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Analysis of MMOG Subscription Growth
Koltrane
Member UncommonPosts: 1,049
http://pw1.netcom.com/~sirbruce/Subscriptions.html
The above link is a page put together by a guy named Bruce Woodcock, and as far as I know, it's the only comprehensive listing of subscription figures for the bigger MMOGs. Per Woodcock, EQ is hovering around 450,000 while SW:G and FFXI are around 275,000. These figures are PRIOR to the US launch of FFXI, so it may well be closing in on EQ with its worldwide numbers. A big surprise is the figures for Ragnarok Online which are among the highest, and those are only Japanese numbers.
I was stunned to see AC never having more than 125,000 subscribers. Woodcock admits that his AC & AC2 figures are a tad sketchy, given that Microsoft has never given solid numbers for either game. Also, TSO, by these numbers, has never topped 100,000! It would seem, given the failures of Majestic and MCO coupled with TSO's disappointing numbers that EA is just not cut out for the MMOG market.
Anyway, I submit the link for what it's worth. It may have been referenced here before and I just missed it, but it was very interesting and edifying to me.
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate. (written on the SW:G CD)
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Old timer.
Comments
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"EQ was once a great game. I wont deny it, but so was Asteroids. And just like Pong, EQ is obsolete by newer game standards."
A: 93% E: 55% S:3% K: 50%
Games and players have a type. What type are you? click here
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Achievers realise that killers as a concept are necessary in order to make achievement meaningful and worthwhile (there being no way to "lose" the game if any fool can "win" just by plodding slowly unchallenged). -bartle
Bartle: A: 93% E: 55% S:3% K: 50% The Test. Learn what it means here.
SWG is going to suceed because "its star wars"
Hell u can make a game that takes 5 min to beat and it will still sell believe it or not because they aim for the casual gamer and most of them don't even read the reviews or go to forums and ask.
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Once a gamer... Always a gamer
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Once a gamer... Always a gamer
-I have gone to look for myself, if I should return, before I get back, keep me here.-
As someone who still plays SWG i would say the numbers are about same as when the survey was done either slightly less or slightly more but feels about the same.
It had a euro launch recently and the jedi slot has been unlocked so my guess is maybe 300,000 but no more.
FFXI i would imagine would be higher maybe close to 400,000.It has a brand name like SWG,it is a very stable game(been in japan for a while) and it has an appeal to the younger teenager crowd then most mmorpg.
While most adults i know found FFXI to be more or less a poor cut and paste of EQ it seems to captivate nearly all my friend's kids so making it a big seller.
I think FFXI might only beaten by lineage and EQ.
It seems that Ragnarok Online is pretty heavy worldwide. It's a fun little game, but contains nowhere near the depth of the other MMOGs listed, like EQ or DAoC. Maybe therein lies its appeal to cultures where game playing time is limited to large groups or public venues. I played it in alpha and it was fun, but not much more than attack attack attack.
It looks to me that FFXI is poised to be the next heavyweight champion of the world. With an aging EQ and an ever diluted market, FFXI's brand power coupled with its worldwide recognition and dual platform release give it an extraordinary advantage.
Herc, are you saying that you think SW:G has flattened out? Has the game improved significantly over the past months, at least from a content perspective?
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate. (written on the SW:G CD)
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Old timer.
SWG i think has flattened out.
From a content point of view yes it has improved greatly - player run cities,mounts,vechiles are coming in a few weeks time
Jedis have appeared.
So SoE is listening to players but maybe a bit too much then they can handle.
The problems now are old bugs are still there with loads of new ones due to the massive additions of recent.
They are trying to clear bugs but with so mouch been added bugs are growing more then are been fixed.
Jedi slot opening has made a majority go into a jedi hungry mode and has filled the game with wannabe jedis thus killing intrest in any other class but the ones they are told by an item called holocrons to master to gain jedi slots.
Classes that were imbalanced were getting fixed but with this new focus on mounts and player cities and jedis nothing new is been done anymore.
So while many who were fustrated with not been a jedi are coming back drones more are leaving because everything else is been neglected.
Even the player run cities is causing a problem now because a limit of 10 cities per planet was permitted and many guilds(PAs) did not place.
This is a big problem IMO. If only 10 PRCs are allowed per planet, then only the uberguilds will have PRCs. One may argue that a guild would have to be uber to some degree to run a city, but this will place power in a few guilds. And, of course, the cities on Naboo and Corellia will be more highly prized than cities on the lesser worlds, so really on a few PAs will have the power. So much for the little guy.
This business about unlocking the Jedi slot always seemed like a marketing ploy in my book. Just as the buzz was dying, suddenly the Jedi slot is unlocked and a bunch of people are sharing their secrets and places like Allakhazam are posting Jedi "How To"s. If money is the only measure of a MMOG, then SW:G is a success. If you throw in gameplay and quality and atmosphere, I'm not so sure.
I predict in one year's time that SW:G will be nothing but a bunch of uber Jedi guilds running cities and new players will not be welcome. It's good that SOE is listening, but it still sounds like a semi-benevolent dictatorship than a democratic player community.
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate. (written on the SW:G CD)
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Old timer.
Funny enough most of the player city were placed by smaller guilds(PA) which caused some bigger ones to actually suggest that this smaller guilds drop their city hall for this bigger ones.
Shows you how many idiots play SWG sadly.
It was on a first come first serve basis so who was lucky enough to log first placed.
And yes koltrane i agree in 1 year's time nothing will be left but jedis in the game and bounty hunters hunting them.Thats the main reason I plan to leave soon