Sobota říjen 18, 2008

WoW. Gorgeous Game and Smart Business Model.

World of Warcraft (WoW), one of the most popular multi-player on-line role playing games (MMORPG), was on my radar for a long time, but I somehow waited until it was too much for my curiosity to resist and I had to find out how it looks like.

Bloodelves. A wallpaper from World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade.

It was the 10-day free trial advertisement which caught my eye as I knew the on-line game is accessible on a pre-paid basis only. You can subscribe to unlimited access to the game world for around €14.99/month. Yes, it's not a small amount. And it's actually a very good business, as you can't overcome the protection as it's possible with off-line games released on CD/DVD. You simply must pay in order to pay. Moreover, you pay even if you don't play, because Blizzard, the French company that's behind WoW and many other bestselling games such as the off-line Warcraft or Diablo, charges you for a monthly subscription and won't reimburse you if you don't play during the period. This is a much better business model than the off-line games which I'm sure will get old-fashioned soon.

But hold on and give it a chance. I did. And totally fell in love with the game. It's the most beautiful on-line game I have ever seen (I haven't played Oblivion or Diablo III, though). The gameplay is very well balanced, as the game world is very complex but the game interface is very easy to use and it's so simple to start playing. I didn't need to read a handful of instructions to be able to play.

You know how it ended with me. I first started playing with a Male Night Elf Hunter in a normal realm and then tried a Female Human Warlock in a role playing realm. When my trial ended I couldn't wait to pay for upgrading my account to a full access. It's such a addictive entertainment. :-)

I love the game and you will love it too. Just try it out! It's free!*

^{* For a 10-days limited access trial. ;-)}

— X 18 2008, 03:25:34 dop. CEST Permalink