Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Proof that WoW population is not declining
Vrika
Member LegendaryPosts: 7,990
Yesterday, 12.2.2007, Blizzard opened a new PvP realm, Molten Core, to WoW EU. While this is not a proof that WoW population wouldn't be declining in US, it's a proof that China/Asia isn't the only place where WoW is gaining new customers. It's still doing well also in EU.
Link to official Blizzard post
Link to official Blizzard post
Comments
What about that is proof? *blinks* Not that I'm saying they're not gaining (could be, I don't know/care), but what about this statement is proof?
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
Final Fantasy 7
But I think opening a new realm is good enough proof that their population is not declining like some people claim.
Haha, just saw "Molten Core" in AVB in my Battlegroup and I was like "Damn, how did i never notice that before"
Now I know why ^^
WoW's population declines than climbs, to date it's still by far the highest populated MMORPG out right now. But I doubt that will remain in 2008.
I doubt it'll not stay that way to be honest. The expansion will see to that. I just don't see War or AoC breaking their numbers any time soon.
You see the problem is... yada, yada...
Now to the point. The problem with EU servers is that there are some servers like Maghteridon yeh, that has fame guilds in it (Nihilum?) and people are transfering there pretty often. There were even whole guilds that transfered there, that's why a majority of EU servers are pretty much desolated. If Maghteridon has around 22.000 population (that might be around 7000-8000 different subscribers), there are tons of realms with around 3000-4000 pop (1000 subscribers). And people from those servers realize they are playing on empty server and transfer away. Usually to those with a high population.
Blizzard is obviously delaying the merge of half of their servers just to not look like they were loosing subscribers. Because that might cause another huge loss of their subscribers base. The part that play only because they have a feeling WoW is doing good and their subscriber base is rising.
REALITY CHECK
Information gathered from warcraftrealms.com a month or two ago showed that the population in the US realms are declining. However, the EU realms are rising in population as a whole along with korea and especially china. The game is becoming popular enough that blizzard will introduce a full russian version by 2008.
But now they decided to make a whole new realm for those transfers instead of just migrating people to existing realms. If they really had trouble with ghost realms, why would they open a new server for migration instead of opening migration to those ghost realms?
Thehavok: Warcraftrealms.com isn't a very reliable source for player activity any more. They only gain data from users using their Census mod, and if you look at their lists there are servers like EU - Alexstrasza: 10 460 alliance characters, 0 horde characters. 42 reports from alliance characters during last 30 days, 0 reports from horde characters.
They are missing all the information about alliance players/horde players on some servers because of the lack of people using their mod, wich makes their "player activity reports" more like "census user activity reports".
If I remember correctly, there was a time when Census mod had enough users and the data was more reliable. But nowadays, data from some servers seems to be reliable while data from other servers is completely lacking. Wich makes the overall data unreliable.
Thillian, dude, what has happened to you? You used to be a guy that dealt in facts and not speculation, conjecture and rumour. I would love to know where these 'facts' have come from?
I can only speak from personal experience and having my mains on one of the oldest servers i can say for certain that the population has changed and it is not as crowded as it used to be, but that is a mix of some leavers and people transferring to lower pop servers. As for new players, i have added three to my character development guild in the last week alone.
Even if the population drop was as dramatic as you would have us believe Blizzard would still not have any reason to close servers with the release of another expansion coming up as we will see yet another population spike when that happens.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Little kids will still favor WoW over AoC, WAR, AION, etc.. They don't release numbers on geographic range or age range on their number reports.
The mature content in these games won't appeal to the 6-14 year old population WoW has a strangle hold on right now.
why people think that WoW could be knocked off from number1 in 2008, I dont know
WOW caters to EVERYONE -- most mmos (including WAR and AOC) do not
people thought LOTRO would make a difference....
you REALLY expect WAR or AOC to get 3+ million subs?
(something that was *unheard* of in MMOs until WOW)
EQ2 fan sites
Little kids will still favor WoW over AoC, WAR, AION, etc.. They don't release numbers on geographic range or age range on their number reports.
The mature content in these games won't appeal to the 6-14 year old population WoW has a strangle hold on right now.
I would speculate that the "mature" rating on Conan will be a bigger attractor to young teens than any other game offers. The chance to see digital boobies! Honestly though, I think the hardware specs for Conan is a hurdle most young gamers won't be able to get over though.
Warhammer on the other hand...
Thillian, dude, what has happened to you? You used to be a guy that dealt in facts and not speculation, conjecture and rumour. I would love to know where these 'facts' have come from?
I can only speak from personal experience and having my mains on one of the oldest servers i can say for certain that the population has changed and it is not as crowded as it used to be, but that is a mix of some leavers and people transferring to lower pop servers. As for new players, i have added three to my character development guild in the last week alone.
Even if the population drop was as dramatic as you would have us believe Blizzard would still not have any reason to close servers with the release of another expansion coming up as we will see yet another population spike when that happens.
Agree with you Jason that there are fewer players online when I play as well, however even that does not necessarily mean there are few people playing the game, it could be that there are just as many people as before, but those same people just don't play as often so therefore it would seem less crowded on a day to day basis. I know a bunch of people who used to play everyday for 3 or 4 hours a day, now they may play once a week. That's another factor that Warcraft realm's stats don't take into consideration. There's just too many variable to accurately state that WoW is losing players.
Wow congratulations to Blizzard on opening a new server named after a rotting instance.
Little kids will still favor WoW over AoC, WAR, AION, etc.. They don't release numbers on geographic range or age range on their number reports.
The mature content in these games won't appeal to the 6-14 year old population WoW has a strangle hold on right now.
Demeaning and degrading a fanbase of a game you personally don't like is certainly a telling sign of your maturity, no matter how old you are.
Little kids will still favor WoW over AoC, WAR, AION, etc.. They don't release numbers on geographic range or age range on their number reports.
The mature content in these games won't appeal to the 6-14 year old population WoW has a strangle hold on right now.
Demeaning and degrading a fanbase of a game you personally don't like is certainly a telling sign of your maturity, no matter how old you are.
Rofl, you sir are a few cans short of a 12pack. I did not say the entire community was 6-14 year olds. Now you obviously show your immaturity by not reading or failing to read what I posted. Sad that people are so ignorant to even understanding simple sentances now.
I don't like the game, and that has nothing to do with the player base. Now I will put this is simple terms specificly for YOU there fece. I said that the mature ratings and themes would NOT APPEAL TO THE YOUNGER AUDIENCE THAT WOW HAS. Now I understand that you are probly in that catagory which is why you obviously read out of context, but really just read the posts first.
I disagree. I don't see teenager somehow not interested in a movie because of it has an R rating so I don't see why anything would be different in Conan let alone any other game in the genre.
They are all about getting swords and spells to kill monsters or other players. I have yet to see what makes all these games "mature" in comparison to WoW.
I think the system requirements are a larger barrier to young players than any content in any game. WoW will run on a TRS 80 where you need a NASA computer to run half the other games on the market right now. (slightly exaggerated).
Just remember. NASA sent people to the moon on Abaci (Slightly exaggerated). None the less yeah the system requirments may be a downfall for some for the younger generation as well. WoW is a very cartoony style game with little recorse towards loss (Death or item wise). If WAR offers a game that can run on say the lastest technology of '06 it might pull some away I suppose.
None the less kids can sneak into R movies as apposed to "sneaking" to play these video games night after night. Also the nudity in Conan might pull the little horndogs.
Wow is going to hold the no1 spot for sometime imo. Alot of wow players are tired of wow. They have seen and done it all. But wow has spoilt us. The fluidity of the controls, the range of talents available and a large combination of abilities and races.
Now for the past I don't know...2 years I have searched for fresh new games. But alas these games all failed by my standards. Going back to clicking movements was painful. Most were just bad. The only game that took my attention for awhile was guild wars. Which was not bad I guess, beautiful amazing graphics oook movement but when I played it. It really lacked end game content.
Wow is just the most superior in most aspects in terms of playing the game and for many who leave the game. They will often just come back later.
That and WAR or AoC will never be as big in the east.
Actually, I'd have to go along with the OP on this. Normally, opening new servers is the one sure sign of a game population that is expanding, which I doubt many games can claim right now. (EVE is one though)
Unless you think they did it just to fool us into thinking WOW is growing? Man, those Blizzard folks are tricksy.
And while I don't play WOW anymore, if I was to bet money I'd have to say at the end of 2008 WOW will still have the most subs. (most likely more than their next two or three competitors combined)
Doesn't mean that its better than other games (but not sure how one objectively measures 'better') but it does mean it will be the most popular.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
WoW will lose plenty of steam when WAR and AoC is released. Don't forget some people play wow just because there isnt much else. Additionally, thier numbers on accounts a abit skewed. Yea it has 8 million players BUT how many of that 8 million are multiple account holders for hotboxing or gold farmer accounts. Not to mention only 40% of WoW players play enough to be considered primary WoW players with the other 60% being a constantly rotating masse of players who play for a short time.
WoW WILL decline, all MMO's do, its just a matter of time.