Catering to casuals, I've seen it happen twice.

[Birkhoff]

Blizzard creates a good game, World of Warcraft, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Activision, an evil company known for not caring about the player, merges with Blizzard to form the holding company of Blizzard Entertainment and Activision.

Blizzard stops caring about the player

Blizzard destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

RiotGames creates a good game, League of Legends, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Tencent Holdings Inc., a Chinese shareholding company, buys out Riot Games, League of Legends and all related products.

RiotGames stops caring about the player

RiotGames destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

Conclusion



Destroying competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals is akin to plunging a dagger through your heart to cure high blood pressure. As the blood pressure first drops, it may seem that cardiovascular health is better but the cruel truth eventually manifests itself. Most of what made WoW a vibrant game came from its hardcore fans who raided, top PvP players, people that created websites, streams, preach to their friends, post on forums, etc. It’s not worth losing the goodwill of the community and frustrating those who actually do care about the game.

Casual Player Syndrome is killing games.

See this chart:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/2...rs-by-quarter/

Note how they start dropping in 2010. This is when Blizzard first started catering to 'casual players' by introducing LFD/LFR.

WoW took a bad turn and made some bad choices to cater to casuals and then casual players got bored. Veterans became disgusted with the repetitiveness, death of the structure that led to group play and simplicity combined with gating and welfare gear.

It's that simple.

Let's get back to the way things were- back when there were 12 million people happily playing the game and re-subbing every month. You have a problem with that? Because I don't.

[Blayze]

Let's get back to the way things were- back when there were 12 million people happily playing the game and re-subbing every month. You have a problem with that? Because I don't.

I agree.
But it was pre-4.3 Cataclysm where Blizzard decided to try and make everyone more hardcore, and suddenly there weren't twelve million people playing anymore.
And then again in WoD, they got rid of the casuals by getting rid of almost everything but the raid content in the hopes that everyone would decide to raid.
Once again, people quit. Lots of people quit.

WoW got more people in TBC than in Vanilla, and in Wrath than TBC, and then recovered an incredible number of players for Mists, because each time the game added a LOT more shit for casuals to do.

LFR, as well as transmog and non-ballache dungeons, were what let patch 4.3 save Cataclysm from killing WoW off.

[Deleted]

This has got to be the stupidest post I've seen here. Tencent bought riot in 2011, after that the playerbase completely skyrocketed.

[Birkhoff]

This has got to be the stupidest post I've seen here. Tencent bought riot in 2011, after that the playerbase completely skyrocketed.

Dec. 17, 2015
Tencent Acquires Full Control of U.S.-Based Riot Games
http://www.wsj.com/articles/tencent-...mes-1450342769

[Pull My Finger]

Let's get back to the way things were- back when there were 12 million people happily playing the game and re-subbing every month. You have a problem with that? Because I don't.

Too bad it's not gonna happen and you're gonna be left with your misguided logic, your silly ideas and your useless whine posting that nobody cares about. Tough, huh?

[Deja Thoris]

Dec. 17, 2015
Tencent Acquires Full Control of U.S.-Based Riot Games
http://www.wsj.com/articles/tencent-...mes-1450342769

Since comprehension doesn't seem to be something you possess in spades. They already owned it, they just acquired the shares they didn't already have around the time of that article.

[Deleted]

WoW was always a casual game. It was a way way more forgiving and casual friendly successor to older and much less forgiving games like Everquest. Pretty much THE reason it enjoyed such a wild success was because it is accessible to everyone: teenagers, gamers, soccer moms and fucking octogenarians. If you don't understand this simple fact and yet try to make any broad statement about the game, you just out yourself as a complete ignoramus.

[Deleted]

Blizzard creates a good game, World of Warcraft, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Activision, an evil company known for not caring about the player, merges with Blizzard to form the holding company of Blizzard Entertainment and Activision.

Blizzard stops caring about the player

Blizzard destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

RiotGames creates a good game, League of Legends, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Tencent Holdings Inc., a Chinese shareholding company, buys out Riot Games, League of Legends and all related products.

RiotGames stops caring about the player

RiotGames destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

Conclusion



Destroying competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals is akin to plunging a dagger through your heart to cure high blood pressure. As the blood pressure first drops, it may seem that cardiovascular health is better but the cruel truth eventually manifests itself. Most of what made WoW a vibrant game came from its hardcore fans who raided, top PvP players, people that created websites, streams, preach to their friends, post on forums, etc. It’s not worth losing the goodwill of the community and frustrating those who actually do care about the game.

Casual Player Syndrome is killing games.

See this chart:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/2...rs-by-quarter/

Note how they start dropping in 2010. This is when Blizzard first started catering to 'casual players' by introducing LFD/LFR.

WoW took a bad turn and made some bad choices to cater to casuals and then casual players got bored. Veterans became disgusted with the repetitiveness, death of the structure that led to group play and simplicity combined with gating and welfare gear.

It's that simple.

Let's get back to the way things were- back when there were 12 million people happily playing the game and re-subbing every month. You have a problem with that? Because I don't.

Casuals pay the bills of raid tiers.
If you are ok with casuals leave the game, there is no game and raid tiers at all.

[Birkhoff]

Since comprehension doesn't seem to be something you possess in spades. They already owned it, they just acquired the shares they didn't already have around the time of that article.

That's exactly what allowed them to turn the game into a cash cow

[Deja Thoris]

That's exactly what allowed them to turn the game into a cash cow

They owned 93% before they got the other 7%.

Are you seriously suggesting that it all changed when they picked up the final 7%? (Because if you are you're dumber than I thought and at this point I don't think you're very smart). The game was a cash cow long before that.

[Birkhoff]

They owned 93% before they got the other 7%.

Are you seriously suggesting that it all changed when they picked up the final 7%? (Because if you are you're dumber than I thought and at this point I don't think you're very smart). The game was a cash cow long before that.

The CEOs have no say now. They are puppets.

You don't know how a company works.

[ElDoorO]

I'm pretty sure they catered to "casuals" in Wrath and it indisputably had the highest sub count.
Cata was lost a lot of players because they stopped catering to casuals. They haven't truly recovered since.

[Sansnom]

Destroying competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals is akin to plunging a dagger through your heart to cure high blood pressure.

Please explain what type of "competitiveness" you are referring to.

Note how they start dropping in 2010. This is when Blizzard first started catering to 'casual players' by introducing LFD/LFR.

And what makes you think if they did not introduce LFD/LFR the subs would have remained the same?

[Deleted]

They should hire a group of people who study how human mind works and how they react to certain things. The whole Cataclysm launch HC Dungeon fiasco could've been avoided if the LFG system had never been implemented. People get quickly used to something being easy, when it suddenly gets harder large portion of the player base choose to whine instead of improving themselves.

That is why these "casualization" errors that Blizzard and other companies have made are difficult to reverse. You make one once and it will most likely haunt you for a long time.

[Deja Thoris]

The CEOs have no say now. They are puppets.

You don't know how a company works.

Don't throw tinfoil at my question as a way of avoiding it.

All your OP is meant to be is what you think is some insightful of indepth analysis but really its just some semi coherent drivel that has about as much credibility as a 7 dollar note.

[Erudean]

Blizzard creates a good game, World of Warcraft, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Activision, an evil company known for not caring about the player, merges with Blizzard to form the holding company of Blizzard Entertainment and Activision.

Blizzard stops caring about the player

Blizzard destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

RiotGames creates a good game, League of Legends, which goes to become one of the most popular online games since the invention of computers

Tencent Holdings Inc., a Chinese shareholding company, buys out Riot Games, League of Legends and all related products.

RiotGames stops caring about the player

RiotGames destroys competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals

The game gets turned into a cash cow

The game is slowly dying

------------------------------------

Conclusion



Destroying competitiveness in the hope of attracting more casuals is akin to plunging a dagger through your heart to cure high blood pressure. As the blood pressure first drops, it may seem that cardiovascular health is better but the cruel truth eventually manifests itself. Most of what made WoW a vibrant game came from its hardcore fans who raided, top PvP players, people that created websites, streams, preach to their friends, post on forums, etc. It’s not worth losing the goodwill of the community and frustrating those who actually do care about the game.

Casual Player Syndrome is killing games.

See this chart:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/2...rs-by-quarter/

Note how they start dropping in 2010. This is when Blizzard first started catering to 'casual players' by introducing LFD/LFR.

WoW took a bad turn and made some bad choices to cater to casuals and then casual players got bored. Veterans became disgusted with the repetitiveness, death of the structure that led to group play and simplicity combined with gating and welfare gear.

It's that simple.

Let's get back to the way things were- back when there were 12 million people happily playing the game and re-subbing every month. You have a problem with that? Because I don't.

It's definitely possible, even likely, that choices they have made in regard to making the game more casual oriented, have negatively impacted subscriber levels. That being said, WoW has been out for 11 years, League has been out for 7. At a certain point, it becomes a battle of attrition against repetitive content, and boredom. These games had a great run, but perhaps it's time to let something else take the throne. Nothing lasts forever. I will continue to buy all of WoWs expansions, for the foreseeable future. I have played everything blizzard has thrown my way for close to 20 years now, and I'm a huge fan. WTB Universe of star-craft anyone?

[Birkhoff]

Please explain what type of "competitiveness" you are referring to.

Blizzard is catering to the lowest common denominator. WoW was once a "learn or die" sort of game if you had any hope of progressing. If you were a sub par player, you were not progressing and in turn, not getting any gear. You wouldn't even see content.

By killing exclusivity, blizzard killed the whole game.

And what makes you think if they did not introduce LFD/LFR the subs would have remained the same?

Vanilla/WotLK private servers.

- - - Updated - - -

Don't throw tinfoil at my question as a way of avoiding it.

All your OP is meant to be is what you think is some insightful of indepth analysis but really its just some semi coherent drivel that has about as much credibility as a 7 dollar note.

No tinfoil. They can simply replace the CEOs if they don't do what they say now.

[The Kao]

What I miss here is clear evidence that the nosedive those games made - which I'd still say will occur anyway after some years - wouldn't have happened without the evul influence of "catering towards casuals". All I see is another weak attempt to start a witch-hunt over nonsense reasoning.

[Blayze]

Blizzard is catering to the lowest common denominator. WoW was once a "learn or die" sort of game if you had any hope of progressing. If you were a sub par player, you were not progressing and in turn, not getting any gear. You wouldn't even see content.

By killing exclusivity, blizzard killed the whole game.

Explain why TBC gained subs over Vanilla despite making the game easier, then.

[Osmeric]

No tinfoil. They can simply replace the CEOs if they don't do what they say now.

They could do that before, since they controlled the board. What going from 93% to 100% does is remove the need to follow certain rules that ensure the minority shareholders are treated fairly. At 100% ownership, for example, they can simply strip assets/money from the subsidiary if they so desire.

- - - Updated - - -

Blizzard is catering to the lowest common denominator. WoW was once a "learn or die" sort of game if you had any hope of progressing. If you were a sub par player, you were not progressing and in turn, not getting any gear. You wouldn't even see content.

By killing exclusivity, blizzard killed the whole game.

This is obvious bullshit. It's amazing you guys continue with this utterly untenable narrative.

Even Blizzard says you're full of crap on this.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/23/465...ing-the-casual

They obviously didn't want to go in this direction (as judged by their failed attempts to pull back on it), so the internal stats that made them do this must have been overwhelming. It's something any external observer without a self-imposed blindness could have seen, though. Players are not entertained by content that excludes them. Exclusion not only doesn't work, it can't work even in principle.