World of Warcraft is, like many have said, a game for the masses. Low res graphics, preteen mass marketing, low requirements to play.
back in the early 90's PCs were starting to make headway with gaming. Prior to that the consoles led the market in gaming. With Chris Roberts Incredible Wing Commander being released to PC and creating an evolution in graphics on the PC things start to move forward. Software was being written and Computer parts were being improved with new technologies being release every couple of years.
Then the new Millennium hit... MMOs like Ultima Online and Everquest hit the spotlight and created new genres, no longer were games limited to just 1- 4 players. Now we had dozens of players all running together. the demand for better technology increased.
Then came World of Warcraft. Since World of Warcraft every other game released has had about the same requirements to play. Few games were willing to go back to the old way of doing things and actually push the tech to grow. Players became complacent with how their games were low tech.
And then the Tech development slowed, in the last 5 -10 years the level of technology hasn't really changed in PC parts. The biggest achievement in Video cards was to add a second GPU to the card....Whoopee... then jack the price up to 1500-3000 where few could afford it. Monitors are being made bigger and resolution increased to amazing clarity... 4k being the newest and yet again.. thousands of dollars to get your hands on.
Why? why is it that the newest tech parts and peripherals is so expensive that the average gamer couldn't afford them?
Its simple, Supply and demand. Because the players became satisfied with a low tech game, the Graphics card and designers of other parts have nothing to do so they are basically reinventing the wheel with flashier rims but with few buyers they raise the price to higher and higher levels. All because the players would rather wallow in shit than push for better and better graphics and mechanics.
If players demanded better games with better graphics, more mechanics, and intense higher demands the Technology would vastly improve and the prices would once again come down due to more players requiring them to play the bad ass games.
The reason WoW is so successful and the reason the gaming industry is stagnant is because of the players. So is it that WoW is successful on their own efforts or that the players are too ignorant to demand better for their money?
To me this feel like putting a band aid on cancer and telling everyone its alright. This is just plain stupid in nearly every way. How can players be satisfied with a game that has damn near single- handedly killed tech development and growth?
I would agree, however there is also such a thing as precessional pride and caring about the product, not just what makes the biggest buck. Blizzard conveniently make players out scale content + sped up levelling + added levelling through lfg - all which conveniently speeds players past old content that has not been upgraded over time, intersting insight into their respect for the cohesiveness of their virtual world.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Will be buying it, play it a bit, and then leave. Won't be returning possibly until before next expac.
Reason for leaving? Too much reliance on organised coordinated endgame content. And too much reliance on grinding which takes too long. Makes me sick to the stomach.
The problem with WoW is that is the most casual MMO ever, but still is not casual enough. For that matter, any MMO I have tried (plus tested on friends accounts in certain other MMO's), is simply not casual enough in the endgame content.
I just wish there were an MMO which behaved like a game, not a job
Wow is Wow, simple as that. :-) Best ever game of all times for me. Ok, in some aspect other games did much better (i.e. after years wow got dual spec, very bad considering I had in Rift since day 1 nearly limitless, we got transmog nightmare while in Rift I just use appearance slot, simple as that) but only with Wow I feel like at home anytime I return. Close 2nd Swtor, 3rd would currently put Rift. All have in common great mechanics, every button press works as aspected, graphics, .... everything is top notch.
When I came back to wow during Cataclysm I couldn't find ANYONE who played in vanilla like I did. I mean, it's like Blizzard completely replaced everyone. Vanilla WoW was the best game I ever played, the dungeons were a lot more thoughtful and the community was better.
I always have a break from it and sub for a month and then get bored after a week and go play something else. Same thing will happen with the expansion. I always attend expansion launch days as their interesting and often problematic with over population
WoW is the MMO home I come back to every few months/years - it's like a vacation from other gaming.
It's like yeah, I've been here many times before, but I know where the good restaurants are, the food's pretty decent, and the drinks are cheap. Most of my friends don't come around here anymore, but occasionally they'll pop their head in.
I'll play for a couple of months and then most likely quit and come back a few months later. Too many free games to play that are better than WoW in my opinion.
Originally posted by Buddhafett I'll play for a couple of months and then most likely quit and come back a few months later. Too many free games to play that are better than WoW in my opinion.
Agreed. WoW is a good game, but there are better games now. The game is a shadow of it's former self and the community has become terrible.
I have taken breaks in the past, but I think I am done. I originally took a break during 4.3 thinking I would come back for the last patch. They gave me a free week, and I did everything I wanted during that time and was bored by the end of the week. The end of SoO was a complete let down as Alliance. With another Horde expack in WoD, I find myself unexcited. Garrisons as a grind feature instead of a real housing feature, blech. Shorter expacks, less content for money money, blech.
It was fun while it lasted, and I have a lot of fond memories in WoW, but with the direction they continue to take the game, I'll be having fun in other games.
For me it will be the opposite. I'm playing Warlord of Draenor beta and I will not buy the expansion. The patch is fully broken, full of class imbalance, few viable specs for pvp, extremely simplistic rotations.
I think the new team wanted to create something new, but they have lost their way. I could not even play a week during the beta (too boring), i froze my account and i will only back with a total change in desingn classes occur.
I give you this advice: do not spend your money on this expansion until you test. In the blizzard forums you clearly notes that the number of complaints and discontent has never been greater before an expansion.
Why do I keep coming back? Because in ten years there is yet to be another mmo with the amount of polish and content of wow. There are some that come close and veer away. There are some that imitate, both poorly and well. But none seem to have a polished world, only a polished game.
Comments
World of Warcraft is, like many have said, a game for the masses. Low res graphics, preteen mass marketing, low requirements to play.
back in the early 90's PCs were starting to make headway with gaming. Prior to that the consoles led the market in gaming. With Chris Roberts Incredible Wing Commander being released to PC and creating an evolution in graphics on the PC things start to move forward. Software was being written and Computer parts were being improved with new technologies being release every couple of years.
Then the new Millennium hit... MMOs like Ultima Online and Everquest hit the spotlight and created new genres, no longer were games limited to just 1- 4 players. Now we had dozens of players all running together. the demand for better technology increased.
Then came World of Warcraft. Since World of Warcraft every other game released has had about the same requirements to play. Few games were willing to go back to the old way of doing things and actually push the tech to grow. Players became complacent with how their games were low tech.
And then the Tech development slowed, in the last 5 -10 years the level of technology hasn't really changed in PC parts. The biggest achievement in Video cards was to add a second GPU to the card....Whoopee... then jack the price up to 1500-3000 where few could afford it. Monitors are being made bigger and resolution increased to amazing clarity... 4k being the newest and yet again.. thousands of dollars to get your hands on.
Why? why is it that the newest tech parts and peripherals is so expensive that the average gamer couldn't afford them?
Its simple, Supply and demand. Because the players became satisfied with a low tech game, the Graphics card and designers of other parts have nothing to do so they are basically reinventing the wheel with flashier rims but with few buyers they raise the price to higher and higher levels. All because the players would rather wallow in shit than push for better and better graphics and mechanics.
If players demanded better games with better graphics, more mechanics, and intense higher demands the Technology would vastly improve and the prices would once again come down due to more players requiring them to play the bad ass games.
The reason WoW is so successful and the reason the gaming industry is stagnant is because of the players. So is it that WoW is successful on their own efforts or that the players are too ignorant to demand better for their money?
Played: UO, LotR, WoW, SWG, DDO, AoC, EVE, Warhammer, TF2, EQ2, SWTOR, TSW, CSS, KF, L4D, AoW, WoT
Playing: The Secret World until Citadel of Sorcery goes into Alpha testing.
Tired of: Linear quest games, dailies, and dumbed down games
Anticipating:Citadel of Sorcery
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Will be buying it, play it a bit, and then leave. Won't be returning possibly until before next expac.
Reason for leaving? Too much reliance on organised coordinated endgame content. And too much reliance on grinding which takes too long. Makes me sick to the stomach.
The problem with WoW is that is the most casual MMO ever, but still is not casual enough. For that matter, any MMO I have tried (plus tested on friends accounts in certain other MMO's), is simply not casual enough in the endgame content.
I just wish there were an MMO which behaved like a game, not a job
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
I've got 5 90's now.
WoW is the MMO home I come back to every few months/years - it's like a vacation from other gaming.
It's like yeah, I've been here many times before, but I know where the good restaurants are, the food's pretty decent, and the drinks are cheap. Most of my friends don't come around here anymore, but occasionally they'll pop their head in.
You can run all your life but, not go anywhere.
Agreed. WoW is a good game, but there are better games now. The game is a shadow of it's former self and the community has become terrible.
I have taken breaks in the past, but I think I am done. I originally took a break during 4.3 thinking I would come back for the last patch. They gave me a free week, and I did everything I wanted during that time and was bored by the end of the week. The end of SoO was a complete let down as Alliance. With another Horde expack in WoD, I find myself unexcited. Garrisons as a grind feature instead of a real housing feature, blech. Shorter expacks, less content for money money, blech.
It was fun while it lasted, and I have a lot of fond memories in WoW, but with the direction they continue to take the game, I'll be having fun in other games.
For me it will be the opposite. I'm playing Warlord of Draenor beta and I will not buy the expansion. The patch is fully broken, full of class imbalance, few viable specs for pvp, extremely simplistic rotations.
I think the new team wanted to create something new, but they have lost their way. I could not even play a week during the beta (too boring), i froze my account and i will only back with a total change in desingn classes occur.
I give you this advice: do not spend your money on this expansion until you test. In the blizzard forums you clearly notes that the number of complaints and discontent has never been greater before an expansion.