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Where is the WoW killer?
tylerthedrui
Member Posts: 304
It's been fun tagging along as games have evolved over the years. It seems right now that there is a consensus that MMORPGs are sort of stuck in a repetitive rut. Even the game developers are not happy, since most them are losing profits to WoW.
The solution will have to be some game that can break the mould. The mould that it must break is the very shape of WoW - the accumulation of all MMORPGs leading up to the perfection that is WoW.
Like Starcraft, Diablo, and Warcraft; a Blizzard game only reiterates the features and design that we've already seen. When that design is trumped, it disappears.
I have faith in MMORPG gamers because they are explorers and dreamers. People who imagine something larger than a deathmatch in an FPS. MMORPGs are already breaking the mould of what games are. Perhaps it's premature to ask for something further down the road of video game evolution.
One thing is for certain - the evolution of games is inevitable. WoW has perfected the last generation of MMORPGs, and many of the upcoming games are simply trying to beat WoW, or are trying to draw a small niche of gamers. Eventually our attention will be drawn away from WoW towards some new game that we can't even imagine right now - something that will be innovative and ground-breaking. This game will be as alien to WoW as WoW is alien to Chrono trigger.
I'm afraid that we'll have to wait for this game. There is alot of cheese in MMORPGs, like there is in movies and music. It's strange that one genre can draw so many poorly implemented games. The failures will slowly reinforce the movement by game developers towards a game that is original.
I'm taking a long break from MMORPGs - I have a degree to focus on. When I come back, I think I will be drawn by something none of us have thought of, something we haven't seen before.
I'm not being pessimistic or optimistic - I'm simply pointing out the inevitable. Those that are new to this genre might not understand what I'm saying, and might argue with me. Those that hve been here for a while will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Let us take a second and probe the future. Somewhere amidst the vast unknowns is the WoW killer.
Who will make it?
Is it in development already?
Is it in development, but completely secret?
Comments
Blizzard will make it.
World of Starcraft.
I'll hate myself, but I'll probably play it.
Hoping it's WAR, but really doubt it.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
It breaks down like this:
1) In order to make a good MMO you need $50mil+ and 3-5 years developement time. Anything less and no matter how good your core ideas are your gonna end up with some half finished, buggy, poorly implemented product that hasn't been tested enough.
2) In order to get $50mil+ and 3-5 years developement time you have to be willing to make a WoW clone. Who the fuck is going to give you that kind of money just to try and idea of yours and see if it works.
3) Related to the question at hand, are you even looking for a "WoW killer". If you want an MMO to get 8 million subs, your gonna have to put in a lot of kiddie rails in and dumb it down. So if you really want a totally new type of game you really aren't looking for a WoW killer at all.
If you want a game with new and vibrant concepts you going to have to go with some indie developer. However, lack of resources brings you back to #1.
So Vanguard is good?
WoW will more than likely never be killed and here are a few reasons:
1) It's inexpensive. It's been out a few years so when junior is walking through Target and says "Mommy, can I buy this?" Mommy doesn't think it's too big of a deal. It will more than liekly have a free trial and once you sign up for a subscription you forget it's there. (I payed for DAoC for 8-9 months without noticing this year and I ONLY played the trial)
2) It's easy mode. Anyone who claims otherwise is full of it. Back when I played I left for a few days on a trip and my GF was bored and gave it a go. She has never played a video game in her life other than tetris and mario. She got well into the 20's in a weekend and still didn't know what the hell was going on. I'd like to mention my experiences aren't much different. I leveled my first toon to 60 and in all seriousness I still felt like a noob. Having played some real grinders like FFXI I'm in the opinion that when you reach the level cap you should be an old salty vet. I also went on to level a rogue to 60 with ease and I'm a casual gamer. This is probably the biggest reason WoW will never go any where because most gamers want to work for their accomplishments, just not all that hard. Many people don't want to join a game that has a big learning curve or a long development process. (ie: EVE)
3) The fan base. There are LOTS and LOTS of gamers out there that started with WoW and will swear by it. You know the types "Well I've been playing WoW for a year so I know MMO's" or any time they play something new "It's a WoW clone" or my favorite " Eleventy billion (or whatever number it is) subscriptions can't be wrong" McDonalds serves billions each day, does that make it fine dining or good marketing?
What qualifies as a WoW killer? Are you talking about better gameplay (which is an opinion) or how many subscribers the game has?
If it's subs you're talking about, I can honestly say that I don't see any future MMO breaking 9 mill. Good advertising and graphics are the two things you need if you want to make cash in the MMO business. Casual gamers will not care about gameplay, they'll care about they saw WoW on TV and now have to buy it. Sure some will say that they don't care about the general players, but those are the ones that make up 80% of the MMO's player base.
Advertising: WoW is everywhere, from fansites to T-shirts, they even have a southpark episode dedicated to the game. This is what builds numbers, people like fads and things they see on TV.
Graphics: If you're building a game that requires a $3000 computer to run, you're an idiot. No casual gamer in there right mind is going to break out $250 for a 8800 to run your game.( I would, but I'm not casual)
Why is WoW so popular? Because it can be run on the most shitty computers you can think of...and even Macs(which should be put in the shitty category). Being able to run a game will almost guarantee sales.
_____________________________
SWG- (retired) 2 year vet.
WoW- (retired) 3 year vet.
EQ2- (retired) 1.5 year vet
Waiting for:
AoC // WAR // Darkfall
So Vanguard is good?
its the next generation of MMOs!! /sarcasm
This is such a simple point...yet most MMORPG developers have not grasped it. To get WOW sub numbers your game has to play well on a sub-standard computer.... my Dell 600 laptop from work with integrated graphics card can play it..... heck, even EVE won't do that....
Designing your game to run well on a $3K rig is not a forumula for financial success....
"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
This is such a simple point...yet most MMORPG developers have not grasped it. To get WOW sub numbers your game has to play well on a sub-standard computer.... my Dell 600 laptop from work with integrated graphics card can play it..... heck, even EVE won't do that....
Designing your game to run well on a $3K rig is not a forumula for financial success....
Well, this is a very small reason. If it were true, then Asheron's Call would be the highest subscription MMO out there.
Waiting for a game that will beat WoW is not the answer, since then that will be "the game" and after some time we will once again look for a game that will beat this new one, and hence the cycle continues.
We should look at what we really want.
We want 2 or 3 games out at the same time that are as high in quality, or has whatever Wow has, so that we can make a choice, get bored with one and go to the other and vice versa.
Like it has already been stated:
With regards graphics, this is a valid point as someone mentioned above,
Developers have to look at why their games are so resource hungry and start from there.
EQ2, LOTOR and VS the big MMOs are all graphic hungry, even on high specc machines.
The sooner the Devs grasp this simple fact the better.
I would rather play a MMORPG with 50k subsribers, great graphics and high demand on computer specs than a mass multi mass multi MMORPG with milions of bilions of subscribers with terrible outdated graphics so every person on earth that has a connection on internet and at least 16MB ram can run it with ease.
REALITY CHECK
The WoW killer is gonna be BioWare's MMO.
You'll see why in a few days.
This bodes the question what makes a MMO a roaring success?
Graphics? numbers playing? content? innovation?
That sucks. SWG did it well back in the day. Games these days don't really look much better than it does with everything turned up, yet they perform even worse.
There is only a consensus amongst malcontent forum posters. Most of the rest of the population (the majority) is happy playing their games.
I see no reason to hunt a World of Warcraft "killer". There's a lot of room for games of all kinds in this grand marketplace of consumerism.
If by "WoW killer" you mean -
"mainstream MMO that will pull in over 1 million subscribers directly from WoW population"
I think the only game with the potential to do that is going to be Warhammer Online.
Why?
WAR is familiar to WoW players: fantasy setting, similar controls and features, similar appearance, focus on delivering polish, etc.
WAR is offering what WoW can't: impact on the world, meaningful PVP, in ADDITION to WAR having everything that WoW already has.
More "depth" with the Tome of Knowledge, renown, traits, momentum, more then double the classes, etc.
I think what is going to happen is this:
AoC will be released, won't be as good as people hope for. WoW expansion will be released, will be more of the same, won't do as well as Burning Crusade because so many got burned out after BC.
Then finally WAR will be released, and will be new and "fresh" enough yet still familiar and comfortable enough that it will grab all of the disillusioned and burnt out WoW players.
Yeah that is just an excuse, other games dont suffer from it, so it must be bad programming!
A programmer has to work with what he has!
I thought V:SoH was supposed to be the WoW killer! lol! or was it LOTR:O?
Just kidding you guys. In all honesty, as it was stated here, just play the game you like and don't worry as to whether it will beat WoW or not. You're having fun after all right? so why worry about another game you're not playing?
Yeah as for where is the wow killer? Blizzard is making it with wrath of the lich king..
Playing: Everthing
Played: DAoC,AC2,EvE,SWG,WAR,MXO,CoX,EQ2,L2,LOTRO,SB,UO,WoW.
I have played every MMO that has ever come out.
So if it is WAR then we all play WAR for 2 years, get bored and then start complaining and lamenting again, oh WAR is so popular, we want a WAR killer and then we get the WOR and the cycle continues, as i said in my previous post, one single WOW replacement is not good enough else we are back to square one!!!!
The Devs should produce good resource friendly games and we choose the one we like, there will always be some that will be better.
We are nearly there me thinks, if VS was released in a decent state, it would have pulled a hell of a lot of players,