The gaming industry is well-acquainted with its cycles of boom and bust. Every now and then, we see a flurry of developers scrambling to capitalise on the latest blockbuster by churning out similar titles, only for most of these attempts to miss the mark. The greatest example of this was perhaps the ambitious, yet often humiliating, rush to create a “WoW killer.” This was meant to be a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) capable of dethroning Blizzard’s immense success, World of Warcraft, and raking in endless streams of subscription money for its creators.
I was perfectly positioned to witness this debacle from the inside, and it proved to be a spectacular misstep for the industry. My journey in games journalism kicked off in 2004, just around the time when WoW launched. My obsession with the game nearly derailed my burgeoning career, but I turned it to my advantage by focusing on a type of game that many writers found too intricate and time-consuming to tackle. I found myself at countless preview events for hopeful MMORPGs, each optimistically pitched as “World of Warcraft for soccer fans” or “World of Warcraft but with cars.” By 2008, I took on the role of editor for Eurogamer’s short-lived MMO section—an effort that was not immune to the all-consuming, misguided mindset of chasing the next big thing. It was here I discovered firsthand why these efforts were poised to collapse.
The truth is, during its prime years from 2004 to 2010, World of Warcraft was simply unbeatable. Adding to its invulnerability was the fact that trying to catch trends is tricky in any industry, but bordering on impossible in the realm of social online games. These hits foster dedicated communities of players who are not only loyal to these games but committed to them on a long-term basis, leaving little room or inclination to jump ship.
These players often stay nestled in their fandoms, largely indifferent to advancements like upgraded graphics. The games they adore are ever-evolving, leaving little room for newcomers to grab their attention with flashy covers or big-name licenses like Star Wars, simply because these players value the bonds and storytelling in their communities more.
Yet, despite these clear signs, the industry persists in this error. Take, for example, this year’s spectacular downfall of Concord, the latest attempt to dethrone Overwatch in the hero-shooter category. As we try to learn from the past, let’s stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the attempts that couldn’t knock World of Warcraft off its perch… and acknowledge the ones that managed a bit more than that.
First, let’s talk about “The Lord of the Rings Online” launched in 2007. It’s a bit of a misnomer to label it solely as a WoW wannabe since attempts to bring Tolkien’s Middle-earth to the online realm predate WoW itself, thanks to a focused MMO developer named Turbine. Initially, this may have been just another niche project until publisher WB Games got overly excited about it. While the game had its charm, it didn’t quite match WoW’s evolutionary design. Yet, surprisingly, it still enjoys a player base today.
Then we have “Age of Conan” from 2008, an audacious but ultimately flawed foray by Funcom. This Norwegian studio endeavored to blend bold graphics, explicit themes, and live-action swordplay within Robert E. Howard’s fantasy universe. Unfortunately, it was too ambitious and came crashing down, especially after an over-the-top launch event in Oslo left journalists more dazed by the spectacle than the game’s merits. A PR mishap, a sheepskin rug theft, and an incoherent roar into the Nordic night added to the memorable disaster this game turned out to be.
In the same year, “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” saw its debut under EA. On paper, it seemed promising—tapping into a franchise closely resonant with Warcraft, coupled with expertise from Mythic, an admired MMO developer. However, it placed enormous focus on player-versus-player elements, missing out on the inclusive variety of gameplay that WoW offered. Though it was visually grand, it wound up shutting down in 2013.
Fast forward to 2010, and “APB: All Points Bulletin” emerged, conceived by none other than Grand Theft Auto’s David Jones. Intended as a sprawling urban playground similar to GTA, it promisingly offered customization, only to falter without compelling gameplay. Realtime Worlds, the minds behind Xbox’s popular Crackdown, found themselves overwhelmed, leading to a swift closure shortly after its release. Despite a brief revival attempted by another company, the game’s lack of substance couldn’t sustain interest.
2011 introduced us to “Rift,” backed by Trion Worlds, a company hitching its wagon to the MMO craze with promises of revolutionary technology. Sadly, all these boasts couldn’t counterbalance the dull primary experience Rift had to offer, with its supposed innovations failing to capture the imagination or loyalty of gamers.
EA made another high-profile stab with “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” buoyed by BioWare’s creative prowess and one of the most beloved franchises in history. It was a massive hype train that, unfortunately, never quite left the station. While players enjoyed BioWare’s narrative depth, once the story wrapped up, they moved on, which didn’t really align with the game’s intended design. Thankfully, with persistence and a pivot to a free-to-play model, it found new life and retained a genuine fan base.
Another hopeful entry was “Guild Wars 2,” a genuinely commendable game launched in 2012. It succeeded in refining combat mechanics and introduced fresh, genre-defining concepts, many of which inspired future games like Destiny and even WoW itself. But the weight of publisher NCSoft’s expectations, coupled with WoW’s unyielding pace of evolution, left it unable to match its rival’s success, despite its quality.
“WildStar,” launched in 2014, represented NCSoft’s attempt to conquer Western markets. Crafted by former Blizzard developers, WildStar had the visual flair and dynamic combat but faltered under its obvious attempt to chase trends. It didn’t bring anything uniquely groundbreaking to justify its existence beyond wanting to be WoW’s successor. The game and its studio were both shut down by 2018.
One game, however, came closer than any other to truly challenging WoW: “Final Fantasy 14.” Released in a disastrously flawed state in 2010, Square Enix didn’t throw in the towel. Drawing on its legacy and a sense of duty, the company assigned Naoki Yoshida to spearhead a complete overhaul of the game. This reboot impressed many and, with continued investments and enhancements, FF14 steadily became a force to reckon with. When Blizzard faced turbulent times with its own titles, many WoW players found solace in FF14, making it the worthy rival WoW had long awaited.
