We all know that
World of Warcraft rules the MMO space with a sun-deprived, Cheetoh-dust-stained fist. But just how extensive is that rule? Well, to give you some idea, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has just told GamesIndustry.biz "We don't think that even if we made the USD 500 million or billion-dollar investment to get a product out [to compete with
WoW] that we would even be successful doing it."
Admittedly, Kotick has a horse in this race (what with his company
owning the game now) and he could just be trying to scare off all comers. But when you look at the game's crazy (and preposterously still growing) fan base, it's hard to really dispute his case.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mo @ Feb 28th 2008 3:03PM
Whats the deal with all the skulls?
Yuccadude @ Feb 28th 2008 3:10PM
He's an undead king, the Lich King, so I guess he has harvested a lot of heads.
Mack Swift @ Feb 28th 2008 3:09PM
I tried WoW a little ways back with a 30 day free trial. I'll admit, it was fun, but I just couldn't get into it; especially how some people really, really get into it.
I enjoy Guild Wars: Nightfall every now and again (twice a month?).
Different folks, different strokes.
DefDealer @ Feb 28th 2008 3:11PM
Haha...that's like Michael Jordan saying it would cost him a billion dollars to compete again Nike.
albinogoldfish @ Feb 28th 2008 3:20PM
didn't know you could yank yourself off like that, he's pretty good at it...
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Feb 28th 2008 3:22PM
100 billion dollars.
It's hard to type Dr. Evil... :(
StrangeBum @ Feb 28th 2008 3:51PM
Let me help, or try to at least.
One hundred..*pause*..beeleeyon dollars *pinky to mouth*
meronine @ Feb 28th 2008 3:22PM
If WoW is the best mmo that can be created, I cry for the future of gaming. Yea, WoW's fun, I play it myself off and on, but it's really not that AMAZING. I haven't played an mmo yet that I've enjoyed nearly as much as a console game and that's not because I don't enjoy online play, they're just always lacking the "oomph" that keeps me addicted.
sinergy @ Feb 28th 2008 3:40PM
I feel the same way. I also believe it's bad for business and competition. Company's just don't wanna spend the resources to compete with this beast. Which is a shame really.
mandarin @ Feb 28th 2008 3:39PM
Any CEO who thinks the only way to pull one over WOW is by throwing money is not much of a CEO.
Microswirl @ Feb 28th 2008 3:45PM
The future of MMORPGs are those that can be played in a web browser via ActiveX or Java. 2MB install, takes 3 minutes to setup, etc. Once the FiOS bandwidth is in place all that data can be streamed. Just look at all the content in something like Google Maps, for instance. Anyways, I gave up on WoW due to the cliche fantasy setting; Boooooring! Something with a steam-punk setting would be nice... combined with 19th century American Frontier
Me @ Feb 28th 2008 4:18PM
MMORPG Oregon Trail!!!
Hell yea!
kangshi @ Feb 28th 2008 4:21PM
thats a very specific genre. I wonder if there is a market for a Wild Wild West MMO with Clyde Frog?
colin @ Feb 28th 2008 4:40PM
you got dysentery
Jeff @ Feb 28th 2008 3:49PM
This is true, to an extent, which really really sucks for those of us who like the idea of an MMO, but not WoW.
Bioware's MMO will change things =)
Psaakyrn @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM
The main problem with any competition against WoW is advertising, plain and simple. WoW has the global mindshare, and unless you can somehow drill your product deep into that section, no MMO can hope to compete with WoW in terms of pure dollars, at least in the short term.
(in terms of long term, word of mouth can work wonders, but any product of equal production cost to WoW is going to be not as profitable for some time.)
caramelzappa @ Feb 28th 2008 4:48PM
Bruce Campbell!
Tyme @ Feb 28th 2008 11:49PM
Army of Darkness!!!!!!!
Zsavior @ Feb 28th 2008 5:13PM
It can be beat but not by Game makers of today. WOW when it first came out and even now had an unholy amount of bugs in it, and various issues. The difference is wow had time to polish up while companies were still unaware of its growing power.
The problem is with the internet comes game companies that feel they can pump out a product not finished and the consumer should be grateful for patches that will come later down the line to make it better. Look at the Witcher,and that is a good scenario of a patch at least you aren't paying monthly there. These game makers aren't giving people a reason to leave wow and start in a new world with them.
I am not a huge fan of wow, but I am pretty sure I am not going to give up my lvl 70 character to go do a grind in another place with less content more bugs, and another fee. People aren't rejecting sword and shield they are rejecting a rigmarole process they already know and are comfortable with some where else. If they want to beat WOW come up with a polished game, not only with gritty ugly models, also show places to dance and interact. Open the beta Wide so everybody can see it and let the word spread. If you are trying to stick to the tried and true MMO formula then enjoy your failure.
n4v1n @ Feb 29th 2008 4:55PM
Haha i want to see someone accidentally destroy the servers wow runs on and watch the news of suicides all over the planet! AHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAH. fucking losers