How can WoW still justify a subcription model?
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Because they can make people pay for it I guess. World of Warcraft came out in 2004. Some players who have played for years, have paid their monthly subscription fees up until now. So why quit? Why stop paying and loose all of your hard work? People pay because they don't want to loose what they have made, and Activision/ Blizzard are exploiting the fan-base because of it. There are Millions of people playing World of Warcraft, and there are millions of people willing to pay for World of Warcraft, so why cut off a LARGE chunk of income just because everybody else is doing it? Sure, they aren't going to make any friends, or many new players, but they don't need that right now.
The reason why games like TERA and SWTOR went free to play is because they never had the fanbase. Why quit one subscription MMO, to start a new subscription MMO? There is no sense to it. World of Warcraft has a community, World of Warcraft has a History. Regardless of gameplay, graphics or story people dont want to quit WoW because they have put so much time and money into their accounts that it would seem a waste to quit.
Can they justify it? No.
But is it a smart decision business wise? Yes.
The reason why games like TERA and SWTOR went free to play is because they never had the fanbase. Why quit one subscription MMO, to start a new subscription MMO? There is no sense to it. World of Warcraft has a community, World of Warcraft has a History. Regardless of gameplay, graphics or story people dont want to quit WoW because they have put so much time and money into their accounts that it would seem a waste to quit.
Can they justify it? No.
But is it a smart decision business wise? Yes.
The 'because people keep paying (and playing)' answer has already been given. It's one of the most important reason and part of the argument, methinks.
I gave up on it with two prepaid months on it left, but I felt it to be important to strip naked and hand my metric ton of gold and few items of interest that weren't magically glued to my character to someone still doing in-game time.
WoW was a fun experience when it was fresh, but it quickly degraded into both watching a social experiment unfold and witnessing the addictive force of digital crack cocaine in action. Its addictive qualities are easily another important reason for it to still be around, and it makes me wonder what is to come after those, uhm, Pandas.
Really, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my months of WoW, but I'm pretty positive I would never again want to pay cash to be given a subscription that allows me to play online multiplayer. It just doesn't feel right after years of WoW drama and asshattery.
Come to think of it, crApple's App Store works off pretty much the very same basic principle of customer retention. Stop paying for access to WoW, and you'll lose months (or meanwhile years) of hard work getting all those player characters of yours levelled and geared up. Switch to non-crApple products, lose all those Apps, pay for them again at some other providers digital App-peddling outlet.
You pay to keep your fidelity going. Up until the 3GS, it made sense to me. The very moment they started peddling a mobile device that has glass on the top and the bottom, has a shorter battery life and worse reception on both wireless and phone networks, I started to seriously doubt the ingenuity and sincerity of Apple.
You don't get that with WoW. I no longer recommend it, due to its evidently addictive nature, but I get why so many people/kids want to check it out. In a way, it could still be used to train teenagers and introduce them to the repetitive nature of most forms of employment and, at best, help them to get organized (plan raids, work on common and personal goals, stick to the plan, etc.). At worst, it's still potent enough to turn even the brightest kids into addicted, antisocial shut-ins.
Yeah, I'm still fascinated by it. But I'm more of WarCraft/StarCraft kinda person.
I gave up on it with two prepaid months on it left, but I felt it to be important to strip naked and hand my metric ton of gold and few items of interest that weren't magically glued to my character to someone still doing in-game time.
WoW was a fun experience when it was fresh, but it quickly degraded into both watching a social experiment unfold and witnessing the addictive force of digital crack cocaine in action. Its addictive qualities are easily another important reason for it to still be around, and it makes me wonder what is to come after those, uhm, Pandas.
Really, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my months of WoW, but I'm pretty positive I would never again want to pay cash to be given a subscription that allows me to play online multiplayer. It just doesn't feel right after years of WoW drama and asshattery.
Come to think of it, crApple's App Store works off pretty much the very same basic principle of customer retention. Stop paying for access to WoW, and you'll lose months (or meanwhile years) of hard work getting all those player characters of yours levelled and geared up. Switch to non-crApple products, lose all those Apps, pay for them again at some other providers digital App-peddling outlet.
You pay to keep your fidelity going. Up until the 3GS, it made sense to me. The very moment they started peddling a mobile device that has glass on the top and the bottom, has a shorter battery life and worse reception on both wireless and phone networks, I started to seriously doubt the ingenuity and sincerity of Apple.
You don't get that with WoW. I no longer recommend it, due to its evidently addictive nature, but I get why so many people/kids want to check it out. In a way, it could still be used to train teenagers and introduce them to the repetitive nature of most forms of employment and, at best, help them to get organized (plan raids, work on common and personal goals, stick to the plan, etc.). At worst, it's still potent enough to turn even the brightest kids into addicted, antisocial shut-ins.
Yeah, I'm still fascinated by it. But I'm more of WarCraft/StarCraft kinda person.
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?
Edit:
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?
Edit:
Thats hilarious to me. How are pandas sissy and things like anthromorphic cows and space goats not? And suggesting "hardcore" content in WoW is about the biggest oxymoron Ive heard this month. Yep, nothing like being "Hardcore" in the MMO that set the standard for being MMO for kindergarteners when it comes to difficulty.Bhaalspawn said:
In 2005 Blizzard announced Pandas would be playable, then revealed it was all a big joke.poiumty said:
In 2011 Blizzard announced Pandas would be playable, and now it's real.
Blizzard is creatively bankrupt.
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.SinisterGehe said:
A better question would be "how can you justify free-to-play models, when they inevitably ruin the gameplay?"
It took you twenty years into a franchise that started as a blatant copy of Warhammer to notice that it's creatively bankrupt? It's never been all that creative, it rips off dozens of sources and mixes them up regardless of whether it makes any sense.Art Salmons said:
We just don't care because it's AWESOME.
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.
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.
Because now matter how good your WoW clone is, it won't beat WoW at it's own game. Innovate or die...
*shrugs*
who knows, but the sooner it dies and people move on to MMOs that actually deserve the attention the better
who knows, but the sooner it dies and people move on to MMOs that actually deserve the attention the better
AAAAARGH GOD.Lunar Templar said:
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.
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.Colt47 said:
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.
Well, we've got "because people pay" out of the way.00slash00 said:
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.
and yet the sarcasm is so thick I could cut it with a knife.deviltry said:AAAAARGH GOD.Lunar Templar said:
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.
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?00slash00 said:
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!