Another it needs to have 10 million subscribers or it's a bust post. I don't agree and the market doesn't agree as there are literally dozens and dozens of MMOs from companies large and small with only hundreds of thousands of subscribers that are still active. That said, I'm sure everyone dreams of being "the next WOW", just as people dream of being the best pro football player. However, even if you don't make it in the pros, being a star in college doesn't suck. So even though dozens of games have tried to emulate WOW's success and nobody has that doesn't mean the other games suck nor does it means they were unprofitable. I am glad most developers don't agree with you and the others that say only millions of subscribers equals success because it would be a boring WOW only MMO world if that were true - and thankfully it's not true....
Evil, you are correct sir! WOW was in fact my first commercial MMO, and I enjoyed it for 2-3 years until it just became an endless grind. I also played all the Zorks and still remember them fondly. Watch out for Grues!
That's a lot of absolutes. No developer ever does this, everyone has to like it or it's a failure (by that definition WOW is a failure). If a game only has 2 million subscribers, it sucks. etc. etc.
All the above absolutes may be true in your world, but in the business world plenty of game companies and/or MMOs succeed on sales of 2 million copies/subscribers or less. The fact that you believe that a game is only successful if more than 2 million other people like it is simply that, your belief. That doesn't make it true, and in fact it's not true.
Many games are profitable with a niche audience (and when I say niche in MMO terms I'm talking somewhere in the 500,000 to 1,500,000 player/subscriber range. I'm glad that not everyone thinks like you or the only game we'd have is WOW and everyone else would stop making MMOs. As you can see by the VERY large number of active MMOs (all of which suck by your definition) there are plenty of smaller, niche MMOs that are doing just fine and offering people like me who don't let the masses decide what sucks and what doesn't (I prefer to decide for myself) choices and options to play something other than WOW. I enjoy The Secret World and that's all I need to say it's fun, if you think it sucks because it doesn't have 10 million subscribers (6 million of which are Chinese and paying less than $2 a month $US) like WOW, then we'll agree to disagree.
By the way, it's not that difficult to be profitable with an MMO with hundreds of thousands of subscribers or as a free to play. If that weren't true then why is there DDO, Star Trek, Star Wars, EVE, Champions, DC Comics, Aion, Guild Wars 2, and dozens and dozens of other f2p MMOs out there still going strong?
I am enjoying the game. I don't have any problem with the combat and I love the story elements and the atmosphere and the quests are so different. It's the first game I've played in a while that immersed me (Star Wars tried but failed-it was just WOW with light sabers), and where the quests don't just feel like a level grind. Grinding is a big turn off for me and one of my biggest criticisms of WOW and WOW clones - the constant feeling of grinding quests, dailies, weeklys, materials for crafting, reputation, etc. etc. etc. then you have to do it all over again for your 17 alts to see all the races and classes - it's all just a giant grind). TSW doesn't feel that way at all the quests are fun and you can all all the game's content and skills with one toon (although you'd need 3 to see all the factions I had 9 toons on WOW and 8 on SWTOR which contributes to the grind factor), and because of the unique quest system the great atmosphere, and the lack of a feeling of grinding (no dailies, no rep quests, no mat grinding for crafting, no alt grinding, etc.), I am enjoying it and will continue to play it as long as that immersion factor remains.
I'd encourage everyone to try it for themselves. I expect the game will go f2p at some point as all games but WOW do, so if the subscription is your big hangup, then give a try on a "free" weekend and jump in when it goes f2p if you like it.
I'm sure the two events (launch and stock drop) are unrelated. That said, I am really enjoying TSW. We can debate whether it's single player or multiplayer, whether it should be called an MMO, whether it should have be f2p or subscription and they are all valid discussions, but at the end of the day I only care about one thing...does the game draw me in. This one does in a way no other game has because most other games tried to be WOW and only WOW can be WOW. Star Wars blatantly ripped off everything WOW and stuck a light saber in your hand and said, "$15 a month, please". TSW doesn't copy WOW in any meaningful way, which is why I think it has a chance to be successful. Maybe not as a big mega million subscriber game, but certainly as a niche game at the very least. I'm really enjoying it so far.
Left WOW after two years of playing. It was great fun at first, but once I was don't leveling it became nothing but a grind. Raiding while fun at times was like a 2nd job where you were expected to give up 20+ hours a week of your life to grinding for tiered gear and drama amonst the members and offices was ridiculous. And I certainly don't miss grinding dailies for tokens, reputation, and materials. If WOW ever goes free to play like most other MMOs have I may go back, because then I could play at my leisure with no monthly charge to worry about, but in the absence of that I won't be back no matter how much they dress up the graphics.
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