Didn't expect this at all. I think a lot of people with fond memories will get a shock at how basic and grindy the game was at launch. It would seem like such a basic and empty MMO experience these days and be lacking tons of features. In my opinion, obviously.
You mean, aside from all the thousands and thousands of people that have begged for precisely this after ACTUALLY PLAYING on vanilla servers and loving it?
Aside from them?
People who play on private servers are a very small vocal minority considering the size of the fan base. Of course there's going to be people that do want this but I'm willing to bet the majority of people that think they want this probably won't when they get their hands on it. It'll have it's niche audience, no doubt. At first it'll explode with population but I'll be surprised if it doesn't drop off fairly quickly.
Unless... they modernise it with current tech and features.. but then that's not really classic.
Except EQ and DAoC and all the EMU servers say otherwise. Sometimes, Classic or even Progression servers are good to reboot a dying game. Not that WoW is by any means dying, unless you count down 50% of your player base as a sign of what is to come. Whether it's a vocal minority or not, plenty of AAA companies in the past didn't even bat an eyelash about whether or not to open their classic servers. It's not always about making huge profits. It's about maintaining good relations with past and future customers.
A niche of a niche says otherwise?
No, it really doesn't.
Sooo, you're referring to EQ as a niche game? I think you forgot your sarcasm face.
EQ was very niche, at its peak it only had a few hundred thousand players, by todays standards that is an extremely low number, as niche games go even Eve online has more players. Still, Vanilla WoW, at least now we will see if those people who claim to want it are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
I do miss the original servers. I'll probably enjoy it for about a week. Don't want to go through that grind again.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Didn't expect this at all. I think a lot of people with fond memories will get a shock at how basic and grindy the game was at launch. It would seem like such a basic and empty MMO experience these days and be lacking tons of features. In my opinion, obviously.
You mean, aside from all the thousands and thousands of people that have begged for precisely this after ACTUALLY PLAYING on vanilla servers and loving it?
Aside from them?
People who play on private servers are a very small vocal minority considering the size of the fan base. Of course there's going to be people that do want this but I'm willing to bet the majority of people that think they want this probably won't when they get their hands on it. It'll have it's niche audience, no doubt. At first it'll explode with population but I'll be surprised if it doesn't drop off fairly quickly.
Unless... they modernise it with current tech and features.. but then that's not really classic.
Except EQ and DAoC and all the EMU servers say otherwise. Sometimes, Classic or even Progression servers are good to reboot a dying game. Not that WoW is by any means dying, unless you count down 50% of your player base as a sign of what is to come. Whether it's a vocal minority or not, plenty of AAA companies in the past didn't even bat an eyelash about whether or not to open their classic servers. It's not always about making huge profits. It's about maintaining good relations with past and future customers.
A niche of a niche says otherwise?
No, it really doesn't.
Sooo, you're referring to EQ as a niche game? I think you forgot your sarcasm face.
EQ was very niche, at its peak it only had a few hundred thousand players, by todays standards that is an extremely low number, as niche games go even Eve online has more players. Still, Vanilla WoW, at least now we will see if those people who claim to want it are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
The market back then wasn't remotely close to the size of the gaming market today. The market share EQ had back in those days was very large and NOT defining of what is niche. Niche isn't about market size anyway. It is genre targeted game design. That may include audience ranging from gigantic through small.
Vanilla Wow earned ass tons of money and had a steady climbing player base. It always made money and can still make money today. The point you are arguing (and clueless about the actual point) it making maximized earnings. "Today's standards", as you put it, is about sculpting a game around an earnings model (typically RMT). This is a recent trend and post EQ/Vanilla wow era.
Bringing back classic wow would always have been a money maker and always would draw a significant audience. The issue is that it's a targeted audience that did not fit Blizzard's most recent meta marketing scheme or "maximized" earnings. They merely decided that protecting their IP from the private server drama was equally important and niche market gaming fell back under their umbrella.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
I don't even know what to say. Whether it was Blizzard or Activision that made the final decision, all I can say is, you made the right call. I will be one of the first disgruntled haters to return home to Azeroth. I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home. By the way, I will be happy to subscribe to such a server, so hopefully we can all enjoy this endeavor together.
Hopefully one sub gets you into either server.
Even if it doesn't I'll be subscribing to classic so long as it's not a dead server.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
I wonder if they will keep the graphical upgrades for the classic server. My guess is yes (?)
How about those charming vanilla bugs? J/K
I wonder about how the classes will be such as the warlock and the need to gather soul shards from killing. Or, our class specs? Will AV be original style or the 15 minute run it turned into? Dungeons better be vanilla...........
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
I wonder if they will keep the graphical upgrades for the classic server. My guess is yes (?)
I love the new graphics, but they fucked up the animation and character models with the new character skeletons, so i would hope they give you the option to use the old models.
I don't even know what to say. Whether it was Blizzard or Activision that made the final decision, all I can say is, you made the right call. I will be one of the first disgruntled haters to return home to Azeroth. I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home. By the way, I will be happy to subscribe to such a server, so hopefully we can all enjoy this endeavor together.
Hopefully one sub gets you into either server.
Even if it doesn't I'll be subscribing to classic so long as it's not a dead server.
You think you will, but... oh, never mind.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
I can't wait to see Blizzard get rich reselling the same crap,tells me the world is full of easy sells. I have no sense of where the game is at right now,but i know what the game was like early years since i played and it was just real weak sauce. Blizzard has way too much overhead,so no way are their games going to get the investment they deserve.I say deserve based on how much money gamer's are forking over,i do not see the same give and take here,i see one side taking and one side not giving back.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I am quite certain anything money has the Blizzard brass thinking VERY carefully,i am sure they weighed in on the possibility that this would simply move players from one to another. So my assumption is their brass have determined the majority will be double dipping,paying Blizzard twice for the same game,not including multiple accounts adding up to way more than Blizzard deserves.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
dont get hyped too much. if they make modern vanilla its wont be same as old vanilla.
They hired a separate team to recreated the vanilla experience. Likely it's progression based and set at a unified class mechanic patch much like private servers do. It is very obvious Blizzard listened to the Nost team and why the audience interested in vanilla exists.
I too was worried until I read that Blizzard's focus seems to be pretty legit on this. Even private servers are not like true vanilla was and I don't expect Blizzards recreation of it will be either. This is a good thing because you don't have to emulate the sad progression of class balance and mechanics of life and can focus more on content progression.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
Fyi people there won't be any details announced because this is so far out it is not even worth talking about much at this point. Years out. They said that they don't even have a team or timeline for it yet, and it will take a long time. So yeah. Don't get too excited yet. It is also extremely likely that this gives them a great reason to crack down on illegal servers even harder.
Comments
You stay sassy!
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Vanilla Wow earned ass tons of money and had a steady climbing player base. It always made money and can still make money today. The point you are arguing (and clueless about the actual point) it making maximized earnings. "Today's standards", as you put it, is about sculpting a game around an earnings model (typically RMT). This is a recent trend and post EQ/Vanilla wow era.
Bringing back classic wow would always have been a money maker and always would draw a significant audience. The issue is that it's a targeted audience that did not fit Blizzard's most recent meta marketing scheme or "maximized" earnings. They merely decided that protecting their IP from the private server drama was equally important and niche market gaming fell back under their umbrella.
You stay sassy!
This is how Blizzard plans to finally bring back Vanilla WoW servers
By Steven Messner 2 hours ago
We talk to Blizzard's vice president to learn why it took so long, and how it's happening.
http://www.pcgamer.com/this-is-how-blizzard-plans-to-finally-bring-back-vanilla-wow-servers/
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Great question!
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
They said no in 2013 if you recall.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
How about those charming vanilla bugs? J/K
I wonder about how the classes will be such as the warlock and the need to gather soul shards from killing. Or, our class specs? Will AV be original style or the 15 minute run it turned into? Dungeons better be vanilla...........
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
Thank you!
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
I have no sense of where the game is at right now,but i know what the game was like early years since i played and it was just real weak sauce.
Blizzard has way too much overhead,so no way are their games going to get the investment they deserve.I say deserve based on how much money gamer's are forking over,i do not see the same give and take here,i see one side taking and one side not giving back.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
So my assumption is their brass have determined the majority will be double dipping,paying Blizzard twice for the same game,not including multiple accounts adding up to way more than Blizzard deserves.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I too was worried until I read that Blizzard's focus seems to be pretty legit on this. Even private servers are not like true vanilla was and I don't expect Blizzards recreation of it will be either. This is a good thing because you don't have to emulate the sad progression of class balance and mechanics of life and can focus more on content progression.
You stay sassy!
Not if billy doesn't come back. They didn't have his money so....
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"