. He continued, "Going into that world will actually inform those watching the film and vice versa. I don't want to say anything more than that, because I don't want to give away some of the cool stuff that we're working on." (Doesn't it sound a little bit like the Matrix online?)

Sounds cool doesn't it. Look out for Project 880. If James Cameron wants to make some money from the gaming industry why doesn't he learn what it's about first? Serve his apprenticeship. Rather than walk in like he knows the place.

James Cameron will get my "Jump in on the Cash Cow Award" for this month.