General Discussion

Originally posted by Zindaihas

So many people like to speculate which soon to be released MMO will be the death knell for WoW.  It's been going on for a couple years now and many games have come and gone and still WoW remains on top.  Games will continue to be released in the future.  Will AoC be a WoW killer, will WAR?  Most likely neither of them will be.

So instead of asking which game that is currently in development might do it, let me ask something a little different.  What kind of game would it take to kill WoW?  Or better yet, is there a formula that could be more popular than the WoW formula.  Perhaps there is none.  Perhaps WoW is the most successful formula there is and therefore, we are destined to see WoWish type games made again and again and again.

I personally don't care if WoW lives or dies.  I don't care if it continues to rule or eventually gets dethroned.  I guess I'm just asking a familiar question with a slightly different spin because I'm a glutton for punishment.

It is important to point out that Warcraft fans were already familiar with the computer, owned one, and so it wasn't much of a transition to play online. So I think the formula here is: large computer gamer following of said IP + polished game + good marketing + easy to get into, hard to master + accessible to low end machines = A Huge Hit.

Assuming the rest of the formula is there, who has a computer game IP that is a large hit?

Forgotten Realms ?

Baldurs Gate ?

Starcraft

Warhammer 40k ?

KoToR ?

Half Life

Call of Duty ?

Might and Magic

I can't think of any others, but we get the idea. There is a reason why LoTRO, WAR, and AoC will not be huge hits. LoTRO was trying to pull mature intellectuals that probably don't play video games or LoTR movie fans, who the majority doesn't play video games either. Same with Conan fans. WAR's fanbase consists of those who play table top minatures, unlike Warhammer 40k, which has a couple computer games out there with a large following.

Microsoft will kill WoW.

Eventually an operating system will come out that will not run WoW.  The operating system may not even be a Microsoft product.

Now that i think of it... isnt about how good a game is. The game must not suck, that is a fact, but doenst have to be the big thing!

The biggest thing WoW teached us was: MARKETING AND PUBLICITY!!!!

Take any of the 'new and good' games, like for prime example LOTRO, and add the amount of marketing and publicity that WoW had, and you WILL have a mass product.

The next big game wont be the best game. It will be the most publicised game.

Originally posted by XImpalerX

 

    Im not sure I understand what you mean by "non-gaming franchise"(if im taking what your saying correctly, you mean that Warhammer is not based off of a game? And that Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings are?

A prospective "WoW killer" that is based on an existing franchise will be based on a series that originated as a video game.

Warhammer has 25 years of fans but they are not video game fans. Did D&DO and LotRO teach you nothing. LotR has over 50 years of fans but they didnt flock to the video game did they? You can NOT depend on the fans of a non-video game series to support the video game.

However, at this point the only video game franchises(non Blizzard franchises) that could make an attempt would be Halo, GTA or Pokemon(however, it would probably be Wii only which means its user base would be choked).

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Originally posted by MarL

Call of duty mmofpsrpg, GTA mmoactionrpg, Quake mmofpsrpg, Halo mmofpsrpg, Battlefield mmofpsrpg, Starcraft mmorts. Wow had a small fan base(before launch) compared to these games.

Wow is missing alot of stuff I consider important in a mmo.
1. One world not multiple 3000 player servers.
2. Environmental change.(being able to build or destroy landmarks)
3. Owning land
4. An economy
5. Vehicle combat
 
 
 

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Serious gamers demand a good game. The average joe-blow game addict just wants a game that he can play on his stupid PoS he bought on his salary, have fun, and smoke a blunt all at the same time. Tits *cough elf cough* are a bonus only.

Originally posted by Xiaoki

 

Originally posted by XImpalerX

 

    Im not sure I understand what you mean by "non-gaming franchise"(if im taking what your saying correctly, you mean that Warhammer is not based off of a game? And that Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings are?

Video gaming.

 

A prospective "WoW killer" that is based on an existing franchise will be based on a series that originated as a video game.

Warhammer has 25 years of fans but they are not video game fans. Did D&DO and LotRO teach you nothing. LotR has over 50 years of fans but they didnt flock to the video game did they? You can NOT depend on the fans of a non-video game series to support the video game.

However, at this point the only video game franchises(non Blizzard franchises) that could make an attempt would be Halo, GTA or Pokemon(however, it would probably be Wii only which means its user base would be choked).

Not a video game...? laololulelu? There's atleast 2 that i know of, but i think (too mutch beer to be sure) there are more.

I know exactly what would kill WoW, its called a computer virus..

A Starcraft mmo or Diablo... yes it would have to be a blizzard game.

As I have previously expressed, the idea of a 'WoW Killer' is absurd. The top MMOs of the earlier generations are STILL GOING - EverQuest and Ultima Online, that is to say.

It may end up having less players, and it may be nearly a ghost town, but WoW will more than likely be around even longer than EQ1 has.

WoW killer? Not gonna happen anytime soon. Old and new companies don't want to kill WoW. They're thankful that Blizzard made a milestone. People see the mmorpg scene more now because of the ridiculous amount of hype WoW subs brought to the non-gaming world. New companies want a share of what WoW has but the main goal right now is to expand the mmorpg market. Killing WoW now is a very bad idea. Making something that can go toe-to-toe with WoW is the best option for companies right now. Having 2-3-4-or more mmorpgs that have million subs + WoW's 10mil sub is what people should be aiming for. If WoW loses a huge chunk of subs because they transferred to a new mmo, people who have the $$$ will lose interest to fund new projects because they'll notice that the mmorpg market has a cap. Let the 800lb gorilla of the mmorpg market enjoy the throne.