Weathering Storms
Yet for all this pessimism, we would do well to remind ourselves of all the storms Blizzard has weathered. World Of Warcraft spawned dozens of imitators, most of which quickly crumbled into dust. If a regular retail game tanks, its sad, but an entire internet world winking out of existence is a special kind of tragedy. Some brave few stand the test of time, but for every Guild Wars, there are the likes of Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, and All Points Bulletin.
The most recent effort to topple WoW is Star Wars: The Old Republic, but despite pots of money and time poured into polishing its production values, the game still struggles to break 2 million subscribers.
The next big test is non-subscription title, Guild Wars 2, due for release later this year. Since the launch of the original Guild Wars in 2005, the free-to-play system has built up massive momentum. Market leaders Valve proved the concept with the runaway success of Team Fortress 2. A triumph which was followed by a stream of defunct MMORPGs attempting resuscitation by scrapping their monthly fees and relying on micro-transactions to stay afloat. Even Blizzard was forced to adapt to the success of the F2P system, allowing anyone to pilot a character up to level 20 for free.
The list of corpses beaten and bloodied by WoW is a long one, and we can rest assured it will go down fighting. Any death that does befall it will be slow and agonising. Perhaps the only company with the power to bring WoW to a shuddering halt is Activision Blizzard itself. Rumours of a sequel have existed for almost as long as the game itself, but a fully fledged follow-up is likely the only thing that could prompt a mass exodus.
Zenith
Still, even if WoW’s end is long in the coming, it is clear that the game has passed its zenith. Subscription figures have been consistently falling for the past two years, and even if the west remains enthralled, other territories are finding other online RPGs to grab their attention. In China, which provides around 5 million WoW subscribers, free-to-play MMO Fantasy Westward Journey is proving to be more popular.
Culturally, WoW is also no longer the focal point of gaming. It has been six years since Trey Parker wrote ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’ and five since The Guild launched Felicia Day to stardom. World Of Warcraft continues to draw in a huge player base, but doesn’t impact the real world with anything like the force of its glory days.
To announce the climax of World Of Warcraft would be premature in the extreme, but for the first time in its history it is possible to see the end of WoW on the horizon. There’s no need to begin planning a farewell ceremony just yet, but for maybe, in the quiet moments between combat, it might be wise to get your level 80 Paladin measured for a coffin.
Yet for all this pessimism, we would do well to remind ourselves of all the storms Blizzard has weathered. World Of Warcraft spawned dozens of imitators, most of which quickly crumbled into dust. If a regular retail game tanks, its sad, but an entire internet world winking out of existence is a special kind of tragedy. Some brave few stand the test of time, but for every Guild Wars, there are the likes of Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, and All Points Bulletin.
The most recent effort to topple WoW is Star Wars: The Old Republic, but despite pots of money and time poured into polishing its production values, the game still struggles to break 2 million subscribers.
The next big test is non-subscription title, Guild Wars 2, due for release later this year. Since the launch of the original Guild Wars in 2005, the free-to-play system has built up massive momentum. Market leaders Valve proved the concept with the runaway success of Team Fortress 2. A triumph which was followed by a stream of defunct MMORPGs attempting resuscitation by scrapping their monthly fees and relying on micro-transactions to stay afloat. Even Blizzard was forced to adapt to the success of the F2P system, allowing anyone to pilot a character up to level 20 for free.
Guild Wars 2: the next big threat?
The list of corpses beaten and bloodied by WoW is a long one, and we can rest assured it will go down fighting. Any death that does befall it will be slow and agonising. Perhaps the only company with the power to bring WoW to a shuddering halt is Activision Blizzard itself. Rumours of a sequel have existed for almost as long as the game itself, but a fully fledged follow-up is likely the only thing that could prompt a mass exodus.
Zenith
Still, even if WoW’s end is long in the coming, it is clear that the game has passed its zenith. Subscription figures have been consistently falling for the past two years, and even if the west remains enthralled, other territories are finding other online RPGs to grab their attention. In China, which provides around 5 million WoW subscribers, free-to-play MMO Fantasy Westward Journey is proving to be more popular.
Culturally, WoW is also no longer the focal point of gaming. It has been six years since Trey Parker wrote ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’ and five since The Guild launched Felicia Day to stardom. World Of Warcraft continues to draw in a huge player base, but doesn’t impact the real world with anything like the force of its glory days.
To announce the climax of World Of Warcraft would be premature in the extreme, but for the first time in its history it is possible to see the end of WoW on the horizon. There’s no need to begin planning a farewell ceremony just yet, but for maybe, in the quiet moments between combat, it might be wise to get your level 80 Paladin measured for a coffin.
RELATED ARTICLES
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.