Poll: The MMO Downfall (aka the WoW effect.)

[KrazyShrink]

People play WoW because it's currently the best MMO there is, not because it's some kind of mind-control device that forces everyone to play it. If a better game comes out, people will go and play that game.

Allow me to disagree. I think WoW is hugely successful because of publicity and luck. It started a kind of cycle of "More people play WoW, so I'm gonna play it. Now even more people play WoW, so more people are gonna play it."

Honestly I think if all the WoW players migrated to Dark Age of Camelot (a 6 year old MMO with probably the most balanced and fun PVP out there and still a dedicated fanbase) it would overall be more fun.

 

[Melgrath]

I think the big thing keeping WoW going, is friends dragging friends into it. I mean my roommate drug me in. I in turn drug a few co-workers in. It's not that WoW is hands down the best MMO out there, it's just that people have over the years brought friends in, or made new friends. I know at least for me, I played as long as I did because I genuinely enjoyed playing with my guildmates.

Now days since my friends have slowly quit playing (thanks Wrath for sucking) and I found it quite easy to step away from WoW.

 

[Blueruler182]

Christ, this complaint pops up every couple hours... Though you did give it an interesting twist.

I'm sorry if it seems like a WOW complaint, its not. I just want to know the opinions of my fellow escapists, I want to see an mmo that isnt about killing a certain type of monster and giving weird and suggestive parts of their bodies to npcs that never move.

IE, you're complaining that everything's a WoW clone. My first post doesn't change.

My personal opinion is that I don't honestly care. If every MMO is attempting to copy WoW I'll just play WoW for my MMO needs and something else for any other need. There are other genres of games out there that cater to the needs of gamers of all types, most of them even have an online multiplayer of some kind. If I want another form of objective I'll go play something else. Go ninja a bunch of people? Arkham Asylum. Go shoot a bunch of aliens? Halo. Jump around like a tard for hours yelling weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ? Portal. Animal cruelty? Pokemon.

On a side note, I just had a little giggle that Firefox spell check recognizes Pokemon.

 

[Slaanax]

It will be dethroned nothing lasts forever.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I still argue that they should take the "game" part out of MMORPG.
Because in practice, the "gameplay" is more of a series of extremely menial tasks repeated ad-nauseum.

The same could be said for any game. I find MMOs to be enjoyable (not WoW mind you) but to me an FPS is just repetitive and boring... while others find them to be just the opposite.

WoW is just bad, that's why every game that copies it fails to meet the standards everyone has set. Developers keep making sub-par "bad". People stick with WoW because it's familiar, they have friends, they know the ins and outs. Personally, WoW is the worst of three MMOs I've played because there is nothing meaningful to do unless half a community is online at the same time I am.

First, the same cannot be said of every game except in the most vague and abstract of definitions; there is a distinction between mundane busywork and application of skill. Richard Garfield (the man who invented cardboard crack CCGs) actually did a very enlightening article on the discussion of needless busywork in games. Not just video games, but all games.

Second, the fact remains that all other game types have closure.
Deathmatches end. You beat the end boss, or perhaps a story arc resolves.
WoW merely pretends to do all of this without actually accomplishing it. How much closure is there to a boss that magically pops back to life within the next 30 minutes? None. Outside of the grind, what you just did was absolutely meaningless.
Story? Oh please. Don't make me describe why the story fails. Really don't.

Busywork without closure is the most direct waste of time I can think of.

 

[-KC-]

The reason why I adore WoW is because I played Wacraft III for 4-5 years and then I downloaded WoW, started playing it and I get addicted...the reason in my addiction is that I LOVE Warcraft III RoC and TFT story and everything tied to it...so when I started playing WoW I realized why it's named World of Warcraft...

I saw big cities and places I from War3 .... nuff said....

 

[LitleWaffle]

Wow, this is one great poll, just like
Do you share my opinion?
[]Jup
[]Yeah
[]totally
[]Yes
[]Give this man a medall

You have earned my respect good sir.

OT: Personally, I don't really care for the game for all of the meanies on there and the astronomical grinding that comes with it. And I play some of those games that you, poll creator have mentioned and they have a good amount of people on their, its just that you never hear about it. WoW and Blizzard just shove their crotch into everyone's face and yell "Look at it! It's beautiful!", and people notice it become interested, while the other games are not so assertive but pretty fun.

But on a side note, DC universe, Champions, that Final Fantasy one, and a few others I can't remember seem incredibly different and the complete beezneez. So that might get some people off of WoW if that is truly nessescary.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

The thing is, WoW is a good game. Thats how it manages to stay on top. Other MMOs try to copy it and fail, because WoW simply does it better.

 

[Ickorus]

I think one of WoW's biggest selling points is the raiding content yet no other company that tries to make a WoW clone copies that very important part.