The WoW Monopoly and Empty Servers

littzain

When WoW had come out, I was playing Star Wars Galaxies (which by the way, is the best MMO I have ever played ((PRE-CU))).

As soon as WoW came out, there was an immedeate drop in SWG populations it seemed.  There were still a good deal of players, but a good few of them had switched over.

After the CU and NGE hit, I had long canceled my account and sort of went inbetween a bunch of MMOs, trying to find the right one.

I went through City of Heroes, Planetside, Everquest 2,  EVE Online, LOTRO, AC2, and even WoW itself.

Unfortunately, none of them could satisfy my taste - and at this point, nothing will.

I've been looking at statistics and research and found that WoW has at LEAST 40% of the MMOG market, possibly up to like 60%.  The worst part is, the last remaining MMOGs make up the rest - all with tiny populations.

One thing that particuarly draws me into MMOGs are the sheer amount of players.  Back in SWG's heyday, there were 300,000-500,000 subscribers, plenty.  I was in awe as I stood in the Coronet starport at all the advertisements, and all the people hanging out in the cantina telling their stories.

Now it seems like every MMOG is a ghost town except WoW.  And it'll be a long time until we can finally hope to see something besides WoW with a good portion of players.

Now I'd also like to say that I tried other MMOs too, but I didn't even listen them because I honestly thought the gameplay was pure crap, bad graphics, and otherwise horrible (AO, MxO, Silkroad, etc).

I'm really hoping WAR pulls through.

What is a dedicated, but demanding player like me, to do?

Liliane

Same what we rest are doing, waiting game worth of playing?

DemDemDem

I know exactly what you mean, playing all the games that before WoW was doing well in themselves with good populations then WoW hits the market and it's like a bomb is dropped on said games.

I play WoW...Yes. But I don't like WoW. I like the idea of WoW and the population(except I hate most of the players) I think it is a pretty cool game and it deserves to rule the MMORPG market at this point in time. But I keep saying this to myself in a desperate hope to join a game more to my taste, Warhammer online will come out and will rival WoW...Maybe not to the point where WoW becomes the ghosttown of a game, but to the point where the other 40% is all in one game.

Yeah WoW won't be beaten for atleast another year, I hope it gets knocked off top spot, not because I don't like the game in itself but because It just doesn't suit my playing style. I feel like we are all being forced to play WoW, not by anything most of us look at for a great deal of time ofcourse or we would realise but while I was sat typing this I realised how WoW has the majority population.

They got alot of hardcore fans who don't play MMORPG games but love Warcraft on the game, then they got their friends, obviously people joined because it looked a fantastic game (and is). But after they all joined, played awhile, liked it, they got more people involved untill the population was so big that other games was totally abandoned except the loyal subscribers. So it was either join WoW, or play in a ghost town game with little to no economy or grouping. And I don't know about you but when I play online games I like to see people running around and doing things I am doing ( why I hate guildwars).

 

Ok I meant for this post to be a paragraph but got carried away. Please feel free to insult or compliment me as you see fit as you all do so well

DemDemDem

Originally posted by DemDemDem

I know exactly what you mean, playing all the games that before WoW was doing well in themselves with good populations then WoW hits the market and it's like a bomb is dropped on said games.
I play WoW...Yes. But I don't like WoW. I like the idea of WoW and the population(except I hate most of the players) I think it is a pretty cool game and it deserves to rule the MMORPG market at this point in time. But I keep saying this to myself in a desperate hope to join a game more to my taste, Warhammer online will come out and will rival WoW...Maybe not to the point where WoW becomes the ghosttown of a game, but to the point where the other 40% is all in one game.


Yeah WoW won't be beaten for atleast another year, I hope it gets knocked off top spot, not because I don't like the game in itself but because It just doesn't suit my playing style. I feel like we are all being forced to play WoW, not by anything most of us look at for a great deal of time ofcourse or we would realise but while I was sat typing this I realised how WoW has the majority population.
They got alot of hardcore fans who don't play MMORPG games but love Warcraft on the game, then they got their friends, obviously people joined because it looked a fantastic game (and is). But after they all joined, played awhile, liked it, they got more people involved untill the population was so big that other games was totally abandoned except the loyal subscribers. So it was either join WoW, or play in a ghost town game with little to no economy or grouping. And I don't know about you but when I play online games I like to see people running around and doing things I am doing ( why I hate guildwars).


 
Ok I meant for this post to be a paragraph but got carried away. Please feel free to insult or compliment me as you see fit as you all do so well


 
And AMG why is it still in a quote bubble thing lol... Ok this is like 5th time editing then I pressed quote by accident.. I apologise for the DP and no idea why I wrote in a quote bubble then quoted my quote bubble and wrote in it? o.0

King-Gamer

I know what you mean I have bounced around a lot to except that I stuck with WoW however inconsistent my money flow is and I agree that WoW has taken lots of the population I never played the original version of SWG but from my bro I heard it was awesome and I played the newer version thought it was terrible but anyways I know what you mean I jump around a lot just keep looking I am sure you will find something out there that will be to your liking.



I would like to know do you think SWG if it had stayed at it's original version do you think it could have still had a chance against WoW because I mean even if SWG was so good I still believe that WoW would have taken people away from SWG and everything else. But like I said never played the original what do you think of this?



P.S. Sorry for my poor writing skills was never good at it  -_-.

Flyte27

Most new MMOs start out with a lot people and then dwindle down over time.  The only ones who hang around usually are the ones who can't pull themselves away from their current game and try something new.  WoW may have the biggest population at the moment, but as soon as a really good MMO comes along a lot of people will abondon it for the new game as WoW is starting to get old.  When I left Everquest I had been looking for a new game for a long time.  WoW was prefect for me as I didn't feel like spending the same time investment I had made in Everquest.  I've quit of course as I've done everything I want to do in the game.  I'm sorry about SWG, but it was going to dwindle down anyone.  It's another one of those games that doesn't have mass market appeal.  Even games that have mass market appeal will die down sooner or later as I mentioned.

eosyne

you don't think swg has mass market appeal? are you crazy... there's people still whining about the CU. swg was awesome pre-CU. if they never came out with nge or anything i think it would still have all the same players then some, minus a couple for wow, then come back to swg because it really was good.  BUT  that didn't happen because nge and cu now swg is weird.  I used to play all the time, but I ain't going to knock it star wars is pretty sweet, but they should have left it the way it was, now there just isn't enough customizing in characters and they cut a bunch of classes that was just dumb.

Flyte27

Originally posted by jackeccs

you don't think swg has mass market appeal? are you crazy... there's people still whining about the CU. swg was awesome pre-CU. if they never came out with nge or anything i think it would still have all the same players then some, minus a couple for wow, then come back to swg because it really was good.  BUT  that didn't happen because nge and cu now swg is weird.  I used to play all the time, but I ain't going to knock it star wars is pretty sweet, but they should have left it the way it was, now there just isn't enough customizing in characters and they cut a bunch of classes that was just dumb.

SWG seems to have a very devoted niche market, but weirdly enough the fanbase wasn't very large to begin with.  It seems that there are a lot of people who played SWG and since no other game is like it they can't find a game to play and so they just post on the message boards all day hoping that a new game will be made that is like it.  Unfortunatly for them the game doesn't have mass appeal with the sandbox style, alpha class, and large emphasis on crafting.  You know you did something wrong when Warcraft is pulling people away from a big name like Star Wars.  Star Wars has a huge fan base and should have done much better then it did.

bahamut1

Actually, I'm completely the opposite. Now don't get me wrong, WoW is a fine game, and fun to play. I actually look at the population at WoW and know there is something wrong with it. I know it sounds confusing, but here's my point.

Now, a lot of people are different, and I can accept that, as I'm usually in the minority , but I like close knit, knowledgable communities. Now not so close knit as 150 per server, obviously, but it's nice to pretty much know people when you see them. When people in my guild talk about "this guy" or "that guy" or "Hey, do you know this such and such cleric with X guild?", I pretty much know who and what they are talking about. There are "characters"  on my server, and I know who they are, and recognize them when I see them. There are really good players, and I know who they are. There are really BAD players, and believe me, word gets around. I've seen people either quit the game, or move to another server because of pressure from the community.

I guess, for me, it's all about community. I know most of the people, I know many of the guilds, and they all have reputations. If I have some player from X guild bother me and try to make my game unenjoyable, I know most of the guild leaders and I can talk to their guild leader, and I know it will be taken care of, one way or another. I also know that if I'm outta line, my guild leader will probably talk to me about it. Reputation means something. Guilds mean something. COMMUNITY means something.

When you're 1 of 1,000,000, and people come and go like the wind, you can't build any kind of real community. When ExterminatordudeXX112!!1 comes and gives me problems, who is he? Where did he come from? When a GM does finally show up, LOL, I know, pretty funny, he's logged out and into one of his other 23 alts all at level 70. The community cannot police itself, and there is NO WAY a GM can keep up with 1,000,000 ubar alt 70's. I guess until you actually become a part of the community, and people you have never met come up and ask a small favor, or ask you for a group, and I quote: "Because I know your guild is fair and has good people in it." it really makes you think about the FULL package when you play a game you feel that you belong to, not just play.

Flyte27

Originally posted by bahamut1


Actually, I'm completely the opposite. Now don't get me wrong, WoW is a fine game, and fun to play. I actually look at the population at WoW and know there is something wrong with it. I know it sounds confusing, but here's my point.
Now, a lot of people are different, and I can accept that, as I'm usually in the minority , but I like close knit, knowledgable communities. Now not so close knit as 150 per server, obviously, but it's nice to pretty much know people when you see them. When people in my guild talk about "this guy" or "that guy" or "Hey, do you know this such and such cleric with X guild?", I pretty much know who and what they are talking about. There are "characters"  on my server, and I know who they are, and recognize them when I see them. There are really good players, and I know who they are. There are really BAD players, and believe me, word gets around. I've seen people either quit the game, or move to another server because of pressure from the community.
I guess, for me, it's all about community. I know most of the people, I know many of the guilds, and they all have reputations. If I have some player from X guild bother me and try to make my game unenjoyable, I know most of the guild leaders and I can talk to their guild leader, and I know it will be taken care of, one way or another. I also know that if I'm outta line, my guild leader will probably talk to me about it. Reputation means something. Guilds mean something. COMMUNITY means something.
When you're 1 of 1,000,000, and people come and go like the wind, you can't build any kind of real community. When ExterminatordudeXX112!!1 comes and gives me problems, who is he? Where did he come from? When a GM does finally show up, LOL, I know, pretty funny, he's logged out and into one of his other 23 alts all at level 70. The community cannot police itself, and there is NO WAY a GM can keep up with 1,000,000 ubar alt 70's. I guess until you actually become a part of the community, and people you have never met come up and ask a small favor, or ask you for a group, and I quote: "Because I know your guild is fair and has good people in it." it really makes you think about the FULL package when you play a game you feel that you belong to, not just play.

I think thats great though I never wanted to get that involved in a game.  I want to get even less involved now that I'm older.  Getting inolved in a game community takes a lot of time and effort.  Effort that I believe a lot of people aren't willing to spend or just don't have the time to do so.  I think for the people who really like to socialize they will have to look for the small niche games and hope for the best.

Humanophage

That's what MUDs experienced previously. That's what Ultima Online experienced after the advent of Everquest, the father of bland 3D RPGs. In the end, Everquest was destroyed by an even more primitive game, that being World of Warcraft. I actually find Everquest II to be quite a decent choice for a smart modern MMO-gamer. And Everquest I already looks like a neat, high-brow, though outdated game with a lot of good role-players. I have strong suspicions that whatever surpasses WoW in popularity will be even more ridiculous. Like Guild Wars, which made me think how diverse, immersive and vast WoW world is. Well, Guild Wars is not really an MMORPG, so I'd say we have a chance of getting something that is only slightly less primitive than WoW.

The only alternative I can see at the moment is EVE Online, but it failed to catch my interest.

Currently looking forward to playing Age of Conan. It doesn't seem to have great stuff like housing, or a decent crafting system, but at least they're specifically aiming to create a fine atmosphere, have a serious setting, and the single-player beginning is an awesome innovation that should enable the less intellectually advanced players to get a grasp of the world. Hopefully, it shall attract a wide audience with its fast-paced gameplay.

Pantastic

How on earth does WOW qualify as a monopoly? It's most definately not the only game in town, as shown by the huge list of other MMORPGs.

nomadian

LOTRO maybe worth a try, its not empty.

DemDemDem

Bahamut, you don't need a small community to get well known. It just takes more effort, but when you get to that then it's all the more rewarding....Or so I am told :P

Volkmar

Originally posted by littzain


When WoW had come out, I was playing Star Wars Galaxies (which by the way, is the best MMO I have ever played ((PRE-CU))).
As soon as WoW came out, there was an immedeate drop in SWG populations it seemed.  There were still a good deal of players, but a good few of them had switched over.
After the CU and NGE hit, I had long canceled my account and sort of went inbetween a bunch of MMOs, trying to find the right one.
I went through City of Heroes, Planetside, Everquest 2,  EVE Online, LOTRO, AC2, and even WoW itself.
Unfortunately, none of them could satisfy my taste - and at this point, nothing will.
I've been looking at statistics and research and found that WoW has at LEAST 40% of the MMOG market, possibly up to like 60%.  The worst part is, the last remaining MMOGs make up the rest - all with tiny populations.
One thing that particuarly draws me into MMOGs are the sheer amount of players.  Back in SWG's heyday, there were 300,000-500,000 subscribers, plenty.  I was in awe as I stood in the Coronet starport at all the advertisements, and all the people hanging out in the cantina telling their stories.
Now it seems like every MMOG is a ghost town except WoW.  And it'll be a long time until we can finally hope to see something besides WoW with a good portion of players.
Now I'd also like to say that I tried other MMOs too, but I didn't even listen them because I honestly thought the gameplay was pure crap, bad graphics, and otherwise horrible (AO, MxO, Silkroad, etc).
I'm really hoping WAR pulls through.
What is a dedicated, but demanding player like me, to do?

you DO realize that you actually just need 10k and one server and you will have the same effect? come on, increasing population over one server size will not make that server any bigger, the population will just spread over other servers.

So, over a certain number, let's say 50k, you should have nice populated servers at all times.

Torak

I don't understand your monopoly reference either.

Here is the definition. Sounds like you simply upset that WoW has such a large player base and SOE killed off SWG in your opinion. /shrug no one is forcing anyone to pay for and play WoW, there are dozens of alternitives out there. That means there is no monopoly. Go play SWG, its not like its not still running. If you can't adapt, play something else. 

Your problem hinges on this statement "unfortunately, none of them could satisfy my taste" Thats YOUR personal preference issue NOT an industry problem. You also seem pretty concerned over how many people are playing what....get into a community and have some fun and let other people wave the epeens around over sub numbers. None of the games you tried have communities so small it presents a problem to gameplay.

mo·nop·o·ly    (m-np-l) KEY  



NOUN:

pl. mo·nop·o·lies

1. Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service: "Monopoly frequently ... arises from government support or from collusive agreements among individuals" (Milton Friedman).
2. Law A right granted by a government giving exclusive control over a specified commercial activity to a single party.
3. 1. A company or group having exclusive control over a commercial activity.
   2. A commodity or service so controlled.
4. 1. Exclusive possession or control: arrogantly claims to have a monopoly on the truth.
   2. Something that is exclusively possessed or controlled: showed that scientific achievement is not a male monopoly.

Invinci_Gal

If WoW was a monopoly, we'd have no other MMO to play other than WoW.



I think the reason you're having trouble finding a new game to enjoy is because of the current "Me Too" trend in the MMO industry. Companies see the WoW market share as a potential gold mine and believe if they make a game that mimics WoW then they'll be able to get similar subscription levels.



The result is a bland and repetitive game industry. People are afraid to try something unproven because of the huge investment that MMOs take to develop and maintain.



In the end I think this string of failures, or medium successes is good for the industry. I believe that soon companies will realize that if you want to catch people's attention you've got to do something different. Then, and this is just me hoping here, companies will do their best to push new and innovative ideas, seeing those as the main draws to a strong player base.



I also kind of hope companies will pick up on the fact that if you release a buggy and unfinished game, then it's chance at becoming a blockbuster success are gone. I honestly think they underestimate the number of people who see a plethora of bad information at launch, then spread that information to friends. No matter what the game becomes after launch that negativity is still floating out there for people to see when they look for information on the game or talk to their friends.



In the end, it's the free market. If there's enough of a demand for something, someone will try to sell it.

Rinic

FFXI still has around 500,000 subs. Server's aren't empty.

delta9

imo WOW has way to many servers to ever feel busy



i prefer 1 or maybe 2 servers for all players then games with a lower playerbase make the game server itself alot busier



ive played games with well under 1 mill subs even and they are full of players everywhere



also wow keeping eu and usa players seperate doesnt really fit in with my mmo ethos (mmo should also = world wide players not only local ones)



wow is the simplest of all mmos ive ever played, its the addiction which sets in that hooks people blizzard got that part right...  wow is not challenging in any way at all - which is why i tihnk it has the highest subs, most mmoers must like simple mmo game play - personally id rather play a indepth and challenging mmo with a small playerbase than something simple with millions playing it