I agree that the art style overall, is well done, more so in the expansion. Your thought that some people just don’t like it has a kernel of truth, however. Disney has found that about half the population outgrows a liking for cartoons at an early age (which is why kids channels are split between animation and live action shows)

WoW’s graphics are quite simply – simple. That’s all. Add in a bunch of color and sure, you’ll get “oohs” and “ahhs.” But that really is all there is to it. Lots and lots of color. Apart from that, there’s really nothing worth mentioning in the visuals department. Hell, I can’t even tell what race some of the things are in that game. Can be fighting a mob and trying to figure out if it’s a dog or a rabbit.

Wrong. Really, really wrong. Your choice of art style affects everything about the game from the server (one or shards) to server population, to possible landmass of the world, to how many players can inhabit that space. Heck even the emotes that are able to be added.
Could Blizz have chosen a more photorealistic art style? Sure, but the game would not run as smoothly, with so many people in view, on such low-spec machines. EQ2′s mirror-like water lapping poorly textured beaches throws you deep into the uncanny valley and everything you see subsequently is just ‘off’.
To get to max level in any game players have to hit level 2 first.
Wow’s launch was easily as smooth as CoH’s, and boxes were on store shelves in abundance. EQ2′s art is why I never made it off the dock.

Myself, I tend to go for a good steak & champagne. Probably just be my “sucky tastes” though.

In all honesty, you can’t include EQ1 in your initial comparison because World of Warcraft is entirely derivative of that initial foray into the MMOG space. Without the original EQ, there wouldn’t be a WoW.

Really, what caused WoW to dominate the market wasn’t a superb release (WoW’s was equally as crappy as EQ, or do you not remember the hour long queues to get into a server or the lack of actual product on store shelves), nor is it great art (honestly it’s merely “bright” and “full”).

No it has more to do with marketing to the low-end min-spec market and creating a fluid new player experience, both of which were done to near perfection. Even today, few games (aside from LotRO) provide gamers with such an easy-to-follow treadmill to max-level.

That is what made WoW great. Not the art. They could’ve made EQ-style art, and they would’ve done fine.

Byrd: I am an acknowledged Blizzard fan boy. I am a big fan of a lots of other good things as well like water, food, and air.

Rob: If thinking the graphical presentation of a game could be a reason why it’s more popular is ludicrous, then why don’t more people seek out less attractive mates who have great personalities?

Mike: Or you’re just completely spent from coming up with your cripple metaphor…

RadarX: Okay, what are the current EQ2 subs? I mentioned RTS and don’t forget action-RPGs. If Blizzard made Bejeweled it would have been appropriate since it, like the other games I mentioned, dominates it’s market. I should have mentioned Lost Vikings but I’m not sure how it fit in to the multi-character side scrolling platform market at the time.

Mark