Snow Day

Ripples in The Pond

What's been interesting to see over the last two years is how other games have adapted to the presence of the proverbial 300-pound gorilla. Some existing titles have openly adopted features offered by World of Warcraft. EverQuest II has introduced several UI improvements that seem very familiar, the most obvious example being the "available quest" notifications above the heads of PCs. With millions of people playing one title, it's tempting to borrow what works for your own game. It's probable that some players have migrated to EQ2 from WoW, and anything that can make those players feel at home in their new game is likely to be considered by the developers.

On the other hand, many games still in the works have deliberately taken up a contrarian design. World of Warcraft's fantasy elements, solo-friendly gameplay and elaborate endgame raiding are all just one approach to MMOG development. Tabula Rasa, for example, has taken the fantasy element out of the equation, going for a sci-fi military feel. Vanguard is intended to be a hardcore title in that many gameplay elements will require a group in order to complete them. By aiming for niches in the marketplace, games like these hope to attract players already bored of WoW's style of play.

I've even heard anecdotal evidence that WoW's success is shaking the money tree. With so many people interested in online play, it will be easier for future developers to raise venture capital. This comes at a cost, of course, as venture capitalists begin conversations with, "So, how is this going to be like World of Warcraft?" If you're aiming away from the fantasy genre, that's got to be frustrating to hear.

In the big picture, I believe Blizzard and WoW's impact on the massive genre has been overwhelmingly positive. More people playing can only mean good things for players, for communities and for developers. More players in the genre means a higher demand for games, resulting in a greater diversity of titles and experiences. This critical mass creates real virtual worlds from mere virtual spaces, promoting communication and self-expression via the MMOG medium.

For better or worse, WoW is the face of the massive genre. In a very small part of the galaxy, it's a gravity well bending light that passes anywhere near it. When discussing PvP, questing, guilds or class balance, commentators now have a lingua franca: the common tongue of World of Warcraft.

Michael "Zonk" Zenke is Editor of Slashdot Games, a subsite of the technology community Slashdot.org. He comments regularly on massive games at the site MMOG Nation. He lives in Madison, WI (the best city in the world) with his wife Katharine.