World of Warcraft Sucks You Back in with Patch

World of Warcraft Sucks You Back in with Patch

So by now most gamers (and actually most of the world) are acquainted with World of Warcraft and the subsequent expansion Burning Crusade. The game has about 9 million subscribers if Blizzard¡¯s ads are to be believed. That¡¯s the entire population of North Carolina.

Back in November 2007, Blizzard released patch 2.3 for the game, completely changing it. The biggest adjustment that this patch brought was that it made it easier to advance from levels 20 to 60. Now to those few who have never experienced the game for one reason or another, leveling would take a person months of play and that¡¯s if the person spent hours in the game on a daily basis.

I quit the game a year ago because of this tedious task. Like most of the people who play now, I was sinking time into the game and it felt like work.

With this new patch, I found myself making a new character and starting up again. And here I am, back in the saddle. I really think that Blizzard is an evil company, why else release a patch that makes the game attractive again just in time for people¡¯s holiday break I¡¯m sure that many people found themselves sucked into their old addiction with the release of this patch. Especially because they not only had the time but the incentive to play.

It is quite clear what Blizzard wants to do. They want to make the game more accessible before the release of their second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. It¡¯s a smart move. No one would want to spend time trying to level another character to level 70, the current level cap, just to get the new expansion and realize that they have to go through another 10 levels.

Some of my fellow players, especially those who have been playing the game religiously since 2004, hate the fact that it is now easier to level. In a way I can sympathize, they have people jumping into the game progressing at a rate they only dreamed of a year ago. But at the same time I say suck it up. All the complaining and whining (and calling people noobs) isn¡¯t going to turn back time. Blizzard cares about money, and that¡¯s pretty much it. An easier game equals more players which in turn equals more money pouring into Blizzard¡¯s coffers.

I, for one, enjoy it because I don¡¯t have to spend the better part of my day trying to get to level 61 before the sleep deprivation gets to me.

And in a way this is good news for you hardcore WOW players, it means that the next expansion is right around the corner, although knowing Blizzard they¡¯ll be dangling that carrot for a while