There were MMOs before WoW. Why did they start to dwindle?
In absolute terms, there are games that have started off better than WoW, but it's important to think in relative terms. What was the state of the MMORPG at the time WoW was released? It wasn't much. Games like Asheron's Call and Everquest largely catered to the hardcore players, and considerable amount of time was required in order to catch up with players that have been around for a long time. This alienated new players that wished they caught on to MMORPGs when the genre was fresh. Pre-WoW, those who played MMORPGs were considered as niche gamers, and were generally looked down on by the rest of the gaming community who considered these people no-lifers. But Blizzard's name alone made it cool to play an MMORPG, and specifically catered to all of those that secretly wished they got in on Everquest and the rest. WoW was a success before it was even released.
So I do agree that WoW will stay popular until Blizzard decides end it. For two reasons, it's difficult to knock this MMO down. The first is that a lot of people play it, and the second is that Blizzard is absolutely loaded with cash to pour into the game. It takes a lot to pull people away from the communities that they cherish, and contrary to EQ and AC (among other games), it's still quite accessible to brand new players. I started with WoW fairly late (about 6 months before the release of BC), but I can recall how much fun it was running all of those quests, and every zone had a good share of people who were either just starting or were also rerolling. Reaching the level cap was pretty enjoyable every step of the way.
Right now I'm not even a subscriber to WoW, since I'm craving new modes of gameplay and looking for some MMO innovation. This isn't the first time that I've cancelled WoW, though. I'm bound to find some interesting games, but after I find them, I'm also going to realize that it's just not enough to make up for losing the thing that I miss most from WoW - my community.
When it came out, it was revolutionary. A huge, promising world, full of lore. New classes, new ideas, expending and improving on its predecessors. It quickly grew to become the dominant game on the market, and grew with a number of expansions.
However, it could only do so much. As time went by, its graphics became more and more dated. New companies came out with new games and new ideas. None of these toppled the giant, but they slowly dug into it. It's still in existence now, but dwindled to the point of almost gone thanks to the ravages of time.
When it came out, it was revolutionary. A huge, promising world, full of lore. New classes, new ideas, expending and improving on its predecessors. It quickly grew to become the dominant game on the market, and grew with a number of expansions.
However, it could only do so much. As time went by, its graphics became more and more dated. New companies came out with new games and new ideas. None of these toppled the giant, but they slowly dug into it. It's still in existence now, but dwindled to the point of almost gone thanks to the ravages of time.
It's called Everquest.
This will happen to WoW. Rest assured.
The difference is that EQ2 didn't replace EQ, while I've got a feeling people are going to jump on blizzards's new MMO even if it a pile of crap.
Name recognition!
Verant lost it when they got $oE'ed.
People still view Blizz as a "small indpendant company" or as "The only computer game maker that's good" I don't think that these views will change, at least for a majority of online gamers.
I'm sure that WoW will die a slow death some day, but people love band wagons.
When it came out, it was revolutionary. A huge, promising world, full of lore. New classes, new ideas, expending and improving on its predecessors. It quickly grew to become the dominant game on the market, and grew with a number of expansions.
However, it could only do so much. As time went by, its graphics became more and more dated. New companies came out with new games and new ideas. None of these toppled the giant, but they slowly dug into it. It's still in existence now, but dwindled to the point of almost gone thanks to the ravages of time.
It's called Everquest.
This will happen to WoW. Rest assured.
Do you know who is going to kill wow?
Blizzard.
Eventually they might phase out the old content, still keep it running of course but more resources would be going to new franchises. Such as Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and the new IP they are planning for an MMO. They will concentrate on keeping the existing customers, but just shift it over to another game(s).
Isn't that why EA has released a new John Madden sports game since, I don't know...1992 or earlier? I know they need to update teams, players and stats but how many years have they kept people playing EA games doing that.
Sure they will kill off last years widget, but keep them buying into the new ones.
The difference is that EQ2 didn't replace EQ, while I've got a feeling people are going to jump on blizzards's new MMO even if it a pile of crap. Name recognition! Verant lost it when they got $oE'ed. People still view Blizz as a "small indpendant company" or as "The only computer game maker that's good" I don't think that these views will change, at least for a majority of online gamers.
I'm sure that WoW will die a slow death some day, but people love band wagons.
That's cause EQ2 raped everything that made EQ a good game and tried to make it a watered down WoW. If they had made EQ1, but with modern graphics and a -few- improvements on what they had, they'd have a winner.
I'm watching carefully about Blizz's next gen MMO. They'll have to really wow me (forgive the pun) for me to jump on that wagon.
I think it must be tough for Blizzard to decide on the path they are taking with their new MMO. They have 10million+ users in WoW, they can't let anything happen to them, they can't risk losing them too fast.
Their new game will 'probably' be something completely different and something WoW players might not be directly interested in. It would be rather foolish to undermine their own game. (Something SoE didn't understand with EQ2)
Blizzard is interesting, take a look at their next patch - BGs will now give experience and they intend to later on allow equipment drops in BGs (green and blues). Is it just me, or does this remind me of a certain Warhammer game? This is surely a good move from Blizzard though, and shows they are able to evolve if the competition gets serious.
So, let the MMO market continue to flow with new, good titles, even though they won't kill WoW, they will force WoW to improve. Blizzard doesn't want its MMO to be killed, they have the fundings to do so.
I dream with the day we will be able to buy western MMO subscription in hour-credits (it already happens on Asia). I don't care which MMO kills which, I just want to effectively have fun in any I wish to do while it provides content for me. So the more QUALITY MMOs appear, the better it will be.
I think it must be tough for Blizzard to decide on the path they are taking with their new MMO. They have 10million+ users in WoW, they can't let anything happen to them, they can't risk losing them too fast.
Their new game will 'probably' be something completely different and something WoW players might not be directly interested in. It would be rather foolish to undermine their own game. (Something SoE didn't understand with EQ2)
That's a good question lily and I'll try to explain what I meant. When you play a game, any game. Don't you get bored with playing the same ole stuff? When you reach a certain point that you are tired of looking at the same graphics it called "saturation", means you are ready to move on to something new. It happens in games, fashion and all forms of entertainment. Even as good as it is, it just gets played out. Eventually this natural function will happend with wow, but I can't garantee anything becuase the whole wow phenom is abnormal.
I think Blizzard foresees this this is why they make expansions and patches, while in the background they are working steadily to release new games to "keep old customers", that's called retention. Thats what I meant. They will never "kill off wow", they might put it in the background from new games or "franchises" such as Diablo 3.
I can foresee wow in a few years (more like five or ten) being the "cheap old fun game", that you can probably download for free that might attract the kids of all the old gamers that have had their fun with it. But it will always be there, just like EQ, but just might end up as 2nd choice game compared to whats popular.
I should write a blog about this, this is an interesting subject. If anyone has any ideas, please email me.
The difference is that EQ2 didn't replace EQ, while I've got a feeling people are going to jump on blizzards's new MMO even if it a pile of crap. Name recognition! Verant lost it when they got $oE'ed. People still view Blizz as a "small indpendant company" or as "The only computer game maker that's good" I don't think that these views will change, at least for a majority of online gamers.
I'm sure that WoW will die a slow death some day, but people love band wagons.
That's cause EQ2 raped everything that made EQ a good game and tried to make it a watered down WoW. If they had made EQ1, but with modern graphics and a -few- improvements on what they had, they'd have a winner.
I'm watching carefully about Blizz's next gen MMO. They'll have to really wow me (forgive the pun) for me to jump on that wagon.
That's interesting that you'd say they tried to make EQ2 a Watered down version of WoW, when EQ2 was released first.
Games like WoW are as un-killable as stupidity. They will always exist to charm the witless masses with promises of grandeur.
They never deliver.
As an ex-EQ player, I have decided within my head many times now that the main reason Keanu Reaves wanted to blow the shit out of the Earth and start over in The End of Days was because he had gotten news that 12+ Million of the Worlds population was playing such a shit tastic game and calling it amazing.
WoW is not unbeatable. Someone someday will make a better selling MMO, I just know it.
2. PAIN & GUILT-
All MMOs suck and it's all WoW fault, they have ruined everything *cry cry*.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
I hate WoW and all theme parks I'm going to play darkfall now and kill kill kill.
4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS-
Even BioWare thinks WoW is great and has said they have learned much from it like having fewer choices is better, because people are stupid. (Yes they said this but in different words).
5. THE UPWARD TURN-
You know what. I don't have to play MMOs there are plenty of great non MMO games out there. (Goes play Fable 2, Witcher, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, Oblivion, Orange Box, GTA and so on).
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-
I can't believe I ever played MMOs, god do they suck.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-
Sex with my girlfriend, going out, drinking, exercise, Leslie Nielsen movie marathons, life after WoW is great.
WoW could go on forever ... or at least as long as the genre goes on.
Games like WoW could pump in tons of new content. There is already a lot there to begin with. They can update graphics. They can do many things to keep the game alive and at worse, WoW could be THE GAME that everyone plays in-between games so to speak. Then again they could just say "We made enough duckies catch you later".
While I understand that many people are in love with bashing WoW, the truth is that the game play in WoW, the community and the skills needed are no more simple than in any other game. So many times ... even in this thread ... people call WoW simplistic but never name a game that is hard or complicated. In my mind EVE or AO could come close to being difficult but most likely you are playing a game that's just as easy and simplistic as WoW is. Hypocrites of the world unite! That's because WoW isn't any worse than any other game, no matter how popular bashing it is.
IMO, Blizz will close down WoW when they can get their population to move to their next game. I wouldn't count them out. Until then, WoW is the King. You don't have to like the King. You don't have to play the King, but you have to respect the King for what they have done which is keeping the MMORPG genre alive.
WoW could go on forever ... or at least as long as the genre goes on.
Games like WoW could pump in tons of new content. There is already a lot there to begin with. They can update graphics. They can do many things to keep the game alive and at worse, WoW could be THE GAME that everyone plays in-between games so to speak. Then again they could just say "We made enough duckies catch you later".
Well, history says otherwise. I see WoW (and many others do as well) as being the successor to EQ. EQ, oyu may remember, has pulled out a skadillion and five expansions, and has in fact upgraded its graphics engine (In the Luclin x-pac). Neither has saved the game. While it still exists in some capacity, it has dwindled to mere obscurity. WoW will do the same. It may take longer, but it will happen eventually.
To the OP, I hope you know, that WoW copied EQ and just dumbed it down ten fold. So you can really argue that everything is a a EQ clone. The way I look at it, is if its like wow, its easy, if its like EQ it's challenging.
To the OP, I hope you know, that WoW copied EQ and just dumbed it down ten fold. So you can really argue that everything is a a EQ clone. The way I look at it, is if its like wow, its easy, if its like EQ it's challenging.
EQ is challenging? How? I left during days when 60 is the max, I have a maxed of each class. I was able to play 24/7 for 6 months due to medical conditions. Looking at WoW at launch vs EQ1, and looking at the pace of improvement and evolution, I failed to see how EQ1 is more challenging?
EQ1 has corpse run, xp dent with death, level loss with death. Poor UI, ass long travelling time unless you have a druid or wizard and a close by port. No quest, only camping, so what is everquest? It is evercamp, ever grind.
WoW has no corpse run, money cost with death, no level losses. Much better UI at launch than EQ (which is a few years old already then), good idea with flight paths, lots of quests, lots of things to do. Harvest, crafting, fishing, everything and even open world PVP in PVE servers. Much more to do that just evercamp, and seriously lots and lots of quests. Even the lore is comparable for WoW. WoW provides a very 3D epic feel, which the first person look of EQ is much less attractive to me. I want to look around and enjoy the scenary, and the 3D look around during flights were very refreshing at first.
I do not consider EQ to be challenging. It has it days, it was fun when it was the queen of MMOs. But its too harsh, and not fun enough. It does not make enough progress to make the game funner and more varied. WoW opens the door to much more options and dimensions of gameplay, and rapidly swept EQ1 and EQ2 away.
In the course of time, WoW adds a lot of tactical variety to raids. Take naxx. Every boss is unique, and many bosses simply fun. The dance with helgan the unclean is unique, the 4 hourseman is unique, the MCing part of the instructor, thaddius (stacking and charge changing). Many boss fights involves multiply stages and each stage is different. Over the years, EQ1 or EQ2 does not progress as far as WoW. I found WoW boss fights to be much more varied and challenging, in that you have to master a lot of tactics, and the tactics change with roles. With Dual Spec, you have to learn 2 roles. The role of a healer in each boss fight is totally different from the role of a dps, apart from the healing or dps duties. In say KT, healers have to watch out for those iced and heal thru very fast. Mages will have to MC those enslaved by KT. For each boss fight, each role has a different aspect to work on. Lots of things to learn. Fact is, tanking, dpsing, and healing in naxx is totally different story. Healing as a druid, and as a paly is not the same, in naxx. Ulduar is another new story, and now I am still learning.
EQ? No, there is much less variety and fun. There is much less challenge. EQ introduced Achievement, which is nice, but that is about all the latest contribution of EQ to MMO genre. Too few to late.
WoW is an impressive game developed by an incredibly impressive company (at least in MY view as a consumer).
WoW, however, is not for everyone. WoW will not be defeated by a WoW-clone. A new, innovative, more challenge, and more world immersion oriented MMORPG could draw in hundreds of thousands of subscribes if properly executed. Many people enjoy and respect WoW. I did not my "WoW time" to return maybe twice, always leaving within in days (not kidding).
Principles:
We do not want a WoW-like game;
We do not want an anti-WoW game;
We want a game with WoW's accessibility, EQ's brilliance, interactive environments of UO, customization of (let's say) Sims, and other deep and complex (INNOVATIVE) features.
Three Neglected C's in the MMORPG Experience Today
Challenge
Customization
Community
We got WoW. We have been there. We have done that. If anything, perhaps Blizzard would be best suited to create this new, and innovative, MMORPG that REDEFINES the MMORPG experience through world immersion, enhanced customization, and player tools. EDIT: Blizzard could preempt any potential competitors.
WoW is an impressive game developed by an incredibly impressive company (at least in MY view as a consumer).
WoW, however, is not for everyone. WoW will not be defeated by a WoW-clone. A new, innovative, more challenge, and more world immersion oriented MMORPG could draw in hundreds of thousands of subscribes if properly executed. Many people enjoy and respect WoW. I did not my "WoW time" to return maybe twice, always leaving within in days (not kidding).
Principles:
We do not want a WoW-like game; We do not want an anti-WoW game; We want a game with WoW's accessibility, EQ's brilliance, interactive environments of UO, customization of (let's say) Sims, and other deep and complex (INNOVATIVE) features.
Three Neglected C's in the MMORPG Experience Today
Challenge Customization Community
We got WoW. We have been there. We have done that. If anything, perhaps Blizzard would be best suited to create this new, and innovative, MMORPG that REDEFINES the MMORPG experience through world immersion, enhanced customization, and player tools. EDIT: Blizzard could preempt any potential competitors.
That is true. We have WoW, and we need no more WoW copies, unless they have something unique to offer. EQ was once there, but other games survived, not because they are EQ copies, they gave us things not found in EQ. SWG gave us the sandbox world and very unique community features, including non instanced player house. DAoC gave us RvR, just one feature and that is enough. CoX gave us super-heroes and lot of fancy little things, including travel powers.
We don't need another WoW, we can use something new. It does not need to beat WoW in every dimension. Just offereing something else that is fun, and not found in WoW.
there is no such thing of WoW-clone... WoW just have the basic features any MMORPG should have like character customization, raids, quests, immersion, a story to give all those things a sense...ppl keep saying it cause WoW have a lot of subscribers (read nowadays: asians/gold farmers). And its not TO beat WoW the point of launch a new MMORPG. Each one i tried has its own singularities. and thats it what will make a game be sucesseful or not...stuff that should be interesting to ppl at the point of claim their $15/m XD
Comments
According to Cyberwiz's website MMOData, puts wow at 11.5 mil. Your charts outdated.
Ok, nm.
There were MMOs before WoW. Why did they start to dwindle?
In absolute terms, there are games that have started off better than WoW, but it's important to think in relative terms. What was the state of the MMORPG at the time WoW was released? It wasn't much. Games like Asheron's Call and Everquest largely catered to the hardcore players, and considerable amount of time was required in order to catch up with players that have been around for a long time. This alienated new players that wished they caught on to MMORPGs when the genre was fresh. Pre-WoW, those who played MMORPGs were considered as niche gamers, and were generally looked down on by the rest of the gaming community who considered these people no-lifers. But Blizzard's name alone made it cool to play an MMORPG, and specifically catered to all of those that secretly wished they got in on Everquest and the rest. WoW was a success before it was even released.
So I do agree that WoW will stay popular until Blizzard decides end it. For two reasons, it's difficult to knock this MMO down. The first is that a lot of people play it, and the second is that Blizzard is absolutely loaded with cash to pour into the game. It takes a lot to pull people away from the communities that they cherish, and contrary to EQ and AC (among other games), it's still quite accessible to brand new players. I started with WoW fairly late (about 6 months before the release of BC), but I can recall how much fun it was running all of those quests, and every zone had a good share of people who were either just starting or were also rerolling. Reaching the level cap was pretty enjoyable every step of the way.
Right now I'm not even a subscriber to WoW, since I'm craving new modes of gameplay and looking for some MMO innovation. This isn't the first time that I've cancelled WoW, though. I'm bound to find some interesting games, but after I find them, I'm also going to realize that it's just not enough to make up for losing the thing that I miss most from WoW - my community.
Let me tell you a story about an MMO.
When it came out, it was revolutionary. A huge, promising world, full of lore. New classes, new ideas, expending and improving on its predecessors. It quickly grew to become the dominant game on the market, and grew with a number of expansions.
However, it could only do so much. As time went by, its graphics became more and more dated. New companies came out with new games and new ideas. None of these toppled the giant, but they slowly dug into it. It's still in existence now, but dwindled to the point of almost gone thanks to the ravages of time.
It's called Everquest.
This will happen to WoW. Rest assured.
The difference is that EQ2 didn't replace EQ, while I've got a feeling people are going to jump on blizzards's new MMO even if it a pile of crap.
Name recognition!
Verant lost it when they got $oE'ed.
People still view Blizz as a "small indpendant company" or as "The only computer game maker that's good" I don't think that these views will change, at least for a majority of online gamers.
I'm sure that WoW will die a slow death some day, but people love band wagons.
mm every years that pass by wow add millions of player not 10 000 ,million
i see 2 game that might dent wow armor a bit
number 1 is rune of magic in september ,ok maybe not in us but it will be a cool as silkroad online
and number 2 is aion by a way smaller scale probably 1 to 2 million max in us
wow will still be the king of p2p
unless a gamemaker as a hidden card ,i doubt wow will be beaten in forseable future too mutch good content coming in next months
But if you could kill WOW...could you withstand the resulting investigation?
Do you have an alibi ready?
If you do the crime...are you indeed ready to do the time?
Some anal invasion is inevitible.
So kill WOW at your own risk...you have been warned.
It's better to lurk in forums and be thought a fool...than to endlessly "Quote" and remove all doubts.
Do you know who is going to kill wow?
Blizzard.
Eventually they might phase out the old content, still keep it running of course but more resources would be going to new franchises. Such as Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and the new IP they are planning for an MMO. They will concentrate on keeping the existing customers, but just shift it over to another game(s).
Isn't that why EA has released a new John Madden sports game since, I don't know...1992 or earlier? I know they need to update teams, players and stats but how many years have they kept people playing EA games doing that.
Sure they will kill off last years widget, but keep them buying into the new ones.
That's cause EQ2 raped everything that made EQ a good game and tried to make it a watered down WoW. If they had made EQ1, but with modern graphics and a -few- improvements on what they had, they'd have a winner.
I'm watching carefully about Blizz's next gen MMO. They'll have to really wow me (forgive the pun) for me to jump on that wagon.
WOW will just slowly fade away at some point.
I don't know, will they?
Would that be a smart thing to do?
I think it must be tough for Blizzard to decide on the path they are taking with their new MMO. They have 10million+ users in WoW, they can't let anything happen to them, they can't risk losing them too fast.
Their new game will 'probably' be something completely different and something WoW players might not be directly interested in. It would be rather foolish to undermine their own game. (Something SoE didn't understand with EQ2)
Blizzard is interesting, take a look at their next patch - BGs will now give experience and they intend to later on allow equipment drops in BGs (green and blues). Is it just me, or does this remind me of a certain Warhammer game? This is surely a good move from Blizzard though, and shows they are able to evolve if the competition gets serious.
So, let the MMO market continue to flow with new, good titles, even though they won't kill WoW, they will force WoW to improve. Blizzard doesn't want its MMO to be killed, they have the fundings to do so.
I dream with the day we will be able to buy western MMO subscription in hour-credits (it already happens on Asia). I don't care which MMO kills which, I just want to effectively have fun in any I wish to do while it provides content for me. So the more QUALITY MMOs appear, the better it will be.
I don't know, will they?
Would that be a smart thing to do?
I think it must be tough for Blizzard to decide on the path they are taking with their new MMO. They have 10million+ users in WoW, they can't let anything happen to them, they can't risk losing them too fast.
Their new game will 'probably' be something completely different and something WoW players might not be directly interested in. It would be rather foolish to undermine their own game. (Something SoE didn't understand with EQ2)
That's a good question lily and I'll try to explain what I meant. When you play a game, any game. Don't you get bored with playing the same ole stuff? When you reach a certain point that you are tired of looking at the same graphics it called "saturation", means you are ready to move on to something new. It happens in games, fashion and all forms of entertainment. Even as good as it is, it just gets played out. Eventually this natural function will happend with wow, but I can't garantee anything becuase the whole wow phenom is abnormal.
I think Blizzard foresees this this is why they make expansions and patches, while in the background they are working steadily to release new games to "keep old customers", that's called retention. Thats what I meant. They will never "kill off wow", they might put it in the background from new games or "franchises" such as Diablo 3.
I can foresee wow in a few years (more like five or ten) being the "cheap old fun game", that you can probably download for free that might attract the kids of all the old gamers that have had their fun with it. But it will always be there, just like EQ, but just might end up as 2nd choice game compared to whats popular.
I should write a blog about this, this is an interesting subject. If anyone has any ideas, please email me.
That's cause EQ2 raped everything that made EQ a good game and tried to make it a watered down WoW. If they had made EQ1, but with modern graphics and a -few- improvements on what they had, they'd have a winner.
I'm watching carefully about Blizz's next gen MMO. They'll have to really wow me (forgive the pun) for me to jump on that wagon.
That's interesting that you'd say they tried to make EQ2 a Watered down version of WoW, when EQ2 was released first.
Games like WoW are as un-killable as stupidity. They will always exist to charm the witless masses with promises of grandeur.
They never deliver.
As an ex-EQ player, I have decided within my head many times now that the main reason Keanu Reaves wanted to blow the shit out of the Earth and start over in The End of Days was because he had gotten news that 12+ Million of the Worlds population was playing such a shit tastic game and calling it amazing.
The seven stages of WoW
1. SHOCK & DENIAL-
WoW is not unbeatable. Someone someday will make a better selling MMO, I just know it.
2. PAIN & GUILT-
All MMOs suck and it's all WoW fault, they have ruined everything *cry cry*.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
I hate WoW and all theme parks I'm going to play darkfall now and kill kill kill.
4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS-
Even BioWare thinks WoW is great and has said they have learned much from it like having fewer choices is better, because people are stupid. (Yes they said this but in different words).
5. THE UPWARD TURN-
You know what. I don't have to play MMOs there are plenty of great non MMO games out there. (Goes play Fable 2, Witcher, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, Oblivion, Orange Box, GTA and so on).
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-
I can't believe I ever played MMOs, god do they suck.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-
Sex with my girlfriend, going out, drinking, exercise, Leslie Nielsen movie marathons, life after WoW is great.
WoW could go on forever ... or at least as long as the genre goes on.
Games like WoW could pump in tons of new content. There is already a lot there to begin with. They can update graphics. They can do many things to keep the game alive and at worse, WoW could be THE GAME that everyone plays in-between games so to speak. Then again they could just say "We made enough duckies catch you later".
While I understand that many people are in love with bashing WoW, the truth is that the game play in WoW, the community and the skills needed are no more simple than in any other game. So many times ... even in this thread ... people call WoW simplistic but never name a game that is hard or complicated. In my mind EVE or AO could come close to being difficult but most likely you are playing a game that's just as easy and simplistic as WoW is. Hypocrites of the world unite! That's because WoW isn't any worse than any other game, no matter how popular bashing it is.
IMO, Blizz will close down WoW when they can get their population to move to their next game. I wouldn't count them out. Until then, WoW is the King. You don't have to like the King. You don't have to play the King, but you have to respect the King for what they have done which is keeping the MMORPG genre alive.
Well, history says otherwise. I see WoW (and many others do as well) as being the successor to EQ. EQ, oyu may remember, has pulled out a skadillion and five expansions, and has in fact upgraded its graphics engine (In the Luclin x-pac). Neither has saved the game. While it still exists in some capacity, it has dwindled to mere obscurity. WoW will do the same. It may take longer, but it will happen eventually.
To the OP, I hope you know, that WoW copied EQ and just dumbed it down ten fold. So you can really argue that everything is a a EQ clone. The way I look at it, is if its like wow, its easy, if its like EQ it's challenging.
EQ is challenging? How? I left during days when 60 is the max, I have a maxed of each class. I was able to play 24/7 for 6 months due to medical conditions. Looking at WoW at launch vs EQ1, and looking at the pace of improvement and evolution, I failed to see how EQ1 is more challenging?
EQ1 has corpse run, xp dent with death, level loss with death. Poor UI, ass long travelling time unless you have a druid or wizard and a close by port. No quest, only camping, so what is everquest? It is evercamp, ever grind.
WoW has no corpse run, money cost with death, no level losses. Much better UI at launch than EQ (which is a few years old already then), good idea with flight paths, lots of quests, lots of things to do. Harvest, crafting, fishing, everything and even open world PVP in PVE servers. Much more to do that just evercamp, and seriously lots and lots of quests. Even the lore is comparable for WoW. WoW provides a very 3D epic feel, which the first person look of EQ is much less attractive to me. I want to look around and enjoy the scenary, and the 3D look around during flights were very refreshing at first.
I do not consider EQ to be challenging. It has it days, it was fun when it was the queen of MMOs. But its too harsh, and not fun enough. It does not make enough progress to make the game funner and more varied. WoW opens the door to much more options and dimensions of gameplay, and rapidly swept EQ1 and EQ2 away.
In the course of time, WoW adds a lot of tactical variety to raids. Take naxx. Every boss is unique, and many bosses simply fun. The dance with helgan the unclean is unique, the 4 hourseman is unique, the MCing part of the instructor, thaddius (stacking and charge changing). Many boss fights involves multiply stages and each stage is different. Over the years, EQ1 or EQ2 does not progress as far as WoW. I found WoW boss fights to be much more varied and challenging, in that you have to master a lot of tactics, and the tactics change with roles. With Dual Spec, you have to learn 2 roles. The role of a healer in each boss fight is totally different from the role of a dps, apart from the healing or dps duties. In say KT, healers have to watch out for those iced and heal thru very fast. Mages will have to MC those enslaved by KT. For each boss fight, each role has a different aspect to work on. Lots of things to learn. Fact is, tanking, dpsing, and healing in naxx is totally different story. Healing as a druid, and as a paly is not the same, in naxx. Ulduar is another new story, and now I am still learning.
EQ? No, there is much less variety and fun. There is much less challenge. EQ introduced Achievement, which is nice, but that is about all the latest contribution of EQ to MMO genre. Too few to late.
WoW is an impressive game developed by an incredibly impressive company (at least in MY view as a consumer).
WoW, however, is not for everyone. WoW will not be defeated by a WoW-clone. A new, innovative, more challenge, and more world immersion oriented MMORPG could draw in hundreds of thousands of subscribes if properly executed. Many people enjoy and respect WoW. I did not my "WoW time" to return maybe twice, always leaving within in days (not kidding).
Principles:
We got WoW. We have been there. We have done that. If anything, perhaps Blizzard would be best suited to create this new, and innovative, MMORPG that REDEFINES the MMORPG experience through world immersion, enhanced customization, and player tools. EDIT: Blizzard could preempt any potential competitors.
That is true. We have WoW, and we need no more WoW copies, unless they have something unique to offer. EQ was once there, but other games survived, not because they are EQ copies, they gave us things not found in EQ. SWG gave us the sandbox world and very unique community features, including non instanced player house. DAoC gave us RvR, just one feature and that is enough. CoX gave us super-heroes and lot of fancy little things, including travel powers.
We don't need another WoW, we can use something new. It does not need to beat WoW in every dimension. Just offereing something else that is fun, and not found in WoW.
there is no such thing of WoW-clone...
WoW just have the basic features any MMORPG should have like character customization, raids, quests, immersion, a story to give all those things a sense...ppl keep saying it cause WoW have a lot of subscribers (read nowadays: asians/gold farmers).
And its not TO beat WoW the point of launch a new MMORPG. Each one i tried has its own singularities. and thats it what will make a game be sucesseful or not...stuff that should be interesting to ppl at the point of claim their $15/m XD
LOTRO player
You will be back.