Subscription predictions for next quarter!

[Osmeric]

No-one mentioned Rift until you posted about it.

That's not true, Beanman12345 mentioned Rift first.

[BenBos]

Oh c'mon we do know that. Increasing the subscriber base by 20% is absolutely amazing there is no way that Blizzard, or any other company in their position, would keep this quiet.

If subs have remained steady after two of the biggest opportunities to increase them, in the form of Christmas and a Chinese expansion launch, then it is disappointing. This does not take away from the fact that WOW is successful and will remain so for years to come.

What a joke really.

WOW remaning at 10 million subscriptions in a time where there simply is no more a subscription competition by lack of ... competitors in this bracket (> 500K), you actually make sentences like these ???

The rest stands at 0.000.000 subs and had to go free to play in order to survive.

Even COD Elite went free and has no longer a subscription fee dude.

And this 8 year old game trodds along the same subscription numbers it had for more than 5 years...


That shows class. Nothing more nothing less.

We won.

[Firebert]

With the buffs to LFR and Blizzard still trying to get the most out of the economically infeasible Normal and Heroic raids they're creating, I expect that right now the subscriptions have dropped from last quarter.

[Pann]

You didn't answer my question.

I'm still confused as to how them getting more subs or having the same number of subs is disappointing.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you're saying.

I never said that gaining subs would be disappointing, however Q4 has seen the two biggest opportunities for WOW to gain subs Christmas and the launch of MOP in China as well as the release of 5.1 if they have not managed to gain subs in this quarter it is unlikely that they are going to gain in future quarters.

What a joke really.

WOW remaning at 10 million subscription in a time there simply is no more a subscription competition by lack of ... competitors in this bracket (> 500K), you actually make sentences like these

The rest stands at 0.000.000 subs and had to go free to play in order to survive.

Even COD Elite went free and has no longer a subscription fee dude.

He just wants an excuse once more our beloved WOW hater ...

I honestly have no idea what you are trying say or what relevance it has to this thread.

[Immitis]

Not true!
If the numbers go up, people will open multiple threads where they:
a) Accuse them of lying.
b) Claim that it are all Chinese people and how they aren't "real players"
c) Claim it are mostly bots.
d) Attack Blizzard for making a promotion that got a lot of people back.

I didn't make those things up, it all happened before =(

thats why i like it best when they stay the same. sure a couple threads like that still pop up but the amount of drama is so much smaller than when it goes down or up

[Destil]

I never said that gaining subs would be disappointing, however Q4 has seen the two biggest opportunities for WOW to gain subs Christmas and the launch of MOP in China as well as the release of 5.1 if they have not managed to gain subs in this quarter it is unlikely that they are going to gain in future quarters.

Alright, there we go now I understand.

[Adramalech]

Wait.. Not losing any subs is disappointing?

That's a huge problem with many people. They expect a 8 year old game that is getting more and more competition to do so well and to keep people so hooked that maintaining 10 million subscriptions is considered "disappointing". Seems the only thing that wouldn't be disappointing for some people would be breaking the previous subscription record, which is less likely than fire and brimstone raining down on Blizzard's Headquarters.

I realize Pann has already explained what he/she meant, but this still stands for some other people. They know who they are.

[Raybourne]

personally i think the subscriptions are gonna drop by about 6 million. this is based on reasons from my personal reasons therefore its true

[Kangodo]

That's a huge problem with many people. They expect a 8 year old game that is getting more and more competition to do so well and to keep people so hooked that maintaining 10 million subscriptions is considered "disappointing". Seems the only thing that wouldn't be disappointing for some people would be breaking the previous subscription record, which is less likely than fire and brimstone raining down on Blizzard's Headquarters.

Exactly, and I don't understand why people believe such a thing.
With all the competition, the "hatred" for monthly fees and the age of WoW numbers like a one million loss should be considered as something positive.

[Destil]

Exactly, and I don't understand why people believe such a thing.
With all the competition, the "hatred" for monthly fees and the age of WoW numbers like a one million loss should be considered as something positive.

I agree completely.

And the fact they have kept subscribers so high in the last few years, as competition gets denser, and the MMO market wanes, is remarkable.

[BenBos]

That's a huge problem with many people. They expect a 8 year old game that is getting more and more competition to do so well and to keep people so hooked that maintaining 10 million subscriptions is considered "disappointing". Seems the only thing that wouldn't be disappointing for some people would be breaking the previous subscription record, which is less likely than fire and brimstone raining down on Blizzard's Headquarters.

I realize Pann has already explained what he/she meant, but this still stands for some other people. They know who they are.

It is only fictional reasoning.

When 95% of the rest of the competition stands at 0.000.000 paying subscriptions and WOW holds on to the same 10.000.000 they had more than 5 years ago, the battle was won.

The sad fact is that the competition gave in: they no longer have the money cow (subscriptions).

Now the WORST that could happen to the competitors is that WOW too dropped its subscriptions OR would include alternative sub plans (like combos of games on BattleNet with Titan/BAS/SC2 esports etc ...

That would simply be the end for most of these free to play thingies too.

[Immitis]

Exactly, and I don't understand why people believe such a thing.
With all the competition, the "hatred" for monthly fees and the age of WoW numbers like a one million loss should be considered as something positive.

hell its still a miracle wow got a million subs in the first place

[Pann]

That's not true, Beanman12345 mentioned Rift first.

Fair enough but it was in reply to this;

2008: WoW had 10.000.000 subs.
2008: the total MMO competition stood at 2.000.000 subscriptions..

2013: WoW stands around 10.000.000 subs. (no way this winter saw a drop)
2013: the total MMO competition stands at 600.000 subscriptions, the rest went free to play and most are on life support.



Oh and of those 600k subscribers above almost 500k come from EvE, a NON fantasy based game and the ONLY ones left with a decent subscription number. The situation in SUBSCRIPTIONS for those other games is SO bad, the MMO tracking subscription sites STOPPED tracking as there is nothing to track anymore these days...

Tldr: We won.

It was then that BenBos went off on one about Rift.

[Destil]

hell its still a miracle wow got a million subs in the first place

And that it reached a 13 million peak in subscribers.

Or was it 14.

12?

I can't even remember.

[Immitis]

And that it reached a 13 million peak in subscribers.

Or was it 14.

12?

I can't even remember.

right around 13 with the launch of cataclysm

[Leonard McCoy]

It's funny, when subscriptions rise, the fanbois create hundreds of "LOOK, NUMBERS ARE RISING, AWESOME!!!" threads and when they drop, they say that those numbers don't indicate anything and that it does not matter at all.

They exist in a state of denial for which their is no revelation.

[Immitis]

They exist in a state of denial for which their is no revelation.

look. wow is one of the most profitable games in the world and is a freak of nature that somehow managed to take the mmo market which was around 500k and turn it mainstream with almost 13 million players.

wow took a hardcore game like everquest made it easier and more casual and slapped some warcraft lore on it and made a success.

anyone who could claim that wow isnt successful is the one in denial. is it at the height of its money making power? no but its still a giant.

[BenBos]

1.4+ billions dollars for 2012 will be the gross revenue.

Just saying for those who think all figures will be a lie.

And that's just Blizzard. Activision Blizzard's total is expected to be north of 4.8 billion dollars.

It is expected that Activision Blizzard as of now sits on a reserve of around 3.2 billion dollars and no debts.

So far the denial part.

[Pann]

And that it reached a 13 million peak in subscribers.

Or was it 14.

12?

I can't even remember.

It was just over 12 million and it is an amazing achievement. But nothing lasts forever and I think that WOW is now facing an unassailable decline, what is interesting is how Blizzard will react to this. I think they are learning an expensive lesson in that they cannot dictate to players how they consume content and play the game.

[Voyager]

1.4+ billions dollars for 2012 will be the gross revenue.

Just saying for those who think all figures will be a lie.

And that's just Blizzard. Activision Blizzard's total is epxected to be north of 4.8 billion dollars.

It is expected that Activision Blizzard as of now sits on a reserve of around 3.2 billion dollars and no debts.

So far the denial part.

That would be more than Microsoft has.