How can WoW still justify a subcription model?

[Colt47]

WoW kind of became the McDonalds of the MMO genre: A lot of people play it even though most people will still say it isn't the best game out there. It's got a wide appeal and is easy to get into, but the Global Cool Down based combat system is incredibly repetitive and turns people into human typewriters. To put it bluntly, they had to build in attention checks just to make sure people aren't falling asleep at the wheel while fighting in combat. Likewise, the system has become somewhat shallow as of late given the change to talents and the game designers really haven't figured out a way to keep the numbers at intelligible levels with each new expansion. Instead, we now have HP and damage values in the 100,000 range and simplified options.

So I wouldn't exactly call WoW awsome, but it is a good time waster that's a decent investment and helps fill the time between other releases. I still wish they'd reincorporate some of the tactical depth of single player RPGs.

 

[kahlzun]

Because people still are willing to pay it, silly.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Because now matter how good your WoW clone is, it won't beat WoW at it's own game. Innovate or die...

 

[anthony87]

Because it's good?

 

[Lunar Templar]

*shrugs*

who knows, but the sooner it dies and people move on to MMOs that actually deserve the attention the better

 

[deviltry]

*shrugs*

who knows, but the sooner it dies and people move on to MMOs that actually deserve the attention the better

AAAAARGH GOD.

Please point out those MMOs. Drop a link to homepage. To a video review. To some random fan made video on youtube. Because now I know that there's a better MMORPG than WoW hidden somehwere. And God do I want to play it.

but the Global Cool Down based combat system is incredibly repetitive and turns people into human typewriters. To put it bluntly, they had to build in attention checks just to make sure people aren't falling asleep at the wheel while fighting in combat.

Well people play WoW because of the endgame - raids or pvp and not leveling. Because what you have described is a leveling experience. On a PvE server. Every time i join a pug raid or go out with my rbg team, I constantly hear button mashing and tons of emotion ir people's voices.

As for talents - oh yeah it's simple and primitive. Three choices. You are allowed to choose one. And it's briliant. It's like Aion, except Aion has no skills balance and there's obvious choices on what to pick up.

 

[Something Amyss]

but why are SO many people still willing to pay, now that almost every (if not every) major mmorpg can now be played for free?

Well, we've got "because people pay" out of the way.

1. Investment. People tend to want to justify their expenses to the point they're willing to throw bad money after good. Even if you consider WoW to be bad money, that tendency still covers it. And if people have had fun? Yeah.

2. Brand recognition. WoW is still THE game, and people are still trying to "kill it." Familiarity is important, too.

3 User base. Because of 1, there are a lot of people in these games, and a lot of people who are "hardcore" compared to the other MMOs (at least, far as I know). Does any game come close?

Keep in mind I don't really care for MMOs, but these reasons should be enough.

 

[Arakasi]

Subscription models work in gigantically popular games. That's really all the justification they need.

Although subscription models also mean you don't have to include pay-to-win items, which are never a good thing.

 

[Lunar Templar]

*shrugs*

who knows, but the sooner it dies and people move on to MMOs that actually deserve the attention the better

AAAAARGH GOD.

Please point out those MMOs. Drop a link to homepage. To a video review. To some random fan made video on youtube. Because now I know that there's a better MMORPG than WoW hidden somehwere. And God do I want to play it.

and yet the sarcasm is so thick I could cut it with a knife.

 

[mooncalf]

do you really think they could get away with a subscription model in their next mmo though

Absolutely! The buzz might be 'F2P!' but there are 10 million people in WoW alone presently saying "Yes I am willing to pay" not just with their mouths but with their wallets. Those people are paying to play in spite of the availability of Aion, DC Universe Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars the Old Republic and dozens of others! It is a demographic within the gaming community that has been giving entertainment companies and investors quarterly wet dreams since Evercrack. $810,000,000 a year, THAT is the model Blizzard wants. Do you think they can't pull it off?

 

[Zeckt]

Kind of ironic seeing this because in a couple weeks I intend to play for a month. But JUST a month to get to 90 and quit right after seeing the levelling content to stop myself from becoming a slave to dailies. Then back to Tera and Secret world casual play!

 

[Ickorus]

If enough people are willing to pay for it then it's justified.

I think soon enough people will wise up to it and they'll be forced to change but until then they can go ahead and keep charging for it.

 

[Ickorus]

it is the only damn MMO in which you can not buy power or shortcuts.

This is probably the answer. There's no free lunch with MMOs. If you don't pay a subscription, you will be paying for power or progress which is less balanced and less fun.

A better question would be "how can you justify free-to-play models, when they inevitably ruin the gameplay?"

This is a ridiculous argument, there are plenty of games that do free to play without a pay to win model.

Examples you say?

League of Legends & Planetside 2 are two brilliant examples and to a lesser degree (because they're buy to play) Guild Wars & Guild Wars 2 could also be listed.

EDIT:

I missed you saying 'progress', not everyone has the time to grind, just because a game allows people to bypass it so they can get on to the interesting things doesn't make it bad in the slightest, a lot of us have jobs and other obligations.

 

[Lilani]

What eludes me is why subscription fees NEED to be justified.

Now its impossible to try to say subs are better than microtrans model, but Its abundantly clear to me at least that playing in an MMO w/ micro transaction model is not only not enjoyable, its completely devoid of any chance for immersion.

So If there was a modern MMO that was not built around antiquated MMO conventions set forth by WoW and EQ that was actually worth playing I would gladly play a subscription fee.

Playing in a microtrans MMO feels like living in the valley of perpetual popup ads. I dont care how "free" it is, thats an eyesore I do not wish to subject myself to. Its a shame too because this acceptance of the micro trans model has accomplished little more than leaving the MMO landscape a vapid malignancy. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to that?

I feel the same way. I've played both subscription-based and microtrans MMOs before, and I can get fairly lost into the subscription ones, but the microtrans ones feel like reading through Skymall magazine. "Hey, look at all these things you don't need but we want you to pay way too much money for anyway! You'll enjoy life so much better if you have them! BUY NOW, BUY NOW, BUY NOW!"

WoW is still making money, as far as I know. Maybe not as much as they used to, but I don't see why they should change their business model at this stage. Besides, making such a transition will be very difficult and piss off the current player base beyond reason. The balance won't be right for a good long while, and thousands will leave just on principle. Gamers are funny like that, but frankly I couldn't blame them. Maybe microtrans games didn't exist as much when WoW started, but they certainly exist now so people looking for that experience have plenty of alternatives to explore.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

They can justify it because people are willing to pay it.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

It doesn't have to. It always was, and apparently, people are still happy to shell out. I think the videogame industry as a whole will reach a point where all the dickbag major publishers go "Oh fuck. We could have been doing this the whole time. Let's subtly try and put subscription models in our games, and hope nobody cares enough that we lose money over it". I mean really, CoD would make a ridiculous amount of money with subscriptions, by which I mean, a more ridiculous amount than it makes now.

 

[jackpipsam]

Well they have no reason to switch.

I play WoW sometimes and I have never had an issue paying $15 (with the amount of time I put into MMOs that is a low cost to pay).

Many MMOs start to lose support and get less and less updates (like TERA only gets updates because the game successful in its native South Korea) and when a game has little support it's hard to put a price on it.

World of Warcraft has constant updates which in my own opinion are worth the money.
Also World of Warcraft is less buggy than many MMOs on the market and overall more polished.


Don't expect WoW to switch models soon, MMOs like Asheron's Call still get content and that's a sub based game with less than 5K players, so WoW has no problem what so ever.