WoW founder Mike Morhaime recently claimed that World of Warcraft no longer offers as social a gaming experience as it did in the beginning. Now the current Blizzard CEO has stepped in and disagreed.
What did Mike Morhaime mean: The former head of Blizzard explains in an interview that the MMORPG World of Warcraft has changed over time and the social gaming experience is not the same today as it was in the past:
I would say that World of Warcraft has become less social over the years, as we have eliminated some of the reasons why players should play with the same group of people repeatedly through increased accessibility.
Mike Morhaime
How did J. Allen Brack respond? J. Allen Brack is the current head of Blizzard and does not agree with Mike Morhaime’s statement:
World of Warcraft was fortunate to be developed as a very social experience, and that holds true today just as it did on the day we launched. Over time, we have listened to community feedback, and WoW has evolved into what we now call a “modern game.”
This has significantly expanded the breadth and depth of gameplay and makes it easier to find friends, join together, make progress, or play alone – all within a social environment.
J. Allen Brack
When did Blizzard’s CEO say this? J. Allen Brack spoke during a conference call with investors. He likely made his statement to reassure them, as Mike Morhaime’s interview had caused quite a stir in the World of Warcraft MMORPG community. Brack may have wanted to ensure that investors were not influenced by this.
How is WoW doing according to J. Allen Brack? The Blizzard CEO also spoke about how he does not see the communities of WoW Classic and the modern version of the MMORPG as separate. It is one community connected through a subscription.
WoW Classic is reportedly performing particularly well in Eastern markets. He likely refers to China. In the West, however, the modern World of Warcraft is doing very well. This is mainly shown by the number of pre-orders for the upcoming Shadowlands expansion planned for the Christmas season of 2020.
If you want to check out other interesting MMORPGs alongside World of Warcraft, then take a look at the MeinMMO list of the 15 currently best MMOs and MMORPGs 2020. There you will surely find something to spend your leisure time on.
