Did you really expect them to do anything else? Their last expansion set records for sales, why would they change their formula for success? Now, if this next expansion were to tank (it won't) then they'd have to consider changing things a bit, but for now they've rightly discerned that their target market wants to replace their epics, so they'll give them the opportunity to do so.
The probem with WoW IS its success. It's transformed the MMORPG industry mainstream into "how can we get some of WoW's playerbase?" Only a handful of MMORPG publishers can resist the siren song of WoW.
BTW, I absolutely agree that there's no reason for WoW to change the formula; it's proven in the marketplace. WoW players WILL buy the expansion and get new epics when they hit 80 after the usual grind. Because as repetitive as the WoW grind is, it's compelling, and players cannot resist it. They'll buy the expansion, they'll enjoy the new content, and replacing their epics is just part of the fun. Which is the key; millions find WoW fun despite the flaws that the hardcore here at MMORPG.COM constantly point out, to no avail.
The only way WoW will see the beginning of the end is if someone comes out with something new that breaks new ground beyond WoW's template, AND attracts subscribers in the millions. I contend that WoW is the ultimate 2nd Gen MMORPG. It will take a brave company that will resist the siren song of WoW and its subscriber base, which sends suits into the throes of ecstasy when they think about all that revenue.
The new something will probably, as best as I can forsee, indeed be some new product by Blizzard. Blizz has turned the MMORPG industry totally upside down to where no one else is thinking straight.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
95% of the people that play WoW enjoy pve/raiding and collecting epics. The expansion will go well because it will give the player base a reason to do this all over agian. WoW has a number of grind systems to keep the players going the expansion just adds more of it.
In general I dont really believe that many WoW players will move to games like WAR that are RvR/PvP centric. Thats really not a bad thing IMO I dont think many of the WoW players would last very long in a RvR centric game because theres isnt enough pve stuff to do and gear isnt that important. I think Eve, L2, GW, DAoC players will move to the new pvp centric games that come out and the WoW players will wait for the next pve centric blizzard game.
The reason why WOW is so successful is because a) it caters to the casuals (which I am one of) and b) it is highly polished.
Quest grinding is FUN in WOW.
So players may defect after they have gone through much of the WOW content but I can see it attracting even more casuals. After all, they are getting mainstream attention and there are still lots of people who haven't played WOW and are potential converts.
Blizzard is a company I trust. So far, they have produced no duds. I am hoping they will make World of Starcraft and break new grounds on MMORPG.
Okay now that i read the paragraph....what I ment to say was that if you played EQ and you liked it, and you were a die hard eq fan, chances are that you never played another mmorpg after that for as long or as hard.
Okay now that i read the paragraph....what I ment to say was that if you played EQ and you liked it, and you were a die hard eq fan, chances are that you never played another mmorpg after that for as long or as hard.
I'm thinking along the same lines as you...but not exactly.
Before WoW came out MMO players were a different "breed" of gamer.
I think most of these old-school MMO guys/gals have probably played several MMO's in their day.
I started with UO 10 years ago and still play it today. But I've also played several other MMO's these past 10 years.
Well, I'll stop there. I just can't see being addicted to a game so bad that I don't want to try the next game that comes out.
WoW is the AOL of MMOs. It got huge by attracting new people into the market, it stays huge by continuing to recruit noobs and discouraging people from leaving. A lot of people tried to copy AOL and they all failed to one degree or another. Eventually the competitors wised up and started offering basic internet access with only a few frills, which most people still don't use. AOL eventually ran out of noobs to recruit and their owners saw the writing on the wall and sold out to Time Warner before things started to unravel, making a fortune in the process. AOL is still around, but it's a shadow of its former self.
WoW got huge by attracting new people into the market. It stays huge by expanding into new markets, even though reputable third-party estimates show their base in the US and Europe, over the long term, has been stagnant for years (official regional numbers aren't given by Blizzard, which is a red flag in itself). A lot of companies have tried to copy WoW's model and they've all failed because if people want to play WoW, they'll play WoW and not "The Game That Looks and Plays Like WoW But Isn't". Old games that buck the trend have seen steady growth, and now a new generation games that provide an MMO experience without trying to be WoW are coming out this year. WoW sold out to Activision and their shareholders made a buttload of money. What will happen when all is said and done remains to be seen, but diehard WoW fans don't have much to worry about since successful MMOs last practically forever (people still play the original EQ, for example).
95% of the people that play WoW enjoy pve/raiding and collecting epics. The expansion will go well because it will give the player base a reason to do this all over agian. WoW has a number of grind systems to keep the players going the expansion just adds more of it. In general I dont really believe that many WoW players will move to games like WAR that are RvR/PvP centric. Thats really not a bad thing IMO I dont think many of the WoW players would last very long in a RvR centric game because theres isnt enough pve stuff to do and gear isnt that important. I think Eve, L2, GW, DAoC players will move to the new pvp centric games that come out and the WoW players will wait for the next pve centric blizzard game.
That's exactly how I see it too, smooth sailing for WoW in years to come. If there is any real danger out there, older games are the ones that could get killed in the crossfire between industry and Blizzard. While Blizzard uses buble and HS out of there, UOs, EQs Shadowbanes, Asheron Calls, DAoCs and alike will get dead dead.
WoW got huge by attracting new people into the market. It stays huge by expanding into new markets, even though reputable third-party estimates show their base in the US and Europe, over the long term, has been stagnant for years (official regional numbers aren't given by Blizzard, which is a red flag in itself).
IRVINE, Calif. – January 11, 2007 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft®, its subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is now played by more than 8 million gamers around the world. World of Warcraft has also achieved new regional subscriber milestones, with more than 2 million players in North America, more than 1.5 million players in Europe, and more than 3.5 million players in China.
Considering that World of warcraft and Burning crusade are still on just about any top ten best selling list I have my doubts that the population is stagnant, let alone stagnant for "years". What are the reputable 3rd party estimates your refer to?
Plenty of people will leave for new pastures and some will just go back. The amount of each depends on the attraction of the new games and how blizzard reacts with its offerings.
I doubt Blizzard is going to react
EverQuest was the most popular MMO in america for 5 years (1999-2004) until WoW launched
when other mmos launched
ie. AO, Asherons Call, DAOC, Shadowbane, Final Fantasy, EVE, and whatever else
nothing was offered by SOE to counter their launch
MMO dev teams follow their own schedules -- not their competitors
MMO dev teams follow their own schedules -- not their competitors
Sony launched EQ2 ahead of schedule to directly compete with WoW. There was a series of changed release dates for each game if I recall correctly and SOE adjusted EQ2 release date to beat WoW to market.
AoC and War are the first real threats to WoW. I'm sure they will launch a few things here and there to help minimize the impact those games have or win back people. Maybe it is just the 2.4 patch with new raid content of simply removing the respec cost (which is something I think will happen). The expansion is poised at the right time already I think to regain people who burn out on the new games in the first couple months.
I see what you are saying now Nadia and I can see that. Blizzard on the other hand has a ton of money and marketing smarts. I'm just guessing that they will have some strategy to soften the blow and have some plan to release new content to win back subs also. No that they have to alter any plans for the expansion release date, it just looks to fall into the right timeframe naturally.
Blizzard has another thing going for it. WOW is not in pop culture (notably the South Park ep and lots of commercials). No other game has achieved that.
Blizzard has another thing going for it. WOW is not in pop culture (notably the South Park ep and lots of commercials). No other game has achieved that.
Not true unless you mean "MMORPG game" instead of just "game". Things change though.. Pac-man, Space Invaders and Lara Croft are still a part of popular culture but I don't see many people playing them.
WoW will die off... eventually. As others have said, it's bound to happen. It will probably give way for WoW II or something of that nature, however.
...
I don't know about WoW dying, but I think I finally hit my 'wall' with WoW. I've got Horde 70's and Alliance 70's... I'd say the only thing really keeping me in the game are a few RL friends that play and the sick and twisted fascination I have with creating and levelling lowb toons.
You know for the past year and a half people have proclaimed the "brginning of the end" for WoW.
Not likely...
This product will remain for quite a long time. It's just too well established right now. The OP is siimply making assumptions based on others assumptions. This probably will continue to go on and on I suppose. LOL...such jealousy out there over Blizzard's product, huh?
JEALOUSY is a weakness...
All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth John Lennon
Wow doesn't have a steady increase anymore. It's more a gain/lose thing. They usually get a big boost around christmas but last year they started losing some shortly after too.
That beeing said i don't think any game is going to die. I mean everquest and ultima online are still up and running.
I get my info from warcraft realms's december wrapup.
-Would you like cheddar or swiss cheese? -Yes. -...
I know that there are a lot of WoW haters here but for you guys I am sorry. Anyone who has been to the WoW web page lately would know that they just hit a record breaking 10 million people. With numbers like that I don't think they are going anywhere anytime soon. Once again sorry to kill your hopes on the subject!!
World of Warcraft's community continues to grow, recently hitting a new high of 10 million subscribers around the world. In the three years since the game was first released, the way it has been embraced around the world has far surpassed our expectations, and we're grateful to all of the players who made that possible. We just wanted to take a moment to share the news, welcome the many new and returning players who entered the game over the holidays, and thank all of you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm.
Comments
but you didn't stick with those games. You moved on looking to satisfy your addiction in daoc.
The probem with WoW IS its success. It's transformed the MMORPG industry mainstream into "how can we get some of WoW's playerbase?" Only a handful of MMORPG publishers can resist the siren song of WoW.
BTW, I absolutely agree that there's no reason for WoW to change the formula; it's proven in the marketplace. WoW players WILL buy the expansion and get new epics when they hit 80 after the usual grind. Because as repetitive as the WoW grind is, it's compelling, and players cannot resist it. They'll buy the expansion, they'll enjoy the new content, and replacing their epics is just part of the fun. Which is the key; millions find WoW fun despite the flaws that the hardcore here at MMORPG.COM constantly point out, to no avail.
The only way WoW will see the beginning of the end is if someone comes out with something new that breaks new ground beyond WoW's template, AND attracts subscribers in the millions. I contend that WoW is the ultimate 2nd Gen MMORPG. It will take a brave company that will resist the siren song of WoW and its subscriber base, which sends suits into the throes of ecstasy when they think about all that revenue.
The new something will probably, as best as I can forsee, indeed be some new product by Blizzard. Blizz has turned the MMORPG industry totally upside down to where no one else is thinking straight.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
I wish...
95% of the people that play WoW enjoy pve/raiding and collecting epics. The expansion will go well because it will give the player base a reason to do this all over agian. WoW has a number of grind systems to keep the players going the expansion just adds more of it.
In general I dont really believe that many WoW players will move to games like WAR that are RvR/PvP centric. Thats really not a bad thing IMO I dont think many of the WoW players would last very long in a RvR centric game because theres isnt enough pve stuff to do and gear isnt that important. I think Eve, L2, GW, DAoC players will move to the new pvp centric games that come out and the WoW players will wait for the next pve centric blizzard game.
Sig by WhiskeyJack1
The reason why WOW is so successful is because a) it caters to the casuals (which I am one of) and b) it is highly polished.
Quest grinding is FUN in WOW.
So players may defect after they have gone through much of the WOW content but I can see it attracting even more casuals. After all, they are getting mainstream attention and there are still lots of people who haven't played WOW and are potential converts.
Blizzard is a company I trust. So far, they have produced no duds. I am hoping they will make World of Starcraft and break new grounds on MMORPG.
Okay now that i read the paragraph....what I ment to say was that if you played EQ and you liked it, and you were a die hard eq fan, chances are that you never played another mmorpg after that for as long or as hard.
Before WoW came out MMO players were a different "breed" of gamer.
I think most of these old-school MMO guys/gals have probably played several MMO's in their day.
I started with UO 10 years ago and still play it today. But I've also played several other MMO's these past 10 years.
Well, I'll stop there. I just can't see being addicted to a game so bad that I don't want to try the next game that comes out.
WoW is the AOL of MMOs. It got huge by attracting new people into the market, it stays huge by continuing to recruit noobs and discouraging people from leaving. A lot of people tried to copy AOL and they all failed to one degree or another. Eventually the competitors wised up and started offering basic internet access with only a few frills, which most people still don't use. AOL eventually ran out of noobs to recruit and their owners saw the writing on the wall and sold out to Time Warner before things started to unravel, making a fortune in the process. AOL is still around, but it's a shadow of its former self.
WoW got huge by attracting new people into the market. It stays huge by expanding into new markets, even though reputable third-party estimates show their base in the US and Europe, over the long term, has been stagnant for years (official regional numbers aren't given by Blizzard, which is a red flag in itself). A lot of companies have tried to copy WoW's model and they've all failed because if people want to play WoW, they'll play WoW and not "The Game That Looks and Plays Like WoW But Isn't". Old games that buck the trend have seen steady growth, and now a new generation games that provide an MMO experience without trying to be WoW are coming out this year. WoW sold out to Activision and their shareholders made a buttload of money. What will happen when all is said and done remains to be seen, but diehard WoW fans don't have much to worry about since successful MMOs last practically forever (people still play the original EQ, for example).
I couldn't catch any sign of the end of wow, any other games would exceed wow? i haven't heard any info about this.
That's exactly how I see it too, smooth sailing for WoW in years to come. If there is any real danger out there, older games are the ones that could get killed in the crossfire between industry and Blizzard. While Blizzard uses buble and HS out of there, UOs, EQs Shadowbanes, Asheron Calls, DAoCs and alike will get dead dead.
www.blizzard.com/press/070111.shtml
Considering that World of warcraft and Burning crusade are still on just about any top ten best selling list I have my doubts that the population is stagnant, let alone stagnant for "years". What are the reputable 3rd party estimates your refer to?
I doubt Blizzard is going to react
EverQuest was the most popular MMO in america for 5 years (1999-2004) until WoW launched
when other mmos launched
ie. AO, Asherons Call, DAOC, Shadowbane, Final Fantasy, EVE, and whatever else
nothing was offered by SOE to counter their launch
MMO dev teams follow their own schedules -- not their competitors
EQ2 fan sites
AoC and War are the first real threats to WoW. I'm sure they will launch a few things here and there to help minimize the impact those games have or win back people. Maybe it is just the 2.4 patch with new raid content of simply removing the respec cost (which is something I think will happen). The expansion is poised at the right time already I think to regain people who burn out on the new games in the first couple months.
I agree with you that for launching a *new* game - EQ2 launched early with WOW in mind
but that doesnt change the pattern for existing mmos
(as opposed to newly launched mmo)
EQ1 had approximately 8 expansions during their 5 year "TopDog" period
- none of the expansions or content , least while I played,
were launched early or in response to newer mmos post 1999
DAOC was perceived as EQ1s first real threat in 2001
-- SOE did do one thing in response before it launched, they started hiding their server numbers
you used to be able to see the online population at the server select screen
I dont think any mmo shows LIVE server numbers anymore -- except for DAOC
EQ2 fan sites
I see what you are saying now Nadia and I can see that. Blizzard on the other hand has a ton of money and marketing smarts. I'm just guessing that they will have some strategy to soften the blow and have some plan to release new content to win back subs also. No that they have to alter any plans for the expansion release date, it just looks to fall into the right timeframe naturally.
Blizzard has another thing going for it. WOW is not in pop culture (notably the South Park ep and lots of commercials). No other game has achieved that.
Not true unless you mean "MMORPG game" instead of just "game". Things change though.. Pac-man, Space Invaders and Lara Croft are still a part of popular culture but I don't see many people playing them.
WoW will die off... eventually. As others have said, it's bound to happen. It will probably give way for WoW II or something of that nature, however.
...
I don't know about WoW dying, but I think I finally hit my 'wall' with WoW. I've got Horde 70's and Alliance 70's... I'd say the only thing really keeping me in the game are a few RL friends that play and the sick and twisted fascination I have with creating and levelling lowb toons.
You know for the past year and a half people have proclaimed the "brginning of the end" for WoW.
Not likely...
This product will remain for quite a long time. It's just too well established right now. The OP is siimply making assumptions based on others assumptions. This probably will continue to go on and on I suppose. LOL...such jealousy out there over Blizzard's product, huh?
JEALOUSY is a weakness...
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
John Lennon
And WOW just INCREASED its subscription base to 10M.
I guess wishful thinking is the best way to describe this thread.
Wow doesn't have a steady increase anymore. It's more a gain/lose thing. They usually get a big boost around christmas but last year they started losing some shortly after too.
That beeing said i don't think any game is going to die. I mean everquest and ultima online are still up and running.
I get my info from warcraft realms's december wrapup.
-Would you like cheddar or swiss cheese?
-Yes.
-...
Why do i have a feeling that WoW will outlive me ? :P
that specific mmorpg will there for ages.
I know that there are a lot of WoW haters here but for you guys I am sorry. Anyone who has been to the WoW web page lately would know that they just hit a record breaking 10 million people. With numbers like that I don't think they are going anywhere anytime soon. Once again sorry to kill your hopes on the subject!!
China aside,
WoW gained 1 million from US/EU markets in the last year
last year
www.blizzard.com/press/070111.shtml
more than 2 million players in North America, more than 1.5 million players in Europe, and more than 3.5 million players in China
this year
www.blizzard.co.uk/press/080122.shtml
more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.
EQ2 fan sites
World of Warcraft's community continues to grow, recently hitting a new high of 10 million subscribers around the world. In the three years since the game was first released, the way it has been embraced around the world has far surpassed our expectations, and we're grateful to all of the players who made that possible. We just wanted to take a moment to share the news, welcome the many new and returning players who entered the game over the holidays, and thank all of you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm.