For everyone wondering why Lineage seems to be sooo popular, here are the major reasons:
1. 80% of ALL its players are from ONE country on the entire planet - Korea. What is it about Korea one may ask? Read on....
2. Korea leads the world when it comes to computer access for the masses. They have what are called PC Bangs. (This is the English translation of the word from Korean.) Litterally city blocks full of hundreds to thousands of computer PCs. Open 24/7. With hundreds of games already uploaded. Any of the public that is too poor, too broke, on too tight of a budget, can at any time play any major game, on a modern PC computer. They do not have to buy a computer, they do not even have to buy the game. There are also many CD Cracks, and CD Scripts, used so one PC Bang can use 1 game for 800 computers. Including MMORPGs (I witnessed it done with DAoC.)
3. Litterally 50% of the ENTIRE country of Korea lives in 1 single city! The rest live in lesser but still metropolitan areas. Very few still live in the country, or on farms, compared to the majority of the country. This means it is even easier for more of the population to become gamers, and to play games on the computers. Computers they do not have to buy, and games they do not have to buy.... over at their local PC Bang.
4. The Korean goverment, and the rest of the Korean population are anti-American. They have and engage in anti-Amercian policies. Just like one can say "Japanese Rice farmers are ultra successful!" BUT if one looks closer, the Japanese goverment favors Japanese rice farmers over American farmers. They make it near impossible for American farmers to sell rice in Japan. Thus Japanese Rice farmers REALLY exist in a vacume market.
Korea makes it very hard for American game companies to market games in Korea, and sell in Korea. This also includes the rest of Asia. But Korea is under our magnifying glass right now for this little discussion about Lineage. Lineage exists in a near VACUME market. Need another example? In America back in the 1930's, 1940's ALL basketball players were white Americans. Were they ultra-good? Or was it because they played in a vacume aka no black Americans were allowed to compeate? After black Americans were allowed to fully compeate how many white American basketball players are there now? Same with American baseball (yeah a certain hall of famer had a famous quote in which he said "I'm not playing if black Americans are allowed to play!"). Because the Korean goverment, (and the goverments in other Asian countries like Japan, etc...) make it very difficult for American companies to compeate vs Asian companies, it allows products by Asian companies to exist in a vacume, or near vacume market.
5. American companies on purpose do NOT make it a priority to try tapping into the Asian market. They act like it does not exist. The Asian market is just as big as the American market. And in many ways even bigger. Need a brutal example? In America, in a county in the State of New York, the NAACP got mad over a huge major suburban firehouse that had zero black American firemen. The county said, "OK, find us any black Americans who want to become firemen. Because we've been trying for the past 5 years and we cannot find any who wants to do it!" The NAACP put out newspaper ads, and to this very day no black Americans want to become firemen.... and the starting pay is $50,000.oo (USA), reaching $75,000.oo if the newhire survives fighting fires for 5 years. (The NAACP still tried suing that county LOL!)
Same with how American companies are acting towards the Asian market. It can pay off very, very, well, be very lucrative.... IF American companies made it top priority.
6. Korean culture shock #202 - Women gamers are a NORMALITY! Same with the rest of Asia. In every country in the world, women outnumber men. It is just how birthrates are. In America a woman who plays games is viewed as wierd by American culture. As being very abnormal. Very strange. As if she is some creature from another dimension (sp?).Other gamers act as if she is the last female on the planet. It is as if she's not accepted by anyone - society, and fellow gamers. In Korea, a woman gamer is seen by society as a gamer (heck most of society ARE gamers) - either good or bad at whatever game they play. Other gamers treat her depending on how good or bad at the game she is. In America males make up roughly 80% to 90% of all gamers. In Korea, and the rest of Asia, males make up roughly 50% to 60% of all gamers!
Heck, I was taught how to play Counter-Strike by a female gamer. She's one of the best counter-strike players ever! When she enters a game, people automatically leave! LOL! One of my friends who is a hardcore Diablo 2 player, would regularly team up with Diablo 2 players even more hardcore than him - and they were all female gamers. (He traveled to Korea and Asia, and was sitting next to them at the PC Bangs he visited. )
7. Korean culture shock #101 - Just BEING a gamer is a NORMAL thing! In America everyone is an "in the closet" gamer. Many Americans play and like computer games, but do not admit it, nor talk about it, especially if they are over age 18. Even fellow gamers will talk bad about fellow gamers which is sad. (Case in point how the 'Star Wars Kid' got ripped apart by his 'fellow geeks' "He's One of Us!" some would shoot back.) In America there are TONS of negative words describing gamers - slacker, geek, nerd, loser, and more.
I remember at the World Cyber Gamers in NYC a few years ago some lady reporter was interviewing this gamer guy who won one of the semi-finals. Her attitude, the way she talked down to him, was an attitude of "LOSER!". I was standing nearby and felt like tripping her LOL. One of my friends grabbed my arm and gave me a look that said "I know what you are thinking! Let it go."
American culture is sooo hostile in its views towards gamers, that there is a stereotype that all gamers are virgins against their will, can't hold a conversation, do not go out, live at home with their parents without paying rent, all are stuck in dead end low paying jobs, do not know how to act, do not know how to dress, are not successful in life, will NEVER be successful in life, do not know how to eat, etc.. etc... (anyone remember that infamous AC2 ad in all major computer magazines? Showing a pale skin white American guy at work in his cubicle, ALONE, no one else around, insinuating he has no reason to go home or anywhere else, after work after everyone else has left. What he can't afford his own home PC?!? He has a bad haircut, avarage cloths, and a look in his eyes like a deranged lunatic loser who does not know the line between reality and a computer game.)
In Korea (and the rest of Asia) if anyone plays computer gamers, no matter what age they are, no one will call them negative names, or look down on them just because they like playing computer games. Women are attracted to gamers. Women will not dump a guy just because she later finds out he is a gamer (since she is probably also a gamer herself LOL!). Gamers are not stereotyped.
------
Can Lineage be compared to the rest of MMORPGs? No! Because of ONE main reason (reason #4 on my list) - The fact that the Korean goverment on purpose is anti-American and allows Lineage to exist in a near vacume. The rest of the reasons I state are the fault of American game companies, American marketers, American buisnessmen/women who on purpose refuse to accept the fact that education is never over but continously ongoing. They need to get educated about the potiential of the Asian market (AND the Central American Market, South American Market, African Market, and Middle Eastern Market. And even the European Market still.)
There ya have it - the main reason, along with other reasons, why Lineage is soo unique.
BTW someone posted wondering if Lineage is the only MMORPG in Asia (and Korea). There is another major one called El Karidian. Compared to American games, both Lineage and El Karidan suck LOL!
More proof there is nothing special about the Lineage game itself - Lineage tried to get marketed to American and Europe not one time, but TWO times. And FAILED miserably both times! Because European and American gamers have access to a market that has TONS of choices around the world. UO, EQ, AC, DAoC, AO, and many, many, others. The European and American markets do not exist in a near vacume.
El Karidian never sold well in Europe and America, because it is simply an Asian version of EverQuest. With less race and class choices.
Originally posted by xplororor 7. Korean culture shock #101 - Just BEING a gamer is a NORMAL thing! In America everyone is an "in the closet" gamer. Many Americans play and like computer games, but do not admit it, nor talk about it, especially if they are over age 18. Even fellow gamers will talk bad about fellow gamers which is sad. (Case in point how the 'Star Wars Kid' got ripped apart by his 'fellow geeks' "He's One of Us!" some would shoot back.) In America there are TONS of negative words describing gamers - slacker, geek, nerd, loser, and more. I remember at the World Cyber Gamers in NYC a few years ago some lady reporter was interviewing this gamer guy who won one of the semi-finals. Her attitude, the way she talked down to him, was an attitude of "LOSER!". I was standing nearby and felt like tripping her LOL. One of my friends grabbed my arm and gave me a look that said "I know what you are thinking! Let it go." American culture is sooo hostile in its views towards gamers, that there is a stereotype that all gamers are virgins against their will, can't hold a conversation, do not go out, live at home with their parents without paying rent, all are stuck in dead end low paying jobs, do not know how to act, do not know how to dress, are not successful in life, will NEVER be successful in life, do not know how to eat, etc.. etc... (anyone remember that infamous AC2 ad in all major computer magazines? Showing a pale skin white American guy at work in his cubicle, ALONE, no one else around, insinuating he has no reason to go home or anywhere else, after work after everyone else has left. What he can't afford his own home PC?!? He has a bad haircut, avarage cloths, and a look in his eyes like a deranged lunatic loser who does not know the line between reality and a computer game.)
Agree. It's sad how some people spit on gamers. I for one am proud to be a gamer. I plan to be playing games until I die or until some dieases riddles my body and I am unable to pick up a controller or type on the keyboard. When people tell I why I play games I respond with a simple answer, "hey I could be doing worse things"
Something intresting I noticed at Sir Bruce's site, and new MMORPG update (Ver 9.0) -
Underneath where he goes into detail how he comes up with info about each and every single MMORPG on his list........
"SOURCES AND METHODS
Some press reports will say Lineage has over 4 million subscribers. Lineage actually has a variety of different pricing schemes, and many players access the game via Internet cyborcafes rather than a more traditional monthly subscription."
- Sir Bruce
[Bold by me] It is NICE Sir Bruce us up to date about having some idea of the unique situation of the reason for the number of players in Lineage, and other MMORPGs based out of Asia. I do not know when he posted that. If he arrived at that info on his own, or after checking up on my posts I made at the old Waterhead forums, or other forum sites. Go Sir Bruce!
Any project that doesn't post where they got the data from is non-supported research. They do not have any facts to back up the conclusion that was made. This is more commonly known as a theory.
If he links his source data like any good research, then I'll believe his conclusions.
You realize that he could raise the subscription rates by 100,000 each and you all would still believe him...
--Ha, Pwned-- Pvp = godliness
--Ha, Pwned-- Pvp = godliness Playing: WoW Waiting on: Gods and Heroes
"Put your foot where your mouth is." - Wisdom from my grandfather "Paper or plastic? ... because I'm afraid I'll have to suffocate you unless you put this bag on your head..." - Ethnitrek AC1: Wierding from Harvestgain
Lineage I & II have indeed astronomical numbers, but they seem to be mostly korean based, good or bad who knows... only thing I know is that I didn´t fancy Lineage2 much.
Somehow I thought EQ were bigger, not that it is small same goes for AO.
Nice to see that EVE is still growing !!
I would love to see some data on the games when WoW hits the shelves, which games will take the biggest hits from it. Also of the growth of the subscriptions of all the games combined with each year.
Comments
For everyone wondering why Lineage seems to be sooo popular, here are the major reasons:
1. 80% of ALL its players are from ONE country on the entire planet - Korea. What is it about Korea one may ask? Read on....
2. Korea leads the world when it comes to computer access for the masses. They have what are called PC Bangs. (This is the English translation of the word from Korean.) Litterally city blocks full of hundreds to thousands of computer PCs. Open 24/7. With hundreds of games already uploaded. Any of the public that is too poor, too broke, on too tight of a budget, can at any time play any major game, on a modern PC computer. They do not have to buy a computer, they do not even have to buy the game. There are also many CD Cracks, and CD Scripts, used so one PC Bang can use 1 game for 800 computers. Including MMORPGs (I witnessed it done with DAoC.)
3. Litterally 50% of the ENTIRE country of Korea lives in 1 single city! The rest live in lesser but still metropolitan areas. Very few still live in the country, or on farms, compared to the majority of the country. This means it is even easier for more of the population to become gamers, and to play games on the computers. Computers they do not have to buy, and games they do not have to buy.... over at their local PC Bang.
4. The Korean goverment, and the rest of the Korean population are anti-American. They have and engage in anti-Amercian policies. Just like one can say "Japanese Rice farmers are ultra successful!" BUT if one looks closer, the Japanese goverment favors Japanese rice farmers over American farmers. They make it near impossible for American farmers to sell rice in Japan. Thus Japanese Rice farmers REALLY exist in a vacume market.
Korea makes it very hard for American game companies to market games in Korea, and sell in Korea. This also includes the rest of Asia. But Korea is under our magnifying glass right now for this little discussion about Lineage. Lineage exists in a near VACUME market. Need another example? In America back in the 1930's, 1940's ALL basketball players were white Americans. Were they ultra-good? Or was it because they played in a vacume aka no black Americans were allowed to compeate? After black Americans were allowed to fully compeate how many white American basketball players are there now? Same with American baseball (yeah a certain hall of famer had a famous quote in which he said "I'm not playing if black Americans are allowed to play!"). Because the Korean goverment, (and the goverments in other Asian countries like Japan, etc...) make it very difficult for American companies to compeate vs Asian companies, it allows products by Asian companies to exist in a vacume, or near vacume market.
5. American companies on purpose do NOT make it a priority to try tapping into the Asian market. They act like it does not exist. The Asian market is just as big as the American market. And in many ways even bigger. Need a brutal example? In America, in a county in the State of New York, the NAACP got mad over a huge major suburban firehouse that had zero black American firemen. The county said, "OK, find us any black Americans who want to become firemen. Because we've been trying for the past 5 years and we cannot find any who wants to do it!" The NAACP put out newspaper ads, and to this very day no black Americans want to become firemen.... and the starting pay is $50,000.oo (USA), reaching $75,000.oo if the newhire survives fighting fires for 5 years. (The NAACP still tried suing that county LOL!)
Same with how American companies are acting towards the Asian market. It can pay off very, very, well, be very lucrative.... IF American companies made it top priority.
6. Korean culture shock #202 - Women gamers are a NORMALITY! Same with the rest of Asia. In every country in the world, women outnumber men. It is just how birthrates are. In America a woman who plays games is viewed as wierd by American culture. As being very abnormal. Very strange. As if she is some creature from another dimension (sp?).Other gamers act as if she is the last female on the planet. It is as if she's not accepted by anyone - society, and fellow gamers. In Korea, a woman gamer is seen by society as a gamer (heck most of society ARE gamers) - either good or bad at whatever game they play. Other gamers treat her depending on how good or bad at the game she is. In America males make up roughly 80% to 90% of all gamers. In Korea, and the rest of Asia, males make up roughly 50% to 60% of all gamers!
Heck, I was taught how to play Counter-Strike by a female gamer. She's one of the best counter-strike players ever! When she enters a game, people automatically leave! LOL! One of my friends who is a hardcore Diablo 2 player, would regularly team up with Diablo 2 players even more hardcore than him - and they were all female gamers. (He traveled to Korea and Asia, and was sitting next to them at the PC Bangs he visited.
)
7. Korean culture shock #101 - Just BEING a gamer is a NORMAL thing! In America everyone is an "in the closet" gamer. Many Americans play and like computer games, but do not admit it, nor talk about it, especially if they are over age 18. Even fellow gamers will talk bad about fellow gamers which is sad. (Case in point how the 'Star Wars Kid' got ripped apart by his 'fellow geeks' "He's One of Us!" some would shoot back.) In America there are TONS of negative words describing gamers - slacker, geek, nerd, loser, and more.
I remember at the World Cyber Gamers in NYC a few years ago some lady reporter was interviewing this gamer guy who won one of the semi-finals. Her attitude, the way she talked down to him, was an attitude of "LOSER!". I was standing nearby and felt like tripping her LOL. One of my friends grabbed my arm and gave me a look that said "I know what you are thinking! Let it go."
American culture is sooo hostile in its views towards gamers, that there is a stereotype that all gamers are virgins against their will, can't hold a conversation, do not go out, live at home with their parents without paying rent, all are stuck in dead end low paying jobs, do not know how to act, do not know how to dress, are not successful in life, will NEVER be successful in life, do not know how to eat, etc.. etc... (anyone remember that infamous AC2 ad in all major computer magazines? Showing a pale skin white American guy at work in his cubicle, ALONE, no one else around, insinuating he has no reason to go home or anywhere else, after work after everyone else has left. What he can't afford his own home PC?!? He has a bad haircut, avarage cloths, and a look in his eyes like a deranged lunatic loser who does not know the line between reality and a computer game.)
In Korea (and the rest of Asia) if anyone plays computer gamers, no matter what age they are, no one will call them negative names, or look down on them just because they like playing computer games. Women are attracted to gamers. Women will not dump a guy just because she later finds out he is a gamer (since she is probably also a gamer herself LOL!). Gamers are not stereotyped.
------
Can Lineage be compared to the rest of MMORPGs? No! Because of ONE main reason (reason #4 on my list) - The fact that the Korean goverment on purpose is anti-American and allows Lineage to exist in a near vacume. The rest of the reasons I state are the fault of American game companies, American marketers, American buisnessmen/women who on purpose refuse to accept the fact that education is never over but continously ongoing. They need to get educated about the potiential of the Asian market (AND the Central American Market, South American Market, African Market, and Middle Eastern Market. And even the European Market still.)
There ya have it - the main reason, along with other reasons, why Lineage is soo unique.
BTW someone posted wondering if Lineage is the only MMORPG in Asia (and Korea). There is another major one called El Karidian. Compared to American games, both Lineage and El Karidan suck LOL!
More proof there is nothing special about the Lineage game itself - Lineage tried to get marketed to American and Europe not one time, but TWO times. And FAILED miserably both times! Because European and American gamers have access to a market that has TONS of choices around the world. UO, EQ, AC, DAoC, AO, and many, many, others. The European and American markets do not exist in a near vacume.
El Karidian never sold well in Europe and America, because it is simply an Asian version of EverQuest. With less race and class choices.
=========================
======= SIGNATURE =========
MMORPG games I've played:
---------------------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/xplororor
Star Wars Galaxies:
http://community.webshots.com/user/capt_xplororor
More games:
http://community.webshots.com/user/xplororor_archives01
EVE Online !!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/sica_xol_archives01
DAoC (coming soon)
---------------------------
__________________________
Ignorance is Bliss
__________________________
Ignorance is Bliss
Something intresting I noticed at Sir Bruce's site, and new MMORPG update (Ver 9.0) -
Underneath where he goes into detail how he comes up with info about each and every single MMORPG on his list........
"SOURCES AND METHODS
Some press reports will say Lineage has over 4 million subscribers. Lineage actually has a variety of different pricing schemes, and many players access the game via Internet cyborcafes rather than a more traditional monthly subscription."
- Sir Bruce
[Bold by me] It is NICE Sir Bruce us up to date about having some idea of the unique situation of the reason for the number of players in Lineage, and other MMORPGs based out of Asia. I do not know when he posted that. If he arrived at that info on his own, or after checking up on my posts I made at the old Waterhead forums, or other forum sites. Go Sir Bruce!
======= SIGNATURE =========
Personal Website (work in progress):
http://www.geocities.com/xplororor/index.html
MMORPG games I've played:
http://community.webshots.com/user/xplororor
Star Wars Galaxies:
http://community.webshots.com/user/capt_xplororor
More games:
http://community.webshots.com/user/xplororor_archives01
EVE Online !!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/sica_xol_archives01
DAoC (coming soon)
Any project that doesn't post where they got the data from is non-supported research. They do not have any facts to back up the conclusion that was made. This is more commonly known as a theory.
If he links his source data like any good research, then I'll believe his conclusions.
You realize that he could raise the subscription rates by 100,000 each and you all would still believe him...
--Ha, Pwned--
Pvp = godliness
--Ha, Pwned--
Pvp = godliness
Playing: WoW
Waiting on: Gods and Heroes
Runescape.... LOL
"Put your foot where your mouth is." - Wisdom from my grandfather
"Paper or plastic? ... because I'm afraid I'll have to suffocate you unless you put this bag on your head..." - Ethnitrek
AC1: Wierding from Harvestgain
Very interesting to read.
Thanks for that great info.
Lineage I & II have indeed astronomical numbers, but they seem to be mostly korean based, good or bad who knows... only thing I know is that I didn´t fancy Lineage2 much.
Somehow I thought EQ were bigger, not that it is small
same goes for AO.
Nice to see that EVE is still growing !!
I would love to see some data on the games when WoW hits the shelves, which games will take the biggest hits from it. Also of the growth of the subscriptions of all the games combined with each year.