The article is right though. Say what you want about the game but to still have 11.5 million subscribers even after a 30% retention rate, Blizzard is doing something right.
It's not gaining either since it's been on the 11.5 million mark for over a year or so.
I think it would be silly to hope for any serious subscription gains at this point. The game is just too old and top heavy. Most of the establish guilds run their alts through instances and help them level up because the best and the most important content is at the end game. New players are left stranded.
The way I see it, everyone who was going to play WoW is already playing it. Most MMO gamers have tried it, at least once, and those who liked it, stuck with it. And although I see the new expansion as Blizzard's attempt to up their retention rates, I don't think that will not help much.
Edit: it's still pretty impressive that a 5 year old game is steadily sitting on 11.5 million subscribers, especially with a 30% retention rate.
Well... ok.
I'm a new player. I've been playing MMO's for years, and only recently have I come to WoW. The hype is one of the reasons I've stayed away from it, too many people saying it's amazing usually leads to too many people being total retards in the actual game. The reason I've only just come to WoW, is because I have only recently managed to come by another source of income, strange as that may sound to some of you.
Now, as a totally new player to WoW, but not MMO's in general, I did get the hang of it pretty quickly. Accept quests, check the map, kill the mobs etc. that kinda stuff is just generic and expected everywhere. I am reading the quests though, some of them DO have some interesting things to say.
New players are not left stranded. As I started, I noticed a couple of others doing the same newbie quests, so I asked if they wanted to team up. We did, and flew threw the quests at double speed. We cleared the whole area out of mobs, which was pretty fun. (yes, they respawned... obviously)
In later levels, I still was not left stranded. I came across a level 80 while I was at the blacksmithing place thing. This specific player noticed I was a new player, got chatting and offered to make me better equipment. He logged a different character of his and gave me what he said he would. Then he offered to team up with me with one of his lower level alts, to help with quests...
If this is being left stranded... I want to know what help is like.
On your last note, yes I have agreed to that. My original point I think...
Comments
It's not gaining either since it's been on the 11.5 million mark for over a year or so.
I think it would be silly to hope for any serious subscription gains at this point. The game is just too old and top heavy. Most of the establish guilds run their alts through instances and help them level up because the best and the most important content is at the end game. New players are left stranded.
The way I see it, everyone who was going to play WoW is already playing it. Most MMO gamers have tried it, at least once, and those who liked it, stuck with it. And although I see the new expansion as Blizzard's attempt to up their retention rates, I don't think that will not help much.
Edit: it's still pretty impressive that a 5 year old game is steadily sitting on 11.5 million subscribers, especially with a 30% retention rate.
Well... ok.
I'm a new player. I've been playing MMO's for years, and only recently have I come to WoW. The hype is one of the reasons I've stayed away from it, too many people saying it's amazing usually leads to too many people being total retards in the actual game. The reason I've only just come to WoW, is because I have only recently managed to come by another source of income, strange as that may sound to some of you.
Now, as a totally new player to WoW, but not MMO's in general, I did get the hang of it pretty quickly. Accept quests, check the map, kill the mobs etc. that kinda stuff is just generic and expected everywhere. I am reading the quests though, some of them DO have some interesting things to say.
New players are not left stranded. As I started, I noticed a couple of others doing the same newbie quests, so I asked if they wanted to team up. We did, and flew threw the quests at double speed. We cleared the whole area out of mobs, which was pretty fun. (yes, they respawned... obviously)
In later levels, I still was not left stranded. I came across a level 80 while I was at the blacksmithing place thing. This specific player noticed I was a new player, got chatting and offered to make me better equipment. He logged a different character of his and gave me what he said he would. Then he offered to team up with me with one of his lower level alts, to help with quests...
If this is being left stranded... I want to know what help is like.
On your last note, yes I have agreed to that. My original point I think...
- Ross
well 1. It either refers to the million alts people make- on different servers and different classes to try them out.
Or 2. It genuinely means people are trying the game and quitting, as intelligently they realize what mmorpging is all about very early on..
What does TBC have to do with levels 1 through 10?
Evidently reading is not fundamental 30% of TRIAL accounts this does not include box sales only trial accounts.
.....deleted by author......
Meh, we don't need unnecessary superfluous comments, and some of mine definitely qualify. This was one of them. heh
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club