Activision says WoW is a Risk

Even with its monster hit Modern Warfare, Activision is still incredibly dependent on World of Warcraft to maintain its revenue.  Even though nothing comes close to topping the online gaming of MMOs, they certainly believe the writing is on the wall.

Blizzard will be launching Star Craft II very soon, which is expected to do very well but does not have an ongoing subscription. In addition, Cataclysm, the next expansion to World of Warcraft will be out by the end of the year. Nevertheless, technology will continue getting better and Activision is fully aware of this.

Warcraft intentionally uses low-end graphics that keep the game available to those on machines that have long been out dated.  Only time will tell if this will ultimately lead to their demise.

What is more disturbing is that MMO titles such as World of Warcraft are very accessible by the nature of the game. You may not be able to participate in every faucet of the game but for the most part, there is something that you can do no matter your disability in this title.

But what if games start going in the same direction platforms have gone; more complicated games, more buttons, and more things to do simultaneously.  One can only imagine what future MMO's will look like, not to mention Blizzard themselves are working on a new MMO to rival WoW as they would rather put themselves out of business than somebody else do it.

Yes, although not all of us may agree, Warcraft’s days are numbered.  Even the almighty Ever Quest, which was at one time considered to be untouchable, was eventually out done.  Does the fact of Activision signaling concern for the future of the title mean its impending doom?

Probably not and we will definitely not see the top executives at Blizzard being let go as the ones with Infinity Ward were axed this week.  Nevertheless, diversifying your options is never a bad idea and that is exactly what Activision is attempting to do.

China has still not completely resolved its issues with the game, which could completely undermine a potentially huge revenue stream. Although, China will allow players’ access to the original World of Warcraft, it's extremely likely that no expansions will ever be accessible due to the cultural differences that the Chinese government wishes to keep from its population.

When you add it all up, Activision has a right to be concerned with everyone gunning to take down the top dog, it's good that they are being proactively worried.  Don't worry though, with Cataclysm right around the corner, World of Warcraft will not be going anywhere soon.

Comments (2)

Michael

March 14, 2010

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Newer technological advances? Private servers or ad supported mmo's? Most of the newer games still lack. So only a free game could hurt WoW.

Aaron Baker

March 22, 2010

Votes: +0

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Free games come & go. Free is no guarantee of a games longevity. But of course there’s always exceptions to everything.

Since WOW is the only MMORPG I play, I don’t mind paying WOW’s reasonable monthly fee. WOW is fun even when playing solo.

Other MMORPG’s have “nicer” graphics, but even though it’s old, WOW also has nice graphics. WOW has soul to it as well.

WOW's graphics get improvements here & there that keep it fresh graphically I've noticed.

It doesn’t have whiz bang graphics, but WOW is hardly a slouch in the graphics department. Gameplay & fun factor are most important & WOW delivers in those departments quite well.

In ending, It’s low system requirements compared to newer MMORPG’s likely add to it’s staying power.

Peace

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