Titan delay presents an opportunity for the competition
The list of MMOs that were destined to become “WoW killers” over the last 5 years is long. But games like Bioware and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA)‘ Star Wars: The Old Republic, Funcom’s Age of Conan, and Trion Worlds’ Rift never approached Blizzard’s success. Some of these titles failed so badly going up against Blizzard’s behemoth that the game was forced to change its entire business model as a result. But that has actually turned out to be a good thing for some.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) received attention last fall when it moved The Old Republic off its monthly subscription model to a free to play business plan. Free to play gives the player access to most areas of the game, but charges fees for exclusive novelty and vanity items such as costumes or an in-game pet that will accompany the player on his or her adventures. EA reported this past spring that the change to free to play doubled their monthly profit from the game and brought in 1.7 million new players. The move saved a dying game and gives EA the ability to recoup their $200 million investment over the long term. It also means that The Old Republic will remain a viable option for WoW players looking to try something else.
Other companies have taken notice of EA’s turnaround. Trion Worlds will be moving Rift to a similar free to play system June 12.
Despite the turbulence that other companies have faced when trying to go toe to toe with Blizzard, that hasn’t stopped some from trying to slay the dragon.
There is a new batch of supposedly “killer” MMOs in development that are set for release within the next year or two. Zenimax Media is working on an online version of its popular Elder Scrolls series. NCSoft and Carbine Studios have generated buzz with Wildstar, a title that has gotten points from gamers in early testing for offering a number of features that World of Warcraft players have long clamored for, such as player housing.
Japanese developer Square Enix (NASDAQOTH:SQNXF) will be re-releasing its Final Fantasy XIV title later this year as well. The game bombed critically and financially during its initial 2010 release. After publicly apologizing for the sorry state of the game, the company started from scratch with a new staff. The new version of the game, dubbed “A Realm Reborn” has gotten positive feedback from gamers in early testing. Square Enix, which saw its CEO resign prior to posting an extraordinary loss of $134 million for its fiscal year ending March 31, will be going all in on FF XIV in an attempt to get the company and the Final Fantasy franchise back on track.
As the games industry continues to adapt to the digital era, a number of high profile online games that aren’t technically MMOs also pose a threat to Blizzard’s dominance. Riot Games’ League of Legends, an online battle arena game, boasts more than 30 million players under its free to play model and has generated considerable attention in the industry. Bungie, the renowned creator of the Halo series on Microsoft’s Xbox consoles will be creating an online world with their next game, Destiny, expected to release on current and next gen consoles in the next year.
The bottom line is there will soon be more high profile choices than ever before for World of Warcraft subscribers looking to jump ship to a new game. With Titan no longer one of those options in the short term, Blizzard’s competitors have a golden opportunity to draw in disgruntled WoW players. If they succeed, it could be more difficult for Blizzard to win back some of its old players when Titan finally does ship.
Evolving with the Industry
While there surely is concern at Blizzard over Titan’s delay, the company is still one of the most successful game developers in the world and the Irvine, CA company will certainly use every advantage it has to keep its place on the throne.
