World of Warcraft: Why is it hated by so many gamers?

[Abercromby3]

I'm a pretty above-standard Xbox 360 gamer, skilled from months straight of Halo 3 playing over the summer, but no worries I'm now over that newfaggotry stage. I have a friend with a WoW addiction, so I played it at this and downloaded the demo, after months of saying that I hate the idea of the game, but I wanted to be fair so I game it a go. It bored me to death and I just uninstalled it after barely 2 hours of play. I don't like the game, because it isn't fun, and it's a reasonable assumption that the stupider masses of Xbox LIVE won't appreciate it any more than I.

/thread

 

[Marowit]

See, I don't understand peoples money argument with WoW. I know I end up buying 1 maybe 2 games in a year. Now, if I weren't playing WoW I'd be buying $60 xbox games at the rate of at 1-2 a month...On top of $7 for xbox live. That in the end ends up being more money.

I do have to say though, I think Blizzard has lost sight of what mmoRPGs are about though. The focus on the game has been taken off the journey, and placed squarely on end-game-raiding. As someone who generally doesn't have the time to raid, except on the occasional weekend, that seriously takes away from the staying power of the game. But, playing through the game slowly, I find, to be quite a bit of fun.

In the end though it's all about who you are, whether you can not get "addicted", and what you find fun. I know WoW helped me really learn time management in college, because if I wanted 1-2 hours a night to play and still do really well in school I had to get my school work done. Personally I don't find FPS games much fun, because I find them to be repetitive and easily exploitable, but I can definitely understand why people enjoy them and think they take skill.

In the end these are games, and not life-styles - though there are definitely people who take things to the extreme - and disrespecting someone's choice of entertainment doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

[Leviathan902]

There are a couple of reasons I am not a fan, and it has more to do with MMOs in general than WoW specifically.

Gameplay-wise it takes everything that sucks about RPGs and leaves out everything that's good. It's just a level-grind of the same lame quests(go here and kill x of this) that make me roll my eyes when I get it in a real game. Now I'm supposed to do only the quests I hate over and over? Don't think so.

Also, it ruins people's lives. More an indictment on MMOs in general, true enough. I have known 3 people personally who have played MMOs seriously, here's what happenend to them:

1) EverQuest Mike - Freshman year of college, this guy didn't see sunlight for 3 months. Didn't step outside. Naturally he failed out. Never heard from him again.

2) Warhammer Mark - This guy is marrying a friend of mine. Lost his job, dropped out of school. Now does nothing but play this all day. When they get married, they're moving into her parent's basement. Neither one can afford to live on their own because all they do is play this game.

3) EQ Robo - The ONE example I have of someone who can play responsibly. Funny though, how he had to quit in order to have a social life. A real one. Within 5 months of quitting playing, the guy got a girlfriend (soon to be fiance).

So like lots of other people said - that $h1t ruins lives.

 

[RheynbowDash]

WoW sucks the life out of people, which is why i had to quit. my fiancee was really worried about me, and she threatened to leave me if i didnt quit. so i did, and i feel a lot better getting that burden off my back.

Don't generalise. Yea there are people who are addicted to WoW, but there are also people addicted to craploads of other games, the internet, or anything fictional. Don't blaim the game for your own problems, that's Jack Thompson's job ;-) (did he do anything against WoW already, or just GTA and the likes?)

i am generalizing because WoW has actually killed people.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Two-Fanatic-World-of-Warctaft-Gamers-Have-Died-Becouse-Of-WoW-11821.shtml

it really does suck the life out of people. its more like a job to most people than a game.

ooo the generalisation game! I can do that too. Watch.

All Xbox 360 owners are murderous little psychopaths.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/boy_killed_mom_and_shot_dad_ov.html

See?

Next time come up with a decent argument.

*edit* before anyone thinks i actually think that about 360 owners, I don't.

and the WoW fanboys come out of the woodwork to defend their godsend.
i've got better things to do than argue with you, i actually have a life outside my computer. see ya.

 

[Moonmover]

I played a two-week trial version. I must say that, at least on the surface (which is all I saw, since it was only two weeks), it appeared to be a spectacular video game. However, it just seems silly to me to pay a bill for one mere video game.

 

[out0v0rder]

Because the Lan scene died when it came out.

I remember when quakecon had a thousand people playing.....quake!

Now its just people who used to play quake, playing wow. WoW kills lans.

That shit ruins the lives of those who play it, and those around them.

 

[Marowit]

That shit ruins the lives of those who play it, and those around them.

That's quite the claim.

That's like saying fast cars kill people.

Perhaps it's just irresponsible people who would ruin their lives in another way if it weren't WoW? Just something to think about.

 

[gibboss28]

and the WoW fanboys come out of the woodwork to defend their godsend.
i've got better things to do than argue with you, i actually have a life outside my computer. see ya.

I'm a fanboy because I debunked your flawed argument and generalisation? cool.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I'm getting tired of answering this question in a different guise.

WoW is hated because it's popular. The easiest way to be seen as "smart" or "edgy" is to dislike what everyone else likes. There is nothing wrong with WoW in any way. Some (like myself) might have legitimate gripes about specific aspects of the game but WoW is THE gold standard for MMO gameplay. To dislike WoW as a rule means you dislike MMO's in general, which begs the question - why bother asking those people in the first place?

It's the same thing with Halo, GTA IV, Killzone 2(this one strikes me as especially hilarious), Final Fantasy and so forth. In some cases I will state that I do not like the particular implementation of certain aspects of the game (Halo for example) but I cannot deny that it is a quality game. It's just not the quality game designed for people like me.

 

[Abedeus]

I'm getting tired of answering this question in a different guise.

WoW is hated because it's popular. The easiest way to be seen as "smart" or "edgy" is to dislike what everyone else likes. There is nothing wrong with WoW in any way. Some (like myself) might have legitimate gripes about specific aspects of the game but WoW is THE gold standard for MMO gameplay. To dislike WoW as a rule means you dislike MMO's in general, which begs the question - why bother asking those people in the first place?

It's the same thing with Halo, GTA IV, Killzone 2(this one strikes me as especially hilarious), Final Fantasy and so forth. In some cases I will state that I do not like the particular implementation of certain aspects of the game (Halo for example) but I cannot deny that it is a quality game. It's just not the quality game designed for people like me.

Yes, I hate it because it's popular. Not because it's paying $15 for a second, more boring job. Like school isn't enough.

I dislike Halo because on PC is average, Halo 2 requires Vista and both suck.

GTA IV - requirements from the future, as developers themselves have stated it.

Oh, and about "dislike WoW - dislike MMOs" - my favorite type of games is MMO. City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, Ragnarok Online, Dungeon Runners - if I didn't like them, I wouldn't have paid to play them.

Your theory is crashing and burning, my friend.


Gah, I've just read the gold standard of MMOs - Another reason to hate it, for showing dumb people a dumb gameplay so they want more dumb MMOs.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

The gameplay is horrible. That is why I hate it. That is why many people hate it. This is not my opinion. This is the opinion of anyone who plays other games for immersion, thinking, strategy, interesting gameplay, and not to talk with their friends.

No, actually, I'm pretty sure that is your opinion.

Please explain to me the interest in it. I cannot seem to get a response from anyone here about why people like the gameplay.

Edit: I feel like I'm being intolerant, but I truly cannot understand the fascination.

WoW's basic mechanics mirror those of most ANY MMO out on the market. I'll use Eve Online as an example.

In WoW, killing NPC's leads directly to rewards in the form of loot and experience. These lesser rewards do nothing more than make your character more powerful. In Eve, killing NPC's leads directly to rewards in the form of loot and cash. Though experience is attained over time regardless of player actions, cash provides a direct stand in. The more cash you have the more expensive gear you can afford to field (and potentially lose).

In WoW, combat is done via selecting abilities that have various effects. Some of them buff your own character's stats, some of them deal damage and so forth. In Eve, combat is done via selecting ship systems that have various effects. Some of them buff your ship's stats (such as sensor boosters, micro warp drives, shield hardeners etc), while others deal damage (your ships's weapons and drone bays).

In WoW, victory in a battle is often determined as much by the classes of the two players as they are by specific player actions. In Eve, specific ship classes are generally designed for very specific tasks resulting in a sort of meta class system. In this case, certain "classes" are often going to get the upper hand on other classes and vice versa.

The key differences are in the risk and reward system. Eve places much of it's basic emphasis on the concept of greater risk potentially leads to greater rewards. WoW on the other hand focuses almost entirely on the reward system as the player risks almost nothing in the game. From a very basic game interaction standpoint, the two game are VERY similar, and only begin to differ in tone and very specific areas that require a fair amount of hair splitting to define anyway.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Yes, I hate it because it's popular. Not because it's paying $15 for a second, more boring job. Like school isn't enough.

I dislike Halo because on PC is average, Halo 2 requires Vista and both suck.

GTA IV - requirements from the future, as developers themselves have stated it.

Oh, and about "dislike WoW - dislike MMOs" - my favorite type of games is MMO. City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, Ragnarok Online, Dungeon Runners - if I didn't like them, I wouldn't have paid to play them.

Your theory is crashing and burning, my friend.

Your entire argument is based around . . . really nothing at all (like mine ). How is Halo on the PC average? What do you qualify as average? Why does vista suck? How was halo 2 worse than halo 1? The problem with all of these points is that you offer an opinion but fail to justify them in any way. In an effort to redeem my previous oversight of not bothering to justify my own point, here we go:

FACT - Every MMO made SINCE WoW has had to contend for a player base that consists mostly of players who at some point or another have played WoW.

Extrapolation from above - Game developers have consistantly produced MMO's since WoW that very closely mirror the mechancis WoW uses (Examples, WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rosa). WoW represents a successful business model built upon a wildly accessable interface and world. MMO success since WoW seems almost irrevocably linked to it's similarity to WoW.

Fact - WoW boasts a subscriber base of more than 11 million players. This is greater than the sum total of all the subscriptions of the next 5 competing games combined.

Extrapolation - WoW's widespread appeal demonstrates basic quality per the basic litmus test of consumption. No matter the reason, far more people choose to give money to Blizzard to have access to WoW than the other games, making WoW the superior product.

Opinion based on the above - Because of the clear influence of WoW on every single aspect of MMO design, to claim a distaste for WoW in a very general way (i.e. I HATE WOW because it SUX!) while simulataneously declaring a love of other post WoW MMO's is either the result of my origianal postulation or ignorance. If, on the other hand you can recognize the strengths and quality of WoW but also point out the particular reasons you do not care for it, then you may have a case. For example, I do not care for WoW but I like WAR. The two games are incredibly similar and my preference is the result of WAR's focus on PVP and somewhat darker art direction.

Gah, I've just read the gold standard of MMOs - Another reason to hate it, for showing dumb people a dumb gameplay so they want more dumb MMOs.

Welcome to capitalism, where demonstrated demand breeds a buildup of supply. I assume you're new here, so here's a quick tip: The lottery is not a sound investment

 

[Maiman]

I personally hate WoW because of the Warcraft Series, which happens to be my favorite series of all time. First of all Warcraft is a Strategy game, now I am a fan of RPGs, I have never liked MMOs, too much grind, I lose interest.
Secondly, Warcraft has a great story, WoW is about a bunch of people with numbers in their names running around searchin for epic lewt and killing bosses in between work periods. Sure there is a story in WoW its just not the same when the evil tyrant was killed by Superawesomehannahmontanafan3938483.
Thirdly, they killed off some of my favorite characters and they are rumored to be killing off my favorite character in the next expansion (hes supposed to be a boss or something)
Fourthly, Warcraft 4 may never come out and that disappoints me, one of the greatest RTS series of all time ends as a boring MMORPG.
Fifthly, I will state I have not played WoW but I researched it and have to say that a lot of the game seems clever (as all blizzard games are) and it is not a 'bad' game its just not the 'right' game for the Warcraft Series, if Blizzard was going to make an MMO they should have made it for Diablo which already has some of the grind and is an RPG.
Lastly I wish that they do not make an MMORPG for Starcraft unless it is either a MMORTS or an MMOFPS (due to lack of grind and focus of skill) That... is all I have to say about that!

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Lastly I wish that they do not make an MMORPG for Starcraft unless it is either a MMORTS or an MMOFPS (due to lack of grind and focus of skill) That... is all I have to say about that!

Your basic premise adds a new caveat to my origianal posulation. Some people don't like WoW precisely because they don't like MMO's. Those people are more or less irrelevent in the discussion of WoW's charms (or lack thereof). That said, you make an excellent point about the game's cannon, but rest assured - being in WoW makes the character all but immortal. Sure, charcter x might be struck down in battle countless times but he will always rise again in the end.

In LOTRO I'm almost certain my champion single handedly killed enough orcs to stem the black tide forever, yet no matter how many times you kill them, they just don't stay dead.

 

[asiepshtain]

I don't see leveling as a chore, as a hurdle I need to get over so I can start with the 'real game'. I find that nonsense, especially in WotLK most content sits in the road from 70 to 80. Why ignore áll that content so you can rush to 80 for...some heroic dungeons (you can see most dungeons before you ding 80 anyway, just non-heroic, but it's the same stuff) and a few raids to grind over and over again? WotLK shines in the leveling department, a damned shame to just look over that.

Very well said, I used to play WOW. Ran out of time for it with college, work, and a kid. I never understood why some people would just ignore all the quests-dungeons-events of the 1-79 levels. Blizzard made some great stuff in this game, quests that are interesting and fun and some very cool dungeons, shame people skip all this stuff with some top-level obsession.

In regards to why it's hated:

A. The monthly subscription business model is still not wholly accepted by the gaming community, and WOW is designed to maximize your game time. The combination of these two makes players feel financially abused.

B. Gamers like to win. You can't win WOW, it's designed to continue forever.

C. Gamers like being the hero, the one all-powerful-world-conquering-hero. In WOW, no matter how dedicated a player you are, there is some thirteen year old and some mad guild who play seventy hours a week and will always outshine you. They are the hero, and that can bug the hell out of casual player who want that "I am legend" high.

 

[Abedeus]

stuff

Halo is average based on reviews. And the fact that on PC it came out two years too late.

Halo 2 requires Vista, which pre-SP1 was almost unusable by anyone sane.

Extrapolation - WoW's widespread appeal demonstrates basic quality per the basic litmus test of consumption. No matter the reason, far more people choose to give money to Blizzard to have access to WoW than the other games, making WoW the superior product.

What do you consider superior - a fine restaurant, where you can eat a lot and pay for everything you ate, but not many people eat at, or a cheap hot dog shack, where you pay little for... a hog anus and a poor quality bun. Which you probably won't eat, as there is a bug on the other end.

WoW is the hot dog shack, where a lot of people eat, because it's cheap (in other words, EASY).

Opinion based on the above - Because of the clear influence of WoW on every single aspect of MMO design, to claim a distaste for WoW in a very general way (i.e. I HATE WOW because it SUX!)

Okay, I dislike people that say only "I HATE IT BECAUSE SO AND STFU!!11". But I gave a clear reason why I detest it - too easy, too little sense of self-esteem after "winning" at something, boredom and grindness.

Diablo 2 made grind fun. WoW failed to do so.

FACT - Every MMO made SINCE WoW has had to contend for a player base that consists mostly of players who at some point or another have played WoW.

More reasons to hate it. WoW is hated in same was as those stupid TV reality shows.

They are easy to watch, produce and maintain. People like them. But that doesn't really mean those shows are good...


Also, WoW appeals mostly to either the "casual" older players, that are too old for anything hardcore (harder than the rest of the genre), or younger players that want a nice looking cartoonish game with low difficulty level. And those two groups get what they are coming for, because Blizzard is interested only in $, so he lowers the difficulty even more.

Hardcore players play the game, and if they ignore the stupidly low challenge, beat the content and move on.

 

[inkheart_artist]

ew. I played it for a while, worst time in my life. It also has taken friends from me in the past. After playing a real game after playing WoW for a while you realize how incredibly boring it is. When I played it with a guild it felt more like a job then a game. The quests have no story and basically are collect or kill 10 of this thing at around your level. After you get bored with that you just grind against increasingly similar monsters in increasingly similar local to get increasingly similar armor unless you want to throw your life away on epic crap. the pvp was kind of fun for a while though it doesn't hold a candle to a remotely competent fighter, FPS, racing, or sports game (I don't even like sports games)and is pretty bad compared to many other MMOs.

Oh, and for all that you have to pay them 14 bucks a month. Thats a pretty good reason to hate it.

 

[Walrus42]

I played it up to level 30 and I don't like it.
Its kind of like an internet heroin addiction. I hated how when you wanted to quit, they made a new expansion pack or patch or something that makes you want play more. I quit when I realized that I wasn't actually having fun.