When it comes to MMORPGs, they are a dime a dozen. When it comes to MMORPGs that are successful and still have staying power, then that number dwindles down to just a handful. One of those titles that comes to mind is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft which has been in existence for about a decade or so already.It is this staying power that the folks at Niantic are hoping that Pokemon GO will be able to achieve. Speaking to Eurogamer, Niantic’s chief marketing officer Mike Quigley said, “I think our lifespan and curve may be quite different from a free-to-play mobile game – it may be more in a [World of] Warcraft vein just because of the type of game we are.”
So why does he think that? Quigley says that it’s because it isn’t all about the money. “It’s not about taking a bunch of money off the table and going. Monetisation has never been the focus for us. It’s about doing right by the brand and doing right by the fans.” Of course given that Pokemon GO is free, in-app purchases are of important because that’s where their revenue comes from.
However it seems that achieving that kind of longevity might be tough. There are already reports that the game’s paying customers are already on the decline. There are also a ton of features that fans have been requesting for that have yet to be released. Will Pokemon GO be able to last even half the time of World of Warcraft? We guess that remains to be seen, but what do you guys think? Could you see the game still being relevant a year from now?
Filed in . Read more about Apps, Blizzard, Niantic, Pokémon GO and World of Warcraft.