WoW has tainted what was once a great genre.

[spectrefax]

WoW, also affectionately known as a Facebook-MMORPG, has gradually changed the entire face of the MMORPG genre. In it's first incarnation, while much easier and more accessible than it's predecessors, still held on tightly to much of the core values of the MMORPG genre. Since then, it's bastardized what was once a truly epic, consuming and fulfilling gaming genre.

A genre once focused on complete immersion and longevity, thanks to WoW, is now nothing more than a drop-down menu instance-fest. Why other development studios choose to keep following Blizzard down their path of giving gamers instant gratification and giving credence to non-stop whining, is truly beyond me. For some unquantifiable reason, companies keep trying to "keep trend" with the current MMORPG genre, while not a single company is trying to pick up the subset of gamers who truly want that life-enveloping gaming experience and all the things that come with it (which, in this day in age, can no longer be classified as MMORPG, as the gaming philosophies and design are completely different than what currently is the "norm" for this genre.).

Because these two game types are so radically different, there should be a term coined to define the MMORPG gaming genre of old - we'll call it S-MMORPG (Serious Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game).

Things that separates WoW from the S-MMORPG genre:

Instanced Anything: The world is the world, are you kidding me with instances?
Drop-down Menu Game Selection/Queueing: This immersion-destroying garbage has absolutely no place in an S-MMORPG.
Multiple Difficulty Levels of the Same Mobs/Areas/Raids: As with instances, this is laughable. You want to beat the mythical, historic baddy that has plagued your world's population for centuries? Well, sorry, you'll need to actually be at your keyboard to do so. Don't like it? Find another game. That's the S-MMORPG way!
Death Penalties: You died and you don't want to their to be any repercussions? Ha! Get your ass back in WoW. S-MMORPGs force you to respect the gaming world.
I want my gear now: "Waaaah, I haven't gotten my drops from my AFK'd LFR runs! This is absurd!" Any S-MMORPG player knows how absolutely rediculous this is. The amount of hand-holding and instant fulfillment is another thing that really separates the two genres.
I shouldn't have to interact: You're playing an M M O R P G (yes each one is bolded for emphasis) but you don't want to have to work with other players to progress? Do you listen to yourself? You DO understand what genre your in right? This kind of request in an S-MMORPG is, and rightly should be, met with, "Lol - tough luck! This game and genre clearly isn't for you." - not, "We're changing core design philosophies to quell your whining."

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the genre WoW and other MMORPGs are in, but, while WoW and similar MMORPGs have their place, market and an obvious fan base, it really is time for someone to serve this new (old?) genre of gaming that WoW bastardized. What's truly sad is that the games of old that created this S-MMORPG genre have all followed WoW's lead and are too radically different than their first incarnations and don't even fit in the genre they started anymore. Which is sad, because the S-MMORPG player pool is still alive and well.

And, yes, I truly blame WoW, their player-base, and this player-base's inability to work for anything (and Blizzard and other gaming companies for bending to them) for tainting what was once an amazing gaming genre. I'm still hopeful a game will come along one day that fills the obvious gap in the S-MMORPG genre. Thankfully, WoW and its players will never, ever be a part of this genre because it's a genre that isn't for the feint of heart or those who want instant gratification.

Blizzard, thank you for creating the ultra-casual, no-work-involved, facebook-style, mmorpg genre. People like it, and I'm glad you've removed them all from the S-MMORPG genre, that they had no business being a part of in the first place.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I wish someone would come out with an MMORPG as hard as the original Everquest was.

Not because I'd play it, oh no. I'd avoid it like the plague. I just want to see if one can possibly survive in today's gaming market.

[Lime]

no-work-involved? Lol...

Are you implying that heroic raids require no work?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I wish someone would come out with an MMORPG as hard as the original Everquest was.

Not because I'd play it, oh no. I'd avoid it like the plague. I just want to see if one can possibly survive in today's gaming market.

Everquest Next apparently fits that description. To be honest, Wow hasn't tainted the genre. The consumers for better or worse have changed the genre. Personally, hardcore isn't one way to enjoy the game anymore.

[Luganix]

Oh look, it's one of these bash WoW for not remaining a boring bug ridden vanilla game. Also, heroic raiding is challenging still, you should try it some time.

[HeedmySpeed]

no-work-involved? Lol...

Are you implying that heroic raids require no work?

Are you implying that you HAVE to do Heroic raids? LOL /queueLFR

[spectrefax]

I wish someone would come out with an MMORPG as hard as the original Everquest was.

Not because I'd play it, oh no. I'd avoid it like the plague. I just want to see if one can possibly survive in today's gaming market.

It's a niche market, to be sure, and would never meet the massive numbers that Farmville or WoW have, but there's absolutely enough of a market to get years and years of profitability from.

[Lime]

Are you implying that you HAVE to do Heroic raids? LOL /queueLFR

Wow, thats such great logic bro. /sarcasm

I guess no MMO ever requires effort. You dont HAVE to do anything.

[Bladeface]

Are you implying that you HAVE to do Heroic raids? LOL /queueLFR

are you implying that in vanilla or any other mmo you HAD to play the game?

[Nemesiz]

As a 10 man HC raider I can never relate to these threads...

I'm gonna give myself 1 year to become mad and sour, maybe I can understand all the hate then. ^_^

[Deleted]

Instanced Anything: The world is the world, are you kidding me with instances?

You are joking, right? WoW has always been the one of less instanced MMO of them all.

[pallyopness]

I am beginning to believe all these people are actually employed by everquest or (name your company here) to come bash the game in hopes of driving people away. Because clearly these people are not playing the same game I am....

[lawow74]

Next up, how automobiles have ruined the horse and cart industry and why companies like Ford and GM need to cater to the huge market still out there waiting for them to come back.

[Welsh]

Everquest is still up and running. Maybe change games?

[Stahlfaust]

so why aren't you playing Wizardry Online as an example? it's really not difficult to find elitist hardcore grind heavy MMO's with a small playerbase to immerse yourself in.

[Darsithis]

We've had enough WoW-bashing threads recently (including a daily "WoW is dying!" thread). We don't need more, especially one so negative as to call WoW's features "garbage" and accuse it of "tainting" the genre.