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World of Warcraft is a landmark game and has
been a sensation in its first year of release. As it proceeds
through its second year, it is likely to continue its success and
see its fan base become even greater. The game world of Azeroth is
also set to grow, as a new game expansion is coming to enhance the
World of Warcraft experience.
World of Warcraft’s challenge in 2008 will involve
maintaining its success. When the game first came out, it wasn’t
clear how it would perform. Blizzard Entertainment were confident in
the game and had great hopes for it, but the gaming world was
uncertain, wondering how well the traditional Warcraft elements
would fit with an interactive online world. It actually worked
brilliantly, and so the game took off.
Now the question is whether this is sustainable. It is extremely
likely. By this point, it is clear that World of Warcraft is
not simply a passing craze but rather a title with serious,
long-lasting appeal. The game saw huge international growth in 2005
and now in 2008 has reached
10.0 million
subscribers worldwide. The game has built up major momentum and it
does not feel like it has peaked. Its sales are in great health, and
more and more people are becoming interested in it.
World of Warcraft should see its subscriber base grow even
further. It is impossible to predict the future, but it is plausible
that it could reach a figure of 15 to
20 million subscribers in the
course of the 2008. It is important to consider that a number of
countries received the game later than America, so there is much
potential for growth, as in global terms it is a relatively new
game. It was released in November 2005 in
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The most crucial development for World of Warcraft
was in January 2007
with
the expansion, The Burning Crusade. This title
incorporate elements from a previous game, Warcraft 3, by including
the former villains, the Burning Legion. It added a new playable
race to both the Alliance and the Horde, with the race of Blood
Elves confirmed as joining the Horde. It also set to raise the game’s
level cap to 70 and opened up the area of the Outlands. The
new content and features
have been very promising.
It is interesting to consider how the World of Warcraft
expansion has been received.
It has satisfy people, as it offers growth and variety to the
whole experience.
It has been fascinating to see
the new race joining the Alliance,
and it is intriguing and different for the Horde to have their
own “pretty” race in the form of the Blood Elves. In general, the
expansion has been a good thing and will give the game more depth. It
should make the game more appealing to players.
World of Warcraft will also see its influence grow in 2008.
Its success has inspired the game industry to develop similar titles
and explore where the role-playing genre can go. There are games in
development that intend to follow Warcraft’s lead. The title
“Warhammer Online” is one such example. This massively
multi-player online role-playing game aims to refine its genre even
further, by making the game play more competitive and ruthless. It
will be interesting to see how it performs.
World of Warcraft has a lot to look forward to in its
forth
year and beyond. The subscriber base for the game should grow, as it is now a
genuine mainstream success. The expansion has
been the most
significant update to the game yet. It is clear that World of
Warcraft will continue to prosper and will be around for a long
time to come.
About
the Author of this article:
Hunter Crowell is a researcher, marketer, and an
avid online gamer, including World of Warcraft and also the
creator of the
Buy World of Warcraft Gold
Price List Guide, a web
site setup to help World of Warcraft players find the cheapest place to buy
their gold. http://www.world-of-warcraft-gold.com
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