Check out series of images of the early development stages of MMO monsterWorld of Warcraft, showing off the game in an entirely different light to the one gamers know.
From its very beginnings,World of Warcraftwas a game that held a special place in the heart of many a PC gamer. It’s perhaps the reason why thousands of fans gathered forthe closing of vanillaWorld of Warcraftserver Nostraliusearlier this year. However, although the earliest forms of the game may seem rustic to some, a set of screenshots of the early parts of the title’s development makes the game look very different.
This week, a set of images from the very early development ofWorld of Warcrafthas been circulating around fan communities, and it’s an extremely interesting look at exactly how the game was formed. The in-development project looks a far cry from the online behemoth that it eventually became, with nary a Pandaren in sight. Indeed, one could even be forgiven for thinking that the shots, which were originally released by Blizzard staffer Dave Wilson, were from an entirely different game.
This is perhaps due toWorld of Warcraft’s rather strange development period. To begin with, the game actually started out in theWarcraft 3engine, and this choice for early creation is made all the clearer in some of the screenshots that have surfaced. Those interested in seeing more can check out the gallery below.
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It’s always intriguing to see a game in development, particularly one that has gained such an impressive following asWorld of Warcraft. Blizzard has often had an interesting time of things when creating its games, and theWarcraftseries itself has had many challenges to overcome. Indeed, it was evencreated from a failed gaming project, with Blizzard initially hoping for theWarhammerlicense before making its own franchise altogether.
Since then, of course, Blizzard has continued to make a number of huge steps forward in the gaming industry. AlthoughWorld of Warcrafthas been considered perhaps the developer’s most well-known game, the huge success ofDiablo IIIand most recentlyOverwatchcertainly shows that Blizzard is more than a one-trick pony. Indeed, withOverwatchnow reachingover 20 million registered players, there’s a case to be made for the multiplayer shooter to be crowned top dog.
Nonetheless,World of Warcraftstill seems to have a fairly solid level of support. Although the game’s popularity has waned a little over the years,World of Warcraft: Legionstill managed tosell over 3 million copies at launch, and the recent expansion’sstellar reviewssuggest that there’s life in the old dog yet. Let’s see just how far Blizzard can take this historic game.
