Originally posted by nakuma

i also dont think MMO's have relavant similarities to other past MMO's unless u really try to look for it. how many variationson a GUI theme can there be? if that is indeed the case then it can be contrived that WOW is a combination of other past MMO's in both gameplay, GUI, Quest heirarchy to say the least.  every MMO currently runs some lineage to the old 1st generation MMO's there is no way around it, including WOW, it can only be said the given combination of features implemented by blizzard was done extremely well providing a simple yet also deep game that provides alot to do, though after while like any MMO gets boring, and gets routine with little difference e.g. TBC expansion  there is a fine line between innovation, and gimping a game. I think people who have played WOW and only WOW have done themselves a diservice by not trying other MMO's as well as taking that given baggage to another MMO and try to compare it directly to the current MMO they play. no MMO can be directly  compared, only indirectly. I think in  the end it will take a really innovative new game with something that will convince the hardcore WOW player to move onto a new experience. but its their choice I like many others wish them the best.

Good points, Nakuma. The next great MMO is probably not going to be a refinement on the current style of play, that most MMOs emulate in one variation or another, but something genuinely innovative.

It has already lost large amounts of subscribers. They have a very high turn over rate MMo. Lots of people are constantly joining while lots of people are quitting. When will the hype of the game be over? I figure it will end when people realize the game isn't anything special.

Originally posted by namelessbob

It has already lost large amounts of subscribers. They have a very high turn over rate MMo. Lots of people are constantly joining while lots of people are quitting. When will the hype of the game be over? I figure it will end when people realize the game isn't anything special.

True the game isnt anything special, but the fact is its still one of the best games out there and until someone pulls their head out of their A$$ it will still be the game to play.

No, it's nothing special, but somehow it keeps dragging you back to it. I hate it for that, but when I play it, I can't understand why I hated it the moment before.

It really is like a drug. More so than any other MMO I have played. I usually have fun when playing games, what would otherwise be the point? But WoW is the only game I have played and kept playing while not finding it fun, somewhere there is the secret to this games success.

Two days before the day after tomorrow.

Originally posted by N1ghtsta1ker

I gather from the majority of the posts that there are alot of people who play WoW simply because there are no other good MMOs to go to; the free ones have microtransactions and botters everywhere, and the P2P ones are usually too heavy on the grind, and alot of them still have bot infestations.  So, do you think that will change with the release of games like WAR, AoC, Aion etc?

I'll make this clear: I didn't make this topic out of WoW-hate.  I think it's a great MMO even though I don't play it.  However, being that it is the most successful MMO by a longshot in the past many years, i'm simply curious to see when the juggernaut will begin to weaken.

Also, I'm not asking when WoW will "die".  As evident from games like FFXI and Lineage 2, 500k subscribers is still more than enough to bring in cash.  I want to know when there will be a clearly visible decline in subscribers, not when the game will no longer be able to support itself.

Maybe the answer that you are looking for is, "When Aion comes out," - just kidding!

It is very possible for WoW to experience the beginning of its gradual decline in player population this year. Although the damage that WAR will do to WoW will not be to the extent predicted by so many players, a large portion of initial WAR players will be from WoW. However, the WAR effect can be small compared to the general loss of WoW subscribers due to player drift (most likely over 300,000 players world-wide stop playing WoW each month for personal reasons) - WoW marketing has been increasingly aggressive in holding back this trend. As WoW grows older, bringing in new or returning players will only get harder with newer competition; nonetheless, this decrease in subscribers will not affect in-game experience in the near future.

When Blizzard releases it's 'Next Gen Top Secret MMO'.

Really though... Who gives a crap?  Most people play on one server so they experience about three thousand people at any given time with a range of ten thousand or so cycled in and out.  What does this big nine million number mean to these people then??  All you need is a game that you enjoy with enough players to fill one server and there is no difference. 

Considering WOW has acheived what its acheived, its in fact quite special compared to other MMOs.   Theres no denying that.

Originally posted by N1ghtsta1ker

When do you think that WoW will being to noticeably lose its population?  It's inevitable that it must happen some time, whether it be in 1 year or 10 years.  Then again, by the time it dies out Blizzard will probably have a new MMO out...

I'm predicting that it will start to decline around the time WotLK comes out.  Of course the hardcore WoWers will still stay, but I think the casuals will get fed up with having to pay yet another $50 to keep up with the population, not to mention newcomers may be turned off by the fact that the level cap is 80, whereas back a couple years you only had to go up to 60.

Never?  Its my opinion WOW will not lose many subs until a mmo that can perform and be polished as wow is. I would leave wow in a heartbeat if another decent mmo was out there to play . To get me away from wow it would take a SWG Pre-Cu server,A Star Trek MMO,or some other good sci-fi game that does not have Orcs n Elves in it. Age Of Cona will not work,nor will Warhammer Online niether of these games has any appeal to me.

"It has already lost large amounts of subscribers. They have a very high turn over rate MMo. Lots of people are constantly joining while lots of people are quitting. When will the hype of the game be over? I figure it will end when people realize the game isn't anything special."

I don't play WoW, for many reasons.

But this is probably the silliest thing I have ever heard. 

OF COURSE they lose a ton of players all the time.  All MMO players drift, it just happens.  Its called burnout, and when it happens we leave our game of choice for awhile.  When your player pool is over 100 times the size of any other game, then yes...you are going to have 100 times the drifters each month.  That is absolutely no indication of the game at all.

As far as what is special about the game....I can tell you easily.  They listen to the players.  They have done so since the game was in concept stage.  Anything that can make it easier, more involved, more exciting, more fun....they listen and consider the option.  Most MMO devs just assume they know it all, and never bend from their initial plan.  Blizzard has bent from its initial plan a few hundred times already to give the players what they want.

They day more companies start doing this, is the day WoW will lose subs.  As long as these tools keep thinking they have a clue, better so than us, there will NEVER be a better game.  I think that is so sad...because it forces us to keep playing a game we have long since burned out on simply because no one else cares enough to listen to us and make something new.  I've been without a solid MMO for over a year now because of this.

*sigh*  Guess I'll just have to go back to WoW.  I really would rather pull out my hair than see the barrens again.  But at least I can feel good about that company getting my money.  Even if I'm tired of the game, at least they did something to earn it.

Well, whoever thinks that WOW is going to die soon is sticking their head in the sand.

It just passed 9M subscribers a few months ago and they just open a new oceanic server in Dec. In fact, I am one of those new subscriber in Dec.

It will die eventually but it takes a LONG time to lose 9M+ subscribers.

And have you guys heard the rumor that Blizzard is working on another MMORPG?

To be honest never they will just keep adding new stuff to grind and epics to collect and fans just eat it up!  New levels, hero classes, new green, blue, purple and orange gears, new weapons, new factions, new prof., new races with new classes, new mounts: flying, riding and soon the water mount.  As long as there is new stuff to collect and grind on people will just keep on doing it until their next MMO comes out.

They will lose subscribers if/when they take out Blood Elves and Night Elves as race choices.

then all the 10 year olds will be gone. HORRAY