Yes, world of warcraft is the single largest, and most comerically successful mmo EVER. It is, theres no denying that and anyone who says otherwise is either a WoW hater, an idiot, or from the future honestly sometime its hard to tell which.

But WoW was more then just a popular game. WoW was a cultural fucking phenomenon! everyone and their mother played world of warcraft, while as a whole, video games, and MMOs in perticular have always been seen as either childish(usually by parents) or nerdy (usually by idiots). In more recent times they've become alot more mainstream. I believe this is because of FPSs making video games "socially acceptable", and WoW becoming the giant it was. It wasn't uncommon for people to get WoW tattoos, or wear horde/alliance T shirts down the street - something that, even just 5 years ago would probably of marked you a social outcast and got a few punches in the face.

And now, like a fleeting fad, that all seems over. WoW is slowly, but surely losing subscriptions, no one really talks about enjoying WoW like they used too. And soon unsold copies of WoW will find themselves in the bargin bin to be enjoyed by hipsters, you know ironicly.

I'd like too, if i can, compare that to another big video franchise that, in a strange case of irony, or perhaps poetic justice, people are using to insult WoW. Pokemon.

As a child of the 90s, which i assume alot here are. I remember pokemon foldly. Every fucking kid on every fucking block of my town growing up had a gameboy and one of the pokemon games, as well as damn near 150 bucks worth of pokemon TCG. EVERYONE knew about pokemon, between the show, the movies, and video games, it was HUGE. Now, however. No one seems to play it outside of its native japan. pokemon black/white broke ALL PREVIOUS SELLS RECORDS of any pokemon game. But unlike red/blue, gold/silver, hell even ruby/sapphire. No one seems to -play- pokemon. even the DS systems which, while sold phenominally..No one seems to own one. Weird huh?

Now, i feel WoW is going the same way. Twas not the blade of a sword nor the tip of an arrow that slay the mighty beast, but time.

I think it is a miracle WoW has held the crown for this long. The game is 7 years old. It is the Counter Strike of MMOs, except it's still making money by the bucketload while CS isn't.

But when you think about it, as far as themepark MMOs go, WoW is still the most polished out there. And if you look at sandbox MMOs, they have all been demolished by devs trying to make them more themepark.

So it's not really a wonder WoW still holds the number one spot. Frankly, I believe it will continue to do so for a couple years still.

There is an old saying "The bigger you are... the harder you fall"

Wow was the greatist thing since sliced bread once. I loved vanilla, liked the challenge. Things were not too easy and not too hard, it was a good balance. I played for a couple years and got bored, It was one hell of a game to keep me playing that long.

I've resubbed every expansion and watched the game just get dumber and dumber. BC lasted me a month, WOLK lasted me a month, CATA lasted me a week. I rerolled in CATA to experiance the changes brough to the world, which I was actually excited about. As it turned out I was totally discusted at the dumbing down of the game. It has absolutley no challenge what so ever in the lvling game. I was bored to tears in a day.

I could never play Wow again and the Chuck Norris adds just reinforces that so damn much it makes me laugh.

Item store = puke my guts out.

I think Blizz is going after the Farmville mentallity  market. With the things they are doing with Wow, I really am not very excited about Titan.

History has shown that things that have been extremely popular can end up being a joke and the Epitome of uncool. (Bee-Gee's anyone?)

When it comes to Wow, I dont love it or hate it. "Quite frankly my dear I could give a damn"

  I personally can't stand WoW. I loved WoW vanilla and I really enjoyed BC, but everything after that just went downhill. While I can't deny WoW's success, I can't also deny what that success has costed the genre. I don't place the blame at Blizzards feet, more at corperate greed. Once activision got their hands in the pot it started to go south for WoW and I feel it was when creativity stalled out in favor of what would sell more copies as in, what do we think the majority wants. Also other developers and bigwigs were wanting to recreate the magic that made the game so popular and by doing so missed the mark completely. I also feel that in a way this has hindered other game developers from straying to far from the same formula for fear of not making it with the 400 pound gorilla and all it's little clones flooding the market.

  On the upside WoW has a very fond place in my heart because it actually did a lot more in life. I was able to keep contact with my wife (girlfriend then) while I was deployed in my military career. Before I shipped off we had just started talking and WoW allowed us to keep contact and do something together. WoW also made getting through basic training not so bad because I met others in my company that played it so we talked about it. This carried over when I go to my first duty station. Everywhere I went there was someone who played, had played it, or planned on playing it and had questions so it made boring days fly by. My best friends are the ones that got me into the game so it also allowed me a way to keep contact and do stuff with tthem even though I now live 4 states away.

  While I don't care for the game now and especially can't stand the direction it is headed, I don'y hate on WoW blindly and I do have a lot to be thankful for. I have met some really cool people there and gained a better understanding of what I DON"T want in my next MMO. 

Like i said, WoW, like pokemon. Everyone seems to own, but no one seems to play..

Originally posted by azrael466

Like i said, WoW, like pokemon. Everyone seems to own, but no one seems to play..

WoW still has milliions of players dood, its far from being dead or not played.

I still look back on WoW with some good memories.  I remember when all the cities were full of players, instead of 1 per faction.  I remember when you actually knew the players on your server.  You knew who to avoid for pugs and who could pay attention.

I remember when there was an actual world in Warcraft and there were always people chatting in /general and leveling up.  I had a lot of fun in the game but it hasn't been that way for a long time.  Although the players on their forums and fan sites still try to sell me on the idea that Warcraft is still #1,  I saw it decline with my own eyes.  

I'll still look back on the good times I had in the game and I hope MoP introduces something innovative to lure me back.

Originally posted by Teh_Axi

Originally posted by azrael466

Like i said, WoW, like pokemon. Everyone seems to own, but no one seems to play..

WoW still has milliions of players dood, its far from being dead or not played.

again.

pokemon black/white broke all previous sells records for any pokemon game by i believe double, although i'm not sure on numbers. and if i remember correctly - please, don't take my word on it as i'm not sure on this one at ALL - the 3DS has the single highest sells rate of any hand held console EVER.

Yet, with those numbers...How many people do YOU KNOW that actually own, or play either? With WoW it feels the same lately. Sure, they boast HUGE numbers. But it seems rare to find anyone outside the WoW site, or fansites, who actually play it.

If you'd like i could also compare it to disney world. Years ago, what was the favorite phrase of anyone who won the world series? "I'm going to disney world" and sure, its still HUGELY successful. But its not nerely as big, culturally, as it used to be. and it seems increasingly rare to find people who go regularly dispite the numbers it boasts.

ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS, OR NEED I GO SLOWER?

Originally posted by azrael466

 ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS, OR NEED I GO SLOWER?

You can go as slow as you want but its won't ever change the fact your just whaffling.

The point your trying to make isn't one at all, trying to say no one plays WoW because they don't post all over the internet about it is quite frankly stupid. Even if they did want to post about WoW, why wouldn't they go to the WoW site or a WoW fansite to do it? Do you honestly not see how flawed what your trying to say is?

Things not staying new isn't some kind of earth shattering revelation.

WoW is thriving. That is all.