MMOs Cause Less Retail Sales?

[Rushster]

Think about it, since you started playing WoW have you bought less games? Well it all depends on how much you play WoW, but it's something to ponder. Following the recent <a href="http://www.mmogchart.com/">MMOChart</a> which shows WoW taking 50% of the MMORPG market, Grimwell Online has posted an <a href="http://www.grimwell.com/index.php?action=fullnews&id=330">article </a>which investigates whether MMORPGs are driving down PC game sales and pulling gamers away from consoles.

[Vindictive]

Since I got WoW I not only haven't got any new games I deleted all my old ones and only turn on my PS2 to play a few beat-em-ups or ProEvo when mates are over.

Vindi

[Rancid]

When I got WoW, I played nothing else. Then WoW got boring because I had to level. I could play other games without thinking, "Man, every second playing another game is some XP that I could have".

I don't buy many games anyways, so I don't know. But yeah, I won't play another MMO ever again. They are all nothing compared to WoW.

[NegativeBeef]

When I first got WoW I couldn't stop playing it....and then I got Oblivion

[Zuggy]

Since getting WoW I haven't bought another game, of course I've only been playing for about a month now and my PC wont run anything much newer then WoW.

[Duchel]

Good point, I actually delayed getting a 360 (still don't have one) because I'm enjoying WoW too much to need one. And with the state they're in at the moment, I'm quite glad I didn't rush to buy one.

[ocellaris]

I was going through 2 or 3 console games a month up until last year. I bought WoW to stop spending so much money on console games and stick with something, and it has worked great. I have only picked up 1 console game and a couple DS games in the last ~16 months.

[Longpot]

I used to go through phases - i.e. Stick with one game for a while, buy the odd one here and there, then maybe go out and buy a whole heap of stuff...

Since I've been playing WoW I bought some other stuff (when I had just started out on WoW) but never really played them - and now I couldn't even tell you what the latest games are...

[Oatmealsmurf]

Basically... I don't even really pay attention to the new games coming out. I was really geared up for Kingdom Hearts 2... and then two weeks before it came out I bought WoW. I haven't even thought about buying it since. My PS2 and Xbox now collect dust and my dilema as to whether to buy an XBox 360 or wait for a PS3 is on the back burner...

WoW has consumed my gaming life.

[edandor]

WoW has definatly consumed my gaming life. not purchased a new game since i got WoW. dont plan on purchasing a new game any time soon. for the longest time i wanted the new ps3 when it comes out, but if im playing that im loosing precious WoW time :P so yea, to answer the original question, i would have to say that mmo games really really hurt retail sales of other games.

[Steamboat]

If the average player is anything like me, then yes WoW is hurting retail sales. Here is a list of games I planned to buy before I started WoW, which I now never plan to get:

Burnout: Revenge
Madden 2006
Tiger Woods 2006
Psychonauts
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Age of Empires III
Everyone Loves Katamari Damacy

[bwirum]

I bought WoW on preorder in Europe. Haven't bought a game since, played one or maybe two demos for something like 20 minutes put together (games I don't even remember what was anymore...) and Civ IV at a friends house for an hour. Oh yeah, I fired up my xbox for 30 minutes of some old-arse fllight game, but now that's broken.. (the xbox, not the game)

[xyle]

I haven't bought any other games since WoW either, but then I've never really been much of a gamer. After WoW I don't know if I'll go out and buy a new game, I might just find something more interesting to do irl :shocked:

[Seeo]

Well I'm still downloading Torrents, but mostly for friends now... I play Civ IV enough these days and Sims 2 (g-f loves that game) and thats pretty much it. WoW is probably 95% of all my gaming.

[DotComm]

Well I'm still downloading Torrents, but mostly for friends now... I play Civ IV enough these days and Sims 2 (g-f loves that game) and thats pretty much it. WoW is probably 95% of all my gaming.

Erm, I don't think not downloading games is the same as not buying them. If you stop downloading games, it isn't going to hurt overall sales is it?

Since I bought WoW I haven't bought any other PC games. There's no point cos I won't play them. The only console I've bought new games for is my Nintendo DS, and that's probably because you can't play WoW on the train or the bus :D

[Zahyuri]

I do play WoW and admit my consoles having been getting some neglection, I try and make an effort to give Kameo, Kingdom Hearts 2 and Dragon Quest 8 some attention. Lol

I don't think it's been WoW cutting me back on buying games, I think for me it's a lack of extra funds and a lack of anything extremely interesting coming out.
Not to mention consoles are a whole other ball-game... When at the computer I'm forced to sit up and play in the 'uncomfortable' computer chair but with my consoles I can lay around on the couch or the bed in the bedroom and play till I fall asleep mid-game.

[Longpot]

When at the computer I'm forced to sit up and play in the 'uncomfortable' computer chair

You want to do what I did and get yourself one of these babies:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Furniture/Office+Furniture/++Office+Furniture+/Desk+Chairs/230176495/Product.aspx

It is SO comfortable - If I could find a pillow and duvet set to match, I think I'd permanently sleep at my desk :grin:

[Trepidation]

WoW isn't driving sales down. What WoW did is show how many of the games out there can't hold a candle to it.

I can hear the CEO's now "Boys..we got a problem. Blizzard broke our pact of making crappy and/or average games so people keep buying new ones to find a good one."

Before WoW not too many games had "real" staying power so the market was fairly good. Times change. Our company did the same thing. They came out with a product and bascially killed the market for the next 30 years.

-tReP

[Zahyuri]

I already have a pretty nice chair actually, only reason my Husband nabbed it for me was because it was on sale. Lol
It's huge, mid-cushion sort of thing going on, not all cusion'd out like that one though. And! /drumroll Is a massage chair, it also reclines back quite far. It not uncomfortable but who the heck wants to sit upright all day?!?

I was pretty much explaining that another reason I play my computer a lot is because there is no way I'm gonna get the tired feeling sitting upright at a desk. Where as with my consoles I have the choice of sitting upright with pillows stacked up behind me on a comfy bed and eventually falling over, laying down and playing till I magically fall asleep. I have anemia so I'm quite a tired person when I relax. Lol

Sad thing is on patch days like today I could be consoling it up but I choose to sleep in, Tuesdays are thee ONLY days I ever sleep in, other then that I'm up at 5am playing WoW. Sleep is a horrible waste of good gaming time.

[Atoz]

Since I started WoW over a year ago (abandoned Star Wars Galixies after combat upgrade) I have tied a few other games. The new Asheron's Call DM, DnDO, SWG profession upgrade, Auto Assault...... I know these are not consoles but rather an attemp by other MMORPGs to get an audence back. All those non-WoW just don't have what it takes to keep my interest, so I stick with WoW.

I have heard that Oblivion is a great game comparable to WoW.

[Zahyuri]

I would like to be able to afford Oblivion some time soon, I really should look into finishing Morrowind though.

/stares at her stack of un-played games that need to be played

Stop folllowing me! :scared:

That's another thing, I continue to buy the games I'm excited about getting and have a hard time getting around to playing them and finishing them now that I play WoW. I still fork out the money but have a hard time getting around to it. I really should stop doing that, probably would be cheaper to wait till I'm ready for the game and a price drop.

[cycledude]

If the computer mags would devote more pages to reviews than previews, I might find something to buy every once in a while.

[Kroikey]

Doesn't the fact people haven't bought many games since the release of WoW just prove that the other games are inferior anyway?

If anything it should mean that games companies stop producing the crap and make sure their titles are excellent. I hope that some of the more quirky games developers dont fold though.

[MammaMu]

I used to buy 6-8 games per year. Since wow eu release I have bought two other games (MMOs) in search of something that can break the habit. They sucked.