Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Kody — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:45 GMT

Yeah this is relatively disappointing to see from a competition standpoint. It's definitely going to be a lot harder on both games because of the release of the expansion, but from a design standpoint I think both games will be healthier in the future because of their delays. No one wants to pull a Vanguard again. ;)

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Flisher — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:44 GMT

Keep in mind that alot of warcraft player returned to Wow for 2-3 month after the expansion then stopped playing it.

Same hype will happen with the next expansion for sure, but I doubt it can kill a game such conan.

However, pushing the release at the same time than Warhammer Online might hurt them more than a WoW expansion. Alot of old-timer WoW player love to see new content, but are waiting a new game.

Loot at the major mmorpg title for 2007 and 2008, we can only see AoC, WAR and WotL. There is alot of other mmorpg, but not alot with chance of beating half a millions user.

Between AoC and WAR, I think there is more hype around WAR. I might be wrong, but pushing the 2 release at the same time will be more harmfull than a WoW expansion in the long run.

Keep in mind that the game that will cause the most hurt to MMO playerbase, including WoW, will not be a MMO.... Think about Starcraft 2. Infamous, no monthly fee, a good fallback game when you unsubscribe to paying mmo. You can return anytime, you give a break to your wow player while not letting them got to the competition. And most of all, you cut the grass of your competitor with a non-mmo game.

Starcraft 2 will hurt the competition more than a WoW expansion...

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Flisher — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:43 GMT

@Kody:

Vanguard, EQ2... Looking for more mmo with crap release week/month?

Eve Online started like an head-ache (but recovered pretty well)

SWG started like a pain in the a.... 8-12h a daydowntime for a few week, server crashes... thank's to their good franchises... they recovered well and where still able to screw the game.

I could name a few other disaster, but keep in mind that before WoW, it was 'generaly accepted' to have uncompleted, unbalanced, client or server crashing game, to in release state. However, it's not acceptable anymore to release bugged stuff, it's would mean a game shipped in it coffin to the player...

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Indelible — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:42 GMT

"Look at the major mmorpg title for 2007 and 2008, we can only see AoC, WAR and WotL. There is alot of other mmorpg, but not alot with chance of beating half a millions user."

Warhammer Online, Stargate Worlds, Star Trek Online, Age of Conan, Wrath of the Lich King, Guild Wars 2...there are far more than that small list that are likely to have more than half a million users I assure you of that :-P

Furthermore, you have to understand that Starcraft 2 is a completely different game to WoW. Only a few people incapable of playing both at once will leave WoW FOR Starcraft 2. I am intending on playing them both together. Starcraft 2 isn't going to cost me more money per month so I fail to see how it is going to stop me playing the game. Logic rules when you know how to use it.

The only games that are likely to threaten WoWs continuing success are other subscription based MMOs. The reason this is is because of the financial implications of playing more than 1-2 MMOs is horrid. I frown at paying £8.99 a month for WoW. Why would I pay a further £8.99 a month to play another MMO. I may as well just leave WoW if I'm going to be playing another more often.

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Flisher — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:41 GMT

You don't need to stop paying for a MMO to hurt it... only stop playing, or play less. This impact the group making, raiding, pvp, auction house, item availability...

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Indelible — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:40 GMT

The thing you have to remember is that people pay money to play most MMOs and as long as the company on the other end is recieving money, the game shall continue. Starcraft 2 has a finite shelf life as it is not persistent. World of Warcraft however, will continue for a long, long time.

When Lotro came out WoW suffered the biggest decline in subscriptions in recent years (as far as I am told) and within a month, it had made up for this AND climbed to the 8,000,000 mark. In 2 months it has claimed another 1,000,000 users. This is active, paid for accounts and not counting trial accounts or accounts that are currently in the red.

I maintain that the only gerne capable of crippling World of Warcraft is the genre it is currently defining and with the closest competitor having 1/9th of the subscribers WoW has, I don't see any real threat at this point.

Also, Starcaft 2 is a Blizzard game. World of Warcraft is a Blizzard game. Blizzard are genuinly considering charging people to use battlenet, which is fair imho. So no matter which game you play, it i smoney in Blizzards pocket so why should they be bothered? I can't see the mass population of WoW undergoing and exodus to play Starcraft 2. You'd be surprised to see how many only know Starcraft and Diable exist because of WoW :-P

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

TheMagician — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:39 GMT

Your estimates for release dates were way out. Too much wishfull thinking I'm afraid.

Age of Ups - Conan Fails.

Indelible — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:28:38 GMT

Indeed - I changed my mind about 3 weeks after writing this article but thought better of changing it. I'm human and thus, I'm not infallible :-P

I still believe that StarCraft 2 will be around for Christmas this year. At least, I believe that is what Blizzard are aiming for. Whether that will transpire or not is another matter.