Honestly I've become so jaded over a lifetime of gaming that it's getting harder and harder to find new releases appealing.
So many games lack depth, complexity, or any form of innovation. I tried to play Mass Effect 3 and literally got bored after 5 minutes because it's just the same shit I've played 100 times before. I didn't have to think, I didn't have to make choices, or take risks, or analyze anything.
I look back very fondly on my time playing World of Warcraft, but mainly up to and through Burning Crusade. Before cross-server dungeon queue's you actually had to find and talk to real people, organize a group, and travel for 15-20 mins to get where you needed to go. I remember how many times I had to form a group to go through BRD, and there were always people who had never done it before, and I had to guide them and explain things. Pulls had to be CC'd, there was a specific strategy to get through the Lyceum without getting zerged by swarms of dwarves-- it was never certain that we would make it to Emperor, and it was a several hour investment even if we did. It wasn't a matter of collecting enough badges to get your guaranteed gear; you were at the mercy of droprates, and when you finally got that item, there was a much larger sense of accomplishment.
With Wrath, that became a 30-minute romp through heroics AoEing everything the whole way. People considered a group that had to CC a shitty group. Eventually you didn't even have to put the group together or use the summoning stone.
People think that they don't want tedium, or massive time investment. Even casual players will say that they want to be catered to, but I don't think it pans out that way. The more you remove the challenge and exclusivity from the acquisition of gear, the more you remove the sense of accomplishment for everybody, whether you play for 2 hours a day or 12. I think WoW's subscription numbers will attest to that-- the destruction of WoW's American playerbase directly correlates with the trend toward class homogenization and the removal of substantial time investment for content.
The game was far more convenient, but I don't think it was more fun for most people.
Also, I'd like to know how many people who claim WoW was easy were successful in Arenas, where the challenge is dictated by other players. (Class composition shenanigans excluded).
P.S Look how many of Diablo 3's abilities are copy/pasted from WoW. Disgusting.
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