I do like wards and I don't consider them dead, especially at the marketboard I frequent. Maybe it's just the spot you're at? Idk. I do see more people at my beach medium house in mist than I do with my hillside personal, so maybe it's the location.

Man, if SE would just want it to be available to everyone from the get-go we wouldn't have this problem. They want it to be exclusive and I guess I'm part of that exclusive group but it really shouldn't be the way it is.
I don't see them ever doing instanced warding. I think the main source of their problems are their potato servers. If they fixed that they could add sooo many more wards.

Another thing they should do is have houses only be available an hour after the servers pop up to avoid things like the Shirogane Hunger Games.