World of Warcraft is attempting to slow its loss of subscribers by releasing more content.
You almost couldn’t spend an hour online a few years ago without hearing about World of Warcraft , and its popularity has faded. The lack of new content is what Activision is blaming for the consistent dropping off of subscribers to its MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) title. The real question is why they don’t just work on WoW 2 . With the emergence of next generation consoles on the horizon, gamers are likely looking for something bigger and better, not more of the same.
WoW is getting old and it shows. There are free-to-play competitors rearing their heads and in this economy, gamers are going to go where they don’t have to pay as much for a good time.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a conference call with investors:
“It’s important to note that the nature of online games has changed, and with the environment becoming far more competitive, especially with free-to-play games. To address this, we’re working to release new content more frequently to keep our players engaged longer and make it easier for lapsed players to come back into the game. We believe in the long-term value of this franchise and will continue to commit substantial resources to World of Warcraft .”
Activision says they are expecting further decline in subscribers, but hopefully new content will bring back WoW veterans who simply got bored with nothing new to do.
Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime adds, “We’re examining ways we can ease the transition back into the game for returning players. We’ve always seen players come and go from World of Warcraft . Smoothing out that transitional period is something we’re studying, as we adjust our approach to player behavior and preferences.”
World of Warcraft veterans, there’s more for you to come, and Activision is hoping it’s enough to keep you around.
Do you think more content will be enough to keep World of Warcraft subscribers happy, or should they just retool and come up with a sequel?