To those comparing WoW servers to Free Realms servers, you have to remember that in WoW, the world is dynamic and interactive. You can actually affect things within the world (IOW, you can kill mobs, mobs can kill you, agro you, note your presense, quest items appear and disappear depending on where you are, and there is a constant access of database for loot and such.
Free Realms is a static world. You cannot change anything in it. The mobs you encounter take you to a "minigame" type instance as soon as you engage it. And this instance is completely processed on your side. Heck, I am pretty sure someone can hack and intercept the data from their PC to the game servers and make their character get all the best drops in the game by just telling the server they got it.
This difference is huge, because it means you can have several times the amount of players in the same zone without it being a burden on the server's performance.
But again, this is besides the point. While they CAN handle large amounts of players per server, the fact still remains that not all 3 million players are playing at the same time, or have continued to play once they created their account. Then again, that fact goes for absolutely all MMOs out there.
There is no reason to be skeptic about the amount of registered users, since that information has to be Legally Correct. Currently active accounts (accounts that have been used during the past month/week) are a different story altogether, and SOE would not shoot themselves in the foot and mention that number.
It is very clever on the part of soe from a marketing point of view, except the numbers they are posting could not possibly be supported by their servers and gameworld size.
and this is different from any other Free to play game - how?
Free to play games make publicity announcements about registered users
- I dont know of any other "proof" beyond their press releases
its not a meaningful number except when compared to other Free to Play games making similar announcements
- and even then, tells you zero about cash or real players the games are generating
It isn't hard to believe that 7 million people may have signed up for a puzzle pirates account since 2003 when the game launched. In that article you link, he also talks about real tangible numbers as well. People who pay money and what percentage that is. It sounds very different from the f2p article you used an example doesn't it?
The difference with soes claims is that their servers could not possibly handle the load of people they are claiming join the game in the time frame they are stating. They are using terms like 3 million unique registrations and 3 million players which means unique people who are playing the game.
Just looking at the servers it is obvious this game doesn't have 3 million people logging in over the last few weeks. The only thing that shows impressive numbers are the press releases from soe. Even those numbers when examined are totally unrealistic. Every other number is modest at best and frankly a but underwhelming for a game with 3 million associated to it. If this game has 3 million unique players trying it out over the last 7 weeks, then it has the worst retention rate of any game in history.
Lol I still want to play this game. I've been enjoying the ads I see, and now this? It's got to be fun. It's nice to see an FTP game that includes mini games as well is massed community play
Comments
To those comparing WoW servers to Free Realms servers, you have to remember that in WoW, the world is dynamic and interactive. You can actually affect things within the world (IOW, you can kill mobs, mobs can kill you, agro you, note your presense, quest items appear and disappear depending on where you are, and there is a constant access of database for loot and such.
Free Realms is a static world. You cannot change anything in it. The mobs you encounter take you to a "minigame" type instance as soon as you engage it. And this instance is completely processed on your side. Heck, I am pretty sure someone can hack and intercept the data from their PC to the game servers and make their character get all the best drops in the game by just telling the server they got it.
This difference is huge, because it means you can have several times the amount of players in the same zone without it being a burden on the server's performance.
But again, this is besides the point. While they CAN handle large amounts of players per server, the fact still remains that not all 3 million players are playing at the same time, or have continued to play once they created their account. Then again, that fact goes for absolutely all MMOs out there.
There is no reason to be skeptic about the amount of registered users, since that information has to be Legally Correct. Currently active accounts (accounts that have been used during the past month/week) are a different story altogether, and SOE would not shoot themselves in the foot and mention that number.
and this is different from any other Free to play game - how?
Free to play games make publicity announcements about registered users
- I dont know of any other "proof" beyond their press releases
this goes beyond SOE and has for awhile
even Puzzle Pirates, claims 7 million registered
www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4046/what_are_the_rewards_of_.php
its not a meaningful number except when compared to other Free to Play games making similar announcements
- and even then, tells you zero about cash or real players the games are generating
It isn't hard to believe that 7 million people may have signed up for a puzzle pirates account since 2003 when the game launched. In that article you link, he also talks about real tangible numbers as well. People who pay money and what percentage that is. It sounds very different from the f2p article you used an example doesn't it?
The difference with soes claims is that their servers could not possibly handle the load of people they are claiming join the game in the time frame they are stating. They are using terms like 3 million unique registrations and 3 million players which means unique people who are playing the game.
Just looking at the servers it is obvious this game doesn't have 3 million people logging in over the last few weeks. The only thing that shows impressive numbers are the press releases from soe. Even those numbers when examined are totally unrealistic. Every other number is modest at best and frankly a but underwhelming for a game with 3 million associated to it. If this game has 3 million unique players trying it out over the last 7 weeks, then it has the worst retention rate of any game in history.
you could be right
I expect SOE to claim 4 million registered before July 1 (if the current pace holds)
but what this means of actual players? no idea
EQ2 fan sites
Lol I still want to play this game. I've been enjoying the ads I see, and now this? It's got to be fun. It's nice to see an FTP game that includes mini games as well is massed community play