…long ago had the best developers who were gamers and passionists. People were a part of this passion. This is why we forgive them much more. These people were like rock stars when they came to Blizzcone scene. We play WoW for them and to be a part of a band.
These people are no more in Blizzard.
Without them we just have WoW, and WoW never was a good game.
I think WoW is a good game. It certainly has some issues, and some areas that need improving. But if by good game you mean a game that is fun and enjoyable to play, then I think WoW is good.
That’s kinda what WoW has been doing for a long time.
Best MMO? Nah. There’s better ones out there. ESO FF14 come to mind. However WoW basically took the formula EQ had, made it more accessible and action based, and then rode the ride to success.
Now? WoW devs convinced themselves that the only appeal that this game offers is hard mode group content. The result? Players leaving to games that aren’t only about uber hard mode gear grinds.
Certainly the consensus of WoW-GD since 2004 has been that WoW is not only not a good game, but a terrible game, one of the worst games ever made. GD consensus now for 17 years.
There have always been naysayers about the imminent fall if WoW.
WoW was seen even at launch was seen as a corporate MMO ripping off Everquest’s design, Warhammer’s lore and made for casuals.
You saw the developers as rock stars because of what you put on them not who they were just like any celebrity.
Name a game, TV show, book series, comic book, band or anything else that put out new content for 15 years that the fan base was always enjoying and never saw as a “step back” or a “shadow of what it was”.
The Beatles with long hair, new cast on SNL, Fantastic Beast movies from JK Rowling, Star Wars prequels or sequel trilogy depending on your age, Game of Thrones, The Simpsons on and on.
As time goes on the product stays the same and becomes “stale” by “recycling” the hits, or it “changes too much” and “gets away from it’s roots by forgetting what made it great”.