by JameWorld of Warcraft has seen something of an exodus of players in recent times. It means that the former cash cow that made Blizzard one of the most successful gaming companies in the world looks to be coming to an end. While some of this is due to the issues Blizzard has suffered recently, some is also due to the game stagnating. However, there are some ways in which Blizzard can combat this exodus and bring back a big portion of its core support. We’ve taken a look at what Blizzard can learn from other industries in order to extend the lifespan of WoW while it works on its next big project.
Online gambling
This is an area that many people tend to ignore when it comes to business. However, it would be remiss to ignore one of the most successful industries in the world when it comes to a business case study. Online gambling has managed to grow into one of the biggest revenue drivers across the world over the last decade, so what can Blizzard learn from the best online sportsbooks and casinos when it comes to keeping players around in the long term?
To put it simply, variety is what Blizzard can learn. There are so many high-level gambling sites that offer something for everyone. WoW has been resting on its laurels for a long time and has almost become a drag with every new update. Players get pretty much the same things every single time they log in and that’s just not the way to cultivate players to remain with the game.
Online sportsbooks and casinos combat this issue by offering players a lot of variety. There are many different sports to bet on (just check out the sports betting site WSN.com) , lots of different markets and plenty of different casino games available to players when they gamble online. This isn’t the case with Wow. It means that while it has taken longer than many people expected, WoW has finally started to become boring to players.
So, how can Blizzard resolve this issue? The first way that this can be done is by adding legitimately new features with new expansions. This means adding in areas that offer players new gameplay modes and new ways to enjoy the game – maybe even revisiting Warcraft games of the past and offering something that will grab the attention of players. Variety is the spice of life, after all, and Wow has been offering players the same old things for too long now.
Sports teams
It goes without saying that WoW is generally well loved within the gaming world. In fact, it would be safe to say that it has similar levels of support as sports teams in some sections of the fanbase. There are people out there who feel the same level of loyalty to WoW as they do to their favorite team. So, how can this help Blizzard bring players back to the game, as well as keep those who haven’t left yet?
Well, Blizzard has been suffering from a lot of backlash recently. The overall behavior of the company, rather than anything that has changed in the game, has caused many players to move away from WoW as a moral stand. This means that no matter how many improvements the company makes, there is a chance that these players will be lost forever. So, what can they do to get them back?
Well, a great case study for this would be sports teams. There are a lot of scandals that take place in the world of sports and looking at how a team reacts to these issues can teach us quite a lot about what options Blizzard has available to it. One of the first things that it should do is attempt to distance itself from the scandal by either removing or suspending those involved. This may mean some high-level people have to fall on their swords, but it’s the right course of action as they are the ones that caused it.
On top of this, the company will need to show that it is actively trying to change the culture within the organization. All of these are plays directly out of a sports team handbook when dealing with a scandal. Because there is a level of loyalty to WoW that is comparable with that of a sports team, carrying out these actions could help to bring back players and hang on to those remaining at the same time.
