--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At the time we started working on 'World…" description: "\"At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I think there was a limiting belief in the games industry and maybe outside the games industry, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg" --- # At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I… ![“At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I think there was a limiting belief in the games industry and maybe outside the games industry, that MMOs would only appeal to the most hard-core of hard-core players, and therefore you didn't really need to do anything to make the game…” quote by Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg) > “At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I think there was a limiting belief in the games industry and maybe outside the games industry, that MMOs would only appeal to the most hard-core of hard-core players, and therefore you didn't really need to do anything to make the game accessible to the wider audience.” [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The industry assumed MMOs were only for extreme gamers, so they ignored broader accessibility. **In simple terms:** People thought only hardcore gamers would play MMOs. Key Takeaway Consider wider audiences when designing games. Themes gaming industry accessibility assumptions design audience MMO Mood reflective analytical Type observational strategic When to use this quote - game development - marketing strategy - user experience design Key Concepts market perception player diversity inclusion Questions to Reflect On - How can games be inclusive without alienating core fans? - What barriers prevent casual players from trying MMOs? A Different Perspective Assumes all players have similar skill levels and interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World of warcraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-of-warcraft/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think consoles are necessarily our best opportunity for 'World of Warcraft.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/i-don-t-think-consoles-are-necessarily-our-best-opportunity-for-world/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [I'm a huge gamer! I love playing 'World of Warcraft.' It helps me wind down and escape reality for a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-bruckner/i-m-a-huge-gamer-i-love-playing-world-of-warcraft-it-helps-me-wind/) [Agnes Bruckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-bruckner/) > [“Anonymity is more complicated than that in World of Warcraft, as the game’s design essentially hands every player their own personal Ring of Gyges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-cuddy/anonymity-is-more-complicated-than-that-in-world-of-warcraft-as-the/) Luke Cuddy > [“So why are there so many ordinary citizens among the griefers3 in World of Warcraft?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-cuddy/so-why-are-there-so-many-ordinary-citizens-among-the-griefers3-in/) Luke Cuddy > [Sure, when you think 'World of Warcraft,' you might picture the nerdier set - those who may have sacrificed hygiene and sleep to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schreier/sure-when-you-think-world-of-warcraft-you-might-picture-the-nerdier/) [Jason Schreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schreier/) > [With 'World of Warcraft,' I like the potential for wasting time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristian-nairn/with-world-of-warcraft-i-like-the-potential-for-wasting-time/) [Kristian Nairn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristian-nairn/) > [“In an odd way you can compare the social enviroment of any online game to that of a skate park or to a lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-janelle/in-an-odd-way-you-can-compare-the-social-enviroment-of-any-online/) Phil Janelle > [I'm really good at World of Warcraft. Like, crazy good. Put me in front of a computer and it's like I enter some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-gustavsson/i-m-really-good-at-world-of-warcraft-like-crazy-good-put-me-in-front/) [Frida Gustavsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-gustavsson/) > [“Every morning before I left the house (IF I left, which I frequently didn’t), I would log online and fly around the game world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicia-day/every-morning-before-i-left-the-house-if-i-left-which-i-frequently/) [Felicia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicia-day/) > [“Bannon had become fascinated by the size and agency of the audiences congregating on MMO message boards such as Wowhead, Allakhazam, and (his favorite)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/bannon-had-become-fascinated-by-the-size-and-agency-of-the-audiences/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“How do you decide what video game to choose in the vast ocean of online gaming nonsense? There are 100s if not thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-janelle/how-do-you-decide-what-video-game-to-choose-in-the-vast-ocean-of/) Phil Janelle > [Never angrily rant into your web cam. While smashing a keyboard in half over a game of 'World of Warcraft' may seem totally justified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-william-johnson/never-angrily-rant-into-your-web-cam-while-smashing-a-keyboard-in/) [Ray William Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-william-johnson/) > [The analogy I use is that 'World of Warcraft' is like going to the mall: you see a ton of people there, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romero/the-analogy-i-use-is-that-world-of-warcraft-is-like-going-to-the-mall/) [John Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romero/) > [I play 'World of Warcraft,' which means I end up hanging out with teenage boys a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/i-play-world-of-warcraft-which-means-i-end-up-hanging-out-with/) [Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/) ## More by Michael Morhaime > [Well, the team that created 'Starcraft 2' is probably the most experienced real-time strategy team in the industry - there are members of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/well-the-team-that-created-starcraft-2-is-probably-the-most/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > ['StarCraft II' is a really great game. It appeals to players on multiple different levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/starcraft-ii-is-a-really-great-game-it-appeals-to-players-on-multiple/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [A lot of games that preceded 'Warcraft' made the assumption that this type of game wouldn't appeal outside the hard-core audience, so that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/a-lot-of-games-that-preceded-warcraft-made-the-assumption-that-this/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [Our original mission and values consisted of four simple words that formed our foundation: 'We make great games.' We crafted that statement before we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/our-original-mission-and-values-consisted-of-four-simple-words-that/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [The great thing about 'World Of Warcraft' is that you can sit down in your lunch hour and do a couple of quests and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/the-great-thing-about-world-of-warcraft-is-that-you-can-sit-down-in/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [As you start to see more respected advertisers coming in and looking at esports, you're going to find that there's a lot of interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/as-you-start-to-see-more-respected-advertisers-coming-in-and-looking/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > ['Diablo 3' was never really designed to be an eSport, and not every game necessarily needs to be an eSport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/diablo-3-was-never-really-designed-to-be-an-esport-and-not-every-game/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [I don't think consoles are necessarily our best opportunity for 'World of Warcraft.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/i-don-t-think-consoles-are-necessarily-our-best-opportunity-for-world/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [If we can help to make the interactions between folks online safer and more friendly, that would make it all more fun and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/if-we-can-help-to-make-the-interactions-between-folks-online-safer/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [I'd been with Blizzard for almost 28 years when I stepped down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/i-d-been-with-blizzard-for-almost-28-years-when-i-stepped-down/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [The development of gaming in Asia usually serves as the marker for how their company predicts the development of gaming will go globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/the-development-of-gaming-in-asia-usually-serves-as-the-marker-for/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [A lot of the successful Blizzard games that you know actually grew out of failed projects. That was the case with 'World of Warcraft.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/a-lot-of-the-successful-blizzard-games-that-you-know-actually-grew/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [We're always trying to improve and to make our games better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/we-re-always-trying-to-improve-and-to-make-our-games-better/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [When we were making games in the early '90s for the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis, popular games didn't have any real story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/when-we-were-making-games-in-the-early-90s-for-the-super-nintendo-and/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [We felt it was very likely the fee would be a deterrent for people, and that 'WoW' would not sell as quickly as some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/we-felt-it-was-very-likely-the-fee-would-be-a-deterrent-for-people/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) [Explore all 90 Michael Morhaime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. 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Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I think there was a limiting belief in the games industry and maybe outside the games industry, that MMOs would only appeal to the most hard-core of hard-core players, and therefore you didn't really need to do anything to make the game accessible to the wider audience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Morhaime" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world-of-warcraft-i-think-there-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world-of-warcraft-i-think-there-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/michael-morhaime-7542_belief_at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world_1331491.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At the time we started working on 'World of WarCraft,' I think there was a limiting belief in the games…” — Michael Morhaime", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Morhaime", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At the time we started working...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world-of-warcraft-i-think-there-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/at-the-time-we-started-working-on-world-of-warcraft-i-think-there-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```