Game news 20 years ago, this MMORPG changed online video gaming, but are there still many players playing it?
Just mention the three initials WOW and the eyes of thousands of people light up. Ultra popular during the 2000s, the famous World of Warcraft marked the lives of many players. But these days, are there any people left on the servers?
World of Warcraft, the MMORPG phenomenon
It was by analyzing the success surrounding EverQuest that publisher Blizzard began to think about the idea of an open-world multiplayer adventure game. During the year 2000, the Ultima Online servers began to be deserted and Chris Metzen, designer of the universe and missions of Warcraft II, saw an opening. Rather than bother creating a new franchise, Blizzard chose to place Warcraft at the top of the list and it was with this idea that the project began. A Half-Life enthusiast (and mod designer for this title) was then offered a position as chief designer: Jeff Kaplan.
At the beginning of September 2001, just before ECTS in London (the largest European video game show at the time), the World of Warcraft project was presented to the press. In gestation for several months, it aims to breathe epic life back into the Warcraft license. Taking place four years after the third part (then in development), the game sports a trailer that causes a sensation with its territory of Azeroth bathed in light. Effects, music, sound effects, graphics… everything is meticulous and the public is under the spell of this new production made by Blizzard. There is still a lot to do…
Rather than promising wonders, the developers voluntarily remain sober and give some ideas that could appear in the game. It is then a question of an MMORPG, but the financing method has not been decided and the staff seeks to remain homogeneous with Warcraft III which is due for release in 2002. First tested in the United States and Canada (to avoid a server crash), World of Warcraft was the subject of countless questions from the team, starting with its type camera. Subjective view, third person view? What movements, what spells, what interactions? The title becomes pharaonic and the developers understand that they have tackled a mountain.
World of Warcraft in 2024
Developed by around sixty people, World of Warcraft was almost abandoned shortly before the preliminary version (alpha) was sent to employees and their families. At the time, Vivendi, the group that owns Blizzard, was planning to make budget cuts and they were targeting WOW for its huge budget (fifty million dollars). It will not happen. The tests were successful and on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft was officially launched. On the evening of the launch, more than 5,000 people crowded in front of the Fry’s Electronics store in Fountain Valley. While the developers sign the copies, Blizzard realizes that the number of copies will be insufficient to satisfy everyone. The producer and a few acolytes then showed up at the Blizzard warehouse to collect copies and picked up the one from the Irvine office. That evening, another two thousand nine hundred lucky people left with their copy. The next day, the figure fell: WOW had sold two hundred and forty thousand pieces in North America, New Zealand and Australia. The World of Warcraft madness is only just beginning…
20 years later, the Dragonflight expansion has revitalized the excitement around World of Warcraft and the servers are filled with millions of players. In 2024, developers are hard at work to offer players exciting adventures. In addition to the three content updates for Dragonflight planned before the arrival of The War Within, a fourth season of Dragonflight will launch this year. There will be several new features, redesigned dungeons and new raids. Likewise, The War Within will enter beta and alpha phases. In short, World of Warcraft may have aged and encountered competition, but it remains as popular as ever by its fans.