I know that no company wants to show how well it is really doing, the main fear being that if they show the declines or show that they are doing badly it might drive off more people. But I would just love for a company to come out that kept a daily update of their subscribers and their peak concurrent users for the day. A flat out honest company with nothing to hide.
I remember when EQ used to show how many players were online at server select
- until DAOC launched, then SOE revised the server lists to not show active population
ncsoft used to give quarterly sub counts by region for all their mmos, including a 2 year qtrly history
but they stopped doing that in 2008 with the disappointment of Tabula Rasa
I know that no company wants to show how well it is really doing, the main fear being that if they show the declines or show that they are doing badly it might drive off more people. But I would just love for a company to come out that kept a daily update of their subscribers and their peak concurrent users for the day. A flat out honest company with nothing to hide.
I remember when EQ used to show how many players were online at server select
- until DAOC launched, then SOE revised the server lists to not show active population
ncsoft used to give quarterly sub counts by region for all their mmos, including a 2 year qtrly history
but they stopped doing that in 2008 with the disappointment of Tabula Rasa
Exactly, everyone is so afraid of the "bad news" that they do everything they can to hide it.
What is so wrong with honesty? Yeah, a new game came out so some of your players left. What a shocker, news at 11.
Companies spend so much time trying to twist things by releasing data like "registered accounts" or hiding how many people are logged in, changing the definition of high on a server list, etc.
They also spend a lot of time hiding or disguising how many people they have working on the project. Maybe people would have more realistic expectations, specifically for smaller companies/games, if they came out and said "Yeah, we have 10 people working on this".
Just a dream I always have of how much better it could be if everyone just owned up to things.
I guess the disappointing sales were not as disappointing.
Anybody who is in finance (of which I am) will tell you - they make this stuff up and you cant use it as fact.
Just look at the financial crisis for proof...
Yes I did see this earlier today . Apparently Massively wrote in its report. Brean, Murray ,Carrett and Co. estimate by the end of the third quarter 4.5 million units of MoP will be sold .
As many people on massively have pointed out already .For this to be accurate every player currently playing WoW( in the areas MoP has been released ) now would have to buy the expansion by the end of the third quarter and also it would have to bring in new players who would also buy MoP in by the end of the third quarter .
While this isn't impossible its a very optamistic outlook to say the least and as many other people have said its highly unlikly .
As I cannot imagine many people who pay a full subscription to wow would not buy mop does this not mean that the real subscription base for wow is 5 million not 9.1, with the rest getting made up by peeps paying per the 1 cent per hour model ( as I understand it) ?
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Ah yes...all of the GW2 Wow haters in full force. Since most people purchased the xpac digitally ( I mean...who buys the physical game anymore?) this report means NOTHING.
This Xpac is also one of the best they've done to date so the numbers will refelct higher sales when the word gets out that this xpac doesn't suck as everyone thought it might.
My server is busier than it's ever been so that tells me that MOP has already been a success - we'll have to wait until the total figures are released from Blizzard.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
My question has got nothing to do with gw2 or any other game I an wondering why overall sales of the expansion is not used as a strong indicator of overall subs- and lets say it is 10 million to avoid the obvious arguments.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Originally posted by Bladestrom My question has got nothing to do with gw2 or any other game I an wondering why overall sales of the expansion is not used as a strong indicator of overall subs- and lets say it is 10 million to avoid the obvious arguments.
Not really to do with the subject but Bloodwych was one of the first rpgs I played totally forgot about it till I saw your mmo history . I ended up looking it up on youtube and also Dungeon Master .
I know we complain a lot about todays games but when you think how far rpgs have come in these past 20 years or so . When I go back and look at the basics of those dungeon crawl games I realise how amazing the games people call fails now are .
Having said that they were great at the time .But it does put it all into perspective . I wish there was the kind of ingenuity today that there was in games back then .
I think the problem is its such big buisness now developers are faced with the suits breathing down their necks so they produce something they think people will like rather than what they actually would love to do themselves .
Probably like being a member of a boy band . Knowing your musics trash but theres a good paycheck in it .
Comments
I remember when EQ used to show how many players were online at server select
- until DAOC launched, then SOE revised the server lists to not show active population
ncsoft used to give quarterly sub counts by region for all their mmos, including a 2 year qtrly history
but they stopped doing that in 2008 with the disappointment of Tabula Rasa
EQ2 fan sites
Didnt read the whole thread - so not sure if anyone seen or posted this - http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/analysts-mists-of-pandaria-sales-not-so-disappointing/
I guess the disappointing sales were not as disappointing.
Anybody who is in finance (of which I am) will tell you - they make this stuff up and you cant use it as fact.
Just look at the financial crisis for proof...
Exactly, everyone is so afraid of the "bad news" that they do everything they can to hide it.
What is so wrong with honesty? Yeah, a new game came out so some of your players left. What a shocker, news at 11.
Companies spend so much time trying to twist things by releasing data like "registered accounts" or hiding how many people are logged in, changing the definition of high on a server list, etc.
They also spend a lot of time hiding or disguising how many people they have working on the project. Maybe people would have more realistic expectations, specifically for smaller companies/games, if they came out and said "Yeah, we have 10 people working on this".
Just a dream I always have of how much better it could be if everyone just owned up to things.
Yes I did see this earlier today . Apparently Massively wrote in its report. Brean, Murray ,Carrett and Co. estimate by the end of the third quarter 4.5 million units of MoP will be sold .
As many people on massively have pointed out already .For this to be accurate every player currently playing WoW( in the areas MoP has been released ) now would have to buy the expansion by the end of the third quarter and also it would have to bring in new players who would also buy MoP in by the end of the third quarter .
While this isn't impossible its a very optamistic outlook to say the least and as many other people have said its highly unlikly .
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Ah yes...all of the GW2 Wow haters in full force. Since most people purchased the xpac digitally ( I mean...who buys the physical game anymore?) this report means NOTHING.
This Xpac is also one of the best they've done to date so the numbers will refelct higher sales when the word gets out that this xpac doesn't suck as everyone thought it might.
My server is busier than it's ever been so that tells me that MOP has already been a success - we'll have to wait until the total figures are released from Blizzard.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Not really to do with the subject but Bloodwych was one of the first rpgs I played totally forgot about it till I saw your mmo history . I ended up looking it up on youtube and also Dungeon Master .
I know we complain a lot about todays games but when you think how far rpgs have come in these past 20 years or so . When I go back and look at the basics of those dungeon crawl games I realise how amazing the games people call fails now are .
Having said that they were great at the time .But it does put it all into perspective . I wish there was the kind of ingenuity today that there was in games back then .
I think the problem is its such big buisness now developers are faced with the suits breathing down their necks so they produce something they think people will like rather than what they actually would love to do themselves .
Probably like being a member of a boy band . Knowing your musics trash but theres a good paycheck in it .