Game Dame12 Things That Annoy Me About WoW Insider
Posted on February 25, 2008 by Game Dame
- Two Bosses Enter. Seriously? Who cares! Newsflash: we want to know how to beat the bosses ourselves. And, in case you didn’t know, we are hip to the fact that the bosses cannot actually get out of their hidey holes to fight each other. That whole series is just a waste of an Excel spreadsheet. The game is already a fantasy and sometimes meta is just pointless.
- Too much focus on PvP.
- Two words: “No Ratshag.”
- Other blogs already do what you’re trying to do — and they do it better. BigRedKitty (whom you had to steal), Kestrel, Kinless, Less QQ, More PewPew, and many others.
- Two more words: “No TemerityJane.” (Okay, not sure if that’s 2 or 3 words.)
- No out-of-the-software-box thinking. Why hasn’t WoW Insider come up with cool games-within-the game, like Gnaked Gnome Races or the Pox Arcanum experiment?
- Too much recycled content. Comics and movies should be produced by and for the mag exclusively. Don’t you think we surf the web and already see what you’re reposting?
- No clear theme. What’s the point of the magazine? It’s kind of all over the place. Is it to help us play more effectively? (How does “effectiveness” work into a sentence with “play” anyway?) Is it there to help us have more fun in the game? Just a fanzine, documenting the “culture” of WoW? Sometimes I get bored by it because it’s trying to be everything to everyone and not doing any of it very well.
- About the Bloggers. I mean, really, who cares? Wayyyy too self absorbed!
- Lazy content. Too much focus on generating forced “interaction” from readers (e.g., “What do you think about that? What are your thoughts? What do you do on Wednesdays?”), rather than letting it arise organically out of thoughtful, helpful articles. It’s a content cop-out. Why not take some initiative and actually put together communities that don’t exist right now, or get interviews with gamers or people at Blizzard?
- lolWoW instead of Around Azeroth. Please. Screenshots, for peetsake?? /eyerolling. Maybe if you add some kitty pidgin to the pics, you’ve got a great series!
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: rants, world of warcraft, wow, WoW Insider
Look out Letterman you have competition!!
PS: ummm where’s 12? *ducks and runs*
It was a test of your counting ability. Guess what? You passed! /blush
1) I agree for the most part.
2)”Too much focus on PvP. ” Can’t happen. Never will be too much.
3) Yeah Rats should be at least mentioned
4) bleh no opinion/comment
5) To be fair the TJ is more of a life blog and less of a WoW thing.
6) Cool games would be nice.
7) Using someone else’s stuff is always a copout.
9) Maybe this should just be a link on the right instead of articles apearing on the main page. I’m not against it…just think its in the wrong place.
10) I agree. Too many open ended questions just designed to pull out lurkers.
11) I -like- the screenshot thingy.
13) I can’t count though.
@Dammerung: Thanks for the feedback!
(5) That’s my point. TJ is freakin hilarious. When was the last time you laughed out loud at WoW Insider? Blizzard made the game with humor in mind: I have chuckled out loud at NPC names and quest lines and many things throughout the game, but WoW Insider seems to take it all so seriously.
(
We can agree to disagree. But before we stop, tell me of one successful magazine whose theme you cannot name in one sentence, or even just a phrase? Focus matters.
(9) Agree with your idea. The way they present it as an “article” or a “feature” is just content filler, though.
(42) I haven’t seen a screenshot yet that made me go, “Wow, cool.”
My main point is: What are they adding to the blogosphere? I’m not sure any more. I think there’s room for a competing magazine that would do the job better. Any takers???
I love iStockphoto =). Great points!
Although I can’t help but wonder if WI is trying to spread itself too thin as being the premiere blog for WoW players of all types: Casualers, Hardcore players, PvE, PvP, the wacky, etc.
We were stolen?
/preen!
To be completely forthcoming, we applied for a blogging job with WoWInsider, they did not hunt us down. We have our opinions as to the content of WoWInsider, but as we are paid by them for our content, we are obviously not unbiased. Thus, we keep our trap shut.
But we do vote for Ratshag!
Very funny. Your comments are ‘what i really think, but never admit to’.
http://enhancementshaman.wordpress.com
i really like wow insider, i never found it annoying. i like that they discuss about certain etiquette and moral issues in the guild and such, also the “around azeroth” screenshots are funny and interesting, seeing a nice view makes me wanna go ingame and find it myself too.
Never read it. The work filter eats it for lunch and home time is for playing WoW, not reading silliness….lol. So, of course I have some suggestions to make it better:
1. The mark of a quality magazine is how often they are able to interview high profile celebrities, such as Daxe the BE Priest and proprietor of Daxe Fifth Ave. They have not; we are unimpressed.
2. Another mark of a quality magazine is carrying ads from well known, top shelf businesses, such as Daxe Fifth Ave, to afford their customers reminders that quality still exists and can be found on Anvilmar.
3. WoW Insider has repeatedly failed to appear on Daxe’s radar as a viable publication and is therefore a non-entity. If they do not make themselves known to the upper crust of society, then they’re just going to have to be content with the ….lesser peoples’ attention.
4. The smart business knows that featuring the Daxe Signature Series clothing lines and designer handbags is a sure win, but, alas, while “Orc Today”, “Vanity Troll”, and “Forsaken Resorts and Spas” have all published content focused solely on Daxe and her awesome goods, WoW Insider remains one of the few hold outs in an increasingly small segment in the ignorant mass of journalism that refuses to recognize their betters.
I would elaborate on my indifference, but I must oversee a brand new handbag that will become THE NEXT BIG THING.
Toodles!
Daxe
oops, forgot.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…..ah ha ha ha…..ahhhhhhhhh
> When was the last time you laughed out loud at WoW Insider?
Two words: Epic hairdo. L. O. L. !
I do agree with a lot of this, but like any other blog, I just skip over what doesn’t look interesting. There are certain features I never miss, others I never read, and some just get mentally stored away for future reading (build shop, for example).
I find that certain features of the WoW Insider Podcast grate on me more because I can’t skip over them as easily. On the whole, I like the podcast, but … perhaps I’ll save this rant for a blog entry of its own. It could get long!
I have to go with you on the “Two Bosses Enter” thing. That would be interesting/amusing once in a while, but more than once every couple of months it runs smack into the “who cares?” wall.
What i find annoying are those posts which start with a Captain Obvious statement and end with a questionmark… “I hate getting ganked in STV, what do you hate?” trying to get readers to comment.
In most posts the readers are supplying the content and not the blogger (who gets paid for it aswell).
But at least once a day there is a post which does somewhat entertain me (no laughin outloud tbh) so i do keep comming back.
Right on on this post, I pretty much stopped reading it. I also hate that screenshot feature they do.
Too much focus on generating forced “interaction” from readers
Comments = pageviews
Pageviews = pay (I would imagine)
As ever, people will do what makes ‘em money.
I read them for the patch and ptr news. Very rarely they feature an add-on. Their class write-ups … that’s what sites like Elitist Jerks is for.
I couldn’t care less if Ragnaros pwnz Bronzebeard. For every screen shot they’ve got, I’ve got a bunch more, and then what do I need screenshots for it I’m in the game seeing it with my own eyes? Show me something unique or interesting that I want to go see for myself.
What do you think about that?
Although WoW Insider provides some great information (Blizzcon), its not one of the sites that I visit daily. The main reason is because of your #8. Also I think what turns me off is navigating thru the ads.
First, I thank you for thinking I do anything as well as (or better than!) the pros at WI.
That said, I agree with many of your points. Here are some points of my own:
First, “Two Bosses Enter” — agree word-for-word!
Second, NeedMoreRatshag!
Third, BRK in WI is what got me to read ANY WoW blogs, and by extension, inspired my own bloginess.
Fourth, put the full text in the feed reader, dammit!
Fifth, “Around Azeroth” is okay, but they’ve never used my submissions. /sulk
Finally, WI is a great “all-around” resource, but if folks want to really learn about the game–classes, crafting, professions, etc.–, I would recommend looking at the bloglist at Blog Azeroth and add a few (or a LOT) of those great blogs to their RSS reader.
Fun article to read, GD!
Lol! /ditto
http://se7en-samurai.blogspot.com/2008/01/holy-crap-its-getting-thick.html
Lol! /ditto
http://se7en-samurai.blogspot.com/2008/01/holy-crap-its-getting-thick.html
Double Post error FTW!
@Stormgaard: LOL… and I thought you were being clever with the double “ditto” comment!
Naw… sometimes I’m just a spaz. I swear it’s this firefox browser. It does it on other sites too sometimes…
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