November 23, 2011 marks the seventh anniversary of Blizzard’s World of Wacraft. This popular MMO has broken record after record in the gaming scene and it continues to draw in new gamers and subscriptions each month. The upcoming anniversary has many people asking just how long WoW will continue to thrive.
It’s hard to say which direction Blizzard will take in regards to WoW since games such as Diablo III are making their appearance. However, if we have learned anything from Final Fantasy XI, it’s that some of the best games around have been around the longest.
World of Warcraft is one of those games that have changed what players expect from an MMORPG. It has become one of the largest names in entertainment with fun and exciting features making it a great game for the hardcore raider and casual player alike. The arena teams and battlegrounds for the PVPers, quests that take you deep into the lore of Azeroth (and the Outlands) and creatures you haven’t thought about since the fairy tales you heard as a child are but a few of the great features WoW offers gamers.
You’ll see many loyal players still trolling in trade chat for the latest epic gear, gathering parties together for the newest dungeons and raids and of course, a lot of bank toons in the Auction House for as long as Blizzard allows it over the next several years.
Some players tend to shun new content and keep characters at level 60 for “vanilla content”, 70 for Outlands or 80 for Lich King Expansion but many prefer to push hard onto level 85 to be the next in line to defeat the Cataclysm bosses. This shows that WoW has a wide variety of players and many of them will continue to play regardless of what other games become available.
Something for Everyone
One thing that has kept WoW going for nearly seven years is that is has something for everyone. Some people play for the communication with others, some play to get achievements or collect items such as mounts or non-combat pets, some players enjoy raiding or PVPing and others like to make as much in-game currency as possible.
Because there are so many different ways that you can enjoy WoW, it keeps many people intrigued. I have played since beta and I cannot tell you how many times players, myself included, have quit and returned. There is something simple and repetitive about its playstyle that brings many people back even after they try other games. There is something familiar about it, making it easy to end a hard day’s work with some play time.
Will WoW be here another seven years? All signs point to yes. Even if another game (SWTOR anyone?) comes along to steal its thunder, there will still be people who stick with WoW as long as Blizzard keeps the servers up.