Other World Notes: World of Warcraft Finally Ends Its Two Year Plateau (But Only By a Little)

While Second Life fans bewail the growth plateau the world's experienced for roughly the last two years, it's worth noting that World of Warcraft, the largest 3D virtual world, has had growing pains of its own, plateauing with 11.5 million subscribers/regular users since December 2008. (Though to be sure, most companies would kill for that kind of plateau of paying customers.) After the China launch of its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, WoW finally reached 12 million. Which considering all the money and talent Blizzard has at its disposal, is not that much of a jump. The thing is, World of Warcraft is facing the same problems Second Life and other 3D virtual worlds face now: A continued move away from desktops and laptops that can support a 3D program, matched to a continued move into web-based social games. (Even in China, where MMOs like World of Warcraft once reigned, the audience is moving to social games.) But I think this trend speaks to a growing preference for bite-sized, low-friction entertainment that fit our continuous partial attention lifestyle, games and virtual worlds that can be launched in seconds for bursts of fun. Which is one reason why I keep hoping for the cloud, the cloud, the cloud. Hat tip: Mal Burns.

Comments

[Ron Overdrive]

With WoW, Blizzard is just as bad as Valve when it comes to releasing games on time. They're always delaying things and/or announcing them too soon. That's how they shoot themselves in the foot to the point it affects their numbers.

Part of the problem has always been the GPU. Good ones are expensive and computers that come with Upper Tier budget cards or better are even more expensive. Most people fall into the "Techno-Peasant" class of users who just know enough about a computer to surf the web, check their email, and write up documents. Asking them to install a new graphics card in their computer is like asking someone to install a new exhaust on their car. Its not a particularly difficult thing to do as its just a few screws/bolts and it pops into place, but most are afraid they'll screw something up.

Most computers come with discrete GPU's that have just enough power to run older games on high and barely on low with newer games. Games like Minecraft, Farmville, Dwarfs Fortress, etc. require little to no graphics processing so pretty much everyone can use them which imo is the biggest appeal to these users. The fact they can play them casually and with friends are bonuses.

[Mark Young]

> Even in China,
> where MMOs like World of Warcraft once reigned,
> the audience is moving to social games

You misrepresented the story in the report. More people are playing social games, but that growth is mostly people who are new to gaming. The studios are chasing the larger audience so more of them are focusing on social games. People who play games like WoW are not "moving to social games".

[Hamlet Au]

By "audience" I meant the total audience of Chinese who play games, MMOs, social, whatevs.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

MMOs don't need to fundamentally change what they've got. They just need to add multiple points of entry and alternate modes of play. While the graphics are a factor, the bigger issue is the barriers to entry for non-gamers and social gamers to get into a full-fledged MMO. What seems trivial to people who've been gaming for ten years can be utterly incomprehensible to an MMO virgin.

[Ciaran Laval]

When Deathwing brings chaos to Azeroth in a few weeks and the cataclysm hits, the expasnion is going to explode into eye watering levels for every other virtual world producer out there.

WoW has had a ridiculously good run and it's going to gather more legs shortly, they really will be a part of entertainment history, I can't see anyone doing this again.