In the video game industry, there are times when it’s best to have a console or PC exclusive, and then times where it’s best to put games on every platform possible. Both have merits, and both have potential faults. The problem though is when a game seems perfect for another system or platform, yet the developer/publisher just doesn’t want to port it over for one reason or another. For a long time, World of Warcraft has thrived on PC, but many gamers have wanted it brought to console. Yet, Blizzard doesn’t seem to want to.
With the newest World of Warcraft expansion, Battle For Azeroth, coming this August, the desire to see the game on console has renewed in a big way. At PAX East, Dualshockers talked with Daniel Stahl of Blizzard and asked if the MMORPG could finally come to console:
“You know, World of Warcraft is really designed for Personal Computers, I think. There’d have to be so many different changes we’d have to make to make it a console game… We really want to continue making World of Warcraft as it is right now. We’d have to do something entirely different if we wanted to do something for consoles.”
While unfortunate, this does line up with what Blizzard has said about certain other ports. Heroes of the Storm was also noted to not be coming to console, and Overwatch isn’t coming to the Nintendo Switch at the moment because of similar reasons of having to change a lot of things.
To be fair to Blizzard, they are right, going from PC to console with an MMORPG is not easy. And though games like Final Fantasy XIV have made it work, they’re kind of in the minority. What’s more, given that they’re finalizing Battle For Azeroth and working on World of Warcraft Classic, they may simply not have the manpower to attempt a console port at this time.
