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In the early days of MMOs, the genre was full of innovation and experimentation. Each game tried to carve out its own unique niche, and players were eager to try out new and exciting experiences. The genre was young and there were relatively few games. But then World of Warcraft arrived on the scene and changed everything. And for about a decade, killed the genre.
Games like Everquest, Ultima Online, and Star Wars Galaxies all fell by the way side.
With its massive success, WoW became the benchmark for all future MMOs. Game developers tried to clone its success by copying its gameplay mechanics, art style, and even its user interface. As a result, the genre became stagnant, with a flood of WoW clones flooding the market.
But perhaps some of the most egregious offenses were the games that tried to recreate their released games in the image of WoW: Everquest 2 and Star Wars Galaxies with the NGE.
But WoW's impact went even further than stifling innovation. The game's focus on accessibility and ease-of-use also removed much of the struggle that made early MMOs so appealing. As Josh Strife Hayes covered in his video: "Why Old MMOs feel better" Quests were streamlined and became the focus of the game for leveling which became faster and easier, and the game's social elements were simplified. Death penalties disappeared along with taming systems, housing and the quarternity.
While these changes made WoW more accessible to a wider audience, they also removed much of what made MMOs unique. Players no longer had to struggle to level up or work together to overcome challenges in the same way. Instead, they could breeze through the game's content on their own, without ever having to interact with others. Many players preferred this, but with the rush to copy WoW's success, players who didn't were left with precious few options.
Ultimately, WoW's success stifled the MMO genre under its weight. As other games tried to clone its success, they grew cowardly and shyed away from taking the genre forward. And as players grew tired of the same old formula, they turned to other genres for new and exciting experiences, largely leaving the MMO genre in the same place it was in in 2005.
This, to me, is how World of Warcraft killed the MMO Genre...
At least, for a little while.
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