What gramcracka22 said is valid. The reason why the game still has any players is because its the only game that offers a loot/hoarding experience no other game currently offers, not even Day Z.
The main key is a global inventory in which you can stash the different types of varied loot.
Finally, the only other unique factor is the combat is extremely unique as well. Its got a natural/organic feel to it because the encounters are by chance always, even if you go to a high pvp town.
In Counter STrike, Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc. those games you are in a controlled environment. You know 100% the fight will happen and they will be close to equal your gear. In WarZ/DayZ its whatever gear you manage to find or bring into from your GI, thus, a gambling factor cause you can put your gear at stake and lose it.
Those are the facts about the game without thinking about the hackers. Yes, there are tons of hackers, but you encounter them LESS if you're not roaming into high pop high pvp towns. And if you just like looting and collecting you can safely go into a private server that is PW protected and just loot/explore in there.