G4 writer: Every MMOG since WoW is an epic failure

by Matt Warner Nov 28th 2007 at 7:30PM

Insert "I pick whatever," and that list can be found on every webbed nook and seedy cranny. But this is the best list ever. Says Who? Anyone with a blog! Normally these lists are the opinions of one person, but the overall outlook is held to the site they scribble on. I don't remember taking a vote for "Massively's" Top 5 Sci-Fi MMOs," (although EVE would be my top pick) but it's possible other Massively writers voted. (You wouldn't believe how much we spam each other.) Well, this list by G4's Sjohnson entitled "Epic Fail: Gaming Failures" is turning a few heads. At the top of the heap, the writer boldly chooses the #1 failure as being: "Every North American MMO Since World of Warcraft."

What? It gets better. To solidify their opinion Johnson uses the all-to-familiar Star Wars Galaxies debacle ("Don't NGE me bro!") and points to the mega flopped Sims Online. Both power-players with established franchises, and their own built-in fanbases that should have thawed out the Frozen Moses and blew the genre to smithereens. What about actual MMOGs that were released after World of Warcraft? Johnson failed to list one. Maybe his list would have been better titled, "Every MMO ever released except World of Warcraft."

Lastly, World of Warcraft's 9 million total sub count is cool and all, but it doesn't mean a MMOG with 200k subs isn't successful in its own right. If you want to make a list about MMOG failures and base it on subs alone, it's only fair to include all those grindtastic ones based in Asia that have millions of subscriptions too. I wouldn't touch those MMOGs even if you imprisoned me on a gold farm with a thousand Natalie Portman cylons. (Wait a minute...) Still, I think these lists are fun and it leaves room for great debate. I want to know what you guys think. Has every single MMOG since World of Warcraft failed? Should LotRO have over a million subscriptions by now? What about the trouble regarding countless MMOG cancellations and delays over this past year-- is World of Warcraft to blame? Let us know in the comments.

[via, Random Battle]

Tags: gods-and-heroes, lists, lotro, mmog-subscriptions, numbers, subscriptions, swg, wow

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Vince said on 7:55PM 11-28-2007

I think basing success on the amount of subs is just plain stupid. Just because an mmo hasn't made 2 gabillion subscribers doesn't mean it is not successful in its own right. Yes it has set a huuuge benchmark that I doubt anyone will pass, but we see the other mmo's prosper just fine. They cant afford the celebs for the expensive commercials *coughcough* but they still run fine. You know why? Because the gameplay is good.

Brian said on 7:58PM 11-28-2007

To g4 writer:
STFU.
Signed,
The players of every other MMO.

Brian said on 8:04PM 11-28-2007

At least they chided themselves for nerfing the Halo 3 trailer at E3

Jeremy said on 8:08PM 11-28-2007

That list seems like the whole point of it was to end up with the controversial line of every North American MMO since WoW being a failure. I don't see any possibility of WoW being topped at the moment, not because it's such a "good game", but because it just has so many people.

I don't really like WoW and I know I'm probably not the only one who thinks this, but WoW feels too much like a job to me. Getting everything perfect so you can be accepted into a worthy guild, participate in end game content, and not have a character that hits 100 less than what you could be hitting for your race, class, and level.

Bellerophon said on 9:07PM 11-28-2007

G4?

*starts laughing uncontrollably*

'nuff said.

Gemski said on 9:58PM 11-28-2007

All that matters is numbers, clearly.

Matt Warner said on 10:45AM 11-29-2007

To the bean counters it does. (

Frank Rizzo said on 10:20PM 11-28-2007

WoW has dominated the MMO Space, but that doesn't mean any other MMO is a failure. If the company providing the game is making enough money to continue providing AND improving on the game (content patches, balancing, expansions, etc) then it's a sucessfull game. Should LoTR have a million subs by now? It doesn't matter, is it making money so the devs can keep adding to it and keep the current player base happy? Yes, so it's a sucessful game.

Geeze, look at DAoC... it's down to about 5 thousand people world wide(made up number, I actually think it's closer to 10 thousand since everyone also has a bot account) at $15/month that's almost a million (closer to 2 million if you count all the bots). They were able to release a new expansion a few months ago, they are still changing and adding content to the game, and they still have a few players left paying them. Sure the game is dropping down, but it's still sucessful even if I wont play it anymore.

WoW didn't kill any games off, it just showed the world what a well designed and polished game can be like. In effect Blizzard raised the bar for quality. I hope Warhammer and Star Trek are taking notice... don't release until it's ready! Make the game shine and it will make you a ton of money and a lot of us will really enjoy playing it for a couple years while we wait for the next best one to come out.

Hollywood Ron said on 12:38AM 11-29-2007

WoW has more subscribers than G4 has viewers. Perspective.

Matt Warner said on 10:28AM 11-29-2007

I laughed. $$

Ghiest said on 9:14AM 11-29-2007

I wouldn't have stopped at north american MMO, I would have just put MMO since WoW is a failure.

Why?

Well it's personal opinion, when I write it, it's me or my website that I write an opinion for.

So far the crop of released (or ones I've beta tested) are all failures in some way (in my honest opinion), and I've tested/played allot of different games trying to get a release from the blizzard grip. But suffice to say that they all are:
a) Piss poor copies (hi LOTRO)
b) Completely contentless and boring (hi Tabula Rasa)
c) Or just plain lacking a game to play correctly (Hi PotBS)

You can make counter arguments all you like but that's my opinion they haven't released or even releasing in the near future anything of the quality of the product that is out there at the moment, so why should I put my money somewhere else for a sup-par product. No I'm not a blizard fanboi, I'm itching to play something else that grabs my attention... Just like when I was 3 years through playing Everquest (which again was the best of it's time), I am now again itching to move on to something new and improved than what I'm Playing now. Maybe AoC or WAR will take the crown but from beta testing 1 out of the 2 I can honestly say I don't think so ... my hope now lies with a single game coming out.

Matt Warner said on 10:50AM 11-29-2007

Oh man, hopefully whatever MMO beta you are testing, AoC or WAR, it shapes up because I'm looking forward to both. (I'm guessing WAR, lots of leaks there)

RogueJedi86 said on 2:33PM 11-29-2007

He has to be put it in perspective. Sure WoW has 9 million players, but a lot of them are elitist jackasses. No offense meant, I used to play myself, before I burned out on it. I moved to LotRO and realized just what a helpful, mature community really is. Like they say, "Quality, not quantity."

Also, lol @ Hollywood Ron's comment about WoW having more subscribers than G4 has viewers. So true.

Markymark said on 9:23PM 11-29-2007

He has some truth almost every NA mmo released after WoW has not received success. Let's be honest guys which NA developed title is close to WoW's status?.... none. Will a game come out top WoW? Maybe but its highly unlikely. WoW will probably die out on its own... but i loves me some WoW lol. I also /agree with 10.

Overlord said on 10:32PM 11-29-2007

It makes me so angry how everyone places so much emphasis on WOW, I just can't stand that game.

The graphics look like a bad fisher price trip, and the average age of the player base is 13.

No, thanks folks. Eve is such a more involved mature and "adult" game. Let all the kiddies play WOW (World of Wetads), and the mature people play more involved games.

My two cents.

Gemski said on 12:39AM 11-30-2007

If you are "mature" and "adult" I don't want to imagine the WoW server you played on.

MEYWD said on 5:29AM 12-03-2007

its like this, what WoW has is not easy to get:

Great story for Warcraft series players, each game had a novel published before it.

Great game play and challenging encounters.

Great graphics for a game released in that time and has so many features.

a fan base with an average age of over 25, people play this game from 3-70 years old, however yes its effect the community, but after all, you play with who you like, there is dozens of servers with 15000+ player on each.

however, not being the top in the market is not a failure, but its also not a success, because sooner or later, people will return to play WoW when it realses new featuers.

croger152003 said on 3:28AM 1-17-2008

Lol, WoW does not have a current number of 9 million users. It is a well known fact that they bolster their numbers by using all present and any past non active trial accounts and regular accounts. Yes WoW had a success but nowhere near as much as people think. WoW has probably somwhere in the range of like 1-2 million active accounts, go do some research.

WoW is sub par graphics wise, sub par community wise, sub par PvE and PvP wise, and sub par everyhting else. The only reason it ever got as many subscriptions is because of the history of the company and the previous games in the series. WoW is not ground breaking and hardly poliched. Anyways as soon as you fanboys realize this the better.