The problem is the fact that they just made too many planets, thus stretching everyone out. They should have cut the number of planets in half . This would have concentrated more people on them. You could have gotten rid of Voss, Belsavis, and Balmora and no one would have complained when they are all on Tattoine or Hoth slugging it out.
That doesn't add up to to any kind of scrutiny. When they opened those additional servers, they'd old sold 1.2 million copies. And all those servers were at least routinely in standard, with almost all of them going to 'heavy' during peak. Now they've sold 2.3 million copies and there are FOUR healthy NA servers. Another six barely hanging on to viability (more than 50% standard). And the rest spend the majority of the time in 'light' (350 or fewer players).
Even in January, after the holidays, most servers hit heavy in the evening and were (at a minumum) standard during the day. For example, when I quit on January 20th, my EGA server had a 1.54 TORStatus rating. It was 85th. Now it has a 1.08 TORStatus rating and, if it were as populated now as it was when I quit, it'd be the number 9 server in NA.
You can't sell one-million more boxes. Not add servers (save three Oceania) and go from everything Heavy/Standard to everything Light/Standard and a handful of decent-to-good servers. It doesn't add up. It makes NO SENSE.
If the game was good and people liked it, they'd be at the point of adding more servers since they've sold a MILLIION copies since they added those serveres. Where are the players? Where are they? They're certainly not logging in.
I mean... I just don't get it. How can you think a solid, vibrant population turns into a ghost town in four months DESPITE increasing your install base 40%+ in four months? How is this 'because they added too many servers?' Those servers were FULL at 1.2 million. Those servers were full at 1.7 million. By the end of January, they were starting to empty fairly fast. And now... Yet they're mostly ghost towns....
It's not because they added too many servers at the beginning. They didn't. The servers they had fit the population they had and made room for those 1 million additional sales. They got those 1 million sales. These sales are not questionable. THey got them. The've sold 2.3 million copies now. So, I'm sorry, this canard of 'too many servers' isn't the problem. The data does NOT support the contention. What supports the contention is that the game is the problem. People bailed fast-and-furious. And while the 'subs' won't show it this reporting quarter (there are some technical accounting reasons for that) they will in July when the June numbers come out.
I agree with your analysis, but I'm trying to figure out what that has to do with my post on planets?
The big issue with SWTOR is keeping concurent users online.
The game has a massive amount of subs but people hardly log in.
It as if the game is filled with people that log on once or twice a week or just on the weekends.
I can imagine this being an issue to the more active player as they end up in a non-active guild that hardly ever logs in, yet still stays subscribed.
AKA- People have moved on to a new game and their subs are not going to be renewed. If the game was fun they wouldn't have a problem getting people to login, now would they?
Its pretty possible that they have a reduction in playtime per account and concurrent users. I dont think that the 75% reduction in xfire translates into a 75% reduction in accounts in the short term - in the long term yes - but now its really lower player concurrency. That is what has to be expected after the initial rush settled down. It is a problem for players who look for crowded zones but the game at all is not very social anyway. I believe they will make good money the first year and then go into gliding mode cashing in what can be cashed.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
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I agree with your analysis, but I'm trying to figure out what that has to do with my post on planets?
Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
AKA- People have moved on to a new game and their subs are not going to be renewed. If the game was fun they wouldn't have a problem getting people to login, now would they?
/facepalm
Its pretty possible that they have a reduction in playtime per account and concurrent users.
I dont think that the 75% reduction in xfire translates into a 75% reduction in accounts in the short term - in the long term yes - but now its really lower player concurrency.
That is what has to be expected after the initial rush settled down.
It is a problem for players who look for crowded zones but the game at all is not very social anyway.
I believe they will make good money the first year and then go into gliding mode cashing in what can be cashed.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM