While we all are going to stumble and make mistakes in this crazy thing called life, Blizzard learned recently that some mistakes are a bit more costly than others.
The MMO maker’s announcement that it would be cancelling its currently in-development title Titan came as a bit of a surprise this week. However, perhaps even more surprising, is the news that the studio may have already sunk tens of millions into the development process. “Development costs for Titan may have amounted to… $50 million or more…Costs for unreleased games can be significant, but launching substandard games can harm the reputation of a successful publisher such as Blizzard. Expenses for development can be considered R&D, and benefits can include invaluable training, IP and technology that can be applied to other games.” Said independent analyst Billy Pidgeon.
For those unaware, Titan was to be Blizzards next big thing beyond World of Warcraft . However, after the pieces failed to fall into place, the founders decided to simply pull the plug and walk away. In a recent interview, Blizzard president Mike Morhaime said “We had created World of Warcraft , and we felt really confident that we knew how to make MMOs. So we set out to make the most ambitious thing that you could possibly imagine. And it didn’t come together. We didn’t find the fun. We didn’t find the passion.”
Not to worry, as this isn’t the first time Blizzard has canceled a title. Blizzard is likely to bounce back from this little snafu in no time flat.