In 2007, Blizzard Entertainment embarked on the development of Titan, a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) intended to emulate the triumph of its previous hit, World of Warcraft. After seven years, Blizzard announced the cancellation of Titan. Recently, new insights have surfaced that offer a deeper understanding of what Titan might have been and the reasons behind its ultimate demise.
Polygon has published an extensive excerpt from Jason Schreier's forthcoming book, 'Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.' According to Schreier's account, Titan was essentially two distinct games merged into one. It featured a superhero action component where players battled villains, alongside a Sims-like simulation aspect where players could live out their secret identities, complete with jobs, homes, and even cooking capabilities. The primary challenge was integrating these disparate elements into a unified gaming experience.
Rob Pardo, Blizzard's vice president of game design during Titan's development, was reportedly held responsible internally for many of the project's issues. Pardo was said to have been largely uninvolved in Titan while managing other Blizzard games, only to later interfere with the project by rejecting elements the team had already begun to develop. Despite the significant time and resources invested, the development team had little to demonstrate when Titan was finally scrapped.
The positive outcome of Titan's failure is that some of the superhero assets created for the game were repurposed for Overwatch, one of Blizzard's most successful titles to date. However, the majority of Titan's development work remains unseen by the public and serves as a cautionary tale in the video game industry.
'Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment' is set to be released on October 8.
