No idea what they are hoping for, so this could be true, but I think it's going to be a huge success.


Big numbers. Huge.

 

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Serious question for you Spooky: are you measuring "success" at launch (number of boxes sold) or subscriptions 3-6 months later?


Because I think those will tell 2 different stories.

 

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Yeah that's what I think too.

Throwing more of the same only works for so long, and ennui and apathy had infected WotLK much faster than it did BC as it was.

Big sales numbers, but they're going to have to show more talent than the B-team has so far to get the retention to go with it.

 

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Basically, this is a complete revision of the game. One of the more difficult challenges in MMO's is how do you keep the gap between old-timers and potential new players from getting so far apart that you simply lose the new players. Well, this is a direct answer to that problem. By bringing your high levels back to the starter areas, you will have a massively populated game area where even new players will feel like they are part of a bustling game world. Pretty ingenious imo.

Eventually the game will start to fade in popularity, we all know that. However, I think this expac is going to set a new record for initial sales. Will people stay around 6 months or more? Hard to say right now, but I would not bet against it. Every time the naysayers proclaim the death knell for WoW, they make a new milestone sub announcement it seems. All I know is that it is always amusing reading the comments of gamers. They always shout for change and when they get it, they rarely like it. If I find that Cat has completely killed WoW within a few months of it's release, I have still gotten my moneys worth in entertainment value and that is all that matters to me. I'll leave the post-mortem to those experts here.

 

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I love when random people on a not even very popular anymore forum pretend talking for everyone else...

 

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If Blizzard was worried about the gap between old players and new, they'd stop adding levels with every expansion. This expansion is no different. In fact, this seems to be the first time they're unabashedly recycling content with no subtext or any semblance of pretending otherwise. While I find that somewhat cheesy, I give them kudos for being open about it this time.

That's not really my concern for this expansion though. My concern is that I really like the fact that they claim you won't be able to faceroll through it. LK was not a great expansion. It was all about easy. Get more people. Get more subs. Appeal to the masses. Great way to run a business. Bad way to make a game entertaining. It sounds like the new expansion will be trending back towards BC in that instances will be harder. Encounters will go beyond tank and spank. People will have to know how to play their classes again. The cries of the masses will reach the heavens and in about 4 months, Blizzard will nerf everything and turn on easy mode again. That's what my concern is.

Agreed. I just wish they were revamping all the zones. From what I understand, there are several (Silithus comes to mind) which will be receiving no changes at all. I love that zone and I hate that it has become a ghost town given all the awesome content. In fact, my biggest disappointment with both expansions was the fact that they rendered the > level 55 old world obsolete.

As to the OP, I wonder how this is going to affect the Explorer achievement chain. I've explored all of Kalimdor and EK with the exception of the Isle of Quel'Danas. AFAIK I can't finish exploring EK because I can't reach Quel'Danas until level 65 (I'm 63 now). If people haven't completely explored a continent, and the continent changes, are their maps going to be reset?

 

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I think Cata will do quite well, in initial sales and in retention. And whlie I personnaly prefer the harder content, I won't lose any sleep if they simplify it, a'la ICC buff, after release so more people can enjoy it. I work hard at work, I rather enjoy my hobby and not feel like I have a second job again. As to the downfall of WoW? Well there is nothing else out, and nothing in the immediate future (that I'm aware of or consider even remotely close) to competing with WoW. Frankly, I think WoW will only have a serious contender when Blizzard releases their new mmo.

 

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WoW drove me back to EQ.

True story.

 

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Well I have a little bit more of a fresh perspective I quit just before Wrath came out and now I am back for Cata. I started fresh with a shaman from level 1.


I STILL enjoyed leveling through the same old 1 to 60 content, I have ever been impressed with Vanilla WoW as far as the leveling and questing, had a blast.


I barely touched BC it felt, I think I went through it in two days hit Hell Fire, Zanga and Nagrand and was out of there. I still enjoyed it, but I just felt that I blasted through it real quick. That might be though because it was only 10 levels compared to the 60 I just did.


This was my frist time through Wrath so it wasn't as smooth and streamlined as the rest of my leveling because I needed to learn these zones, read quests more carefully, ect. These 10 levels were slower by far then the rest of my leveling. I have enjoyed the questing so far, some of these quests lines are very interesting, immersive, and fun.


Looking to the expansion I actually like all the changes made so far, as I said aboved I loved the existing 1-60 game but it is time for a change for sure and I am looking forward to it. I won't be starting up one of the new races, but I will be starting up a pally.


IMO though it is still end game that matters. You can do all you want to try and keep people happy while they are leveing, but from my expirience most people already are. How they will manage the end game is what I am anxious to see, and I am hoping they stay true to their philosophy of a more chalenging game. I don't have my hopes too high but it would be nice.

 

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