No one can compete with WOW

By Ellie Gibson Published 20 June, 2006

Says very important THQ person.

THQ has no plans to release any MMO games in the near future, according to CEO Brian Farrell - since there's no point while everyone's still going mental for World of Warcraft.

Farrell's comments came during a presentation to investors, where he was asked why THQ hasn't produced an MMO yet. He replied: "We're looking at it very closely, but I want to find the right opportunity. I think what you will not see THQ do is come out with another fantasy-type game."

"The other thing we're thinking is these things tend to have a window," Farrell continued.

"Right now that product is World of Warcraft, so the idea would be to time something for when that product is going to be on its downward slope. To come out with something competitive now I think would be misguided for anyone, including THQ."

With more than 6 million players worldwide, WOW is undoubtedly hugely popular - and making a huge amount of money for Vivendi and Blizzard, seeing as that's 6 million times the subscription fee of £8.99 (or local currency equivalent) every month. EVERY MONTH. Imagine all the PS3s you could buy with that.

NCsoft's Guild Wars is still struggling to catch up, although the game has just hit the 2 million player mark. But WOW could have a serious challenge on its hands when Lord of the Rings Online launches later this year...

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 6 years ago

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  • SeesThroughAll #1 6 years ago

    Kudos for saying "very important person" instead of "bigwig". :D
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 20/06/06 @ 14:22

  • Fozzie_bear #2 6 years ago

    Extra kudos for not using "head honcho".

  • Hunamster #3 6 years ago

    He's right though, WoW owns the MMO market, and it doesnt want to leave it anytime soon, blizzard has got it right with massive content updates each patch.

  • Darkedge #4 6 years ago

    Guild Wars struggling to catch up?
    It isn't even in china yet and having 2 million players is quite an acheivement for a new franchise. WoW was always going to be sucessful off the warcraft series.

    But very wise for a company with no MMO experience to keep out of the market - not as if they really have any titles that could even go MMO (or that many good titles for that matter..)

  • Hunam85 #5 6 years ago

    WoW is a different breed of MMO if you look into it. It has the hardcore content (60+) to keep people going for months. Its also accessable enough for anyone to play, its not complex, it has quests that are easy to find and a nice simple interface, on par with single player rpg's accessablilty. Its no accident its the no.1 mmo, FFXI could have easily taken it if it wasnt the usual eastern MMO - slow grind all the way.

  • BootLace #6 6 years ago

    I thought the 2million figure was number of units the Guild Wars franchise had sold. ie. Prophecies and Factions. Not sure of the relevance of comparison between the GW and WoW though, although they're multiplayer rpgs, they do feel aimed at different markets.

    Whilst 6million repeat subscriptions is great for the publisher/developer, I can't help feeling it's still a relatively small subscription base compared with the potential out there. I think a cross platform, casual friendly mmo set in a more contemporary environment (sci-fi and fantasy generally being considered niche) would be capable of wiping the floor with WoW.

  • Aga #7 6 years ago

    We are Blizzard. Resistance is futile.

  • smoison #8 6 years ago

    MMO's are so damn boreing!

  • Ainudil Verified QA Engineer, Easy Studios #9 6 years ago

    No one could compete with Everquest.

    Then came World of Warcraft.

    Of course it's possible to compete with World of Warcraft. Give me the same ease of start, an evolving world and well thought-out quests for a slightly less monthly cost and I will abandon WoW.

  • absolutezero #10 6 years ago

    Dawn of War Online plz.

  • JonFE #11 6 years ago

    On a fantasy realm, WoW is unreachable for the time being; on a modern day or SciFi setting, though, things could be easier, as long as a solid foundation is built... GTA MMO anyone?

  • asphaltcowboy #12 6 years ago

    "Imagine all the PS3s you could buy with that."

    yeah, just one. oh and a bit of a tv!

  • Chaser #13 6 years ago

    Next one to watch IMHO is the new Mythic/GamesWorkshop joint venture, Warhammer online. DAoC was the "Everquest" killer when it first came out, later to be usurped by WoW. Looks like they have some very well thought out game mechanics, nice engine and a fair bit of polish :)

    http://www.warhammeronline.com

  • Megapocalypse #14 6 years ago

    Dawn of War Online plz.

    I've been screaming for this since I first played Planetside.

  • Fozzie_bear #15 6 years ago

    From what i've seen about the upcoming MMOs Warhammer looks like the only one which might tempt me away from WoW.

  • projectmayhem #16 6 years ago

    1up were saying that WoW is due 3 expansions in the next 5 years, then it'll be left to decline while blizzard think up something new. apparently some servers are emptying out already, but the problem is people aren't quitting their subs, because they worked hard to get to level x...

  • KingOfSpain #17 6 years ago

    Homer Simpson : "Cant win, Dont try"

  • gaijin #18 6 years ago

    lets face it, Warhammer have plenty of back story IP in terms of creating an extensive and consistent game world as they launched it as a P&P rpg about 20 years ago...

  • Liggur #19 6 years ago

    There is one thing that could compete

    [link url=http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/06/16
    ]http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/0...[/link]

  • hjarg666 #20 6 years ago

    Plus, forget the LotR online. You can't play as an orc and send personal doom down to the annoying hobbits and tasty elves... No PvP is no-no.

  • PortJourno #21 6 years ago

    Let's not forget Age of Conan. And Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning IS looking very promising indeed...

  • Seto #22 6 years ago

    Hmm your making me want to play EverQuest again :)

    WoW will keep most people intrested in it for about 5 to 15 months, then you want to try the next thing (ok sometimes you relent and reopen the account, but that dosent last long). Give it a year and a bit and that would be the best time for the next big MMO.

    Unless WoW comes out with a complete overhall of the game for expansion number 2.

  • Mick #23 6 years ago

    Have been playing wow for a good few months now. I cancelled my subsctiption at the beginning of June as there was nothing to keep me playing. It just got all to repetative for me.

  • Azazel #24 6 years ago

    Warhammer Online please.

    GW does indeed have a huge amount to draw on in terms of background. A 40k one would be awesome. Along the line of space hulk. Along the line of Necromunda. Along the line of black crusades.

    etc etc etc.

    All your money is belong to us.

  • ralphwolfenstein #25 6 years ago

    “We're looking at it very closely”

    “I want to find the right opportunity”

    "What you will not see THQ do is come out with another     fantasy-type game"

    “The idea would be to time something for when (World of Warcraft) is going to be on its downward slope”

    Aye, sounds like they've basically given up

  • YourMessageHere #26 6 years ago

    Are there any MMOs that aren't either elves and bloody goblins or sci-fi frippery? Like, you know, present day type settings? I like the idea of MMOs but generic fantasy and sci-fi turns me right off. Warhammer 40000 works OK, it's a solid enough universe that I can relate to it, but what I'd really go for is some kind of MMO based on Hong Hong Action Films.

  • Collie #27 6 years ago

    MMORPGS - where doing the mundane manual things you hate doing in real life is rewarded in a fantasy world online. "I've chopped my 23 millionth tree, thus making me a level 450 Lumberjack - I RULE". And people pay to do this. When they could be spending this time making real money instead and having a social life at the same time. Incredible. I want on in this gig, THQ are stupid! We should band together and make our own Eurogamer online game. We'd get filthy rich whilst socially inept teenagers pay us to chop our own fantasy trees and bake bread for hours on end. For extra fun, we'd thrown in a few quests for them to kill rats in some old granny's cellar. GENIUS. It's a bit like the petrodollar, money for nothing!

  • JediMasterMalik #28 6 years ago

    You could try Second Life, though it's not really for everyone.

  • Ryan121 #29 6 years ago

    I'm waiting for Star Trek online :)

  • Mr_Whacker #30 6 years ago

    If everyone thought that way then there would only be one games console on the market.

  • Collie #31 6 years ago

    "You could try Second Life, though it's not really for everyone."

    Crivvens, my mate was on the phone talking to me about trying that an hour ago. I think I'll give it a miss though. I don't need two shit unfulfilling lives thanks, this one is bad enough, but at least my wanks are real and enjoyable in this one.

  • optimusprym8 #32 6 years ago

    well WoW may have 6 mill but that's small fry compared to some Korean MMOs I am sure

  • redd #33 6 years ago

    - "Imagine all the PS3s you could buy with that"

    23?

  • EmiliasHorse #34 6 years ago

    WOW has had a major impact not only MMO games but ALL PC game sales.
    It absorbs all your free time if you let it........Must find more Dreamfoil...Oooo Black Lotus.

    /played

    That can't be right...where did my life go?

  • Krun #35 6 years ago

    So no shoddy MMORPGs till they make them as accessible as WOW. Good, the mmorpg market was swamped with dire, badly made, boring, unsaleable rubbish for years.

  • Collie #36 6 years ago

    Which reminds me, is Ultima Online still going?

  • zozart #37 6 years ago

    I'll go mad for LOTR Online. :D

  • EmiliasHorse #38 6 years ago

    I bought Guild Wars in the vain hope it would stop me playing WOW.
    Sadly while my character looked sexy as hell the game actually made me want to play WOW more than ever.

  • Erinan #39 6 years ago

    Are there any MMOs that aren't either elves and bloody goblins or sci-fi frippery?

    http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?art... ?

    Far better that this grinding fantasy thingy imho :)
    Edited by Erinan at 20/06/06 @ 17:42

  • EmiliasHorse #40 6 years ago

    There was Sims online but that died a death in the States...Still it was Elf free

  • Collie #41 6 years ago

    There should be a tax imposed on beards in these games. That would stop all the beardiness and force developers to think about something other than dwarves and shit like that.

  • ekko #42 6 years ago

    Although it would attract idiots to it like flies to shit - GTA Online (or something of its ilk) would blow away WoW.

  • Ak1ra #43 6 years ago

    Hope Vanguard sakes the MMO world...

  • Mox #44 6 years ago

    Do you think Electronic Arts could do it?

  • salvadorlimones #45 6 years ago

    LotR: Online? Ooh, I bet the guys at Blizzard are trembling with fear. Come on.

  • Drakron #46 6 years ago

    EA tried many MMORPGs but they never reached any success (excluding UO), they pretty much seen to given up the idea until now ... oh well, at least I see more disasters for EA that is always good ... damn bastards cancelled Wing Commander and Crusader ...

    The problem with MMORPGs is they are seen as money trees, the success of UO, EQ and WoW is not something that can be easy replicated since the market cannot support it, unlike normal multiplayer games.

    Also I doubt that Guild Wars have 2 million people playing, they might have sold 2 million CD-Keys (accounts if you like) but remenber that just because I happen to have one does not mean I play, I did play for about 2 months before I got bored with the game and stop and that was last year but I bet for "statistic purposes" I am considered a Guild Wars player MMORPGs they really use inactive accounts (in GW case there are none) or cancelled accounts for the purpose of "number of players" ... yes, they cheat because they want to give the impression the servers are full of people.

    After all nobody would stay long if the servers looked like GW or WoW servers at 3.00 AM.

    And yes, we go get the elves and dwarves but really what is the diference if they were not there ... most people act in MMORPGs as if they are 13 years old humans, there is little to no roleplaying (outside cybersex) and it seens you simple are in chat room most of the time.
    Edited by Drakron at 21/06/06 @ 00:42

  • fantabulo #47 6 years ago

    Collie: There are quite a few free servers running (I've heard that the official EA one is pretty dire), my brother plays it a fair bit and it looks prety well populated. I'm not sure about the legality of it. That (14 year old) scab just goes around asking people for stuff ("plz giv mi stuff" or whatever) and people give him thousands of dollars. Ugh.

    I'm talking about UO, by the way.
    Edited by fantabulo at 21/06/06 @ 05:13

  • jepf #48 6 years ago

    "No one can compete with WOW"

    That's hard to believe, considering what a dull "experience" WoW is (oh, IMO).

  • Chaser #49 6 years ago

    Anyone else just clock that EA bought Mythic, and as such - warhammer online?

  • neuroniky #50 6 years ago

    Yesterday I've reinstalled WoW and I've had a small run with my main (Lvl 40 pally, I'm not an hardcore MMORPG player (seems like a stupid thing to say when you have two hundreds of played hour summed up in between characters...). I stopped playing the game because I got bored of the grinding that I had to do to get to Lvl 40 from the early 30s... and now? Now I can't find the reason I had to play this game in the beginning. After the first 20 level it becomes so slow, the grind is too prominent and with my char I don't need any skill whatsoever to do 90% of the things in game... yes, the game will probably change when I arrive at lvl 60... but do I want to grind for another 100+ hours just for that? Those hours won't be better spent playing another game? I could play City of Heroes, where even if my toons are all low level, I have to play well and in a well thought group to keep alive even in the standard missions you do every single night. I could be playing Eve online (which I just started), which is an alternative life altogether: the pace is slow but the game is pure freedom, a game that evolves around its community, and not around what the dev decides or what the minority of hardcore players want, and it is the best sci-fi game I've ever tried since Elite came out. I could be playing D&D online, which is more RPG and it doesn't allow for grinding, and which has a major plus: hardcore players don't like it, because if you play it hardcore you finish it in a month or so. And so, the game is tuned for standard people instead, and the content released is a testament to that.
    So, WoW has finished its appeal to me. I don't want a game that starts after 200 hours you're playing it, and only if you can dedicate the random 10+ hours per week + a complete week-end once in a month to enjoy it fully. I got a life. And boy, I'm more than happy with it.

  • Kiigan #51 6 years ago

    Well like it or not, the THQ guy is right.

    MMO games are really expensive to make. And one after another, any new MMO that comes out (some of which are very decent) is summarily ignored in favour of WoW. Yes, the rewards for a hit MMO are great, but the odds of that are not good. The market can clearly only support a very small number of MMO games at one time - and most players can only support a single MMO subscription at a time. Although there will come a time when WoW is on the way out and there's room for newcomers, that time is not now.

    So don't blame the messenger. Blame the game-buying public for being lemmings. As much as I like Blizzard's older stuff like Starcraft, WoW is really really boring.

  • Genji #52 6 years ago

    Move away from the fantasy stuff, for the love of God. I've had quite my fill of orcs, elves and dwarves, thankyou very much.

  • Kafeen #53 6 years ago

    How did WoW manage to keep the attention of so many people with no story to the game? I did manage 2 months of playing it but with the lack of story and repetative quests it soon losts its appeal.

    I guess the masses like the mindless PvP.

    Meanwhile, I went back to FFXI so its all still sweet. I've never seen a MMORPG with a story so strong. Sure, it might not have the bloom effects of WoW but who needs them?

  • Dizzy #54 6 years ago

    >I guess the masses like the mindless PvP.

    Have you actually played WoW?

    PvP is the weakest part.. most people play it for the grind for epixxxx strangly...

    And "story" and FF don't go together m8.
    Edited by Dizzy at 21/06/06 @ 09:55

  • Empedocles #55 6 years ago

    This interview makes sense in light of the EA aquisition of Mythic, I bet he got a grilling from investors asking why THQ were not approching the space.

  • neuroniky #56 6 years ago

    Someone wrote that WoW appealed to the inner retard that lives inside every video gaming geek, and I don't think anybody has ever written something more appropriate on this game.

    The game is all about getting more powerful as a character, getting more powerful equipment, getting to fight more powerful enemies, with more powerful guild mates and so on. The problem is: lvl 1-6 are tutorial levels, 7-20 let you see 90% of the abilities and capacilities of your character, and then the grind starts. Up to lvl 30 you still have a lot of quests going on, giving you the impression of "doing something" in addition to grinding, but then quests become scarce and rewards negligible and you have to wade thru lvl31-39 in a few-quests-few-instances-few-good-items environment that is just a big grinder. Lvl 40 introduces the horse, two nice instances (you could actually start doing them a little bit sooner, probably around lvl 37, with the right group) which for the first time give great rewards and which require some skill to complete (something unusual for this game.......). But you're already in full grind mode by then, and levelling can take easily 6-8 hours per level. And if you don't have the time to do instances (you need 1.5-2 hours straight for that, possibily longer if a group is not already forming), the only other option you have is to grind and grind and grind. So basically you could grind the instances (fun, but boring after a while) or grind the land (plain boring). At lvl 43-45 another instance adds up which probably is better, but I really don't know since I didn't get that far.

  • Aga #57 6 years ago

    You don't have to grind if you dont want to. The good thing about WoW is that it is flexible. You can what you want to a large degree. My way of playing alternate characters is to do quests with rested bonus. It gives you a purpose and double the experience from any mobs you kill.

  • Ak1ra #58 6 years ago

    I love people who trash talk about WoW, but then say they played it for 200h or so...

  • jamespo #59 6 years ago

    played it - got to level 40 - got bored - gave up - got a life again

  • neuroniky #60 6 years ago

    @Ak1ra: yes, I've played around 200h of WoW. I'm not "trash talking" I'm just exposing my opinion on the game. Which could be a great game, if only Blizzard didn't become so obsessed with high content level. The game is perfect on its first 20 or so level, got many toons on low level just because of that. I hear it is very fun on 50+ (well, 55+... ummmm... 60+? :D) but Blizzard IMHO screwed up big time by giving you 30 levels that become less and less interesting as lvl passes, with less and less quests available, with character becoming more and more static (i.e. no new abilities) and with grind as the only viable thing to do to level up. But the real game killer for me was the non-existant difficulty level. After you get how to use your toon, it's too easy to stay alive... the solo friendly environment is good for the solo users, but the mandatory group environment of other mmorpgs, with an higher difficulty level is definitely more challenging. WoW feels like prechewed food too much of the time... everything is ready for you, nothing comparable to the difficult, but much rewarding, experience of a game such as Eve.