The 'WoW Killer'

Seems like every year the MMORPG market is challenged by yet another game claiming to be the best, 'The game that will kill World of Warcraft' the enthusiasts will say. It's funny that every year the same thing happens: the 'WoW killer' is swiftly squished beneath World of Warcraft's heel and everyone forgets that there was even another MMORPG that isn't WoW on the market. The list of 'WoW killers' that have been brutally murdered by Blizzard's cash cow is a large one indeed when you consider how few of these games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massively_multiplayer_online_role-playing_games) the average person, let alone MMORPGamer has even heard of.

"What is their recipe for success!?" rival game designers around the world must be thinking. Is it the gameplay and format? The setting? The Warcraft franchise fanbase... The Blizzard fanbase? Cut to present day and a new contender stands ready to step up and challenge WoW in mortal combat, but like the Highlander, there can only be one. In the world of mainstream MMORPGs you're all after the same market, and one person won't play two MMORPGs - Hell, some people can barely play an MMORPG and keep a job. So here we have Star Wars: The Old Republic(TOR) - no exception to the cliche proclamation of how it will gloriously slaughter WoW, pillage the customers and have it's way with the women. But why? After 8 years of equally as competent MMORPGs failing to topple WoW, what does Star Wars bring (or fail to bring) to the table? I would say first and foremost their tactic is to mimic the format and game play of WoW.

I don't play TOR but if I did, I'd name my guy DarthEvil.

Immediately the user-interface is very similar, differing only slightly in positioning of some elements like the text box and map. Even the way you level up your character (putting points into 'skill trees') is basically identical. By mimicking the most base elements of what makes the game, TOR shields itself from criticism as the WoW players they are trying to poach have been using these same conventions to play their MMORPG for years. If it's tried and tested (see: unoriginal), it can't be hated! ...Right?

Ok, I lied, the skill trees aren't identical. One reads from top to bottom.

The setting and how the game ties into an existing franchise is also integral to WoW's success and TOR's attempt at it. The Warcraft franchise dates back to 1994, and includes a trilogy of outrageously successful RTS games as well as Starcraft; the spin off with levels of success that Matt LeBlanc and the TV show Joey could only dream of. For a solid decade, leading up to the release of WoW, the designers had created a fanbase that was so well incubated, that the acclaim the games received spilled over onto the name 'Blizzard' and turned Blizzard into a brand with monstrously strong brand allegiance from it's customers. It would seem the winning formula, according to the WoW model, is not just time sink game play (the never ending game) but this in combination with brand allegiance.

You'd think that it'd be simple to use this formula for a Star Wars MMORPG, right? They've got the game play mimicking down and who could argue that there wasn't a rabidly loyal fan base for the Starwars and BioWare brand names? But the pothole in TOR's road to success won't be WoW, it'll be it's own designers- BioWare. BioWare have an amazing track record for RPGs: Balder's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect. All of these games were met with critical acclaim and all contributed to building BioWare's strong brand allegiance from it's customers, which is why they were chosen to develop TOR in the first place. Unfortunately, brand allegiance is not simply attained and held, it must be maintained through painstakingly (and correctly)pandering to your fan base and a keeping healthy relationship between the designers and players.

Fan base pandering: Pun not intended.

Blizzard do this so well, that there are theories on exactly how much feedback(whining on the forums) it takes from their player base to get something in WoW changed. However, BioWare seem to disregard the merits of further including the fanbase in the creation of their games. This is seen most noticeably with their handling of emergent behaviours in TOR but also in considering feedback from customers. Even the handles of BioWare TOR customer support representatives are droid serial numbers! An unintentional, but hilariously accurate implication that BioWare is unfeeling and unresponsive to the human player's feedback.

I love Protocol Droid W3-P4, he just gets me ya know?

It's interesting to see the most potentially successful videogame yet (debatable) beginning to fail not simply because of something wrong with the game, but rather failing due to the arrogance of the designers and their inability to foster a healthy relationship with their consumers. Should BioWare turn from 'the darkside' and attempt to remedy these problems I think The Old Republic could be a phenomenal success. Unfortunately, with the current management I have a feeling TOR will be nothing more than "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of subscribers suddenly cried out in fervor and then suddenly cancelled."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtJXlCskHM

How I feel about The Old Republic summarised in 15 seconds