There’s this common thing that I see on many blogs, particularly ones that cover multiple MMOs. It goes like this, for example:
“I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I’m back in WoW again.”
Sometimes, this is rephrased to say the opposite but still giving the same effect:
“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m excited about the WoW expansion.”
It’s popular to consider World of Warcraft to be the MMO that only the most un-cool of gamers enjoy. The new hotness is fashionable, and it’s totally cool to be playing FFXIV or Rift or Guild Wars 2. But if you happen to be playing WoW, the game that 7+ million people are still subscribed to, you have to use a disclaimer before talking about it. Why is that? It’s *still* the most successful MMORPG ever. It’s still the biggest and most popular. It’s right up there with EQ2 in terms of having the largest world and most content to play. It’s almost like people view WoW as a sick addiction. “I’m back in that game again, despite my best efforts to resist the temptation.” Why resist? WoW is a pretty freaking awesome game even to this day.
Maybe everyone else is a bunch of MMO hipsters who have to be playing the obscure underdogs, and we’re just too mainstream for them.
CuppyVille 
Prior to gaming (MMO in particular) REALLY taking off, World of Warcraft was labeled with the stereotype that plagued Dungeons & Dragons players for so long. The obese, unshowered, basement dwelling monsters of a family’s home. As soon as you told someone you played World of Warcraft, they either loved you because they played, or they really took a few steps away from you in a not so nonchalant manner. I think for some, that’s still an issue.
Within the community it is no big deal, of course. But even the families of the Mrs. and myself just don’t get it and probably never will. My mom tries to understand and loves the art and idea of the game. Hell, I could probably get her to try it if her internet wasn’t awful and in the middle of nowhere. But the rest of the family, I just don’t even bother mentioning it to them because it just isn’t worth the cabon dioxide I’d be creating in the process.
Having been one of those players that has fallen in and out of love with World of Warcraft many times… I can try my best to explain it. For me at least it has nothing to do with WoW being cool or un-cool… but moreso having played many other games I can see the glaring shortcomings of the wow systems. Back in july I posted a topic called 5 Biggest MMO Disappointments one day when I was lacking anything better to write about (http://aggronaut.com/2013/07/13/5-biggest-mmo-disappointments/). While I wrote about many games that just did not do that well or failed to deliver, I lead it off with WoW.
WoW is one of those games that I can deeply enjoy so long as I don’t really analyze things too much. It does an amazing job of delivering the fast food MMO experience. However there are so many other games that do various things better. My regret from playing WoW is that I am NOT playing these other games that do various things better. All of those other games are fun for awhile but severely lacking in other ways. Since I cannot play a Frankenstein game that includes the best possible features, I end up flitting between games in an attempt to experience the best parts of each.
However WoW still seems to offer the best possible package as a whole. It is the Wal-mart of MMOs, and despite how much you may or may not like going to Wal-mart… everyone does sooner or later because they have that thing you want and can find nowhere else. Now that I am back… I am trying my best not to go too deeply into thinking about the game. I am really enjoying myself but I fear that like usual this present infatuation will last a few weeks and I will be back to flipping games again. The thing WoW has that no other game seems to have… is a stable fanbase. The guild I formed back in 2004 is still alive and super active. Each time I leave the game, they remain trudging ever forward. While I have officially handed over the reigns of the guild to a friend, it is still very much in spirit “my” guild.