Five Reasons Why The Old Republic Is a Threat to WoW

[WendelI]

This game wont rape WoW it will destroy most of the SCI FI mmorpgs outhere dough. Aion was called a WoW killer. you and I know now that was all bullshit. but it was still a nice game and in many aspects better than WoW. so what makes you think that a star wars based mmo is gonna do 100 times better just because its star wars?

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Er... you meant dual-wielding lightsabers for that last one, right?

Also, I think you're right. If any game can topple WOW, or at least steal a chunk of its fans, it will be TOR. I mean, have you seen that trailer!? It's fucking epic.

Holy fucking shit...
That is all

 

[bjj hero]

They also have to top two other problems:
1) People to get to max level in wow give up a lot of time and effort - to give that up it has to be special
2) Subscription games are more expensive over the long run than single cost games - therefore most people have only one or two subscription games so the market is limited.

Thus, it becomes one or the other, and so it has to not just be better - but be better enough that people anticipate it will be worth loosing hundreds of hours of work on wow for.

For the record I think I will drop wow for it though...

I actually substantially disagree with you on Point 2. For the amount of playtime you get out of a MMOG, it's worth WAY more time-per-dollar than any other game.

I play WoW extremely casually these days, with only two or so nights of raiding for ~3 hours a piece per week. That's 24 hours a month, for $12. $0.50 an hour - and considering that Darksiders cost me $60 and I got 15 hours of play out of it? Yeah, WoW's cheaper.

Saying that I bought MW2 on release day for £27. I probably play 9 hours a week 27/9=£3 per hour on week one. This number gets smaller each week that goes by being £1.50 the second week carrying on until it must be pennys now. It depends on which games you play. I have completed Mass effect at least 7 times. I more than got my moneys worth.

I love Bioware games but I have one reservation about a Starwars MMO. In a world where anyone can be a jedi I can imagine there being more jedi's (is that the correct plural for jedi?) than none jedi. This would kill my immersion when everyone and their dog has a light saber. Wouldn't that kill some of what made jedi cool for you? It would for me.

Plus Im tired of jedi constantly throwing spins and flips. Just fight already. They never did it in my day (grumble).

 

[maddog015]

Well, just as long as the game doesn't feel like a grind, it'll have a chance.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

A very good article, John. My inner Bioware fanboy is pleased.
Also, Jedi Knight. Ummm, yeah.

 

[Museli]

"To start off, TOR is sci-fi, not fantasy, which is a huge advantage in itself. "

Funny, I've always seen it as fantasy. We got sword fights "magic" powers, prophecy's and the word destiny is thrown around a lot.

I agree, Star Wars is definitely fantasy. People should remember that a space setting does not mean something is automatically sci-fi. Similarly, you can have sci-fi in what appears to be a fantasy setting. Point 3 remains valid though, as it is offering a completely different style of setting to WoW.

 

[Kaim89]

#5 - Lightsabers: Fwp-shhhhsssss... wronnnn, worrrarrang. Wrorr-K-SHH! K-SHHkrilkrklkkrlk, wrooonn, wroaonng.

I think that point speaks for itself.

Jesus christ I laughed.

 

[kementari]

I love Bioware games but I have one reservation about a Starwars MMO. In a world where anyone can be a jedi I can imagine there being more jedi's (is that the correct plural for jedi?) than none jedi. This would kill my immersion when everyone and their dog has a light saber. Wouldn't that kill some of what made jedi cool for you? It would for me.

The plural of Jedi is Jedi, as in "Return of the Jedi".

You know, it really bothers me when people cite "lore" or "immersion" to make the argument for why having lots of Jedi in a game is a bad thing - it just proves the speaker knows very little about the franchise. The concept of a Star Wars universe with very few Jedi is actually a recent development in the plot of the original trilogy, with all but a handful of the Jedi having been killed off in Vader's purges shortly after the Emperor assumed command. (This was mildly retconned with Order 66, but only by a few in-world weeks. As far as we know, the Purges still happened even after Order 66 was carried out. It's unrealistic with a side of prequel-trilogy-George-Lucas to believe the clones were able to get everyone on that particular day.)

At the height of the Old Republic, there were tons of Jedi, since every Force-sensitive kid in the known parts of the galaxy was picked up and shipped off to the Temple at an early age. For an Old-Republic-era MMO, a bunch of Jedi running around waving their lightsabers won't be at all out of place from a lore standpoint.

 

[NickCaligo42]

I don't know--it doesn't seem so much a threat to WoW as something different enough to be an appealing product in its own right. Like, given the choice between the two, I'd expect a lot of MMO fans to play both, I'd expect Bioware fans to favor The Old Republic, and I'd expect WoW veterans to favor WoW. People talk about one game's sales or another threatening another's, but ten to one says that just because someone bought Bayonetta it doesn't mean they're not going to buy God of War III or Dante's Inferno. Variety's a good thing. Anyway, with the kind of time WoW's had to build its player base it's not just going to go away overnight. People have been working on their characters and running with their guilds for years, and you don't just turn your back on that kind of a commitment.

 

[Beltaine]

As someone who has played every MMO since Ultima Online, I remain skeptical.

Every. Single. MMO. to date. has used the same "our game is different" hype.

While EA, Bioware, and Star Wars may seem like a holy trinity, need I remind you what happened with EA, Mythic, and Warhammer? Or even Sony, LucasArts, and Star Wars?

100% voiced questing is a mixed bag as well. How many people playing WoW do you think actually read quest text before taking a quest? Do you think that same bunch of people will appreciate having to sit through voice-acting before they can continue their climb to level cap uber status?

I fear SW:TOR will just be more of the same. So far there's nothing to dissuade me otherwise.

I'm still hoping, though.

 

[CroutonsOfDeath]

I'm actually looking forward to this, but I'm trying not to get too excited because I detest MMOs and a large amount of RPGs. The reason it might appeal to me is the setting, and the fact that while I didn't think the combat was the best (Turn based = Meh) I loved KoTOR and BioWare makes some of the few RPGs I really can lose myself in. Also, before I get attacked for saying I detest MMOs and World of Warcraft in particular, I'm not one of those people who says "Everyone who plays MMOs is a fat nerd blob thing with no life" I'm simply saying I detest the game because I tried it and was bored out of my gourd within 1 hour.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Nothing will ever put a single dent in WoW's monolithic marketshare.

And no, I'm as much a fan of that game as a fundie Christian is a qualified scientist.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I laughed out loud at the last one. "It has lightsabres!"

Please. I've observed enough WoW junkies at work to know that they wouldn't go to another game unless the top tier raid reward was pure cocaine delivered to your door. One of them recently announced to me his intention to quit WoW for this game when it comes out, and then altered that to his intention to just quit WoW altogether. A week later he was back on it. Why? "Because this new patch is awesome!"

For a tortured analogy, see The Simpsons "Lisa vs Malibu Stacey" episode. "Wait! Don't be fooled! It's just the same Stacey with a cheap plastic accessory! She still embodies the same sexist values as before!"
*pause*
"But she's got a new hat!"

Get used to it, WoW is here to stay. In a way I'm kind of glad: that's 14 million-ish people who won't be competing against me in the literary marketplace.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Funk, just ask yourself what you normally do in WoW when you see an unsuspecting player from the other faction with a PVP flag on that is your lvl or lower. If your answer is "smite him down immediately" id say you go with the Sith XD

i really hope its PVP all the time. Star Wars always felt like a space western where everyone is out to get you. so be nice to stroll around as a sith/jedi killing other unsuspecting jedi/sith...and whatever other classes are there in SWTOR XD

p.s. Go Blizzard! i don't like WoW but its making my favorite development company rich so im happy about that. ::Eagerly awaits the arrival of the RTS Messiah::

 

[John Funk]

Didn't we have articles like this about WAR for being better, AoC for being mature, Aion for being unique, Champions for being from an existing MMO company and RoM for being free? Look at how all of those turned out.

Not from me, that's for sure.

I'm a huge fan of WoW and a proponent of it's continued success. I never once thought any of those games would ever pose a remote threat to WoW. Don't get me wrong - anyone who thinks that I'm saying "SWTOR WILL KILL WOW RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE" here really needs to reread it. Of course WoW is still going to have its very comfortable hill, and I don't doubt people will play both (I sure will).

This article was just discussing whether or not TOR could make a dent in WoW's monolithic marketshare, and the things it has going for it.

I laughed out loud at the last one. "It has lightsabres!"

Please. I've observed enough WoW junkies at work to know that they wouldn't go to another game unless the top tier raid reward was pure cocaine delivered to your door. One of them recently announced to me his intention to quit WoW for this game when it comes out, and then altered that to his intention to just quit WoW altogether. A week later he was back on it. Why? "Because this new patch is awesome!"

For a tortured analogy, see The Simpsons "Lisa vs Malibu Stacey" episode. "Wait! Don't be fooled! It's just the same Stacey with a cheap plastic accessory! She still embodies the same sexist values as before!"
*pause*
"But she's got a new hat!"

Get used to it, WoW is here to stay. In a way I'm kind of glad: that's 14 million-ish people who won't be competing against me in the literary marketplace.

Like I said, I know full well WoW is here to stay and as a fan I'm very glad of it.

(To be fair to your coworker, 3.3 brought a TON of new and awesome changes that are a bit better than "She's got a new hat.")

 

[Garaw]

IMHO, the only thing that will topple WoW is people growing naturally bored with it. I see this coming about as the engine ages and people see features or advances in other, less popular MMOS that they prefer.

So I envision WoW's demise as less of A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES and more of a war of attrition. With little, innovative MMOs swarming it like Lilliputians. TOR could very well be one of these.

 

[Deviluk]

John Funk still can't make up his mind about being a Jedi Knight or a Sith Inquisitor.

Jedi Knight, baby. You know all the 13-year-olds are going to approach this game with LOL IM A BADASS SITH LIEK DARTH MAUL.

Republic is gonna be where it's at.

Have you played World of Warcraft? All of the 13 year olds are all "LOL IM A BADASS HERO LIEK ARTHAS". I'm fairly sure it will be this way in The Old Republic too, because they all want to be Obi-Wan or Yoda.

Join the dark side!

Both factions since launch, and yes, at launch, all the kiddies were on Alliance. The reverse was true at BC, though, and despite the headcount getting a little messy now due to all races being able to be Death Knights, I have strong beliefs that playing the "evil, cool" side will land you in the midst of a ton of children come TOR.

The Republic looks to be the underdog in this game, and I like playing the underdog. If you want to be on the LOL IM SO BADASS side, though, that's your choice. I'll enjoy killing you.

Agreed. For added underdog-ness, I'm probably going to use Smuggler. Really make those sith teenagers weep.

 

[bjj hero]

The plural of Jedi is Jedi, as in "Return of the Jedi".

You know, it really bothers me when people cite "lore" or "immersion" to make the argument for why having lots of Jedi in a game is a bad thing - it just proves the speaker knows very little about the franchise. The concept of a Star Wars universe with very few Jedi is actually a recent development in the plot of the original trilogy, with all but a handful of the Jedi having been killed off in Vader's purges shortly after the Emperor assumed command. (This was mildly retconned with Order 66, but only by a few in-world weeks. As far as we know, the Purges still happened even after Order 66 was carried out. It's unrealistic with a side of prequel-trilogy-George-Lucas to believe the clones were able to get everyone on that particular day.)

At the height of the Old Republic, there were tons of Jedi, since every Force-sensitive kid in the known parts of the galaxy was picked up and shipped off to the Temple at an early age. For an Old-Republic-era MMO, a bunch of Jedi running around waving their lightsabers won't be at all out of place from a lore standpoint.

Thank you for clearing up the Jedi plural grey area. I was born in 1980. The first three films are starwars for me. I watched the first of the prequels and was so dissapointed I never bothered to watch the next 2.

All the same in a galaxy of billions of people there should be more none jedi than jedi. I don't see this being the case in an MMO.

 

[Cpu46]

you can play as a Mandalorian bounty hunter? FUCKING SOLD!!

My thoughts exactly, Bounty hunters can own jedi any day of the week.
Although i think that smugglers and Bounty hunters should be neutral guns for hire instead of constrained to either Republic or sith.

 

[jthm]

Awesome as it looks, as much as I loved knights 1 and 2, I just can't make myself care about this game. I quit WoW for a reason, I imagine I won't want to play TOR for the same one. I don't like playing an RPG in which I have to depend on others to advance the "story" if you can really call it that.