EC explains how the current progression system is flawed

[Zarzak]

And unfortunately nobody would ever play a game like that again.

Times have changed.

There are likely a million EQ/XI vets that would jump it like a free buffet at fat kid camp. Not to mention the milion + that would buy it to try it then quit.. Just like a majority of them do with modern MMOs too since you run out of things to do a couple months in.

Blizzards releases Twitter integration in a major content patch.

WoW STILL has the most Subs of any game in it's genre.

Clearly they are doing something right.

The fact that it is the gateway drug of MMOs doesn't make it a good game. That is like saying bud light is the best beer of all time because every 15 year old kid tries it out until they actually learn how bad it is.

WoW hemorrhages players like a Haemophiliac on blood thinners. EQ/XI kept players engaged for YEARS. Even serious raid groups replace large numbers of their force each year due to attrition in WoW. EQ losing more than 6-7% of your raiders a year was uncommon.

Much of WoW's success can be attributed to when it came out. It came out at an opportune time and reached critical mass quite early, and has been riding that wave.

^ So much this releasing when home computers/internet became widely accessible as well as people starting to trust the internet so every kid could get their parents to put their debit card online to pay for a monthly game sub.