The lights are on
First, let me say that I still like World of Warcraft. I hold in high regards, that to this day I've never sank as much time or energy into any other game like I did with it. It really set the bar high not only as a game but as a social interaction medium. It's still the king of MMOs for a reason. Everything it did wasn't the most original or the most unique, but it was perfected in such a way that a player, young or old, new or seasoned could grasp and progress. But now WoW is in an undeniable state of decline.When people from my guild or my real life friends would joke and say "I'm thinking about canceling my subscription", I would laugh it off and respond "yeah, that's what they all say."
But now things are different. I know tons of people who "used to play", myself included. And while this may be just a bump in the road or a slight lean away from it's still impressive numbers, I'd wager that many more people will begin to pull away from WoW. And It really comes down to the problems. There's undeniable bugs that can't be contended with. Let me try and prove my point as well as some others i've compiled from other people that i'll list.
You hit the nail on the head, most of this is exactly why I quit (and the promise of an XBox 360 from the wife)! I can say I won't be back, I don't have the time, or the patience for Blizzard's stale game!
*slow clap* Good write up sir, well done.
One of the dangers of any MMO is the propensity to get stale. Most games have a lifespan of about a month. Bigger titles up to a year. But MMOs go on for several years. They have to find a way to keep people interested. And the expansion formula just isn't cutting it anymore, as evidenced by their 500K drop in the player base.
Star Wars Galaxies tried a huge change and failed miserably. Everquest simply moved on to EQ2 with mixed results. It's a credit to Blizzard's original game that 6 years in they still have the overwhelming record number of subscribers. But it's time to evolve. There's too much to do that's free to play to keep people forever.
I enjoyed the read. I've never done anything but get to max level, but I've always had unexamined problems with the game leading me to quit one or two months in. I've returned back to it a few times for another 1/2 month stint, but never longer. I'm probably done for good. Like you said, MMOs need to break the "holy trinity" mold to gain my attention.
One more thing. The whole "optimal spec" is sickening to me. People berate each other for not specing 100% how they believe it should be done. There's no flexibility so what is the point of specing at all? That game RIFT has come closest to fixing these issues, but it LOOKS to much like WoW for me to get involved. Not to mention my fears that it won't be popular long due to WoW and not wanting to play a game that might fail.
Excellent blog.
I gave up on DC Universe Online after I started the chase for Tier gear....level cap came swiftly, but I wasn't about to sink countless hours into an MMo...especially after it took me a solid month to learn the jargon, create a decent build, etc.
MMO's are primarily a numbers game....those with the best stats will rise, leaving the rest behind to grind and grind and grind. Since I hadn't started when DCUO was first released, I emerged (even before the 30 day trial was up) feeling like I was fighting a losing battle.
5 stars