How Do They Survive in a Blizzard World?

uquipu

WoW pretty much crushed all the competition at release as you can tell by looking at the chart below.
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Thing is, some games still manage to increase subs. How?
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I'm talking about Dofus, Runequest, both I've never played, Eve, and Aion, though Aion has peaked and is starting to lose population.
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What do Dofus and Runequest do that other games can't seem to? Runequest is almost 10 years old from what I understand, but it's subs are over a million and gradually increasing.
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What do these games give that WoW doesn't?
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Katilla

that information has GOT to be inacurrate... there's no WAY that WAR has that many subs compared to the other games.

oh and as to how other games survive in a "blizzard" world, it's pretty simple.  All of the WoW haters (aka hardcore gamers) are looking for a replacement to a game that is in a sad state of affairs.  They are looking for something new so they subscribe to anything that comes out in hopes of finding a game that doesnt cater to all the whiners and dumb everyting down for them. 

     They are then replaced in WoW with noob players just getting into the MMO scene and looking for an easy game to introduce them to it, hence the WoW subs not dropping.

feel free to flame me for this, i really don't care and am not really trying to take potshots at anyone....just my opinion.

Ceridith

That chart looks... well, the opposite of correct in some places.

But anyways... WoW isn't the epitome of MMO gaming. In fact, it does some things poorly, and most things mediocre at best. It leaves significantly more to be desired in most aspects of the game.

Honestly, if an MMO wants to 'compete' with WoW, they need to not even bother. In other words, they need to be niche and stick to their design philosophy, rather than caving in and trying to cater to every kid with PC access.

The real threat to WoW is niche MMOs.

But still, WoW will still remain strong for a good portion of gamers who want an extremely generalized game with little depth.

Jakdstripper

yea that chart is not very acurate but like the above post set any mmo out there that is somehow surviving is doing so by beina niche game. an exellent example of this is FE.

Kayless

Don't forget WAR has an unlimited free trial for tier 1, also the graph only goes upto Aug/Sep 09.

Alot has changed in that short time

Kyleran

I can't speak for other players,or other games, only myself and my experience with EVE.

Vanilla WOW to me was the epitome of some gameplay mechanics started by EQ, DAOC and other games, and yet at the same time started the trend of discarding many game play features that I enjoyed in previous MMO's.

Since then most developers continued the trend and the genre for the most part evolved (devolved?) to the point where I feel every game is just yet another version of WOW.  I'm bored with that model and as my recent foray into Aion proves, I'm just can't do the whole grind for levels and gear thing again.

After bouncing through several titles upon leaving WOW about 4 years ago I ran across EVE and it was truely quite different than anything I've played before or since.  True, the niche it appeals to is pretty small, but there's always been enough players in its single universe to feel quite crowded at all times actually.

Sure, I don't stay with it constantly, I like to try new games but I always end up coming back to EVE. (and that's not a bad thing).  The real time training lets my characters progress and opens new avenues of entertainment even when I can't (or won't) play and the time I do spend earns me enough ISK to keep coming back for more.

Not everyone wants the same things, so no matter how many people enjoy WOW or the many games it has inspired since its release, there will always be small pockets of 'resistance' that seek something different.

Sid_Vicious

I love trying out new PVP games right when they are released or games known for being PVP games but I will never try WoW as when I log into a MMORPG, I like to get into my character and visually check em out sometimes . .. no way do I want to be some stupid looking cartoon. Wow graphics/art are so terrible and so are Warhammer's.

 

Give me something cool looking, not a cartoon with a weapon that looks too big to pick up.

Czzarre

One thing is clear from that chart.

 

We all need to start playing Dofus. My god, talk about momentum....Obviously the perfect MMO for Western audiances!

Unknown

Little depth? Really? So if you are a harcore gamer you don't play WOW? LOL all of you haters are funny,  none of you have prolly ever played WOW and if you have you are just bad at it so you shun it. Downed Heroic Lich King or any Lich King encounter? Yea didn't think so. If I ever make an MMO, I hope it fails as much as WOW does according to the haters.

VaultFairy

Blizzard has created a game that has catered to general of MMO'ers. It's easy to pick up and start and be level 80 in no time, dont get wrong i'm not dissing it. I was just a very casual player on it, i just didnt feel the excitement of exploring or reading the quest text etc.

I end up reading the WoWWiki for the lore info, and i think it's great i just dont feel the the same excitement in the game. Is that wierd?

 

I see it as WoW the popular one in the MMO high school, and you get the other MMO's trying to fit in and be different but they end up being intimidated and just end up being a follower.

 

GW (1&2) on the other hand, i see as one of the misfits that wanted to be different. Trying its best to be popular in its own way.

 

 

I need to stop drinking vodka..  Hope i make sense and not got side-tracked.