Blizzard Entertainment admitted it needed rework World of Warcraft to make it more accessible to newcomers. After 20 years of existence, the MMORPG has become too complex.
Blizzard Entertainment hopes to continue for another 20 years with World of Warcraft. Issue ? The MMORPG will not be able to rely solely on its current base of enthusiasts, which has been there for years. It will also need to attract more and more curious people, who will support sustainable growth. But they still need to be able to fully grasp everything when they embark on World of Warcraft. In 20 years, the game has evolved a lot and it has perhaps become too difficult, even inaccessible, due to the first few minutes without a real well-guided introduction.
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In an interview published on April 22 on Windows Central, Blizzard Entertainment did not try to hide this concern. It is even assumed that the priority is to retain those who already play. As producer Holly Longdale puts it: “ We know that we have a lot of work to do on acquiring new players, but that was not our priority, we were focused on retention. »
Blizzard Entertainment knows that WoW sucks at attracting new players
Blizzard Entertainment therefore recognizes that World of Warcraft is bad at attracting newbies. “ This is a lever on which we will work in the future », admits Holly Longdale. She adds : “ There are a lot of challenges. How to tell 20 years of history? It's important that players have a healthy introduction. » By multiplying the races and contents, by establishing a truce between the Alliance and the Horde and by constantly deepening the gameplay (with objects, spells, etc.), World of Warcraft put too many barriers to entry.
Maria Hamilton, associate director on World of Warcraft, notes that the release of the next expansion will help newcomers better immerse themselves in the MMORPG. They will still have to go through an island which serves as a tutorial (a bit abrupt), after which they will be launched into Dragonflight rather than Battle for Azeroth. The Dragonflight campaign is a better place to start, as it revolves around a standalone story, where Battle for Azeroth takes place in the middle of a major arc. Without further context, it's more difficult to get involved.
However, it is not certain that this is enough. World of Warcraft should return to a more personalized introduction, linked to the race you choose, with a dedicated area and a step-by-step progression that is easier to digest. World of Warcraft must not forget that it is first and foremost an RPG in which everyone has a role to play, and is not simply a pawn among many others. In this sense, the first hours must be impeccable on the idea we have of entering a universe which has existed for 20 years and still remains welcoming despite everything.
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