The Daily Grind: Will SWTOR succeed in Asia?
Gamers (and game executives) are fond of comparing Star Wars: The Old Republic to World of Warcraft. Forums are rife both with discussions on how TOR will (or will not) dethrone the reigning MMO subscription champ and with arguments regarding similar game mechanics.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a prediction on whether or not SWTOR will succeed in the Asian market. We know, for example, that a huge portion of WoW's 12 million users came from the Far East, and sales suggest that Eastern gaming audiences are very different from their Western counterparts (see the ongoing popularity and profitability of games like Aion and Lineage II, which draw contemptuous sneers from American audiences -- if they notice them at all).
When you compare BioWare's focus on narrative with Blizzard's focus on progression, it's very possible to see TOR falling short of WoW's Asian success. What do you think, Massively readers? Will TOR conquer the Asian MMO market?
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
