WoW on the decline

[BloodOmen]

The alarming part is how fast they lost 600,000 customers since the release of Cataclysm which was released in December, 5 months and 600,000 subscribers? thats a frigging huge amount in such a short time. That said they still have 11,400,000 subscribers apparently so WoW is not by any means dead yet I don't think i've ever seen a game lose customers so fast tho.

I bet blizzard will be glad when Titan is relased finally so they can start farming in the subscribers again.

 

[Dreamor]

12,000,000 active subs? No, but they did lose a fair amount of subs. That said, people tend to go back and forth between a few games, and for an expansion to hold people for 6 months, that isn't too bad.

 

[BloodOmen]

"Activision Blizzard's earning call was today and we learned, among other things, that the WoW playerbase is down to 11.4M players. That's 5% less than before the expansion and it seems that players went through the Cataclysm content faster than expected.

Blizzard also promised faster release of new content and expansions during the call.

From Curse.com
During today's Activision Blizzard earnings call, World of Warcraft and its expansion Cataclysm were two very hot topics. Listeners asked a number of questions related to the game, more than any other title or franchise in the publisher's stable.

Of note, World of Warcraft's subscriber base has reached pre-Cataclysm levels, according to Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard Entertainment. He then later stated an actual number, with subscriptions at the end of March clocking in at right around 11.4 million.

That's down by about 5% from the announced 12 million mark late last year. Interestingly enough, that was right before Cataclysm released. In fact, it's actually lower than the milestone reached in 2008 with the release of Wrath of the Lich King.

But one important thing to point out, and Mr. Morhaime touched on this as well, is that World of Warcraft's subscriber base does not change linearly. It fluctuates based on content consumption, which players seem to be doing a whole lot of -- at a more rapid pace -- with Cataclysm. "Subscriber levels have decreased faster than previous expansions," he said.

Surprising? Not really. We have to remember that when these numbers were pulled, Cataclysm was in a bit of a lull. The expansion had been out for close to four months, and most of its content had been consumed by a large percentage of the player base -- aside from heroic raids."

I do agree tho, people do bounce around but 600,000 bouncing around is quite a substantial loss in revenue (roughly $108,000,000 less per year blizz is getting) and thats not including what they might spend on things like Mobile Auction house or pets etc from blizzstore

 

[Ctuchik]

Well DUH!

Ofc subscriber levels have decreased faster then in any other expansion because Cataclysm were a lowbie expansion, not an endgame expansion.

lvl's 1 - 60 got a total revamp whilst lvl's 80+ got 5 more levels that took a whole 2 days to blitz through, a few zones no one is revisiting with their 85's and some instances...

95% of cataclysm were dedicated to the vanilla WoW zones, and none of them have content for 85's.

 

[ford prefect]

Well the thing you need to remember about WoW, the crucial point as it were, is that it isn't and never was very good.

 

[ST^]

Well the thing you need to remember about WoW, the crucial point as it were, is that it isn't and never was very good.

I see it's still trendy to rag on popular things.

 

[ford prefect]

I see it's still trendy to rag on popular things.

Not at all, I think that WoW simply has a huge following because there aren't really any good MMORPG contenders out there at the moment. It is also one of the few that is actively publicised.

The games itself however, is quite dull.

 

[Mabs]

12 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS!"!"!32132

er, no. afaik the number was actually "copies sold". /shrug

and even if it IS 12 mill players, once you take out the gold farmers, you end with about 100,000 players

 

[ST^]

Not at all, I think that WoW simply has a huge following because there aren't really any good MMORPG contenders out there at the moment. It is also one of the few that is actively publicised.

The games itself however, is quite dull.

It has a huge following because it is/was really good. Why didn't other games (except Korean MMORPGs) get many subscribers before WoW if it's just a matter of competition?

 

[Mabs]

It has a huge following because it is/was really good. Why didn't other games (except Korean MMORPGs) get many subscribers before WoW if it's just a matter of competition?

no, no, and NO

its not GOOD. its OK
what it IS and always has been, is UNCOMPLICATED, so dribbling tards can pick it up and play it easily. before WoW all MMOs were much more complicated.

and anyone noticed decline and fall of MMO quality since they all went WOWcloning ?

 

[ford prefect]

It has a huge following because it is/was really good. Why didn't other games (except Korean MMORPGs) get many subscribers before WoW if it's just a matter of competition?

You are entitled to you opinion, mine is that it has very little going for it.

To answer your question, in a word: advertising.

Granted, WoW isn't advertised much anyome, it doesn't really need to be, but in 2004 it had the most agressive advertising campaign and a advertising budget that was an order of magnitude larger than any other similar game on the market. Blizzard turned WoW into (as close as any game can be) a household name.

Perhaps the worst thing about WoW is that other companies (mythic included) are trying to copy the formula because it is popular, and failing, partly because they don't have the budget and partly because the formula isn't very good in the first place.

 

[gohan]

wow is shit, it's boring and it's nearly identicle to ever other mmo

there's basicly 3 mmo's

daoc
GW

and all the rest that are the same with diff names


rift if just warhamer repackaged and warhammer so so like WoW that it made baby jesus cry


problem with all mmo's post daoc is that the pvp is wank, until an mmo cracks pvp in a fun competative and balanced way they will all be shit

 

[gohan]

Perhaps the worst thing about WoW is that other companies (mythic included) are trying to copy the formula because it is popular, and failing, partly because they don't have the budget and partly because the formula isn't very good in the first place.

also the main probem with copies is that if people like WoW, they will play WoW

not some copy that's like WoW

 

[ST^]

no, no, and NO

its not GOOD. its OK
what it IS and always has been, is UNCOMPLICATED, so dribbling tards can pick it up and play it easily. before WoW all MMOs were much more complicated.

and anyone noticed decline and fall of MMO quality since they all went WOWcloning ?

It starts off easy and finishes up hard. It's a really good balance. If you never played it at end-game then don't talk about it.

Tbh, most of you lot think DAoC was the best game ever so I don't rate any of your opinions xD

 

[gohan]

It starts off easy and finishes up hard. It's a really good balance. If you never played it at end-game then don't talk about it.

Tbh, most of you lot think DAoC was the best game ever so I don't rate any of your opinions xD

it was......


isn't now, too much retarded tinkering ect but pre ToA daoc was immense

infact i'd go as far as to say pre NF

 

[Mabs]

It starts off easy and finishes up hard. It's a really good balance. If you never played it at end-game then don't talk about it.

Tbh, most of you lot think DAoC was the best game ever so I don't rate any of your opinions xD

i have 3 lvl 85s in epics


next question ?

 

[ford prefect]

Perhaps the sad thing is that these companies don't realise that the next big thing will be something original, not a WoW or Eve clone. Note that I didn't say the next big "good" thing, because to be honest with the state of the MMORPG genre at the moment any company with a big enough budget, good PR and an original idea (no matter how good or bad), would probably have a $100 million hit on their hands.

 

[Mabs]

bear in mind, with the exception of Trion (Rift), ActivisionBlizzard have fucked everyone else for advertising. Release of most MMOs, all you see if WOW adverts all over the interwebs.

 

[ST^]

i have 3 lvl 85s in epics


next question ?

Doesn't tell me anything more than you solo grinded and got some PVP epics?

 

[gohan]

Doesn't tell me anything more than you solo grinded and got some PVP epics?

genrally only skilless roleplayers like WoW, most players that play FPS games prefer games like DAOC and GW as they're much more competative


WoW pvp is just messy and pointless, it's not skill based it's gear based

daoc was gear orientated but if you were a better player you could beat a higher RR higher geared player/grp


on GW the gear didn't really come into it as much

 

[Mabs]

Doesn't tell me anything more than you solo grinded and got some PVP epics?

yea cos you can do instances on your own
and you accuse me of not playing WoW, please, 1-800-clue

 

[ST^]

yea cos you can do instances on your own
and you accuse me of not playing WoW, please, 1-800-clue

You need to do instances to get to level 85 now? Or PVP epics don't exist anymore? I'm not accusing you of not playing it, I just wonder if you actually did end game stuff.

Also, kinda question your sanity for max-levelling three characters in a game that's just "OK".

 

[Mabs]

It starts off easy and finishes up hard. It's a really good balance. If you never played it at end-game then don't talk about it.

Tbh, most of you lot think DAoC was the best game ever so I don't rate any of your opinions xD

I'm not accusing you of not playing it, I just wonder if you actually did end game stuff.

Also, kinda question your sanity for max-levelling three characters in a game that's just "OK".

and cos i was playing with friends ?

 

[ST^]

Are the bold parts supposed to be contradicting eachother? It's just... y'know, they're not.

 

[Punishment]

It starts off easy and finishes up hard. It's a really good balance. If you never played it at end-game then don't talk about it.

Tbh, most of you lot think DAoC was the best game ever so I don't rate any of your opinions xD

I have played it to 85 and can say endgame its useless, has and always be a gearfest, the pvp is crap simples, i don't play an mmo endgame to walk around capital cities with my imba gear going look at me lets go do achievements i wanna kill some bastagers

 

[ST^]

I have played it to 85 and can say endgame its useless, has and always be a gearfest, the pvp is crap simples, i don't play an mmo endgame to walk around capital cities with my imba gear going look at me lets go do achievements i wanna kill some bastagers

Well pretty much any MMORPG since UO is a gearfest ¬_¬ but the raid encounters still need to be learned and you still need a whole bunch of people working together doing a strategy.

Same for PVP, anything since UO wasn't very good. DAoC, when I played, was just 200 people rolling over 150 people rolling over 120 people rolling over 60 people. Or something like that. At least WoW instances it so you can have decent team vs team.

 

[gohan]

Well pretty much any MMORPG since UO is a gearfest ¬_¬ but the raid encounters still need to be learned and you still need a whole bunch of people working together doing a strategy.

Same for PVP, anything since UO wasn't very good. DAoC, when I played, was just 200 people rolling over 150 people rolling over 120 people rolling over 60 people. Or something like that. At least WoW instances it so you can have decent team vs team.

ye daoc had zergy siege fest, which was sometimes alot of fun tbh

but mainly thier were area's were stuff happened

in OF for example emain was quite zergy, but odins was quite solo/duo friendly and FG's might roam the rest of hib or hadrains wall ect

in NF agramon was 8v8 ground and all the main keep bridges were zergy/ stealther heavy and thier was nowhere solo friendly which is why NF sux balls

 

[Mabs]

Well pretty much any MMORPG since UO is a gearfest ¬_¬ but the raid encounters still need to be learned and you still need a whole bunch of people working together doing a strategy.

Same for PVP, anything since UO wasn't very good. DAoC, when I played, was just 200 people rolling over 150 people rolling over 120 people rolling over 60 people. Or something like that. At least WoW instances it so you can have decent team vs team.

im really curious now
which games have you played "since UO" at capped level, on multiple toons, for a decent length of time, to form such a concrete knowledge base.

 

[Gahn]

I'd wish they'd lose it all so the other mfuckers of devs would try and do a Daoc 2 instead of carbon copy that shit ...

 

[ST^]

im really curious now
which games have you played "since UO" at capped level, on multiple toons, for a decent length of time, to form such a concrete knowledge base.

WoW DAoC FFXI are the ones the qualify capped level/multiple classes/decent time I played some SWG, LOTRO and Warhammer but didn't stick with any for nearly as long.