Next EA investor call date

[RoninaThorstone]

Do we have a fixed date yet?

Can't seem to find one.

Last years was july 26th though.

I have a prediction.

If... And I do mean "if" because I think swtors true fan base is around 800k.

If swtor is over 1m I believe the reaction of the gaming community will be something like this.

[Clattuc]

You think 800k, I think 300-350k, a year from now we'll know who was right.

Either way they will use the rosiest indicators possible, i.e. subs which trail gameplay. That's if they discuss TOR/BW numbers at all. If I were them, I'd talk up The Secret World for all it's worth.

The call should be August 1st - that's the first Wednesday.

[Forsedar]

"There will always be haters."

Yes, I felt like quoting myself because it seems to add extra emphasis. I tried looking up a fixed date, but I can't seem to find one. Google hasn't been friendly to me lately.

---------- Post added 2012-07-14 at 01:20 AM ----------

You think 800k, I think 300-350k, a year from now we'll know who was right.

Either way they will use the rosiest indicators possible, i.e. subs which trail gameplay. That's if they discuss TOR/BW numbers at all. If I were them, I'd talk up The Secret World for all it's worth.

The call should be August 1st - that's the first Wednesday.

This is also not the thread to discuss that. No need to start a giant war among posters >.>

[RoninaThorstone]

You think 800k, I think 300-350k, a year from now we'll know who was right.

Either way they will use the rosiest indicators possible, i.e. subs which trail gameplay. That's if they discuss TOR/BW numbers at all. If I were them, I'd talk up The Secret World for all it's worth.

The call should be August 1st - that's the first Wednesday.

300-350 is par for the course and thus the safest bet.

[Ryph]

The storm is coming and right now everyone is just battening down the hatches. Secret World got out the window just in time, Tera has had its brief spot in the sun and the two other elephants in the room(SWTOR and WoW) are just going to ride it out. There's really not much they can do right now besides make both games free to play that will slow down the behemoth that is making its way to our homes. The best bet for EA and Blizzard is just to strap themselves in and pick up the pieces after the beast makes landfall.

The storm cometh, 28th August(25th for the many hundred thousands).

[Freese]

The storm is coming and right now everyone is just battening down the hatches. Secret World got out the window just in time, Tera has had its brief spot in the sun and the two other elephants in the room(SWTOR and WoW) are just going to ride it out. There's really not much they can do right now besides make both games free to play that will slow down the behemoth that is making its way to our homes. The best bet for EA and Blizzard is just to strap themselves in and pick up the pieces after the beast makes landfall.

The storm cometh, 28th August(25th for the many hundred thousands).

Yes, because with 10.2 million subs, WoW is in huge trouble.

[Stormcall]

Yes, because with 10.2 million subs, WoW is in huge trouble.

Furthermore, can someone point out to me where it says you can't buy 1 game and still maintain your sub to another? I mean, I know a lot of people who bought D3 yet somehow, amazingly, managed to remain subbed to WoW, too.

Also, while I'm looking forward to GW2 as well, anyone expecting it to be a WoW killer is gonna be up for the same disappointment as every other "WoW-killer". I'm already hearing a lot of feedback from people in the beta who were as hyped about it as anyone, who are now saying "This really isn't what I thought it would be" or "I think there's gonna be a lot of disappointed players" too. The more I hear, the more it sounds this "beast" that's "about to make landfall" may just get stopped and contained shortly after it's arrival.

[Redblade]

Yes, because with 10.2 million subs, WoW is in huge trouble.

Think you need to go educate your self a bit on what a WoW "subscriber" is when mentioned by Blizzard.

[Deleted]

Think you need to go educate your self a bit on what a WoW "subscriber" is when mentioned by Blizzard.

Easy, anyone who has paid for game time within 30 days before the call is a subscriber according to blizzard. A much better measure than "anyone using a trial or using free time which we gave them to inflate numbers" which is biowares measure.

[Cempa]

I have 71 days on my account and I stopped playing weeks ago just because that's the minimum number of days per top up card and add to the that the free time we got!

Year end I expect lots of those subs will die out. The game will be sustained on a handful of servers until the end of 2013 and then it will go B2P or even F2P.

Games like Rift and TOR are a place for players with high levels of WoW fatigue. Game fatigue is real and many gamers have experienced it such as myself. I actually left WoW for over a year and only got back into it now after BW just completely dropped the ball PvP wise with 1.2 and then 1.3.

[Deleted]

The storm is coming and right now everyone is just battening down the hatches. Secret World got out the window just in time, Tera has had its brief spot in the sun and the two other elephants in the room(SWTOR and WoW) are just going to ride it out. There's really not much they can do right now besides make both games free to play that will slow down the behemoth that is making its way to our homes. The best bet for EA and Blizzard is just to strap themselves in and pick up the pieces after the beast makes landfall.

The storm cometh, 28th August(25th for the many hundred thousands).

which storm? You mean G****crap2? Because of Arenanets paid viral marketers spamming **2 in every game forum?
How much do they pay per impression?

You know, there are enough people who are SICK of medieval cartoon animals and elves or simply can't stand playing another overhyped buttonmasher called GW2.

SwTor at least has a Star Wars setting, that is a big plus.
Anyway, I'm playing Secretworld which has everything I ever wished for in an Mmo, and thank god no elves and cartoon animals with swords.

it's questionable if TSW keeps EA afloat as they are simply distributing and TSW is too intelligent with its puzzle type questing and therefore won't attract a huge subscriber base.

[Deleted]

The storm is coming and right now everyone is just battening down the hatches. Secret World got out the window just in time, Tera has had its brief spot in the sun and the two other elephants in the room(SWTOR and WoW) are just going to ride it out. There's really not much they can do right now besides make both games free to play that will slow down the behemoth that is making its way to our homes. The best bet for EA and Blizzard is just to strap themselves in and pick up the pieces after the beast makes landfall.

The storm cometh, 28th August(25th for the many hundred thousands).

I can say this, I'm sick and tired of fantasy mmo..... whit elves dwarfs... the classical D&D setting..... I love warcraft lore i have all the books, but I'm tired of playing that kind of games..... there is way to many of them.

Beside that I'm huge star wars fan bigger then warcraft.... TSW looks interesting for a Fantasy game plus the game play looks interesting. But GW2 have not interested me at all... first why, its fantasy... and the game play doesn't appeal to me. and there are people like me that thinks like this or close to it.

[SirRobin]

Personally I don't think TOR's "numbers" really matter anymore. There was a time when what the "official" numbers were had merit as a sort of "counting coup." Now though? TOR's subscription numbers hit their ceiling back in February or maybe even January. It is clear to all, or bloody well should be, for months now that TOR is not and will not, be the next "big" thing. TOR has already come out with server transfers and even gone f2p for the starting planets and capitals. EA has even already put BioWare Austin through its first round of layoffs. When you toss in TOR's big plunge in importance in EA's talking points? There really isn't anything "big" left to debate anymore. At least when it comes to TOR's place in the MMORPG market scheme of things.

TOR is a good game. However in a market as saturated as the MMORPG one, "good" just isn't "good enough" anymore. Like so many other developers before them, BioWare thought they could add their own spin to the WoW formula and make a gem. For far too many, TOR wasn't. This game had just about everything going for it that a product could hope for. One of the most recognizable brands in the world. A developer with a history of making quality games. Developers with previous MMORPG making experience. One of the biggest publishers in the industry. Just about a blank check to cover development costs. Over five years in an entire studio tasked solely with its creation. All that time, treasure, and talent, but this was the best they could do?

The mistakes were BioWare's to make and, for too many potential subscribers, they made them. Just another example that no matter how much talent you have, time you take, or treasure you use... It won't matter if your "design" isn't good enough. While games with great "design," like Minecraft, can overcome shortages in any of the previous three. TOR had its flash in the pan but quickly became just another face in the MMORPG crowd.

[schippie]

The storm is coming and right now everyone is just battening down the hatches. Secret World got out the window just in time, Tera has had its brief spot in the sun and the two other elephants in the room(SWTOR and WoW) are just going to ride it out. There's really not much they can do right now besides make both games free to play that will slow down the behemoth that is making its way to our homes. The best bet for EA and Blizzard is just to strap themselves in and pick up the pieces after the beast makes landfall.

The storm cometh, 28th August(25th for the many hundred thousands).

Untill people figure out the PVE is so thin.. questing is still questing and the only good.. great part is PVP in that game.
So what will GW2 change? Nothing maybe the only thing it will change is how MMOs look at Free to Play and give Pure PVP MMOs a boost.
For the rest people who have invested so heavily in WoW or SW:TOR now are not going to leave for some free to play PVP game. People really should land with both feet on the earth again.. just like they had with SW:TOR.. the bloody hype for GW2 is so high.. its something no game in the world would ever be able to life up to.


Anyways im hoping for BWs sake the numbers dont drop below 500k this time.. or get so close to 500k that EA pulls the plug.
Another thing im worried about is that they are going to use the sub numbers from this passed week when everybody could play the game for free. Or that they include the 1-15 trail phase.. because then they are just trying to cover the wound up. And pretty much lie to the outside word.

[Forsedar]

TOR has already come out with server transfers and even gone f2p for the starting planets and capitals.

WoW is F2P up until level 20. I don't understand this point.

[Crysis]

This topic was a huge mistake. It's like you threw a shiny object into the nest of magpies or crows and they immediately jumped after it like crazies. I'm not going to debate with this sort of people (it has proven over the course of time that it is useless) but my guess ? With all the new stuff they brought and if they also bring something big for the next patch, the number will be 1kk +

[RoninaThorstone]

Anyways im hoping for BWs sake the numbers dont drop below 500k this time.. or get so close to 500k that EA pulls the plug.
Another thing im worried about is that they are going to use the sub numbers from this passed week when everybody could play the game for free. Or that they include the 1-15 trail phase.. because then they are just trying to cover the wound up. And pretty much lie to the outside word.

You do realize that if anyone knows the sub numbers its EA, right? They have as much, if not more, control over swtor than bioware.

So you are hoping that they successfully hide the numbers from themselves so they don't shut themselves down.

---------- Post added 2012-07-14 at 04:46 PM ----------

TOR had its flash in the pan but quickly became just another face in the MMORPG crowd.

I don't feel this is a bad thing.

Am I alone in this?

[RoninaThorstone]

Easy, anyone who has paid for game time within 30 days before the call is a subscriber according to blizzard. A much better measure than "anyone using a trial or using free time which we gave them to inflate numbers" which is biowares measure.

What he means is blizzard counts the 6 million eastern market (china) players as "subscribers" when they do not pay subscription fees. In many cases the game is subsidized down to a few pennies an hour or free to play.

At wows peak there were only just over 5 million western market subscribers. NA/LA/EU which paid 15 dollars a month and are subscribers in the true sense of the word.

That was before they lost 2 million subscribers global. Now they won't tell us the exact western market subscribers.

[Raunchy]

Furthermore, can someone point out to me where it says you can't buy 1 game and still maintain your sub to another? I mean, I know a lot of people who bought D3 yet somehow, amazingly, managed to remain subbed to WoW, too.

Also, while I'm looking forward to GW2 as well, anyone expecting it to be a WoW killer is gonna be up for the same disappointment as every other "WoW-killer". I'm already hearing a lot of feedback from people in the beta who were as hyped about it as anyone, who are now saying "This really isn't what I thought it would be" or "I think there's gonna be a lot of disappointed players" too. The more I hear, the more it sounds this "beast" that's "about to make landfall" may just get stopped and contained shortly after it's arrival.

Hm, on the contrary I've been hearing the game is quite amazing and is not a disappointment..

[RoninaThorstone]

So what is the sub price? At 15 dollars you have 7.5 million pouring in every month. Why would EA want to pull the plug on that?

Given that WAR, ultima online, ect are all online still I fail to see EA pulling the plug on swtor any time in the next few years.

---------- Post added 2012-07-14 at 04:52 PM ----------

Hm, on the contrary I've been hearing the game is quite amazing and is not a disappointment..

On the contrary, I too have been hearing it's over hyped and just another video game.

Imagine that.

A video game that's just a video game.