"The bigger they are, they harder they fall." I firmly believe that this big fall WILL happen with World of Warcraft. Why? ..It has no real "staying" power. People will leave. For boredom of end game. For other games. For real life. And when these people leave, so will their friends. And when the populations really die down, the gold farmers will also look for greener pastures. I predict a HUGE server merger by next summer with WoW. I mean a server merger to about 1/3 of it's current number of servers. 60-70% of their servers here now will be "swooosh", gone by next summer. From there, the game will continue a downward spiral in server populations and it will be all over the internet by that time that World of Warcraft is known for the biggest drop in players of any game in the shortest timespan ever. Within 3 years max, I'd say Blizzard will pull the plug on this game and probably look for greener pastures themselves. They won't stick around for years and years for loyal fans simply because by then WoW will have such a negative image, they will see it better for them and their future to just pull the plug and take their insane profits elsewhere. Actually... I predict either just before WoW has it's plug pulled or shortly after that Blizzard entertainment will be bought out by some other company and this change will alter Blizzard forever. Someone will buy them out in the next few years. Maybe it will be some damn big cell phone company who buys them out in an attempt to make HUGE online cell phone games themselves. Maybe it will be EA who buys them out in an attempt to try and monopolize the mmo market as much as possible (actually I can really see this happening quite easily with what EA did with the NFL and Madden video games.. and EA has the money to buy out such a big company such as Blizzard). Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them. And if it is EA that buys them out, maybe it will before WoW is dead, and EA will be sure as hell to screw up WoW beyond fixing and THAT will be it's real death. Heh. I dunno, but I just don't see WoW as being around forever, sorry guys.
- Zaxx
While I don't disagee that WoW's Fall when it happens will actually be fast and not gradual, there is absolutely no chance that Blizzard will get bought out. That already happened. Viviendi(spelling?) the huge French company owns blizzard.
Currently playing: LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too: Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
One more major expansion (ala Burning Crusade) and then the announcement of Warcraft IV. The events of the Warcraft IV storyline will shake the foundations of Azeroth in such a way that the current setup for World of Warcraft can progress no further and it comes to an end.
Then World of Warcraft II is released and the cycle will begin again.
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
That is all completely false Blizzard is completely owned by Vivendi.
These games don't die. They just lose a certain amount of people over time. Honestly I wouldn't mind if they did die because that would mean people were more willing to let go and move on to something new. Every game has a lifespan and eventually you will get bored of it. Some people just continue to hang around even if they aren't really having a lot of fun playing the game anymore. Seeing that the original MMOs are still around and they had less people playing at their peeks WoW will probably drop in numbers as new MMOs come out, but will continue with a small playerbase like the rest.
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Back on topic.... People will eventually tire of WOW, and start to drift away slowly to other pursuits. This will result in Blizzard deciding some core aspect of the game must be changed to bring them back... which will greatly annoy the core player base who will then flee the game in droves..... leaving the die-hard folks who are determined to play WOW and only WOW for the rest of their days to 'stay with their friends' or preserve their time investment.... while the rest of us go off and play a new game....
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
WoW will be around long enough for WoW 2 to come out...go through a transition as WoW player move to WoW 2. There will be people that think WoW is better than WoW 2 and they will stick around playing it (assuming Blizz just does not pull the plug if they do release WoW 2).
I am sure will watch WoW be the #1 MMO for another 2-5 years easily.
I'm not saying you are calling it out, but if Ultima Online/Everquest are still alive I doubt Wow will ever truely go away.
MMO's aren't like standard products that eventually die , these things can go on for as long as there is a user base and it pays the bills, WoW will just advance their graphic tech and such and keep going, this cash cow isn't going to stop until either A). No one plays (good luck on that) or . A meteor totally wtfpwnz earth.
Think about it, both those mmo's are still going and never had the same user numbers. Do you think WoW will truely die?
Hell no.
Can't stand the game anymore, but damn I wish I had gotten onboard for funding blizzard back when they upstarted.
If im correct though, the reason WoW has done so well is that it has appealed to millions of people who didnt even know what an mmo was, its not like 8 million people came from daoc and ac and eq to WoW. That being said, they are much more susceptible to new games being released since its not like they're veterans of mmos and know waht they like. If WoW is they're first game then they're likely to try a different mmo and leave WoW. just my oppinion
A few things to keep in mind, blizzard has a large fan base from which to reach out to both domestic and international. Along with those fans you have MMO players who wanted to give WoW a shot like I did. Its a fun game but like any game it can start lose its novelty after a while, but its a pretty well thought out game. The cartoony graphics never really bothered me because the colors and detail were so nicely done, its the subtle touches and nuances that give it character.
If you're looking for something to fail its only a matter of time so this isn't something of any profound consequence.
The Old Timers Guild Laid back, not so serious, no drama. All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
obviously not in the very near future, but what is everones oppinion on when WoW will finally die its inevitable death? i know WoW fanboys like to think it will be around forever, but every mmo fails one day. Will it be a sudden death brought on by an expansion which makes all the million hours you've farmed and raided for nothing ( TOA for Daoc), or by introducing a key feature which conflicts with the values of the game ( Trammel for UO) of do you guys think it will just slowly decay over the next 5 years from newly released games?
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEETOPLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Originally posted by Kyleran
Originally posted by quixadhal
Originally posted by zaxtor99
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Contrary to Xplororor's insane-person post, the extreme costs of running servers, providing vast bandwidth and so on are such that WoW could not be "freeeeeee" and not cause Blizzard to lose huge giant chunks of money. WoW will not be "around forever" as a major MMORPG. Further, WoW has invalidated the idea that one needs "100k" subs to be a "hit". That's no longer true at all. Vanguard had that many and was considered a flop (accurately). DDO has 50k and it's barely hanging on. WoW has re-adjusted the boundaries. Any MMO that doesn't get 250k+ people in the first year is likely to be seen in a negative light by it's ultimate publishers, post-WoW. It's a different world.
WoW will decline, in time, that's a given. I seriously doubt it will be a "sudden death" from a bad expansion or rules change, though. WoW has shown the ability to change the rules very severely (with TBC, for example), and survive, because Blizzard are smart enough to know the way the wind is blowing, and thus making any changes in the appropriate direction.
Instead I would expect to see a decline triggered by games like WAR and AoC, a slow decline, and a steady one, which, as further MMOs come out, will gradually gather pace. WoW will still retain huge numbers of customers in Asian countries, I would predict, but here in the west, I'd be surprised if it had 500k in North America by early 2010, very surprised.
Part of it does depend on how well they handle the expansions, but they're really in a position where the only way they can go is down, the question is, how fast, and how far? WoW is at, or past, it's apex.
Blizzard being Blizzard, I don't imagine we'll see a WoW 2 any time soon. When WoW has declined somewhat, they'll probably make another RTS game, and tie it in to the MMORPG somewhat, then a couple of years after that, I imagine we'll begin to see things from a next generation WoW - Probably on PS4/Xbox 720-ish consoles as well as the PC, and certainly with fully integrated voice-chat etc.
honestly, why do people insist on making these posts?
So you don't like WoW? Big deal. I don't like the food at White Castle. but I don't wish every one of them to catch fire and burn to the ground, I simply don't eat there.
The Lesson here is if you don't like a game, don't play it. Wishing it's demise and trolling such a message accomplishes nothing.
Lord I hope its soon. As one of the five mmo players on the planet that haven't played this thing directly (thanks to all the copying I have pretty much played it though other games I'm sure) I am looking forward to the death of this over-bloated monster. Haveingsaid that once it dies developers might get back to trying some original thinking.
lol original thinking most game developers take what the last GREAT game did and add on to it, its rare to see anything original in an mmo, but if you do, it does extreamly well or bombs
obviously not in the very near future, but what is everones oppinion on when WoW will finally die its inevitable death? i know WoW fanboys like to think it will be around forever, but every mmo fails one day. Will it be a sudden death brought on by an expansion which makes all the million hours you've farmed and raided for nothing ( TOA for Daoc), or by introducing a key feature which conflicts with the values of the game ( Trammel for UO) of do you guys think it will just slowly decay over the next 5 years from newly released games?
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEETOPLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Originally posted by Kyleran
Originally posted by quixadhal
Originally posted by zaxtor99
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
obviously not in the very near future, but what is everones oppinion on when WoW will finally die its inevitable death? i know WoW fanboys like to think it will be around forever, but every mmo fails one day. Will it be a sudden death brought on by an expansion which makes all the million hours you've farmed and raided for nothing ( TOA for Daoc), or by introducing a key feature which conflicts with the values of the game ( Trammel for UO) of do you guys think it will just slowly decay over the next 5 years from newly released games?
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEETOPLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Originally posted by Kyleran
Originally posted by quixadhal
Originally posted by zaxtor99
Blizzard is all about the money and will not be able to resist the insane $$ offer thrown at them.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Contrary to Xplororor's insane-person post, the extreme costs of running servers, providing vast bandwidth and so on are such that WoW could not be "freeeeeee" and not cause Blizzard to lose huge giant chunks of money. WoW will not be "around forever" as a major MMORPG. Further, WoW has invalidated the idea that one needs "100k" subs to be a "hit". That's no longer true at all. Vanguard had that many and was considered a flop (accurately). DDO has 50k and it's barely hanging on. WoW has re-adjusted the boundaries. Any MMO that doesn't get 250k+ people in the first year is likely to be seen in a negative light by it's ultimate publishers, post-WoW. It's a different world. WoW will decline, in time, that's a given. I seriously doubt it will be a "sudden death" from a bad expansion or rules change, though. WoW has shown the ability to change the rules very severely (with TBC, for example), and survive, because Blizzard are smart enough to know the way the wind is blowing, and thus making any changes in the appropriate direction. Instead I would expect to see a decline triggered by games like WAR and AoC, a slow decline, and a steady one, which, as further MMOs come out, will gradually gather pace. WoW will still retain huge numbers of customers in Asian countries, I would predict, but here in the west, I'd be surprised if it had 500k in North America by early 2010, very surprised. Part of it does depend on how well they handle the expansions, but they're really in a position where the only way they can go is down, the question is, how fast, and how far? WoW is at, or past, it's apex. Blizzard being Blizzard, I don't imagine we'll see a WoW 2 any time soon. When WoW has declined somewhat, they'll probably make another RTS game, and tie it in to the MMORPG somewhat, then a couple of years after that, I imagine we'll begin to see things from a next generation WoW - Probably on PS4/Xbox 720-ish consoles as well as the PC, and certainly with fully integrated voice-chat etc.
I think the point of that was that an MMO needs 100k players in the first year to be successful, as in, cover its cost and turn a profit. The only thing that will change that is the cost of production and/or the subscription fees. WoW hasn't changed anything in that department.
Blizzard is a smart company. Its common knowledge that they do have a third team working on a secret project. The obvious choice for this would be World of Starcraft... or Galaxy of Starcraft as the case may be. However, from a business standpoint, it would be absolutely foolish to release within the next couple years. Generally, companies don't want to release a product that competes against their own products.
Yes, all MMO's fade over time, that's just a simple fact, but rarely do they ever die. If one is fortunate to see the light of day, its a safe bet that it will be around for years and years to come. Case in point, people are still playing Ultima Online and even MUD. MMO's are very easy to scale. Less players means you reduce the amount of servers, hence less money coming in = less money being spent.
Either way, WoW will not be the talk of the town for more than a couple more years, and I suspect Blizzard is planning on countering that with Starcraft Online (which is most likely why they released SC2; to bring it back to the surface of players minds).
Originally posted by xplororor WoW... followed by annoying red text
sarcasm?
Making it free would kill WoW within months, people would zerg it just because of it's fame and servers would be overpopulated making their bandwidth costs more, more customer service needed, more office space, more everything (except their advertising and live team if they fire them all) and more is not cheap... I doubt they could even make 6 months free for existing subscribers and still have a profit...
but this time probably forever, the more I dont play the more I really dont want to play WoW again. I always think should I play again ? cause Iam really bored right now but then I think what it has to offer and sadly it doesnt really have much to offer except rep. grinds.
But I dont think WoW will fall in the near future, maybe in 10 years or something.
WoW is now just all about arenas, god this game became so boring. I think Blizzard just wants to keep this game now alive with E-Sports and doesnt care anymore about the MMO aspect in that game :x.
Just a quick note on the "Death of WoW," which should be presaged by the "Death of EQ." What we have is a very new form of entertainment medium, and we already have the pre-existing test case: Everquest original. This game, near as I can tell, is still going on, with a support of 200,000 odd players.....which is considered a success by MMO industry standards, I understand.
WoW is of course absolutely huge right now.....but at what point would it be considered "dead?" If it shrinks in popularity eventually, how many people who have to be playing before it was considered too small to be worth noting? EQ is a great test for this, because long before WoW dies EQ should pass on. When it does, then I think talking abotu WoW's expiration date will make more sense.
Hell, I swore I'd quit WoW 3 times in the last six months....and I'm playing as much as I ever have, and enjoying it. Part of the reason is simple: the game takes a lot of time, and people like me can only stay focused and interested for so long before other demands in life need to be met. Thus, we swear it off, we leave.....and eventually we find the time and interest again. What baffles me is the people who seem to be playing the game 10-16 hours a day, every day, nonstop. Holy cow, how do they do it?
Anyway, let's all start talking about WoW's demise after the test subject EQ finally expires.....then we might have something to go on.
(Hell, you could declare UO the test MMO, too....and even IT is still going!)
The first successful MMORPG is about 10 years old. It just recently revealed the next expansion. If a game with mostly 2D graphics can survive that long, who knows.
I doubt World of Warcraft will ever really die. Just the WoW as we know it. It will have 14351235125 expansions just like every other MMORPG and turn into something completely ridiculous that becomes niche once the next big innovator storms the scene.
No, its not....Vivendi is a shareholder owned corporation..... hence its public....
I personally do not care if Blizzard is owned by Vivendi, which is owned by a bigger version of Vivendi. Public or privately owned.... either way is ok with me..... As long as they continue putting out products that put FUN before profit, (A product can be both fun and profitable. Both profitable and fun. It's the order that shows the intention behind the product. See Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, Diablo 2, Freelancer, cSWG as a few examples of putting fun before profit. Players can sense the DEVs intentions from playing the game.) I and millions of gamers will continue buying their products.
See where it says "type"? On the right of "type" it says "Private". Your own link says a private company (Vivendi) owns a former private company (Blizzard).
Originally posted by raoul
Originally posted by xplororor WoW... followed by annoying red text
sarcasm?
Making it free would kill WoW within months, people would zerg it just because of it's fame and servers would be overpopulated making their bandwidth costs more, more customer service needed, more office space, more everything (except their advertising and live team if they fire them all) and more is not cheap... I doubt they could even make 6 months free for existing subscribers and still have a profit...
*sigh*
I was talking about IF WoW were to fade sooo much, aka lose soo many paying players, aka shrink down from 8+ million players down to 24,000 players.... that THEN Blizzard could make it free to play.... Blizzard by this point will have made such a sick, insane, amount of true profit that they would lose no money at all at this point.
Obviously Blizzard is not going to currently make WoW free if more than 50,000 players are willing to pay to play.
Comments
While I don't disagee that WoW's Fall when it happens will actually be fast and not gradual, there is absolutely no chance that Blizzard will get bought out. That already happened. Viviendi(spelling?) the huge French company owns blizzard.
Currently playing:
LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too:
Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
Here is my take on the fall of World of Warcraft;
One more major expansion (ala Burning Crusade) and then the announcement of Warcraft IV. The events of the Warcraft IV storyline will shake the foundations of Azeroth in such a way that the current setup for World of Warcraft can progress no further and it comes to an end.
Then World of Warcraft II is released and the cycle will begin again.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
That's EASY.
When they release World of Warcraft II
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
That is all completely false Blizzard is completely owned by Vivendi.As seen here in their VU Games division:
www.vivendi.com/corp/en/subsidiaries/index_games.php
Currently playing:
LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too:
Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
These games don't die. They just lose a certain amount of people over time. Honestly I wouldn't mind if they did die because that would mean people were more willing to let go and move on to something new. Every game has a lifespan and eventually you will get bored of it. Some people just continue to hang around even if they aren't really having a lot of fun playing the game anymore. Seeing that the original MMOs are still around and they had less people playing at their peeks WoW will probably drop in numbers as new MMOs come out, but will continue with a small playerbase like the rest.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Er....point of order.... Blizzard is now part of the Vivendi Games group of Vivendi, which is a public corporation as I recall. They haven't been independent for a long time.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment
Back on topic.... People will eventually tire of WOW, and start to drift away slowly to other pursuits. This will result in Blizzard deciding some core aspect of the game must be changed to bring them back... which will greatly annoy the core player base who will then flee the game in droves..... leaving the die-hard folks who are determined to play WOW and only WOW for the rest of their days to 'stay with their friends' or preserve their time investment.... while the rest of us go off and play a new game....
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
What is the purpose of this post? Who cares?
WoW will be around long enough for WoW 2 to come out...go through a transition as WoW player move to WoW 2. There will be people that think WoW is better than WoW 2 and they will stick around playing it (assuming Blizz just does not pull the plug if they do release WoW 2).
I am sure will watch WoW be the #1 MMO for another 2-5 years easily.
BTW...I do not play WoW.
My only hope is years from now when people lose interest in WoW, Blizzard doesn't make a WoW 2, but rather a Starcraft MMORPG.
----------DOOOOM----------
I'm not saying you are calling it out, but if Ultima Online/Everquest are still alive I doubt Wow will ever truely go away.
MMO's aren't like standard products that eventually die , these things can go on for as long as there is a user base and it pays the bills, WoW will just advance their graphic tech and such and keep going, this cash cow isn't going to stop until either A). No one plays (good luck on that) or
. A meteor totally wtfpwnz earth.
Think about it, both those mmo's are still going and never had the same user numbers. Do you think WoW will truely die?
Hell no.
Can't stand the game anymore, but damn I wish I had gotten onboard for funding blizzard back when they upstarted.
A few things to keep in mind, blizzard has a large fan base from which to reach out to both domestic and international. Along with those fans you have MMO players who wanted to give WoW a shot like I did. Its a fun game but like any game it can start lose its novelty after a while, but its a pretty well thought out game. The cartoony graphics never really bothered me because the colors and detail were so nicely done, its the subtle touches and nuances that give it character.If you're looking for something to fail its only a matter of time so this isn't something of any profound consequence.
The Old Timers Guild
Laid back, not so serious, no drama.
All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
WoW will die when the world is swallowed by a black hole.
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEE TO PLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Er....point of order.... Blizzard is now part of the Vivendi Games group of Vivendi, which is a public corporation as I recall. They haven't been independent for a long time.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment
Errr... read your own link. It's still a private company.
Contrary to Xplororor's insane-person post, the extreme costs of running servers, providing vast bandwidth and so on are such that WoW could not be "freeeeeee" and not cause Blizzard to lose huge giant chunks of money. WoW will not be "around forever" as a major MMORPG. Further, WoW has invalidated the idea that one needs "100k" subs to be a "hit". That's no longer true at all. Vanguard had that many and was considered a flop (accurately). DDO has 50k and it's barely hanging on. WoW has re-adjusted the boundaries. Any MMO that doesn't get 250k+ people in the first year is likely to be seen in a negative light by it's ultimate publishers, post-WoW. It's a different world.
WoW will decline, in time, that's a given. I seriously doubt it will be a "sudden death" from a bad expansion or rules change, though. WoW has shown the ability to change the rules very severely (with TBC, for example), and survive, because Blizzard are smart enough to know the way the wind is blowing, and thus making any changes in the appropriate direction.
Instead I would expect to see a decline triggered by games like WAR and AoC, a slow decline, and a steady one, which, as further MMOs come out, will gradually gather pace. WoW will still retain huge numbers of customers in Asian countries, I would predict, but here in the west, I'd be surprised if it had 500k in North America by early 2010, very surprised.
Part of it does depend on how well they handle the expansions, but they're really in a position where the only way they can go is down, the question is, how fast, and how far? WoW is at, or past, it's apex.
Blizzard being Blizzard, I don't imagine we'll see a WoW 2 any time soon. When WoW has declined somewhat, they'll probably make another RTS game, and tie it in to the MMORPG somewhat, then a couple of years after that, I imagine we'll begin to see things from a next generation WoW - Probably on PS4/Xbox 720-ish consoles as well as the PC, and certainly with fully integrated voice-chat etc.
honestly, why do people insist on making these posts?
So you don't like WoW? Big deal. I don't like the food at White Castle. but I don't wish every one of them to catch fire and burn to the ground, I simply don't eat there.
The Lesson here is if you don't like a game, don't play it. Wishing it's demise and trolling such a message accomplishes nothing.
Lord I hope its soon. As one of the five mmo players on the planet that haven't played this thing directly (thanks to all the copying I have pretty much played it though other games I'm sure) I am looking forward to the death of this over-bloated monster. Haveingsaid that once it dies developers might get back to trying some original thinking.
<imgsrc="http://files1.guildlaunch.net/guild/library/86975/Black_Fire.jpg">;
<ahref="http://profile.xfire.com/aetiuslonginus"><img src="http://miniprofile.xfire.com/bg/sh/type/2/aetiuslonginus.png"; width="450" height="34" /></a>
lol original thinking
most game developers take what the last GREAT game did and add on to it, its rare to see anything original in an mmo, but if you do, it does extreamly well or bombs
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEE TO PLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Er....point of order.... Blizzard is now part of the Vivendi Games group of Vivendi, which is a public corporation as I recall. They haven't been independent for a long time.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment
Errr... read your own link. It's still a private company.
No, its not....Vivendi is a shareholder owned corporation..... hence its public....
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
1. What is with the recent spat of threads about WoW dying?!? Why can't people simply browse the menu on the left side of the screen, and pick a mmorpg they like after playing the demo's, free trials, or risking their $50.oo on something that looks good?
2. There is no hard information even hinting at WoW dying. Which makes any current, and new threads, about WoW dying ... moot!
3. Read the following very carefully, over and over - you the OP, and any other posters out there thinking about spamming MMORPG.com with more threads about WoW dying:
WoW has made such insane true profits, that IF Blizzard were to make WoW
FREEEEEEE to buy, FREEEE to download, FREEEE TO PLAY
Blizzard would LOSE NO MONEY AT ALL!!!
Do you know what FREE is? What FREE means? This means it litterally is IMPOSSIBLE for WoW to die.
I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
This is not fanboy speak. This is buisnessman speak.
A current, modern mmorpg costs roughly 35 million to make. It needs 100,000 subscribers within 1 year after it releases to be considered a HIT. It needs a minimum of 50,000 subscribers within 1 year of release to have a chance in heaven or hell of ever re-couping its investment money, then turning a true profit. This was the same hurdle WoW had to meet and clear... WoW also needed a minimum of 50,000 subscribers, and needed a maximum of 100,000 subscribers to be considered a HIT.
WoW has how many subscribers? WoW litterally has left the planet, that is how insane its profits are.
Now no more new threads about WoW dying. Find a mmorpg one likes, and play it.
Actually, Blizzard is still a private company. No shareholders to demand higher dividends each quarter, no parent corporation to demand quick ROI every year. As such, they can pretty much set their own terms with respect to everything they do in the business. That's how they get away with their ever-more-delayed ship dates on every product since the original Warcraft.
Don't be so naieve as to think ANY game company out there isn't all about the money, but a private company has control over what they do and how and when they do it. That's why Vanguard failed (SOE wouldn't give them operating funds to continue in beta, and Sigil wouldn't sign the paperwork to sell out before launch). That's also why the NGE happened in SWG (LucasArts owned the IP of the game and forced them to make changes, although it was SOE that decided the nature of the changes).
Blizzard owns their own IP, and their own code and toolsets, AND their own company. That level of control is hard to give up unless you're ready to leave the business, and I suspect whenever the top folks there decide to retire to some sunny island, THEN the company will be sold.
Er....point of order.... Blizzard is now part of the Vivendi Games group of Vivendi, which is a public corporation as I recall. They haven't been independent for a long time.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment
Errr... read your own link. It's still a private company.
It is not a PRIVATE Company. Blizzard is a Subsidy of Vivendi Games. ONCE AGAIN THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT BLIZZARD DO NOT OWN THE COMPANY!!!!
Currently playing:
LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too:
Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
Blizzard is a smart company. Its common knowledge that they do have a third team working on a secret project. The obvious choice for this would be World of Starcraft... or Galaxy of Starcraft as the case may be. However, from a business standpoint, it would be absolutely foolish to release within the next couple years. Generally, companies don't want to release a product that competes against their own products.
Yes, all MMO's fade over time, that's just a simple fact, but rarely do they ever die. If one is fortunate to see the light of day, its a safe bet that it will be around for years and years to come. Case in point, people are still playing Ultima Online and even MUD. MMO's are very easy to scale. Less players means you reduce the amount of servers, hence less money coming in = less money being spent.
Either way, WoW will not be the talk of the town for more than a couple more years, and I suspect Blizzard is planning on countering that with Starcraft Online (which is most likely why they released SC2; to bring it back to the surface of players minds).
sarcasm?
Making it free would kill WoW within months, people would zerg it just because of it's fame and servers would be overpopulated making their bandwidth costs more, more customer service needed, more office space, more everything (except their advertising and live team if they fire them all) and more is not cheap... I doubt they could even make 6 months free for existing subscribers and still have a profit...
I quit WoW ... well again
but this time probably forever, the more I dont play the more I really dont want to play WoW again. I always think should I play again ? cause Iam really bored right now but then I think what it has to offer and sadly it doesnt really have much to offer except rep. grinds.
But I dont think WoW will fall in the near future, maybe in 10 years or something.
WoW is now just all about arenas, god this game became so boring. I think Blizzard just wants to keep this game now alive with E-Sports and doesnt care anymore about the MMO aspect in that game :x.
WoW and E-Sports thats such a joke ....
Just a quick note on the "Death of WoW," which should be presaged by the "Death of EQ." What we have is a very new form of entertainment medium, and we already have the pre-existing test case: Everquest original. This game, near as I can tell, is still going on, with a support of 200,000 odd players.....which is considered a success by MMO industry standards, I understand.
WoW is of course absolutely huge right now.....but at what point would it be considered "dead?" If it shrinks in popularity eventually, how many people who have to be playing before it was considered too small to be worth noting? EQ is a great test for this, because long before WoW dies EQ should pass on. When it does, then I think talking abotu WoW's expiration date will make more sense.
Hell, I swore I'd quit WoW 3 times in the last six months....and I'm playing as much as I ever have, and enjoying it. Part of the reason is simple: the game takes a lot of time, and people like me can only stay focused and interested for so long before other demands in life need to be met. Thus, we swear it off, we leave.....and eventually we find the time and interest again. What baffles me is the people who seem to be playing the game 10-16 hours a day, every day, nonstop. Holy cow, how do they do it?
Anyway, let's all start talking about WoW's demise after the test subject EQ finally expires.....then we might have something to go on.
(Hell, you could declare UO the test MMO, too....and even IT is still going!)
Current MMOs: Rift, GW2, Defiance
Blog: http://realmsofchirak.blogspot.com (old school tabletop gaming and more)
The first successful MMORPG is about 10 years old. It just recently revealed the next expansion. If a game with mostly 2D graphics can survive that long, who knows.
I doubt World of Warcraft will ever really die. Just the WoW as we know it. It will have 14351235125 expansions just like every other MMORPG and turn into something completely ridiculous that becomes niche once the next big innovator storms the scene.
Doktar - 70 Troll Priest - Perenolde
I personally do not care if Blizzard is owned by Vivendi, which is owned by a bigger version of Vivendi. Public or privately owned.... either way is ok with me..... As long as they continue putting out products that put FUN before profit, (A product can be both fun and profitable. Both profitable and fun. It's the order that shows the intention behind the product. See Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, Diablo 2, Freelancer, cSWG as a few examples of putting fun before profit. Players can sense the DEVs intentions from playing the game.) I and millions of gamers will continue buying their products.
But here is the cut and paste from your own link:
(Subsidiary of Vivendi SA)
See where it says "type"? On the right of "type" it says "Private". Your own link says a private company (Vivendi) owns a former private company (Blizzard).
sarcasm?
Making it free would kill WoW within months, people would zerg it just because of it's fame and servers would be overpopulated making their bandwidth costs more, more customer service needed, more office space, more everything (except their advertising and live team if they fire them all) and more is not cheap... I doubt they could even make 6 months free for existing subscribers and still have a profit...
*sigh*
I was talking about IF WoW were to fade sooo much, aka lose soo many paying players, aka shrink down from 8+ million players down to 24,000 players.... that THEN Blizzard could make it free to play.... Blizzard by this point will have made such a sick, insane, amount of true profit that they would lose no money at all at this point.
Obviously Blizzard is not going to currently make WoW free if more than 50,000 players are willing to pay to play.