Is WoW the most successful game ever?

[xStevooo]

And in terms of fun, the answer IMO is a huge no

[LocNess]

Compare Cod : MW2, Black Ops and MW3 as one game too then, all run off the same graphics engine and are essencially just new content on the same game. Much in the way that WoW expansions are (and sold at full shelf price).

Admittedly MW2 and MW3 are essentially the same game. Hasn't every CoD since MW (maybe not WaW) gone over 1 billion? Maybe there is a list of games that made over a billion dollars the past 5 years. Twilight Princess maybe, Mario Galaxy, MW2, I am too lazy to look it up though.

[Asetotti]

I wouldn't say the most succesful game ever... But lets face it: WoW is one of the most succesful games ever.

[formerblizzemployee]

WoW + Warcraft aren't even among the top sellers when compared to other games, in copies or revenue. WoW is the granddaddy of MMORPGs. That's it. Compared to games like Mario it's a little runt though.

WoW/Warcraft has no chance to ever reach Mario's level in terms of anything.

The difference in units is in the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, the difference in dollars in the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS to BILLIONS range. WoW can be credited for popularizing MMORPGs, and that's a lot of the problem with the genre now since there simply aren't that many people who actually like this genre for what it's supposed to be, but WoW definitely changed the culture around it.

I just don't believe that are more than 3,000,000 who like MMORPGs, yet around 25,000,000 are playing MMORPGs at any one time. WoW had to change, to something that is NOT a true MMORPG nowadays, to accommodate all those people they attracted who wouldn't stay around for a traditional MMORPG.

It really is time to redefine the genre, WoW should be considered an MMOSPW, massively multiplayer online social persistent world.

The social aspect of today's "mmorpgs" needs to be addressed. I can't think of one true MMORPG since EQ.

[alba007]

I am pretty sure the most successful game of all times is either Tetris or Pacman. Not joking or something. WoW with everybody else will be way behind those.

[yjmark]

Assuming you took your figure from here, that 450 million is not in dollars. It's COPIES.

Now I think that's kind of cheating, since the Mario franchise has covered a dozen platforms and probably over a hundred games of varying genres. It's like saying bullets are a franchise and that's the most popular game ever, since loads of games have them...

Whoops - that was my bad reading. So if Mario was $50 per game, that would mean $22.5 billion. And that appears to be for the entire franchise. I'll update first post. Thanks.

[Adam Jensen]

Depends on how you define successful. Is WoW the most popular? Perhaps. Is WoW the game that netted the highest profits or sales? If it isn't, I'd guess it's among the top ten, perhaps even top 5.

And I agree about Mario being more successful in that Mario got the ball rolling for the video game industry whereas WoW merely improved upon Everquest and became MMO king.

[mordale]

in terms of sheer money earned per game, WoW sits above the charts.
the mario franchise is like the the zerg, there are so many main line, off shoots, and spinoffs most of which sell very well that as a whole its ungodly how much Nintendo has made over the years.

putting it this way; WoW could buy a small country and fund an small army, mario could buy japan.

[formerblizzemployee]

Depends on how you define successful. Is WoW the most popular? Perhaps. Is WoW the game that netted the highest profits or sales? If it isn't, I'd guess it's among the top ten, perhaps even top 5.

You really don't have to guess, this stuff is kept up with and has been posted in charts for everyone to see. Google this information, there is no benefit to speculating on what has already been put together. That's just lazy. You can't further a discussion without proper knowledge.

[Nerraw]

You really don't have to guess, this stuff is kept up with and has been posted in charts for everyone to see. Google this information, there is no benefit to speculating on what has already been put together. That's just lazy. You can't further a discussion without proper knowledge.

No need to be snappy.

If you have proof of any of the things discussed, link them yourself.

[Beroendet]

Best MMO? Yes it is...

[mordale]

you know, i don't think blizzard has ever released just how many purchases of the basic WoW have been made.

[Scummer]

Money wise I'd assume so. It's always had millions of subscribers and expansion sales, add to that character services and franchise products (Action figures etc). It's made metric ton of money.
It's also definitely left a legacy for it's place in gaming history as an MMORPG.

[sanaubia]

not even close

[Nerraw]

you know, i don't think blizzard has ever released just how many purchases of the basic WoW have been made.

They said in an interview a couple of years back that 30+ million people had been by the game at some point. Who knows how that number has evolved since then.

---------- Post added 2012-08-20 at 06:26 PM ----------

Money wise I'd assume so. It's always had millions of subscribers and expansion sales, add to that character services and franchise products (Action figures etc). It's made metric ton of money.
It's also definitely left a legacy for it's place in gaming history as an MMORPG.

I forgot about the faction changes and such. The income from those alone has been through the roof.

[GKLeatherCraft]

Franchise? Mario blows it out of the water.

Single game? If we're including sub fees too?

WoW has made a stupidly mind-boggling amount of money over the years. Just... mind-boggling. Billions.

I know there's a lot of billionaires in the world, but just, for a moment, sit down and try and wrap your head around, say, five billion dollars. That is five thousand million dollars. It's a ludicrous amount of money.

Wow, i never thought about Billions that way, does make it seem alot more

WoW is a very addictive game, and people often don't want to stop playing it because of what they feel they have accomplished, if for some absurd reason all WoWs data got lost, and everyone had to start again, i would like to bet they would lose vast amounts of subs,at least half, i have lost game files(i think most people have) On consoles, but always start again, but WoW? I think it would be the kick i need to leave it lol

Just to clarify, i think WoW is an amazing game, i spent alot of time doing most old dungeons/raids helping people, and the sheer amount of work that has been put into that game over the years is insane, IMO Blizz deserve all the revenue they have gotten from it

[ShadowCrafter]

Burning crusade, best pve content ever made.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

Burning crusade, best pve content ever made.

What does that have to do with the topic at hand?

[McNeil]

Mario and Pokémon are still the most succesfull games ever. Both very old, yet still very popular, those games will hardly age.

[Deleted]

Per customer, WoW wins. However Pokemon, Mario and similar stuff will always have generated more overall profit.