World of Warcraft, why is it so popular?

[Daimes2000]

I think the reason it is so immensely popular is because it adapts to different playstyles that users want to experience in the game. The term "easy to learn, hard to master" comes to my mind. Everybody can enjoy their way leveling through the game, whether you go on your own, or party up with friends and strangers. And while one can argue whether it really takes a lot of skill to play in an endgame raiding guild, you cannot deny those people spend a good amount of time into getting every bit out of their character, while others play only one or two evenings a week slowly leveling their character or going to a dungeon in a random 5 man group. And then there are players who solely focus on PvP and Arena.
It's the same game, but everyone in these groups plays the game differently, and all of them have fun doing so. This is what makes it a fine game for me.

 

[olee12343]

Exposure, fanboys, Advertising, reputation, uninformed gamers that don't know enough about the other solid mmos out there.

I highly doubt that "uninformed gamers" is a reason that eleven million people play WoW. While some people might not like the game, there is no doubt that WoW is one of the best, if not, the best MMO currently on the market. While some credit goes to Blizzard, the vast amount of crap in the MMO market allows WoW to be the best. Unless a "better" MMO comes out, people will continue playing WoW because it's actually decent compared to the rest of the MMOs out there.

 

[Da_Schwartz]

The only thing that will beat WoW is WoW2. I absolutely think that Wow is number one because the majority of the mmo audience immediatley turns to wow as their first choice. Because they don't know of any others solid mmos out there. It's the first on the list, the reason why they got a computer in the first place, the one all of their friends play, the one they saw on tv, the one thats based on the trading card game they played as kids before mommmy would let them on the internet, etc etc etc...It's not the ONLY reason, but it's part of it.

 

[Ezzay]

The anti WOW threads?

my god...
what I quoted.

i cannot believe i had to explain that.

 

[clicketycrack]

It all really just depends on how boring you really are.

 

[TalonsOfWar]

ahhh get the real game and the real version and see y it gets a lot better when you get to a higher level theres mounts flying mounts a lot more things to do and a lot more places to explore but if u play for 14 days your most likely not to get any where but theres always that chance that you played it all day and got to a higher lvl but it gets really fun

 

[Gyrefalcon]

And please, quit with the "casual" term. People play this thing religiously for months on end. You don't tend to pick this up, turn it on, play for a couple of hours, and start all over again the next time you turn on your machine. This ISN'T Bubble Bobble or Pac Man! "Casual" is used like a swear word to dismiss any game someone doesn't like around here. Some threads say a game isn't "hardcore" if it doesn't include a high body count. Others claim a game has to require several hours of dedicated play to be "hardcore". Here it's being called casual because it isn't "as hard" as other "hardcore" MMO games. Easier doesn't mean the same as "easy".

Hey First of all, people played Pac Man religiously and I am in no way dissing the casual game industry as I play many casual games such as Peggle.

I called it casual because there wasn't much of a leaning curve apart from how to play certain classes.

Then why don't we go back to genre terms? Arcade (pick up and play games), vs. MMO's, FPS's, Strategy, and RPG's? If you asked if it was the "arcade game among MMO's" it would conjure up an image of a game that is quick to get started with and easy to grasp, but not sound like it wasn't worth playing. And Peggle? I've heard good things about it but never tried it.

 

[PeaceFistCreations]

Some people like the grind, the(sometimes) slow paced strategy, the carrot-on-a-stick rewards and loots. The little numbers going up that they worked so hard(long) on.
And WoW is the best game of that type ever. I like it in particular because it was made by a great team, and the grind isn't as drawn out as other games, Its just right. If you play the game right, you'll level up fast in no time.
Its totally understandable that you don't like it.
I for one, can't understand the addicts and hardcore players.

 

[Satoz]

I have a good explanation:

Its like Highschool, but with people that understand your passion for games and/or allows you to be one of the "popular" kids with a "great body" and a "sharp mind"...There are still class clowns, bullies (that lvl 70 that kills your lvl 62 and waits by your dead body)

The thing is its easy, there are not many judgments and you get a power trip out of it if you spend enough time. To me it gets way too boring just grinding up level.


Im sure there are other reasons, but this is the vibe I get out of the game most of the time.

 

[ExodusinFlames]

I just finished my WOW 14 day free trial and I found myself wondering, why is it so damn popular, the fighting is boring and slow, the non stop grinding in unbearable, the character creation is a joke because after you hit level 10 everyone looks the exact same and while the story and the whole "Alliance vs Horde" thing is good in theory they are implemented in such a bad way that the story is told through long pages of text and the Alliance vs Horde ting is just mindless PvP.

In spite of those reasons, the game is more popular than food and I need to know...why?

Before you spam and troll please keep in mind that while I only played it for 14 days the trial period is supposed to sell the game to me and it failed spectacularly.

I understand that certain people like it just because of the fact that they do but I'm posting this thread to ask people who would like many of the same games that I would (L4D, Halo 3, Fallout 3, Mass Effect ect.).

Alot of folks use WoW as a form of escapism. In the game world you can be a God, specifically if you're a failure or just a normal bumpkin IRL. The same thing happened with AC/EQ and so on, just not in the same depth. WoW started off with a much bigger game base than both of those titles because of Blizzard's past successes with the Warcraft franchise.

 

[Screens]

I always thought that the 14-day free trial should have you start out as like level 68, or something high, so you can really experience some of the balls out incredible things they have in World of Warcraft.

The raids and instances blew me away when I first tried them.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I always thought that the 14-day free trial should have you start out as like level 68, or something high, so you can really experience some of the balls out incredible things they have in World of Warcraft.

The raids and instances blew me away when I first tried them.

Except if you started out at such high level for the first time, you'd have absolutely no clue what you were doing. You don't teach an uninitiated person about nuclear physics and computer science by dropping them at the Large Hadron Collider in front of a computer and say "here, use this. Have fun."

It's a very user-friendly MMO. Character creation and building is complex enough to be interesting, but easy enough to figure out. The game has plenty of content appealing to every gamer's personal level of seriousness (both in available playtime and tolerance for complicated tactical play). The game runs on lower-end computers. The graphics are decent. The community is huge, so the potential as a social platform is enormous.

*snip*

No, the question was why people play it when i found it to be a bad game and gave good reasons for that

And, if you'll notice, I gave equally good (possibly better) reasons that people find it to be a good game.

 

[Valiance]

I just finished my WOW 14 day free trial and I found myself wondering, why is it so damn popular, the fighting is boring and slow, the non stop grinding in unbearable, the character creation is a joke because after you hit level 10 everyone looks the exact same and while the story and the whole "Alliance vs Horde" thing is good in theory they are implemented in such a bad way that the story is told through long pages of text and the Alliance vs Horde ting is just mindless PvP.

Congratulations, this is the realization that takes people years to understand.

Btw: you only see the tip of the iceberg, but I agree with you.

Btw 2: I've played grindier MMOs and not realized it (PSO)

 

[fenrizz]

Oh, for christ's sake, another one of these...

BECAUSE THEY FIND IT FUN.

I know but why?

Because it's good.
No, really. It is.

 

[sneak_copter]

It's more addictive than crack.

There. The hardened WoW hater said it.

 

[The Kangaroo]

You're an action oriented gamer apparently. WoW is for RPG/MMO gamers.

No I love RPG's and I'm looking forward to Champions online, Huxley and Star Wars The Old Republic

 

[The Kangaroo]

I always thought that the 14-day free trial should have you start out as like level 68, or something high, so you can really experience some of the balls out incredible things they have in World of Warcraft.

The raids and instances blew me away when I first tried them.

Except if you started out at such high level for the first time, you'd have absolutely no clue what you were doing. You don't teach an uninitiated person about nuclear physics and computer science by dropping them at the Large Hadron Collider in front of a computer and say "here, use this. Have fun."

It's a very user-friendly MMO. Character creation and building is complex enough to be interesting, but easy enough to figure out. The game has plenty of content appealing to every gamer's personal level of seriousness (both in available playtime and tolerance for complicated tactical play). The game runs on lower-end computers. The graphics are decent. The community is huge, so the potential as a social platform is enormous.

*snip*

No, the question was why people play it when i found it to be a bad game and gave good reasons for that

And, if you'll notice, I gave equally good (possibly better) reasons that people find it to be a good game.

Did you just mis quote me?

 

[Atomsforpeace]

I just finished my trial period also. I found it to be a nice place to escape to, although it does have its issues as you've mentioned. Think I might just make a new trial account instead of buying the full game though, currently saving up for a miniture thai bride.

 

[The Kangaroo]

I just finished my trial period also. I found it to be a nice place to escape to, although it does have its issues as you've mentioned. Think I might just make a new trial account instead of buying the full game though, currently saving up for a miniture thai bride.

Good market for them these days

 

[benaka]

People love Wow becuase it has a certain stuff, a big database whit Items,skills,talents,armors and weapons , raids and instances , lots of city's,classe's,creature's , battlegrounds , Someone said friendly players i agree ( ussualy)
you can keep going like that. Also depends on you're opinion --) what kinds of games do you like.