In fewer than two weeks the sixth expansion for World of Warcraft will be announced. For some, this summons new interest in the aging game as rumors surge regarding what the next chapter of the game will bring. For others, it's a sign of desperation from Blizzard as its flagship title continues to lose subscribers by the millions. Below I'll explain why.
An Early Announcement
Never in the history of World of Warcraft has an expansion been announced anywhere other than BlizzCon. Blizzard has regarded World of Warcraft as its primary title over the years due to its massive popularity, and has saved its expansion announcements for BlizzCon's massive stage where tens of thousands of fans are present. A standard dating back 10 years will soon be broken.
This raises the question as to whether or not Blizzard regards World of Warcraft as its primary title in 2015. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft has a larger active playerbase, Heroes of the Storm has captured the attention of a large portion of its PvP-oriented players, and soon Overwatch will usher a new IP to the mix delivering the studio's first ever first-person shooter.
However, it isn't so much where it's being announced, but when it's being announced. With previous expansions, there was no talk about the next chapter of Warcraft until at least a year down the road, providing ample time for the expansion to run its course and for subscribers to enjoy the package they spent their hard-earned money on. In the case of the nine month old Warlords of Draenor, an expansion will be announced far earlier into the cycle. Now, why would Blizzard want to move things along so quickly?
Warlords of Draenor Has Problems
Even the most devout World of Warcraft fan—such as myself—will tell you that the game currently isn't in a good state. It's shocking given how much of a warm welcome Warlords of Draenor was given nine months ago, but its shortcomings have become more impactful to its quality of life as time has gone on.
At this point, the well-received Garrison system has damaged the social side of the game. Instead of players logging in and interacting with one another, the game encourages them to attend to their Garrison's daily activities. These activities, ranging from sending followers out on missions to gathering materials, feel like a chore. They require several minutes to complete, and are completely unsocial in nature. Many say that it feels as if you have to grind in a mandatory mobile game each day before you can move on to the fun content in Warlords of Draenor.
In addition, the game's story has taken a turn for the worst. Traveling through time to re-experience pre-Outland sounded like a novel concept a year ago. At this point everyone is sick and tired of Orcs, and dark, unwelcoming dungeons. Several pieces of lore in the expansion have confounded fans, hurting the IP in the process.
These two issues are the greatest concerns among players, but there are others. For example, Ashran is an unexciting and often times frustrating element of PvP gear acquisition. Diablo-esque RNG is absolutely everywhere, whether it be the all-important Garrison system, or gear drops. Also, some classes have been destroyed during the transition to Warlords of Draenor—as an Arms Warrior I couldn't be more disappointed.
6.2 Hasn't Gone Over So Well
For hardcore raiders, Warlords of Draenor's final patch is one that could be considered marginally successful. Hellfire Citadel is a great raid with plenty of challenge and compelling design. For everyone else, the patch puts the game's future in question.
Outside of Hellfire Citadel, Tanaan Jungle is the main showpiece of the patch. It' a beautiful zone, which comes as no surprise given the tremendous quality of Warlords of Draenor's art. However, its "invasion event" is really just another addition to the expansion that falls short of its potential. Surprisingly, you don't see the followers you've invested in participate, and the event is as anti-climatic as World of Warcraft has ever been. It doesn't help that Blizzard has gone back on its decision to remove flying mounts from new content.
Perhaps 6.2 greatest failure is its narrative. Context is missing for several pieces of content, and its development of Hellfire Citadel during the Garrison Campaign feels half-baked. The storytelling in Warlords of Draenor was supposed to be the best that World of Warcraft has ever offered. Instead, it lacks the powerful moments that define the Warcraft IP.
WoW Has Lost its Sense of Adventure
For the past several years I've felt numb to many of the immersing qualities I remember experiencing during the early days of World of Warcraft. Any interest I've had has been derived from gear acquisition and social interactions. This has led me to believe that I've become burned out of MMORPGs, and would never experience the days of being captivated by an MMO world ever again.
That is, until I subscribed to Final Fantasy XI two weeks ago. Here's a 13 year old game where you lose experience when you die, have to visit websites to determine what to do for most quests, and spend a great deal of time traveling from place to place. As antiquated as the game is, I have found myself deeply consumed by the world of Vana'diel. Each day I play feels like an adventure. Even small quests require deliberate thought, and its story-telling cutscenes provide a sense of purpose.
These qualities are shared among the game's shrinking population. When you run by many players, they wave to you. When you ask for help during even the game's most time consuming material, someone is willing to lend a hand. There's a true sense of community within the game with meaningful social interactions to be had.
This isn't a quality exclusive to Final Fantasy XI, but it is one that you simply don't see in popular, modern MMORPGs who prioritize minute-to-minute fun over everything else. The truth is that World of Warcraft used to be similar to Final Fantasy XI: difficult, cumbersome, yet immersive. In the hunt for more revenue, Blizzard has watered-down the experience turning it into something that is much more attractive to a wide audience, losing the rich flavor that paved the way to its monumental success.
A Transition is Taking Place
World of Warcraft has evolved to become a cyclical title. Rather than the majority of its playerbase sticking around for months if not years on end, most return only for significant updates and expansions. With the introduction of the Token system that allows players to pay for their subscription with in-game currency, as well as a virtual shop full of microtransactions, the mandatory $14.99/month susbcription model is becoming a thing of the past.
It's important to understand that World of Warcraft is bringing in nearly half as much revenue per month in July 2015 versus November 2014. Given how much Blizzard invests in the title, it can't operate with the same staff size with 50% of the revenue. Cuts need to be made, and that's not something a successful company such as Blizzard likes to do.
The Token system is likely to see adjustment in the coming months as Blizzard pushes to increase the number of players actively playing World of Warcraft. The quality of the next expansion is pivotal to the game's future, and it is very likely that its release will arrive alongside adjustments to the Token system to make it less costly than ever to play. At 11 years of age, World of Warcraft requires a low barrier of entry and the most compelling content it has ever delivered. At Gamescom we will learn how the masterminds at Blizzard intend to right the ship.
