Why World of Warcraft Housing is Bad

Executive Summary

World of Warcraft players are debating the upcoming housing system because it represents two very different visions of what an MMO should be. For some, housing is a long‑awaited feature that allows creativity, roleplay, and personal expression. For others, instanced housing is seen as anti‑social, isolating, and a waste of development resources. History shows that housing systems succeed when they are tied to economy, politics, and conflict, and fail when they are only decorative.

Why Housing Matters in WoW

It promises permanence in a game where most rewards are temporary.
It offers collection goals and creative expression.
It risks pulling players out of public spaces and into private instances.
It signals Blizzard’s design philosophy: comfort and accessibility over friction and conflict.

Comparison of MMO Housing Systems

Game	Placement Type	Social Impact	Gameplay Integration	Legacy
Ultima Online	Open world	Very high. Neighbors, theft, emergent drama	Looting, decoration, PvP spillover	Legendary for chaos and freedom
ArcheAge	Open world, scarce plots	Very high. Guild politics, land wars	Farming, trade packs, PvP	Defined the game’s economy and conflict
Star Wars Galaxies	Open world, player cities	Extremely high. Mayors, governments, faction hubs	Merchants, militia, city progression	Iconic player‑driven history
Final Fantasy XIV	Limited wards + instanced apartments	Medium. RP hubs but exclusion through scarcity	Gardening, Free Company buffs, workshops	Strong RP hubs, infamous scarcity
WildStar (closed)	Instanced plots	Medium. Visiting, buffs, mini‑games	Resource nodes, challenges, social bonuses	Praised as one of the best systems
Black Desert Online	Instanced interiors tied to city buildings	Medium. Competition for prime locations	Crafting, storage, worker systems	Functional, economy‑linked
Elder Scrolls Online	Fully instanced	Low. Broadly accessible, little friction	Decoration, crafting, dueling arenas	Wide variety, socially shallow
EverQuest II	Instanced	Low	Crafting prestige, decoration	Early pioneer, but isolated
RIFT (Dimensions)	Instanced	Low to medium. Visiting, rating, events	Creative sandbox, player‑made spaces	Known for creativity, niche appeal
RuneScape (POH)	Instanced	Low. Invite‑only	Training hubs, teleports, minigames	Functional utility, not social
LOTRO	Instanced neighborhoods	Medium. Shared districts, kinship houses	Decoration, festivals, kinship perks	Moderate community feel
Palia	Instanced	Very low. Purely decorative	Farming, crafting, no stakes	Rapid novelty decay
WoW (planned)	Instanced	Low. Invite‑only visibility	Decoration and collection	Risk of being a short‑lived novelty

Lessons from History

Open world placement creates visibility, scarcity, and drama. This is why Ultima Online, ArcheAge, and Star Wars Galaxies are still remembered.
Instanced housing isolates players. ESO, EQ2, and Palia show that decoration alone does not sustain engagement.
Hybrid systems that mix decoration with utility or scarcity are the most successful. WildStar and Black Desert Online are strong examples.

Player Motivations

Decorators and role‑players want expression and hosting.
Economy players want storage, crafting, and trade hubs.
Competitive players want land control, politics, and defense.
Explorers and socializers want neighborhoods, events, and visibility.

Housing works best when it serves more than one of these groups at the same time.

Risks for WoW

Engagement may drop quickly once the novelty of decorating wears off.
Private instances may reduce social interaction in cities and the open world.
Without scarcity or risk, housing will not generate memorable stories.
If housing is disconnected from economy, PvP, and progression, it will remain a side activity.

Recommendations

Create shared districts with discoverability tools, events, and leaderboards.
Introduce fair scarcity through lotteries, rotations, or guild quotas.
Tie housing to economy with crafting stations, vendors, and upkeep systems.
Add optional risk through PvE sieges or faction influence.
Support governance with mayors, councils, and civic ranks.
Encourage collaboration with guild compounds and co‑ownership.

Conclusion

WoW players are making housing a big deal because it represents more than decoration. It is about whether the game will embrace community‑driven systems or continue down the path of safe, isolated content. History shows that housing becomes legendary when it is tied to economy, politics, and conflict. If Blizzard limits it to private decoration, it will be remembered as a novelty rather than a pillar of the game.