'World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria' misses the mark with kung fu pandas

[Deleted]

i dunno what "mark" they THINK it should have hit but I enjoyed this expansion

I enjoyed it too, I think it achieved exactly what it was meant to do.
Whatever one may think about Pandaren, the main scenario was better handled than in previous expansions and the pandaren race was a pretty good factor in it.

I also don't understand in the first article why she said WoW shouldn't implement new systems found in other games.
On the contrary, if the game systems doesn't evolve, it's bound to fade away, since people always get bored of the same old things after a time.
And as for the "modern MMOs", honnestly, be it Tera or SWTOR, quests are still more of the same old things : "Go there", "Kill X creatures", "Loot Y objects". At least WoW implemented since WotLK some interesting mechanics in the questing system.

[Deficineiron]

Oh look..articles from 2012. Yes, they could totally know in advance what non-cutsey stuff would be in the ToT and SoO raids. The entire x-pac was just shiny happy Kung Fu Panda.

Tinfoilhat to think this is flamebait?

In marketing, first impressions are terribly important. I would argue that the trailer 2 yrs ago absolutely DID get the kung-fooo panda image securely in some players minds - in fact, how could blizzard have made the connection more obvious?

[melodramocracy]

IGN and NBC.

Yeah, two bastions of unbiased fact.

Two bastions of advice for uninformed gamers who might have balked at the title based on these recommendations.

It's like album reviews. Few people with a clue pay attention to them, yet they certainly can have an effect on sales.

[uopayroll]

"Factor inThe Old Republic, which released at the tail end of 2011, and the market is practically choking on triple-A MMO titles"

Right there...the author has no fucking clue what they are talking about!!

[melodramocracy]

OMG yes. That initial reveal floored me with how it presented itself.

I as well. Though I do think this has been a solid expansion, my initial reaction was a giant facepalm. You can be certain that 'because pandas' lost more than a few subs.

[SadisticChipmunk]

The game was shedding subs long before that. It started during the tail end of Wrath, and it hasn't ever recovered. It isn't the content that is driving people away. It's the MMO market in general. The target audience in 2004-2008 is now married with children and jobs. The current gaming consumer doesn't want the old style MMOs they want something that they can pick up whenever they want and put it back down for a while. MMOs aren't that kind of game...

I think MMO-Champ should have a code added that anytime this topic, or any topic about what is killing WoW is brought up, this response right here should be posted and the thread locked.... and maybe a giant hand come out of the monitor and slap the thread creator.

[Deleted]

Okay. That's it. Can we all fucking stop for a second and agree on one thing? That thing being that it wasn't just one of the following; kung fu pandas, "horde focused" story lines, lack of end game content, too much endgame content, end game becoming to inclusive, end game being to exclusive, pet battles, character models being back burner'd and garrosh not evening dying that "ruined" WoW for "a lot" of people, but it was a possible combination of these subjects and many more (Like declining server populations or mass migrations to already capped servers) as to why people have stopped playing?

Blaming the astronomical subscription losses on one thing is so asinine it hurts, and IGN and NBC's bias does not make it any better in the least.

I can't really agree with that. I quit WoW because of the Pandas. Not cause of the endgame or horde focused story. I might just be one guy, but I'm not alone. People might quite for other reasons, but the pandas alone are reason enough for some to end their sub.

[Hanto]

Why is that ignorant, exactly? The design of Pandaren, their lifestyle and behaviour is very similiar to the main character of Kung Fu Panda. Compare them to what was shown in Warcraft III. They changed Pandaren for MoP and were influenced by KFP, there is not much more to be said about it I think. Nobody is hurt, Kung Fu Panda is a great movie.

Except that, you know, it's never referenced positively. Always "Waaaah! Kung Fu Pandas! Kiddies everywhere! This game is for my toddlers now!" Also, I seriously doubt that Pandaren in MoP were influenced by Kung Fu Panda. Where's that connection? I don't see any clumsy, showmanistic ding-dongs wobbling around trying to master some art they have a hidden talent for. Aside from the fact that the two things being compared both have pandas that perform some sort of martial arts is about as close as it gets.

I'm not doubting the moving is a good movie, I enjoyed it. But the negative connotation people use to bash a race, and an entire expansion, based on an animated movie that came AFTER the conception of the race itself is ignorant, tired and really should be laid to rest.

[Deficineiron]

The ratio was 1 dislike for every 8 likes, there is nothing bad about that.
The Mists of Pandaria trailer has also 13 million views, compared to the 800k from Classic-trailer.
So yeah, no wonder that people give you flack for that.

I don't think 8/1 is even close to right. I think the main viewed video (like 4 million views in late 2011?) was closer to 1/1. Memory is treacherous, I could be wrong.

but I am not wrong - http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...1#post14970541, post 418
4m views, roughly 25k both likes and dislikes. note that prior main-viewed youtube tease trailers had something like a 10/1 like/dislike ratio

want to use WoW-style time-travel to edit the 1/8? you have all four months of the quarter to do it!

[melodramocracy]

Blizzard also said over the yer the re-occuring No 1 request since Classic was: To have Pandaren.

Do you actually believe that?

[Eldrad]

'World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria' misses the mark with kung fu pandas
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/wo...pandas-6234050

World of Warcraft: Why Pandas?
"http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/01/18/world-of-warcraft-why-pandas"

'World of Warcraft' goes to the pandas: Will you play?
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/wo...play-1B6072194


I think the next expansion will make or break WoW. The thing is, the key to success is that the expansion must not be stereotyped badly before it's released, because people WILL think bad of it even before playing.

Stereotypes shape consumer behavior. People often rely on stereotypes to help them make sense of their social environment. When the consumer has little information regarding his consumption, stereotypes related to the consumption are used to guide product choices.

I don't know how blizzard could possibly avoid this. Obviously I wouldn't approve of them bribing people to say good things about WoW.

This is something to think about.

lol

MAKE or BREAK WoW!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

WoW is made dude. It's almost 10 years old. You could have had sex, conceived a child, and raised that child and they could now be playing WoW in the amount of time WoW has been around.
It has had multiple main stream references, most of the world knows what it is, it has had millions of players, even people who don't play games like this, it had generated who knows how much profit.

Make or break?

[Deleted]

Agreed. MoP isn't exactly upsetting, it just feels like a different game and is so linear.. leveling is just one long quest chain and the settings and landscapes are so dull. Then there's the whole dumbing down talents thing and less non-cosmetic options for customizing your character. Linear gear progression, LFR.

They could have handled the pandas differently too. If pandarians had been like the worgen or DKs or goblins from previous expansions, I don't think it would have caused that much negative publicity. They just didn't didnt deserve an entire expansion based on them.

[Synstir]

In marketing, first impressions are terribly important. I would argue that the trailer 2 yrs ago absolutely DID get the kung-fooo panda image securely in some players minds - in fact, how could blizzard have made the connection more obvious?

It is not only about the existing player... I think it is important to see how it was perceived by non-players, as they are potentially new players.
And in those minds the relation to Kung Fu Panda was quite clear.

In my opinion it was Blizzard's intention to have as many as possible think of Kung Fu panda!
It didn't draw in lots of new players but that is another issue.

[yjmark]

Do you actually believe that?

Consdiering it was true for most polls on most websites (including MMO-Champ polls), I would have to ask "why wouldn't you believe that?"

[ComputerNerd]

Okay. That's it. Can we all fucking stop for a second and agree on one thing? That thing being that it wasn't just one of the following; kung fu pandas, "horde focused" story lines, lack of end game content, too much endgame content, end game becoming to inclusive, end game being to exclusive, pet battles, character models being back burner'd and garrosh not evening dying that "ruined" WoW for "a lot" of people, but it was a possible combination of these subjects and many more (Like declining server populations or mass migrations to already capped servers) as to why people have stopped playing?

Blaming the astronomical subscription losses on one thing is so asinine it hurts, and IGN and NBC's bias does not make it any better in the least.

The subscriptions were declining before MoP, therefore if the context of those is aimed at Mists, then none of them are to blame.
I agree there is no simple, no single cause and I do think there are others that people choose deliberately to ignore.
The age of the game, the age of the original young playerbase, many of which are now adults with real life responsibilities, the state of the community, increased competition from other games.

Those articles are just catering to the noisy and arrogant minority who keep yelling about "Kung Fu Panda" when in reality that movie was many years too late when you consider the Pandaren appearances in Warcraft Lore.
A tired argument dreamt up by stupid kids who can't come up with real criticisms of the content or design.

The reputation of those sources are not helped by the complete inability to provide something unbiased.

People complaining make the most noise, so their opinions will always be exaggerated in apparent quantity than those who are more positive.
If all the negative talk was to be believed, then the game would have died about 4 years ago.

[Tulklas]

I agree to the jist of the articles, the Pandaren are a joke and impossible to take seriously.

Here's hoping they add some "ferocity and strength" vibe this time around--hopefully to the new character models, I would love to play an orc blademaster that actually looked like an orc blademaster.

If they don't update at lease a few of the vanilla models this expansion there is no chance they well get me back irregardless of anything else they do.

[dd614]

WoW is still bleeding subs so it's clear to assume that Pandas did miss the mark.

[Deficineiron]

It is not only about the existing player... I think it is important to see how it was perceived by non-players, as they are potentially new players.
And in those minds the relation to Kung Fu Panda was quite clear.

In my opinion it was Blizzard's intention to have as many as possible think of Kung Fu panda!
It didn't draw in lots of new players but that is another issue.

yes it was absolutely intentional, multibillion dollar franchises can screw up but they don't innocently resemble so greatly such a successful property (better yet - wanna bet legal gave them guidelines on what NOT to do to avoid KFP issues?)

[Novx]

I personally only take my gaming advice from NBC News. Just like I only get my comedy from Fox News, and I only get my real news from the Daily Show.

PS: No other game has gained WoW's subscribers obviously (SWTOR? Rift? Aion?) - ever consider people just quit online games?

[Deleted]

Is it even possible to point at one thing and blame it for dropping subs down? I don't think so. There must be multiple reasons why people quit the game, not just one.