Why didn't EverQuest remain as popular as other old MMO's?

[OriginalContentGuy]

Hot take: EQ was never popular

[Ekco]

counterpoint:
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getting on tv guide cover is reaching max level collective consciousness zeitgeist at the time

[Defo]

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Making EQ more "accessable" is what got us modern eq, or the live servers. People suggesting casual friendly changes to EQ dont seem to realize that it destroys the magic of EQ.

Half of what makes EQ so great is the warts, the timesinks, the grind, the CR's, the struggle. The harshness of the world also makes "victory" so much sweeter.

They have a game like EQ that removed all of that, its called classic wow. And its ok! Just not near as memorable as early era EQ.

I agree, 100% Those things that make EQ inaccessible to casual players or players that can't commit a dozen or more hours per week are what make the game great.

BUT - that also limits the playerbase. Not that it really matters, besides having a hard time convincing non-hardcore gamer friends to try EQ in the year 2026 lol!

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Originally Posted by Ekco [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

counterpoint:
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getting on tv guide cover is reaching max level collective consciousness zeitgeist at the time

Originally Posted by OriginalContentGuy [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Hot take: EQ was never popular

I think you are both correct.

A lot of people had heard about Everquest. They saw it on TV guide, in magazine articles, etc.

However, owning a good PC + Graphics Card + Internet Connection was uncommon. I like this anecdote:

Originally Posted by Eagish [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

In line with this, I started playing EQ in 1999 with a buddy at work, because our work stations had the graphics cards and the business had the internet connection. So we'd finish work, order a pizza, and play EQ for hours.

Everquest also required a credit card for subscription, so it was less accessible to kids.

This means there were ton of hurdles for people to get over in 1999 to play Everquest.

I think Everquest's popularity largely suffered from releasing too early. It pioneered the genre in a time where not a lot of people could play. Thus, other games could take the ideas and build on them (like WoW). These newer games got the benefit from lessons learned, and a naturally growing base of people with PC's + Graphics Cards + Internet.

[BradZax]

This was still in the tail end of the satanic panic where the computer and video games and the internet were still perceived by many like AI today but on the onset of taking over the entertainment industry at the same time.

Like, getting a TV guide in the mail, that is like as old as black and white tv shows were to 1999 to today.

[OriginalContentGuy]

Originally Posted by Ekco [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

counterpoint:
getting on tv guide cover is reaching max level collective consciousness zeitgeist at the time

I dunno man. Nice cover of FV though, well it's alright actually.

[Ekco]

UO had like 100,000 at peak in 1998 or so
EQ 200,000 by the year 2000

still niche by any definition of the word but i think people don't give it it's due for the phenomenon it was at the time, Quake 3 sold 319,000 units in 2001 in North America, Everquest having 225,000 active subscribers by early 2000 is insanely successful

from the march 2001 Warrens patch notes

Two years ago this Friday, EverQuest was launched, forever changing the course of online gaming. Today EverQuest boasts nearly 360,000 active subscribers, and a two-year retention rate of 65%. Peak usage tops 89,000 simultaneous users with average peak usage at roughly 87,000.

[Eagish]

I loved the UO vibe and I bought it on release day, but it turned out the server was a long distance call for me and I got priced right out of the game.

[red_demonman]

Hot take: they didn't implement the `/pizza` command soon enough.

[Danth]

Originally Posted by Eagish [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I loved the UO vibe and I bought it on release day, but it turned out the server was a long distance call for me and I got priced right out of the game.

I know that feeling. First online multiplayer game I played, in 1994, was 6 bucks an hour plus long distance dialup costs. Suffice it to say I didn't play it much!