The WoW herd

Non-sarcastic: It seems like a great idea to ‘help’ people get started and move along in a large world filled with adventure. Like proper customer service that answers questions such as: “What do I do now?” And beyond that, these ‘cruise directors’ aren’t just helping to navigate through a game, but help you organize and digest the overwhelming nature of new media.

Sarcastic: After spending $50 at retail and another $15 a month, you’d think that people would have half an idea of what to do. RPG adventure games don’t just jump you from the shadows. Could it be that these ubiquitous shepherds are the last and only line of defense a game company has to keep you from canceling out of frustration? Clearly, subscriber numbers can only grow so much, and customer retention is what subscription-based revenue is all about.

“We like to call our quest designers the cruise directors of “World of Warcraft.” Because, like on a cruise, you always have a menu of things to do. We give you a little itinerary of activities, and you can choose to do all of them or just wander off the beaten track and explore and do none of them. That’s totally up to you. But we never want you to feel like you don’t have something you can do.”

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