I’m not going to lie. WotLK looks absolutely stunning. Completely mesmerizing. If I knew that I could jump back in to the game and maybe level a character without having the “end-game” be all about hardcore pve raiding and e-sport pvp I would be all over it. If only the game had more substance than simply leveling to participate in the most polished hamster wheel of all time. Too bad I know better than to be sucked in by Blizzard’s amazing outward appearance. I bet I could have a month or two of solid fun. *sigh* Oh well, that’s enough emo for a month right there. Blizzard your game is ‘looking’ fantastic and I hope WotLK does very well. 🙂
This video is like 10 minutes long and should really be seen in HD to get the full effect.
*edit* OMG I forgot to add that you have to watch from about 8:00 to the end. Gyrocopter COMBAT! HAHA! It looks so COOL!
*shakes fist* Come on! Someone else make a game that LOOKS this appealing and plays just as great! (I’m looking at you Mark Jacobs!)
Keen was squealing like a little girl throughout the whole video.
You have to give it to them. They know how to make something look good.
I guess I’m weird. I didn’t find it that impressive. I guess because I know the expansion is going to be 10 more levels of the same stuff we got in Burning Crusade (including Arena…blech).
i agree with preston this game wont change just get worse imo
Gameplay completely aside, it has a lot of appeal to me.
this is the best mmo and the next xpac will be more cool.blizz know how to make good things,whether its arena or 10 more level both were fun in BC.no other mmo will succes unless they copy from wow,i think warhammer will be quiet similar.but AoC will fail.mark my words ,its just a game and games means gameplay afterall so doesnt matter if AoC got good graphix will success….
Definitly, before the endgame kicks in, WotL will offer one hell of a good time. I don’t plan on playing it, because I don’t want to end up in its vile clutches for another content cycle. After 3 years of it, I am just through with it. I am done with the World of Warcraft.
Just like this time around, the world will lose all its meaning and viability. Everybody will be stuck somewhere in an instanced dungeon, arena or battleground doing their thing in their small world. The vastness and beauty of Northrend will soon after release lose most of its value, because of beeing insignificant to endgame progression. All you’ll see are some alts doing the level up. All mains will disappear into an instance, never to come out an play with anybody else, sticking with just their own crew. That ain’t what I’m looking for in a MASSIVILY MULTIPLAYER online RPG.
I definately dont agree with you here Keen.. the landscape doesnt look even remotely as lush as it could.. when i watched the movie on mmo-champion, i was just shaking my head at how plain it looked. When i look at it i just see lack of detail, similar to the rest of the game. Maybe im biased in that i know how the endgame will be AGAIN, or perhaps because ive been watching too many AoC movies…but i think its kind of crap, and just another silly repetative loop.
Ive played WoW for 4 years. I dunno what happened but after TBC, all magic is gone of this game. I hope that Blizzard has changed their mentality while creating this expansion. If not then Aoc and Warhammer will roll over this game for sure. Maybe Aoc will not(coz it has different gameplay and world), but I think that with same gameplay and better but similar graphics, Warhammer prepares the end of wow because it seems Warhammer has different mentality for end-game which bring the success.
Have to agree, after The Burning Crusade I didn’t have fun at all..
I don’t really know why, but it just lost it’s glory.
I also how to admit that WoW was fun from 1 – 60 (70) and then it wasn’t fun any more as I simply don’t got time or feel it’s that funny to do an instance for like 5hours.
You also need a good guild to advance,and they require you to play for hours on the night etc.. Not going to happen!
I really want to have that WoW addiction again, it felt really god. I haven’t really enjoyed a game as much as World of Warcraft. And it’s almost like I want to buy it again just for WoTLK, but I know I will get bored after 1hours, at least after hitting level 80.
Sorry, what’s so impressive about about reused and horrendously outdated models and textures, coupled with a regurgitated zone design which just look like various hybrids – eg. a bit of Hillsbrad and a splash of Alterac, a dash of Plaguelands and a touch of STV?
You’re saying it looks great minus the gameplay? All I can think about when I look at those videos is how many times I’d have to mash rank 12 and 13 abilities against same old evil summoner humans and orcs in slightly different clothing
it only looks good to u coz u havent played it yet…its the same old WoW shit..complete CRAP! The only thing cool/new is the mount combat…which is actually a nice idea…the rest of it is whatever. I HATE WOW! DEATH TO WOW! and all its expanisions…this game/expanision is pure CRAP! RAAAAAGGEE!
I love stylized graphics and environments like cities and dungeons that are designed to be aesthetically pleasing. I always felt WoW did a great job at that.
But never fear my rabid friends, I have zero interest in playing the game again and would not recommend the game even to my worst enemy. 😉
I still think it looks cool though.
I’m losing respect for you as a fellow graphics whore Keen…. Stylized graphics are one thing, but then Earthworm Jim was stylized and I’m not going to be busting that out.
I assume you’ve ran around the Aquilonian Capital? Now that was stunning.
The beggining of BC was pretty fun: leveling, doing the new 5-man instances, flying, crafting, etc. I felt a good contrast between the released BC and old WoW. Everyone was interacting again, doing groups, exploring new zones.
Today I am pretty bored of BC as well. But I would give a shot at WotLK because i still believe in dramatic changes that could make the game fun again, as the initial BC made to WoW for me.
But of course that can not happen and things just walk to be the same.
Are you sure blizz didn’t mail you a Bawls and slip some happy juice in it for you?
That entire fly through bored the hell out of me, I could care less that they’ve expanded the world 2789076%, added 13458 new mobs, 243568 new quests, 245 new dungeons.. ad naseum.
New area designs and textures? *yawn*
They’ve killed world pvp, they’ve ruined BG PvP which was a compromise already, and there’s no way I’ll come back for the eSport Arena play. Nor do I have time or interest in the old raiding schedule, been there – done that.
If they truly wanted to impress with WotLK, they’d have substantial new gameplay and features and I’m not hearing anything about those? Personally I think they’re losing their subscribers by just offering another “10 more levels of meh”, as old players like myself move on.
As you said in your earlier comment, I could probably keep myself entertained for 1-2 months like most people did with BC, but I definately wouldn’t re-up for another 1-2 years.
I will say this the look loooks amazing it saddens when you know the way it is going to end when you get to 80. I must say though age of conan is catching me more and more the more I play it but thats another story. I agree with what you say keen its just that i dont want to get myself hyped into the game anymore after seeing its destruction.
“If only the game had more substance than simply leveling to participate in the most polished hamster wheel of all time.”
That sums up my opinion of WoW perfectly.
Finally I just say this… If ppl have to do Alterac Valley again and again(million times) in this expansion too, Im sure that this expansion will be the second titanic.
I just can’t get excited about it, I dunno. I’ve always liked Blizzard’s products, but the more they make, the more they seem to blur into blandness for me.
Even if they introduced new gameplay mechanics (oh look, a new class finally), I’m pretty sure they’ll solve any problems by taking the easiest, most typical approach, which generally means falling back on what works. I don’t blame them for doing so, you can’t break too many eggs if you’re maintaining mass-market happiness.
Maybe I get bored too easily, I’d have liked to think I’d be able to call an MMO my online home more permanently, but 3+ years of WoW was too much for me.
@Graev
Whats so wrong in squealing like a girl hmm?
@Keen
I almost had my room mate interested in AoC. I’ve been working her and trying to ween her off Wow and this Vid has blown all my seeding and proding out of the water /sigh
Oh, I forgot “its your system thats lacking” /chuckle, but anyway…I’m also over the Wow wheel and though my overpowered hunter would have oodles of fun shooting down over head Orc attacks I think I’ll just view the beauty of Wow from the Pc across the room. Looking forward to Hyboria!
Gotta say, I’ve never loved a game’s graphics as much as I loved WoW’s… I am a sucker for cartoony, stylized graphics and abhor ultra-realistic models. To each his own, but, if WAR looked more like WoW, it would be even better IMHO.
I like where they’re going with the graphics in WAR, but it’s not my ideal.
A semi-OT question,is a DK only hero or whatever it will be called class that is gonna be introduced with the expansion?
Because if it is you do realize that 90% of the population will be DK.
The bigger World of Warcraft gets, the more deserted it feels..
I can’t really start a new level 1 character and get myself to level 60 or 70 after TBC, as almost the entire Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms is completely deserted.. The game feels empty, and a empty mmo doesn’t feel right or fun at all.
World of Warcraft is over, it was darn fun the first year, year and a half but that’s it. No it’s over, I can’t really see anything they can do to get back the World of Warcraft feeling again.
But hey, they are working on a new mmo (without any known title nor story yet), I’m really looking forward to that!
You all have to admit, Blizzard always creates wonderful and somewhat “polished from release” games!
As someone who thought WoW was crap at release and believes it is even worse now, I can’t say I’m exactly interested.
@Thomas Andre
Inevitable that a MMO gets that empty feeling, with more land mass being added and most people reaching the level cap, and seeing no real reason to level up another toon.
@23 zlimrtvac:
The DK is the only hero class that will be introduced in this expansion. It starts at level 55 and gets a basic mount, but you can only make one per account per server to prevent people from making insta-high-level crafting alts.
The DK is supposed to be a tank that’s effective vs. casters (PvE and PvP). It is unknown whether or not they will surpass Warriors, Druids, or Pallies in the “tanking” department. If so, then yes, you’ll see a crapload made and they’ll be the only class in TBC zones.
This almost make me regret quiting….almost!
That the new class starts at level 55 is very telling. Basically, they don’t give a crap about their old game, just the new and shiny hamster wheel they’re shoving out.
I was tempted for about a minute, then remembered how much I do not want to grind reputation and gear and honor just so I can look like everybody else.
I played WoW for 3 years…1 year too many. This game doesn’t “look” any better than it used to. ESPECIALLY with all the new graphics engines to come out over the last 4 years since they developed it. Sorry, but like WAR it “looks” horrible from a game creators PoV. Just how I see it.
Redo the engine, and they may actually have something…but using this has-been crap has GOT to go.
Oh, and the vehicle combat = just another gimick sadly enough.
@29 – The reason WoW hasn’t updated their engine is so that they can remain the most hardware-friendly popular MMORPG out there right now. Upgrade the minimum specs into 7600-7900 range and I guarantee they would lose a substantial chunk of their subscriptions.
Most people who play WoW aren’t complaining about the graphics, IMHO… They’re happier than pigs in shiz that their three year old machine can run the game at top speed.
To me that’s what everyone should be shooting for right now. Why these companies are pushing the envelope for higher graphics when that’s clearly not the smart business route is beyond me. The facts show that games designed with better graphics make less money. Good gameplay > Good Graphics. Look at the Wii!
WoW is doing the same thing as Nintendo right now and that’s one of the biggest reasons their game appeals to many.
DICE gets it. They’re making Battlefield Heroes. Blizzard gets it. Mythic gets it. Valve gets it. Nintendo gets it. SoE is starting to get it.
I’ll play an average looking game that plays well before I play a great game that plays like crap. And that’s precisely where the market is right now.
Ugh, please no more encouragements for cartoon graphics. Please. I beg you. It works for WoW, it works for WAR, but not every game.
I don’t want ultra-realistic either, but you can stylize without going cheesy / cartoony.
A happy medium between the two would be nice.
I’m one of the many on here who’s been playing WoW for so long & I’m burnt out on it now. WoW was my first MMO so I don’t know if that’s just something that naturally happens with them or not. I’ve been playing Eve for 2 years now & I’m not burned out on it, so maybe it’s just a result of the raid treadmill style. Props to Blizzard for succeeding ridiculously as they have, but I’d really like for them to have serious contenders. Monopolies are never good for the consumer.
Im still in love with WoW, though we are going through a rough spot atm. I dislike Arenas, simply because I started in on them late, and I play an enhancement shaman. That gives me 2 big hurdles to overcome, and im simply not willing to do it.
Also, Im on a PvP server, and the advent of PvP gear has made defending yourself from gankers without heavily investing in pvp gear yourself a real difficulty.
At this point Im burned out on all but raiding. I love raiding. So now I log on 3x a week for a raid, and thats that. The rest of the time I play TF2 or AoC.
I really cant wait for WotLK. Im sick of the sci-fi feel of TBC, and Im really looking forward to a more traditional fantasy setting. New levels, new dungeons, new talents, new progression, new pvp, new raids. All stuff to get me excited again.
“Good gameplay > Good Graphics”
QFT! WoW, TF2… hell Starcraft are great examples of this.
Also I would add “arcade graphics > realistic graphics”. I mean if you want realistic graphics go outside – highest fps and detail you will ever see!
WOTLK should be fun for some time but I hope WAR will beat it to hell. I hate arenas and I will never again “work” in raid instances.
Ridiculous argument Fugazi. I can’t go outside and pwn any orcs with my leet daggers now, can I?
I just didn’t see anything exciting in that video. I guess after playing WoW for 3 years I mentally cut through the marketing fly-cam crap and visualize what it will be like to actually play in from the ground . . . and it’s just more of the same. There was nothing stunning there, nothing new, nothing exciting. Just the same design in a different shape. Wrath of the Lich King is the 2009 Ford Focus. If you really liked the 2008 Ford Focus you’ll really like the 2009, but the only difference is a couple of bonus features.
I’m sure it will sell amazingly well though. Majority consensus of people visiting this blog seems to be similar to mine, but we represent a minority compared to people actually playing the game. Most people still playing WoW will be happy to shell out $40 (enough for a whole new game!) to keep running on the same treadmill.
I actually really love everything about WoW…Except the PvP.
They have great art. Great character balance (because they keep working on it), Great content delivered (well for PvE anyway), Great Lore (for those who care) and what they do is top notch.
But…their PvP sucks. If they want me back they HAVE to fix PvP. Too many games are doing stuff right. AoC, WAR, TF2, Savage 2, all have unique proactive PvP ideas.
We’ll see if competition spurs in some good gaming!
KUDOS TO BLIZARD
they’re really listen to some of player complaint and they remedy some of tbc mistakes. gone is the outlandish outland style and now ordinary style return.
i hope GUILD HALL or PLAYER HOUSE are in the works some where in bliz HQ
This is what other company should learn from. Polish !!
The subscriber base in the united states isn’t doing as good as it was half a year ago. Subscriptions in the US have basically stopped. What I’m saying is that there was a big boost in subscriptions after TBC release but now total subscriptions are going down. Most of the 3/4 of the ten million come from places like China and India. Just to say this is all from my memory which might be wrong…I’ve just been reading a lot about mmo’s because I need to find something new to do. I’m completely bored of wow….i didn’t even get my level 68 shaman to level 70….i just do not care anymore.
When the new expansion comes out i will not be playing, I am pretty confident that it will basically be the same as TBC but with a little different theme to it. I’ll be joining in the AoC crowd 2 weeks after launch so i can get on a very populated server. I’m pretty sure a lot of people will buy the game then leave it because they can’t meet the requirements, so i want to be on a pretty well filled server. I’ll check out WAR when it comes out and wait a few weeks to play that also. I really don’t like playing on empty servers…it annoys the shit out of me not having at least 8-10 other people in the same area as me. The day you see me playing on an empty server is the day you see me paying for WoW.
Personally, if they would of kept the old PvP ranking system…i would still be playing WoW. To be the highest ranking officer in the horde was a privilege that only a few were able to get, and those few play for 15 HOURS a day to do it. It just pisses me off so much for them to get all that work ripped away from them like it was nothing. Back for them redid it, you could have the shittiest gear but as long as you had that title under your name, you were are hardass/hadnolife. But blizzard screwed that over. That should be enough with all the hate.
Personally i hope AoC with get me as addicted as I was when i first played WoW, but that probably won’t happen. Oh, and I even wasted $50 on PotBS(Pirates of the Burning Sea). DONT EVER PLAY THAT GAME….EVER…ever…just don’t do it. I would rather get a root canal then play that game for free. Just to let everyone know…its a $15/month subscription. God that game was bad.
Well thats about all my two cents….cant really think of anything else to babble on about. Right now I’m just typing what I’m thinking…see….told you.
I think this is about it from my wall of text and my mindless driveling that no one will care about 😀
-Gondus
I simply can’t wait for the expansion, they’re really fixing things that they screwed up on in Burning Crusade.
Maybe if you people did more research you would know instead of mindlessly bashing on the game.
Let me show you a nice little comic:http://www.secretlivesofmobs.com/index.php?strip_id=44
Ive been reading this and I just don’t get what you all hate about the WoW gameplay…
I have yet to play a “Good” MMORPG like WoW. I love the game play… theres no feeling like killing a new boss in a 25 man… or getting that new loot you’ve been waiting to drop for so long… no other game(or at lest a game I’ve played, and i could be every wrong here) has classes that just fit so well togather, I’ve played MMORPGs where theres the one melee class thats “suppost” to be the “tank” and the one thats “suppost” to be the “healer” but its just doesn’t feel right, unlike WoW which u have 3 tanks to pick from, all 3 can be dps, 2 can heal, and one can been of the best dps in the game(at lest in my thoughts). Priests can heal, or dps, pallys can tank, dps, heal, warrs can tank,dps, druids can tank, dps, and heal, but none of them are over balenced, everything works togather nicely. Also(at lest i do)find that raiding and arenas are insanly fun, and doing stuff wtih your guild is worth your time.
What Tim #43 Said 🙂
@Tim
The game play was great, don’t get me wrong…it’s just that I have done it so much its not fun to me anymore. I even did strat about 500 times for the deathcharger mount. It is still great, it will probably be better after WotLK, but I’m just bored of WoW to a great extent. I’ve done everything there is to do in WoW, and since all these new games are coming out, unless they totally bomb, i won’t be going back to WoW.