The online game World of Warcraft has been a part of the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular MMORPG on the planet. The universe of Azeroth, where WOW takes place, is known today to millions of users better than the geographic details of their own countries. The game has already brought up several generations, becoming one of the best memories of youth for many.
Game History
Warcraft has long been about much more than mere entertainment. It is a philosophy, a lifestyle, and a way of self-realization. Let’s dive deeper into the game history and try to explore why the World of Warcraft boost is so essential for many.
- In 1994, Blizzard created an RTS featuring a fantasy theme. The mind behind such a step was Dune 2. Having slightly turned the code in their hands and advancing some basic principles, the programmers from Blizzard firmly decided that they could be no worse;
- After just a little time, in 1995, a real hit of the late 20th century appeared — the game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. All the same orcs and people who were present in the first part continued to conduct their usual showdown. But now, it was happening much more meaningful and more convenient for the player. And the design of the game has changed significantly;
- In 1996, there were already more than 1 million copies of the game officially sold;
- In 1999, Blizzard released WarCraft II: Battle.net Edition;
- In 2003, the long-awaited third part of Warcraft — The Frozen Throne — was released. It was a triumph! The popularity of the game has become downright incredible;
- In early 2004, Battle.net opened their office in Europe, and then, in November 2004, the long-awaited premiere — World of Warcraft — was released. It was an online game with striking features and excellent functionality.
Reports from that time show that tens of thousands of players signed up for the game every day. Gradually, Blizzard was patching gaps, fixing bugs, and leading a massive PR campaign, attracting more and more adherents to the game.
- In 2007, the Guinness Book staff announced their verdict: MMORPG World of Warcraft gained more than 8 million subscribers and became the most popular online game in the world;
- By 2010, the number of fans of the game had grown to 10 million. And that’s just the beginning: according to the official data of the company, at the beginning of 2014, the total number of WOW players was estimated at 100 million people;
- During the period from 2004 to 2014, several add-ons were released at once, which became the main source of game traffic.
Nowadays, we can safely say that Blizzard knows the game market very well and is well-versed in how to attract its audience.