It does blow a hole in the argument that running private servers doesn't step on the business toes of Blizzard.
That would only happens if blizzard provided the legacy service which they didn't. Now that legacy servers exists there's 0 reasons to play on a blizzlike private server.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
It does blow a hole in the argument that running private servers doesn't step on the business toes of Blizzard.
That would only happens if blizzard provided the legacy service which they didn't. Now that legacy servers exists there's 0 reasons to play on a blizzlike private server.
Honestly this is the best thing Blizz could have done to kill private servers.
"You CAN'T buy ships for RL money." - MaxBacon
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Honestly, everyone knew it was going to happen. The only reason they didn't announce it at last year's Blizzcon was because it would've took traction out of Legion and they can't announce that they are going to do something if its not going to be soon after the announcement (like within a year's time short). However, announcing it now is smart since its pretty much going to be a dead time between now and the next expansion especially since you now know all the grinding you did up to this point was completely pointless (even though they told you it would be before legion even released, which was covered on this site). So if they launch classic servers around say Feb~March, then their revenue can still make a stable number even though the player numbers will just shift from live to classic servers.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
Honestly, everyone knew it was going to happen. The only reason they didn't announce it at last year's Blizzcon was because it would've took traction out of Legion and they can't announce that they are going to do something if its not going to be soon after the announcement (like within a year's time short). However, announcing it now is smart since its pretty much going to be a dead time between now and the next expansion especially since you now know all the grinding you did up to this point was completely pointless (even though they told you it would be before legion even released, which was covered on this site). So if they launch classic servers around say Feb~March, then their revenue can still make a stable number even though the player numbers will just shift from live to classic servers.
I think you are being a little too optomistic on when this is coming out. It will be well after the next expansion. They don't even have a team or timelines for when this is going to happen yet. They said it would be a while, which is a LONG time in Blizzard time. I would say you will probably get it by the next expansion, after Battle for Azeroth, if you are lucky.
They might decide to charge more for it too which is fine by me though if they have to do extra work to bring it back they charge for the new client and a sub . I would gladly pay that over any donation that go to the private server thieves.
They might decide to charge more for it too which is fine by me though if they have to do extra work to bring it back they charge for the new client and a sub . I would gladly pay that over any donation that go to the private server thieves.
Another thing about this is that any changes they make could cause an outcry of "ITS STILL NOT VANILLA WOW WAHHH WAHH WAHH!". They are pretty much going to make very few people happy with this. Some people don't want content patches, some people want through Nax, some people want stuff like the AQ gate event, some people want balance changes, some people don't want balance changes, some people want it to be more of a progression server, some don't. They can't win.
I think this is wonderful news, but not maybe for the reasons you might think.
Blizzard's ongoing fight with the 'personal servers', i.e., illegal reproductions of their IP, are so difficult to prosecute that Blizzard has chosen to compete with these servers, as competing is probably cheaper than fighting with the legal systems around the world. At least, that's my opinion on why they changed their rather hard-line stance. Even if the technical issues are complicated and expensive, the worldwide laws covering IPs isn't standardized enough to make it feasible to protect their property through the court systems. This might be a case of Blizzard losing faith in the courts to protect their game, so they decided to run them out of business instead.
This may also have quite a few ramifications for other projects, namely Pantheon. We may see some tangible proof of how powerful the nostalgia factor is in the MMORPG market place. It will be interesting to see if this 'Vanilla WoW' service can actually survive for a year or more. Moreover, it could be equally interesting to see how VR is going to try to take customers from Blizzard. If 'Vanilla Wow' is successful, it, coupled with 'Current Wow' may sweep up all the customers, making Blizzard the undisputed source for MMORPGs. While I doubt this is a move against all the other 'nostalgia-fueled' games in development, it just might be a significant hurdle for CoE, CU and Pantheon to achieve some kind of market traction. Something that these other companies hadn't expected.
Is the nostalgia for EQ stronger than the nostalgia for WoW? It should be fascinating to watch -- both the fans' reactions and companies' maneuvers.
I missed out on the initial WoW experience. By the time I tried WoW, there had been a couple of expansions, and I was far (far, far, far) behind my friends and the general population. It might be a pleasant diversion to give it a look-see.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I came from SWG and CoH in to vanilla WoW... it was pretty much a stone age cave-painting compared to those games and i dropped back out quickly. Came back for BC a quickie... Dropped out again before even getting out of the first area. Came back again with WotLK being pulled in by my better half.
I have 0 interest in a classic server but ii am still humble enough to congratulate those who want such a service.
I don't know how they'll do it, but it better be authentic. If it isn't almost completely unplayable for the first month or so, then it's not worth my time!
Okay... this announcement does trounce the "appear offline" feature for the unexpected. Of course, they've been known to promise something and not deliver... so until it really happens, I'm still going to wait patiently.
Now the question is, will the argument that "People play on classic (private) servers because it's free" fall flat now that they can play classic once again?
They said they made too many changes and don't have the original version of the game....lies ?
In an interview with the CEO he was saying they are going to have to do a lot of reverse coding to get it going. They have the plan in place and are sure they can do it but I got the impression they were only just starting it. I wouldn't expect it any time soon.
Honestly, Blizzard wouldn't announce something like this until it was close to implementation. Heck, they were ever talking about it last year but were under sure as to how to structure it in terms of how releasing would go and such.
I came from SWG and CoH in to vanilla WoW... it was pretty much a stone age cave-painting compared to those games and i dropped back out quickly. Came back for BC a quickie... Dropped out again before even getting out of the first area. Came back again with WotLK being pulled in by my better half.
I have 0 interest in a classic server but ii am still humble enough to congratulate those who want such a service.
I had a completely different experience. I went into both EQ2 and WOW at launch after about a year and half of not playing any MMOs. I dropped EQ2, loved vanilla WOW and stuck around there for a few years through BC and going back after every expansion for a while except the last one.
I'm actually looking forward to the next expansion more than I am Classic but I'll probably sample it just for the sake of nostalgia. Whether it holds my interest is a totally different question.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
Count me in, i'm 33 now and i was 20 back when i started vanilla. I'm a bit older and with 2 kids but i will no doubt play this.
Just too many memories in Vanilla to not go back and experience it, i long for the days of creating my own 5-man dungeon group and riding out to the dungeon whilst having a talk with the group. Also questing was a ton of fun and i really believe this will do more good then harm...if people wanna experience vanilla then let them.
Comments
You stay sassy!
I would think so.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/::waves hand around:: You want to go through that grind again....
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
Blizzard's ongoing fight with the 'personal servers', i.e., illegal reproductions of their IP, are so difficult to prosecute that Blizzard has chosen to compete with these servers, as competing is probably cheaper than fighting with the legal systems around the world. At least, that's my opinion on why they changed their rather hard-line stance. Even if the technical issues are complicated and expensive, the worldwide laws covering IPs isn't standardized enough to make it feasible to protect their property through the court systems. This might be a case of Blizzard losing faith in the courts to protect their game, so they decided to run them out of business instead.
This may also have quite a few ramifications for other projects, namely Pantheon. We may see some tangible proof of how powerful the nostalgia factor is in the MMORPG market place. It will be interesting to see if this 'Vanilla WoW' service can actually survive for a year or more. Moreover, it could be equally interesting to see how VR is going to try to take customers from Blizzard. If 'Vanilla Wow' is successful, it, coupled with 'Current Wow' may sweep up all the customers, making Blizzard the undisputed source for MMORPGs. While I doubt this is a move against all the other 'nostalgia-fueled' games in development, it just might be a significant hurdle for CoE, CU and Pantheon to achieve some kind of market traction. Something that these other companies hadn't expected.
Is the nostalgia for EQ stronger than the nostalgia for WoW? It should be fascinating to watch -- both the fans' reactions and companies' maneuvers.
I missed out on the initial WoW experience. By the time I tried WoW, there had been a couple of expansions, and I was far (far, far, far) behind my friends and the general population. It might be a pleasant diversion to give it a look-see.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
I have 0 interest in a classic server but ii am still humble enough to congratulate those who want such a service.
This have been a good conversation
Now the question is, will the argument that "People play on classic (private) servers because it's free" fall flat now that they can play classic once again?
I need more character slots...
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
Honestly, Blizzard wouldn't announce something like this until it was close to implementation. Heck, they were ever talking about it last year but were under sure as to how to structure it in terms of how releasing would go and such.
I'm actually looking forward to the next expansion more than I am Classic but I'll probably sample it just for the sake of nostalgia. Whether it holds my interest is a totally different question.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Just too many memories in Vanilla to not go back and experience it, i long for the days of creating my own 5-man dungeon group and riding out to the dungeon whilst having a talk with the group. Also questing was a ton of fun and i really believe this will do more good then harm...if people wanna experience vanilla then let them.