WoW + Expansion packs on sale NOW

Blizzard is having a sale, this week only on their hit MMORPG World of Warcraft. So, if you haven’t played it, but have been wanting to, this would be the time to do it! Even if you do play, but you are behind on the expansion packs, now would be the time to pick them up!

Each expansion pack is only 10 bucks(And Burning Crusade is now considered part of the core game, just in case you hadn’t heard). The core game is only 10 bucks as well, which means that you can get the complete World of Warcraft experience for 30 bucks! That’s the kind of deal that not even a Goblin could pass up! However, you better act quick cause this sale lasts this week only and ends on July 9th, 2012.

Full Circle

I’ve said time and time again how crappy World of Warcraft is. I have remarked repeatedly about how stagnate the game play has gotten, and how everything is always the same. I have complained about the lack of any real story, and how RPG(Even MMOs) shouldn’t be just about grinding.

I have also applauded games like Star Trek Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online and most recently Star Wars: The Old Republic, and to a lesser extent EverQuest 2. Each of these games have polished the MMORPG experience, and brought story based gaming to the web. These games have an interesting story, and make you actually feel like you are part of this epic grandiose world. That’s what an RPG should be!

That being said, I have returned to World of Warcraft! Don’t get me wrong, the games I had applauded earlier, still have my utmost respect, however after the most recent cataclysm expansion pack, I felt world of Warcraft deserved a second look. It seems as if the game has gotten some polishing, and the newer content is actually VERY heavy story based. The Worgen story is extremely interesting, epic and most importantly fun!

Will I stick with WoW this time? Well, that all depend on how the rest of the game plays out. The Cataclysm has altered the entire game world, so almost everything is a new experience. I am eager to see all the changes, and for now at least, and probably at least for a few months, World of Warcraft will have my attention.

Happy Cataclysm eve!

Image via Wikipedia

Bottles of Mountain dew have begun flying off store shelves, as Hard-core gamers, and basement dwellers alike, have begun swooping into grocery stores all across the country! The reason? In anticipation of the midnight release of World of Warcrafts third expansion pack, Cataclysm of course!

Apparently, many WoW gamers have taken time off from work, and plan on staying up for a couple of days straight, so they can play through this expansion pack. Apparently, they never heard of taking your time and savoring something you enjoy.

Now, I am sure you all know what World of Warcraft is, unless of course you have been living under a rock without internet access for the past 7 years. So, I am not going to go into explaining what it is. Because you should know!

I don’t play WoW any more, so I am obviously not joining in the festivities. In fact, not only do I not play WoW anymore, but I honestly don’t know how the game can remain as popular as it is. Don’t get me wrong here people! I’m not saying the game is horrible, but what I am saying is the game is average! There’s nothing special about the game that other games don’t have! The only major plus for the game, is its simplicity. If you have never played an MMORPG, you could start playing WoW and not feel overwhelmed.

Here’s the thing though. The game get’s old. Sure, they release expansions, but what exactly is the point of the expansions? It’s the same stuff, with a different background. You will still find yourself fighting a monster, and collecting a number of their body parts. Sure, these monsters might be new, or they might be just recolored versions of old monster. You will then take these body parts to some person, who for some odd reason, wants to collect monster body parts, and in turn they will give you some experience and a piece of treasure.

You also of course get the level caps raised, so you can run around grinding on monster kills to get your level up, so you can get that next body part collecting quest being offered by that other person in the neighboring town!

After awhile, the routine get’s boring. For me, it took 3 years to realise that the game was boring as hell. They released their first expansion pack, and I admit it, I went for a midnight release! I was excited, I came home and started playing it, and then realised that I was doing the exact same crap I had spent the last 60 levels doing. So, I quit! I went checking out other MMORPGs, and discovered that all MMOs followed the same formula, however learned that many actually had entertaining stories, and offered more versatility in gameplay.

After discovering this, and moving on to better games, I asked myself why WoW continued to be so popular, and I never got an answer, until just right now. As I was writing this blog entry, the answer hit me! The reason WoW continues to be popular, is because it’s simple! Sure, it lacks depth, sure it lacks versatility and yea, it lacks a deep engrossing story, but it’s simple to play! Since the game is simple to begin playing, it attracts first time MMO gamers, who basically get their feet wet in this game, develop a character and then have spent so much time building this character up, that they don’t want to just let it go. So, when the next expansion comes out, they ignore the fact that it’s nothing new, and that’s it’s just the same old stuff repackaged in a shiny package.

I will admit though, the PvP in World of Warcraft, is the best I have experienced. No matter the MMO, none has come close to matching the balance and enjoyment that exists in World of Warcraft. Is PvP alone enough to warrant sticking through all the other crap? Maybe for some, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for me to stick around.

Anyway, to all the people who continue to play WoW: Happy Cataclysm Eve!