WoW's "worthy competitors"
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 11th 2007 at 4:02PM
While both games are reviewed well, neither of them quite matches up to our favorite game. But as I'm sure lots of you know (I'm guessing that most of you have played either one or both-- I've only played Guild Wars), each game does have some elements that could give WoW a run for its money. Most interesting, LotRO is planning to put player housing in a future patch, and Guild Wars, on its latest product page, advertises "no loot stealing, spawn camping, and endless travel."
So while these aren't really "competitors" in the grander sense of player numbers (I'd say WoW's biggest competitor this holiday season might actually be Halo 3), they are definitely biting at WoW's heels in terms of features, and specifically targeting WoW's players with promises of what we've wanted for a long time. Other game companies are clearly getting better at figuring out how to attract the audience that World of Warcraft did, so it seems Blizzard's biggest challenge, from patch 2.2 to Wrath of the Lich King, will be to try and stay ahead of the curve of newer games and their new features.
[ via WorldofWar.net ]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Stormhunterx Sep 11th 2007 4:20PM
Ah, if only they could add the features of all 3 into 1, the graphics of guild wars and lotro and some of the gameplay features of wow and the feature to hire ppeople to do instances with you, that would be heaven
G Sep 11th 2007 4:30PM
I think Warhammer online will be the biggest competition WoW has faced since launch (IF of course they get things right)
Epiny Sep 11th 2007 5:54PM
WAR will test WoW but it wont topple it.
ThorinII Sep 11th 2007 4:33PM
Guild Wars needs an AH and mail system before it can truly compete with WoW. I've not played LoTRO, so I don't know what (if anything) it's missing. Oh, and why can't you inspect other players to see their gear in GW? Dumb!
#1 got it right. WoW needs NPC Henchmen to hire when waiting for groups is taking too long.
Also, being able to get from A to B a lot faster would be AWESOME!
Dabura Sep 11th 2007 4:35PM
When Aion launches in 08/09 it will wipe the floor clean with all other MMOs, Hellgate will also be a serious competitor, seeing as how I quit WoW for Hellgate when it launches
Coherent Sep 11th 2007 4:39PM
Serious competition is hawt... The best chance of getting our player-favorite features in WoW is if a competitive MMO releases a compelling version of them and forces WoW to take notice.
Competition makes EVERYBODY better. It raises the bar for quality AND quantity, everybody gets what they want, and it attracts new players to the genre. There is no downside for the industry.
Wildhammer Sep 11th 2007 4:50PM
I'm surprised Warhammer Online wasn't on that list. Mythic has done a good job of learning from past MMO producer's mistakes. Plus they have Paul Barnett as their spokesperson/Creative Director, who is perfectly capable of selling ice to a polar bear.
They're doing a great job with displaying their work, in terms of what exactly they display and how they explain it. After playing it at PAX I can honestly say it plays great, too.
I'd say WAR (Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning) is going to be WoW's biggest competitor. LotrO and Guild Wars will get blown away in my opinion.
FireStar Sep 11th 2007 4:51PM
I think wow will have bigger competition with itself than halo3, when starcraft2 comes out.
Cieron Sep 11th 2007 5:19PM
City of Heroes and Villains is better than both those games. Plus its Superheroes which rox.
Karl Sep 11th 2007 5:19PM
They're safe until Starcraft II. That will have my attention for quite some time...
Genius Jones Sep 11th 2007 5:21PM
Guild Wars has sold four million copies, and World of Warcraft nine. How is GW not a direct competitor to WoW again?
Steve Hall Sep 11th 2007 5:32PM
Interesting...EQ2 is not in the mix? (Personally, I can give a ton of reasons why not...but it IS the closest in gameplay.)
@4: *sigh* Do you have any idea how many times I've read those words in the past 18 years? Until it's on the shelves, it's vaporware--and even then, don't be too sure it isn't. Need some examples? How about Asheron's Call 2; Horizons; Dark & Light, just for starters. All 3 very promising when they were at the stage Aion is now. Need one more example? Tabula Rasa, from none other than Lord British himself.
Medros Sep 11th 2007 6:09PM
I would say that Blizzard's move to upgraded and improves graphics in game, starting with the Blizzcon Murloc Suit, is a sign that they realize their challenges and are taking steps to improve them.
Laukidh Sep 11th 2007 6:25PM
Wow works on a mac.
Easy choice.
gundamxzero Sep 11th 2007 6:35PM
WAR!!!!!
dreadlorde Sep 11th 2007 6:34PM
There are no competitors to WoW.
End of story.
rinks Sep 11th 2007 6:53PM
IMHO, Warhammer is over estimating the demand for PVP from all these players. I might be the minority by saying that I prefer the PVE and group/solo content over Arena/BGs, but the minority in a 9 million player base is still a substantial number.
rinks Sep 11th 2007 6:55PM
@4: lol "in 8/9..."
I'll mark my calendar.
Chilblain Sep 11th 2007 7:03PM
I don't think WoW has any real competition. I suppose technically, the beer some people brew in their basement is competition to Budweiser, but only in the minds the handful of people who are drinking it.
People always harp on graphics, UI, PvP balance, and the like and they miss the most important thing about any MMO game... which is ironic, because it's the very first letter. Massive. It doesn't matter if you have some innovative game if nobody is there to play it. And there have been scads of games that have come and gone since WoW came out, and the population of WoW keeps growing. Auto Assault? Archlord? Everyone has a WoW killer, and sorry, but David will never beat Goliath. WoW could lose half the people playing it and still be the biggest MMO out there. If any other game lost half their subscribers, they'd have to shut the lights off.
WoW does so much right, even if some of it was by accident, that it's not even funny. They have a lore that's as rich as the Star Wars universe, or Lord of the Rings, but avoid the trappings that both of those games fall into by straying from what fans consider to be the one true vision of those two titles. They create a game that appeals to young, old, male, female, novice and the hardcore, and while none of them universally, all of them to the extent they can enjoy the game. Moreover, they've done it so well, that anyone trying to duplicate the success is branded a copy-cat, and anything less will be a failure.
kenny Sep 11th 2007 7:11PM
"I'd say WoW's biggest competitor this holiday season might actually be Halo 3"
most wow players (that i've talked to) hate FPS