MMOG companies continue to channel their message through a select group of publications that focus on the MMOG genre exclusively. While each game gets the occasional day in the sun on a larger outlet like GameSpot, they rarely stay in the limelight for long. Blizzard doesn't ignore MMOG sites, but they hardly covet them, because they have the distinct advantage of being the elephant in the room. Smaller sites have to cover WoW if they're covering the genre. It's too big to ignore.
When game companies focus their message on MMOG players, they fight with each other over a small, stagnant group.
This phenomenon explains how in MMORPG.com's annual Reader's Choice Awards, EVE Online was able to sweep WoW. EVE has 180,000 subscribers worldwide, just over 2 percent of WoW's subscriber base. The average WoW player just doesn't care about what the typical MMOG fan does.
Since MMOG fans and WoW fans travel in different circles, it is up to MMOG studios to figure out not only how to appeal to WoW fans, but where they came from in the first place.
The biggest advantage Blizzard had coming in was a built-in fan base no one - with the possible exception of BioWare - can rival. Then, they marketed themselves beyond the established MMOG circles; they even ran TV ads. And if their initial success wasn't enough, they were immortalized in a South Park episode poking fun at the game's addictive qualities.
MMOG companies need to get creative if they hope to duplicate WoW's mainstream success. Most recently, Turbine seems to have learned that lesson. Since its launch in late April, The Lord of the Rings Online has dominated NPD sales numbers, and in a recent interview, Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel was quoted as saying their game was the second most popular MMOG ever, but it remains too early to guess how many subscribers they might actually have.
Turbine leveraged their mainstream license and attracted attention outside the traditional routes. Their studio name doesn't carry the weight of Blizzard's, but many more people know the works of J.R.R. Tolkien than know Warcraft. Turbine still evangelized on fansites and gaming portals, but they also had placement in major newspapers and other mainstream outlets. If Steefel's quote is accurate, the strategy paid off. But they still have a long way to go. Despite its epic license, improved marketing and generally top notch reviews, no one expects The Lord of the Rings Online to compete with WoW anytime soon.
It would be naive to think no MMOG will ever top WoW. It will happen - it always does - but it definitely won't happen until game companies wake up and stop fighting over the same hardcore group that's played every MMOG since EverQuest. WoW appealed to a wider audience, and to achieve that level of success, studios must reach beyond hardcore MMOG fans, through WoW fans and out to people who still look confused when they hear the word MMOG.
Dana "Lepidus" Massey is the Senior Editor for WarCry.com and former Co-Lead Game Designer for Wish.
