World of Warcraft has left a lot of bodies behind it on the road to success.
The insanely popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game turned 10 years old on Sunday. This an incredible achievement, especially considering that 10 million people still play the game. Of course, for every World of Warcraft, you’ll find a dozen games that never came close to dethroning the MMO king.
Below, we’ve picked one MMO from every year of WoW’s existence. Some are still around, some are dead, and almost all of them switched to a free-to-play model (World of Warcraft still charges a monthly fee). It’s an interesting way to look at MMO history.
Above: EverQuest II had a less stylized look than World of Warcraft.
EverQuest II
Release date: Nov. 9, 2004
The game: EverQuest II is a sequel to the MMO that at its release popularized the genre (and heavily influenced World of Warcraft), 1999’s EverQuest. Like its predecessor, it featured a fantasy setting and plenty of player-vs-environment questing.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Timing. EverQuest II came out just a couple of weeks before World of Warcraft. In fact, a lot of publications at the time were hyping this as the MMO war. It wasn’t even close.
EverQuest II just couldn’t compete with World of Warcraft’s broader appeal. Also, plenty of EverQuest fans stuck with the original, which was (and still is) online.
What it is up to today: Like the original, EverQuest II is still kicking. It even had a new expansion, Altar of Malice, come out on Nov. 11. However, its 10th year anniversary didn’t garner nearly as much attention as Warcraft’s did.
Originally a subscription-based only game, EverQuest II added a free-to-play option in 2010.
Above: They know kung fu.
Matrix Online
Release date: March 22, 2005
The game: Matrix Online was an MMO based on the films which let players take control of humans who battled for freedom inside the computer simulation known as the Matrix.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: The Matrix was a hot property earlier in the decade, but despite a lot of hype, fans and critics did not warmly receive the two sequels for the original (which both came out in 2003). That growing cynicism toward the franchise carried over to this game. Basically, people weren’t all that interested in seeing the story of The Matrix continue on in the form of an MMO. Plus, World of Warcraft was quickly picking up steam as a dominating force.
What it is up to today: The Matrix Online closed in June 2009 due to low subscription numbers.
Above: Do you think that evil, flying eye creature could feel love? Have dreams? Ponder its existence?
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Release date: Feb. 28, 2006
The game: An MMO based on the popular pen-and-paper role-playing game whose rules srping from Dungeons & Dragons’ 3.5 Edition.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: D&D is very popular, but it’s difficult to translate it to an MMO. Part of the fun of D&D comes from the storytelling that emerges from your dungeon master and characters. It’s a challenge for a video game to match that.
What it is up to today: Dungeons & Dragons Online is still alive. It even got a new update in September. It went to a free-to-play model back in September 2009.
Above: It really does look like World of Warcraft, doesn’t it?
The Lord of the Rings Online
Release date: April 24, 2007
The game: Although its Middle-Earth setting became famous with a mainstream audience a few years earlier thanks to The Lord of the Rings movies, this game is based on the books.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Developer Turbine attempted to beat World of Warcraft with the backing of a huge fantasy IP, but WoW’s popularity was beginning to skyrocket. Its first expansion, The Burning Crusade, came out just a few months before The Lord of the Rings Online.
Also, while undeniably fun, LOTRO was ultimately too similar to WoW. Many players tried it, but they returned to the familiar pastures of Azeroth, where they had already spent dozens (if not hundreds) of hours of time.
What it is up to today: LOTRO added a free-to-play option in 2010, which helped it remain relatively popular, although it’s still nowhere near World of Warcraft’s success.
Its fifth expansion, Helm’s Deep, came out on Nov. 2013.
Above: They’re about to reckon something.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Release date: Sep. 18, 2008
What it was: It was an MMO set in the Warhammer fantasy series, a place primarily established via the popular table-top games. It featured a heavy emphasis on player-vs-player combat.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Despite positive reviews, Warhammer Online couldn’t overcome World of Warcraft. Just like with The Lord of the Rings Online, it was ultimately too similar to the MMO king to really stand out.
What it is up to today: Warhammer Online shut down on Dec. 18, 2013.
Above: Why is a supervillain not a valid target?
Champions Online
Release date: Sep. 1 2009
The game: A sort of spiritual successor to the popular City of Heroes, Champions Online was an MMO in which players created and played as their own superheroes.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: When it launched, Champions Online still had to compete with City of Heroes, which was active until 2012. Both came from MMO development house Cryptic Studios, although it had sold the City of Heroes IP to publisher NCSoft in 2007.
Since it was another superhero MMO from the same developer, Champions Online didn’t immediately stand out as something new. Also, World of Warcraft was becoming a mainstream sensation, so it was never likely that Champions Online could really topple it.
What it is up to today: While City of Heroes is gone, Champions Online is still active. It went to a free-to-play model on January 2011.
Above: Who needs science and exploration when you have phasers?
Star Trek Online
Release date: Feb. 2, 2010
The game: Another MMO from Cryptic, Star Trek Online featured spaceship battles and on-foot missions based on the popular sci-fi franchise.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: While the spaceship stuff was cool, the on-foot gameplay felt like a lesser version of a traditional MMO. Also, compared to the relative player-friendliness of World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online was a pretty complicated game.
What it is up to today: Star Trek Online added a free-to-play model in January 2012. It’s still active, and its newest expansion, Delta Rising, came out in October.
Above: “Which one of those buttons calls your mom to come pick you up?”
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Release date: Dec. 20, 2011
The game: The Old Republic is set thousands of years before the events of the popular movies. It was from the same developer, BioWare, that created the popular Knights of the Old Republic games.
Perhaps no other MMO on this list had more hype as a potential WoW-killer. BioWare is a well-liked studio, and many people consider Knights of the Old Republic as the greatest Star Wars game ever made.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Despite all the hype, The Old Republic is (and this is beginning to become a theme here) too similar to World of Warcarft. Despite the galactic setting, bounty hunters, Jedi Knights, and smugglers seemed identical to hunters, knights, and rogues.
Also, BioWare’s desire to create a satisfying single-player experience on par with Mass Effect and Dragon Age also felt at odds with the social needs of an MMO.
What it is up to today: It’s still active, with a free-to-play option for the game going live on November 2012. It has a new expansion, Shadow of Revan, coming out on Dec. 9.
Above: Guild Wars 2 can get a bit crazy.
Guild Wars 2
Release date: Aug. 28, 2012
The game: 2005’s Guild Wars isn’t so much an MMO as it is an action role-playing game with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer. The sequel, however, is a full-on World of Warcraft competitor. However, it doesn’t feature a subscription model or a free-to-play one. Instead, players buy the game and then have unlimited access to it.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Guild Wars 2 has some great ideas, and its payment model is certainly appealing, but it’s ultimately another fantasy MMO. Some people were sick of World of Warcraft at this point, and Guild Wars 2 was definitely an attractive alternative for a bit, but even it began to feel like a familiar experience.
What it is up to today: Guild Wars 2 is still live. As of 2013, it has about 460,000 active players.
Above: Do you think the little guy who only showed up with a book is a little embarrassed?
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Release date: Aug. 27, 2013
The game: The original Final Fantasy XIV came out in 2010. It was such a disaster that Square Enix decided to remake the whole game. Thankfully, 2013’s A Realm Reborn is a much better MMO that featured familiar gameplay, a beautiful world, and tons of flexibility.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Well, at this point, Warcraft is Warcraft. It doesn’t seem like anything can beat it. A Realm Reborn is actually performing well for Square Enix, and it even named it as one of the reasons the company made a profit back in 2013.
What it is up to today: It’s first expansion, Heavensward, comes out next spring.
Above: Does having other players run around really make this more fun?
The Elder Scrolls Online
Release date: April 4, 2014
The game: The Elder Scrolls has been one of the biggest single-player role-playing game series in the industry. The Elder Scrolls Online was finally going to let players share the experience.
Why it couldn’t beat Warcraft: Despite a very vocal group begging for an Elder Scrolls MMO for years, many series fan enjoy the likes of Oblivion and Skyrim because they get to explore a vast world on their own. MMO conventions like killing 10 skeletons don’t really mix well with Elder Scroll’s usual formula, where players can take on dragons and demons even in the earliest parts of the game.
What it is up to today: It’s still relatively new, but it certainly seems like people have already stopped talking about The Elder Scrolls Online.