Bloggers, and WoW bloggers in particular, are a funny breed. Not funny as in, haha, grandma got her left tit caught in the mangle, but more as in, funny-weird. We’re weird because most of the time, the only ones who are listening to what we have to say are ourselves. I like to think of us as the time warp bloggers. We wish that we were blogging about four years ago, when WoW actually had a community, and when the game was being made with us as the principle target group. I think that a lot of bloggers are coming to the awful conclusion, (for some of them), that no matter what Mr T says, WoW isn’t their game anymore. And this happening will be a sure fire sign for Blizzard that their expansion is a complete success.
Because it’s not meant for us. We’re not part of the plan. It’s meant for 14 year olds who have problems with information retention, want to be rewarded with a shiny for every in-game act, and can only be satisfied when performing rote tasks. So I’m going to think of the next year as an experimental year. I’m going to try lots of games and try if i can discover something that is fun, rewarding and interesting to play which captures my imagination. As opposed to logging on to an online job that you have to pay for.
I think for many bloggers that this is an unwelcome idea. As a blogger, the big thing that WoW has got going for it is the size of the audience. Bloggers feed off hit numbers for some reason. It’s a supposed measure of how popular you are. But for all my daily hits, I have a dozen or so commentators who I can name and whose opinions matter to me. The rest is nice, but it’s just numbers with no real meaning. I arrived in Australia on Friday, and the last two weeks have thrown me around a bit, taken their toll on my energy reserves. And I won’t have my gaming rig for some time yet. So I’ve been reading books. Swimming in the pool. Enjoying the warmth. The blog will remain, but as a general gaming blog. So if you have me down as a WoW rogue blogger, I’m just letting you know that I won’t be going there much anymore, (unless wow insider comes up with something really juicy and stupid).
I’ll miss my rogue. She was hot, the crazy little scamp. But the rogue class has too many joys for me to abandon, so you can rest assured that in the future, if a rogue class is available in a game I’m playing, that’s who I’ll be.
January 18, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I can understand that there will come a point when you’ve had enough of WoW. Not because it’s a bad game, but just because you’ve like… had enough. I will reach that point too eventually, I think I’m just a bit further down on the curve than you are. However I find it kind of hard to understand the general conclusion that WoW is destroyed etc. It sounds to me a bit like Wolfshead’s whining in his latest post. Is it really THAT bad?
Anyway: I’ll keep an eye on your blog, regardless if you write about WoW or other games. Or your exploring of Australian. cheers!
January 18, 2011 at 3:41 pm
My “screw WoW I’m going to find a new game phase” lasted about three weeks. My new warrior has reached level 21 since.
January 18, 2011 at 4:03 pm
I think a lot of fellow wow bloggers are about calling it quits. I may stick at it until swtor hits as im still waiting on my friends hitting 85
January 18, 2011 at 4:57 pm
I have left WOW many times to try other games only to come back to WOW 3 weeks later.
I agree with your conclusion…but in the end we will all go back to the game that allows us to forget our everyday problems for a few hours of frustrating fun.
I am new to this whole blogging thing and figured I would give it a shot…in the end your right…I am just venting about random shit on my own webpage. I have been reading your posts for while and will continue to enjoy your rants.
Say hi to Paul Hogan for me!
January 18, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Hi, Adam,
I’m one of those who has recently quit the game for a number of game-related reasons.
While I’ve been reading your blog for a while, I have only commented maybe once, if ever (I don’t remember anymore). You commented once on mine, a post about how WoW leveling is a mess now.
Your post resonates with me. Since I’ve left the game, I decided to set aside my (mainly WoW) blog, Sunmurma, as well. My new blog, if you are interested, is called Dischordant Forms (click my name to check it out) – I’ll still write about games and the other stuff that I’ve written about, but not WoW.
As much as it seemed (to me, anyway) that the “community” was mainly the blogging community, I will still miss it. I still have you and Larisa in my reader, along with many other WoW bloggers. Good writing is good reading, no matter the subject.
Anyway, best wishes as you settle in in Australia!
January 18, 2011 at 7:04 pm
I still have things I’m doing in WoW, and I’m still having fun, just taking my time and milling about.
I don’t really agree with you it’s to cater to the kiddies, I did my first Cataclysm dungeon as a tank, and had some fun.
January 18, 2011 at 8:45 pm
I quit WoW once a year or so, every year or so. The first time I was uncertain I would return. Now I say “I’m done, for now.” so I don’t look less silly when I get interested again a few months later.
As far as a “job you have to log in and pay for” that’s been MMOs since the first Everquest. It’s unlikely to change as long as WoW is making huge amounts of money because that’s the money-making model. I wish you luck, though. There are a lot of great games out there that aren’t MMOs.
January 19, 2011 at 9:49 am
Speaking only as a reader and without any disrespect intended but I don’t read your blog for tips on how to play. I read because I enjoy your style of writing in the same way that I enjoy my favourite authors, newspaper columnists, other commentators and so on.
Give WoW a miss, I can’t disagree with what you’ve said about it, but don’t stop writing – that would be a real pity.
January 19, 2011 at 4:21 pm
I like reading you. I don’t always agree with you and sometimes your options annoy me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
as for the “you’ll be back” sentiment, heh. I’ve been rediscovering the games I missed in the last few years and let me tell you, there’s so much out there. MMO’s, single players, so much fun to play… WoW was fun while it lasted, but coming back to it at this point feels like going back to your old childhood playground and trying to recapture the innocence and fun you used to have. just not happening no matter how hard you try.
January 19, 2011 at 10:33 pm
I just reached a similar conclusion, myself, Adam. WoW just isn’t in my wheelhouse anymore. I’m going back to Fallen Earth – a game that immerses me like no other. I have no regrets with WoW, I met some great people, and had a lot of fun, but I just don’t feel the pull anymore to raid, and the PvP isn’t quite fulfilling enough.
January 20, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Hey Adam, just throwing League of Legends in the hat as a game to check out. I found this game after WoW just wasn’t doin it for me anymore. It’s free to play, although you can spend money on it if you want. It’s based on the Warcraft 3 mod Defense of the Ancients, but turned into a standalone game.
The learning curve can be a bit steep, but it is mega fun. The community can leave something to be desired at times, but is no worse than WoW’s. Anyway, check it out! http://www.leagueoflegends.com
(oh by the way, from one aussie to another: Welcome home brother!)