This weekend, rumours started swirling once again that the big daddy of MMO’s, World of Warcraft, could be coming to the new generation consoles. Of course, anybody’s who’s ever played World of Warcraft will tell you that that would be impossible; the game uses far too many buttons on the keyboard to make it viable on a controller. Sure, you could map some of it to a controller, coupled with using other buttons as modifiers, but it would be terribly unwieldy. You’d need a masters degree in physics just to be able to do… well, anything.
Of course, people said the very same thing about Diablo III, and look how that turned out; Blizzard rejiggered the control scheme and delivered a console-friendly version of the click-and-slasher that’s in many ways superior to the PC game.
The rumours started afresh thanks to a presumed-to-be-erroneous listing for the credit for World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor, the game’s upcoming expansion. (via neoGAF). Naturally, the idea’s been shot down by Warcraft community rep Chung ‘Rygarius’ Ng, who answered the question on Twitter with an unequivocal “no”
@Scout_Jhorag No. pic.twitter.com/aGR8qh5N3k
— Rygarius CoffeeBird (@Rygarius) July 6, 2014
Still, with the MMO’s declining userbase, and the slightly more open nature of the PSN and Xbox Live – which have embraced free to play games and MMO’s now – a console version of the world’s mightiest MMO could cause a new WoW explosion. Of course, they’d have to make it cross platform for it to work, and the chances of that happening are slim to none.
Funnily enough, the only console this could work on is the Wii U. With its touch screen gamepad, it’s about the only viable way of porting the game over to consoles. Of course, some smart alec could work wonders with the interface, allowing it to work with bog standard controllers.
It’s probably never going to happen – but if it did, would you play World of Warcraft on your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?
Last Updated: July 7, 2014
Sageville
July 7, 2014 at 12:34
I’m thinking…
Umar Reborn XIV
July 7, 2014 at 12:36
Well, FF XIV has a pretty intuitive UI for handling all those hotkeys, I feel it works extremely well given the limitation of the controller.
I for one can’t comment on playing an MMO on PC but I’ve been having a ball of a time on console with XIV
Kromas
July 7, 2014 at 13:20
FF has no mass macro editor on console and feels more at home on PC though. Hence the slightly higher PC review scores to the ps3.
Umar Reborn XIV
July 7, 2014 at 13:28
Don’t get me wrong, not saying it’s better, I just mean, for an MMO to play that well on a controller with all it’s limitations says a lot about the UI though…
Also, what server you on?
Kromas
July 7, 2014 at 13:39
As I am preparing for my great trek to an eskom site (dodging all the striking on my way there) I have cancled all my active subs in the mean time. I am however on CHAOS – LICH.
Archzion
July 7, 2014 at 12:46
Hmm, could be viable. Seeing as how they are revamping all the spells and talents again with WoD coming out, a lot of spells and abilities will be combined into one single spell and loads of mostly unused ones are being removed. Still I don’t hope so.
Gareth L (That eXCheez Guy)
July 7, 2014 at 12:49
WoW requires like a hundred shortcuts to skills, abilities and inventory items. This’ll be awkward on a console.
Rumours like this are enough to make a head of Blizzard resign. Oh, wait…
Xcalibersa
July 7, 2014 at 12:50
No thank you.
Gareth L (That eXCheez Guy)
July 7, 2014 at 12:52
That last frame. LOL!
SethStrider
July 7, 2014 at 12:56
that how I fell on a Friday when leaving work
Gareth L (That eXCheez Guy)
July 7, 2014 at 13:06
Sounds embarrassing. Did anyone see you fall? 😉
Norm
July 7, 2014 at 13:50
This^
K
July 10, 2014 at 21:01
Credit:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running5
SethStrider
July 7, 2014 at 12:51
Why doesn’t playstation and xbox give us the option to use keyboard and mouse?
Xcalibersa
July 7, 2014 at 12:52
It does, but not the games
SethStrider
July 7, 2014 at 12:55
is there any reason why thy don’t allow keyboard and mouse to work in games?
Xcalibersa
July 7, 2014 at 12:56
Beats me, I suppose the developer does not support it. But I guess he could, if WOW were to come, I dont see why not.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
July 7, 2014 at 12:56
It creates an unfair advantage for mouse-wielders in MP shooters.
Viking Of Science
July 7, 2014 at 12:58
But Mouse is the only way to play…
konfab aka derp
July 7, 2014 at 15:26
Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3 could use a keyboard and mouse. The support was there.
Gtafordays
January 9, 2015 at 19:58
Yes. It would evolve console gaming to the next generation. This would be a huge market for both Blizzard and PS4…and Xbox. If they put the time and money into the conversion they would more than make it back. Also, having a mouse and keyboard comparable with consoles would allow a whole new game market to consoles.
FoxOneZA
July 7, 2014 at 12:57
2 biggest downfalls of the next-gen from MS and Sony. Firstly, uber graphics coupled with an uber CPU but more importantly, the lack of a second screen tacked onto the controller.
Xcalibersa
July 7, 2014 at 13:03
Well I use my cell phone as a 2nd screen
Viking Of Science
July 7, 2014 at 12:57
Plan for Bizzard, Free of charge: Announce that Warlords of Draenor is the Last expansion, (Doesn’t need to be true) Make WOW free to play. Release on WiiU. Blizzard and Nintendo Profit.
Sk3tz0
July 7, 2014 at 13:01
Nah.. WoW will remain on PC.. its the only reason i have a PC.. that and fucking about on Excel.
Kromas
July 7, 2014 at 13:17
Excel? … Oh you also play Eve Online! 🙂
Gareth L (That eXCheez Guy)
July 7, 2014 at 13:04
After thinking about his for a few minutes, I think that they’ll do it – just not how we’re expecting it.
It’ll be on a new console-only server set and the game will probably be a third-person adventure title, with a reduced reliance on inventory, abilities and skills. I’m thinking more Diablo 3 in Azeroth. The opposite to what they did to Diablo 3 (Boom!).
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 7, 2014 at 13:15
Please no! As much as I enjoyed the years of WOW servitude (while I grinded towards a level 80 Gnome Warlock), I really don’t want to go through that again.
Admiral Chief Fairburne
July 7, 2014 at 13:16
Heh, dat avatar!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 7, 2014 at 13:38
I made it one cold afternoon in 2013. That’s a real banana and that’s my hand.
Kromas
July 7, 2014 at 13:41
Got a pic somewhere of a Banana gun.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 7, 2014 at 16:06
Never nerf the banana!
HisDivineOrder
July 7, 2014 at 14:15
On modern consoles, it’s entirely possible to attach a keyboard to your console. I can’t see WoW working without a keyboard because the sheer number of buttons you use in this game requires more than a console controller is capable of, but WoW could be the first game where Sony and MS embrace the idea of people running a keyboard as a viable control scheme.
Brady miaau
July 7, 2014 at 15:11
What about a “power wheel”, ala Mass Effect?
and many other games
Nikola
July 7, 2014 at 15:50
I’ve played WoW for a very very long time and there is no way in hell it will work with a controller it’s just impossible. I would love to play WoW on my PS4 but it aint happeining…
Brian Murphy
July 7, 2014 at 16:32
You would need more than a controller, plain and simple. There is simply no way to map the amount of buttons you need for a level 90 characters skill set onto a controller, nevermind how quickly you need to access it in tight situations like a raid, or a heroic raid. There are classes that have 7-10+ button rotations during combat, not including pots/flasks. For DoT classes, these things would need to constantly be refreshed and without add-ons you have no spell timers (unless they’ve added it to the standard blizzard UI, which I haven’t used in years).
Add-ons are another reason why this can’t work. Blizzard doesn’t have a built-in threat meter, dps counter, raid dps counter (Generally all raid bosses have a berserk timer, so everyone in the raid has to have a high enough avg dps to do the dmg in the timeframe), healer tools, raid tools, raid warnings etc… the list goes on and on.
So, add native keyboard/mouse support and mod functionality, and now we’re getting somewhere. Though, with the new expansion, I hear they’re getting rid of spell bloat, so that may cut down on the buttons a bit….but it’d still be difficult to do on a controller and without mods.