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  1. #281
    Deleted
    A small increase in numbers I don't find surprising. The marketing for MOP was absolutely awful
    and unsurprisingly subs shrank.

    The actual game was pretty good, Blizzard did all the stuff they do brilliant, scenery, music
    , lore etc and made some technological upgrades. Once people understandably nauseated by the
    idea of anthropomorphic pandas and pet battles had left, subscribers would hold steady.

    SOO is a fairly good end to the expansion. Not as good as WOTLK but better than cata.

  2. #282
    I predict it to rise as wod probably will be a success

  3. #283
    If there's one thing this conference call shows us it is that people are FUCKING RETARDED when it comes to predictions. Because they predict with total bias, they use their ass holes instead of their brains. Hating a game and wanting it to "die" is not prediction... it's insanity. Sure the results are quite surprising, it would have been normal to expect a small loss, but those "predicting" 1-2 million loss... wooooow

  4. #284
    Quote Originally Posted by Mosotti View Post
    If there's one thing this conference call shows us it is that people are FUCKING RETARDED when it comes to predictions. Because they predict with total bias, they use their ass holes instead of their brains. Hating a game and wanting it to "die" is not prediction... it's insanity. Sure the results are quite surprising, it would have been normal to expect a small loss, but those "predicting" 1-2 million loss... wooooow
    A large loss isn't without precedent at the end of an expansion. Yes, 2 million is too high and the drop off usually happens after beta for the next expansions starts up, but it isn't so out there that mocking people over a sub loss prediction is reasonable.

  5. #285
    The Lightbringer Duridi's Avatar
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    Somehow I find it funny how the thread died off as soon as people realized there was a gain. These threads usually go on forever.

  6. #286
    Quote Originally Posted by Fool View Post
    Two main reasons the sub numbers went up:
    1) 5$ battlechests - a lot of people bought those just to check the game out, but even more than that, the addicts were buying 5 of these to get some stupid collector pets or some other shit (new RAF system). And as you know, every battlechest comes with a free month = another subscriber added in Q4.
    2) people who don't like how Blizzard is handling the game are still playing it regardless. you wish for Blizzard to lose subscribers to "teach them a lesson" but you won't quit yourself? get real.

    Q1 "should" show a big loss, but you can never predict it with Blizzard. They will do something similar to what they did in Cata - give everybody free MoP, free level 85, free game time, just so the numbers stay somewhat stable so all of you can continue pretending that this game is still doing great.
    Is the battlchest thing still available? I would pay $5 for a month of gametime or how does that work? Would I have to start a new account? Ha see even I would come back for $5 to check things out. Just curious about this and not meant to derail thread.

  7. #287
    Deleted
    So my predictions for stable numbers with minimal gain where spot on.
    It was predictable after handing out the game for almost free for the entire quarter. A bargain price for everyone corious or with interest in the ingame rewards.
    But just as predictable is the only larger loss of subs for the current quarter, unless they go with another round of price cuts.

  8. #288
    I wonder how high sub numbers will skyrocket for WoD.
    Check out my livestream and follow me on twitter.
    /
    I Livestream and do giveaways.

  9. #289
    Quote Originally Posted by Conscience View Post
    So my predictions for stable numbers with minimal gain where spot on.
    It was predictable after handing out the game for almost free for the entire quarter. A bargain price for everyone corious or with interest in the ingame rewards.
    But just as predictable is the only larger loss of subs for the current quarter, unless they go with another round of price cuts.
    The price cuts certainly had an impact. But in the past there have been similar trends in unexpected sub rises.
    Like the winter of 2007/2008. The reason is the general market.

    At that time the Much expected and May launched LOTRO could not hold subscriptions and so there was an empty space between the next "WoW killers" coming in mid 2008 (Age of Conan and Warhammer). This winter there is nothing new either, so people were recruited or coming back for a winter passing in WoW.

    I mentioned this in the now closed thread of Jaylocks "5.7 million subs"... btw

    Subscriptions - like GC mentioned after leaving Blizzard - have very little to do with in game issues. They are more dependant on general MARKET settings.

    A new expansion, free to play introductions, a new MMO or marketing the WoW products at the right time have MUCH more impact.

    In this respect do not underestimate the upcoming long term influence of WoW's Hearthstone either.

    ----
    Before the end of this quarter there will be the WoD beta along with pre purchases of the expansion along with a free lvl 90.

    - - - Updated - - -

    As this thread is about the Conference call I would advise everyone to read the 11 page transcript of the event on Alpha and the financial spreadsheet on the ATVI website.

    Just a few tips: Bobby Kotick devoted his few lines to the usual established products but he could hardly hide his enthousiasm on the moneytising system of Hearthstone and its prepared worldwide East-West launch.

    If anyone asks what made the difference of the 100 million (!) + dollars between 2012 and 2013 in on line gaming, despite yearly lower WoW subs ... now you know the answer.

    The few million (sic) closed beta players in HS already had a huge impact. Rest assured it will not be the last quarter.
    Last edited by BenBos; 2014-02-09 at 09:52 AM.

  10. #290
    Quote Originally Posted by Daagar View Post
    There also used to simply be less games. After your billionth Diablo run, what did you go play?
    Darkstone. It was a better game anyway. There have always been alternatives. As you pointed out, there was no shortage of MUDs either. Game companies still stayed out of bankruptcy somehow.
    Quote Originally Posted by CandyCotton Marshmallows View Post
    People need to get over the gear color (and themselves). It doesn't matter, and it shouldn't matter what other players have either. Worry about your damn self. Live your life by that. If you want to concern yourself with someone else, then worry about HELPING them, not putting them down or making sure you stand out as better than them.
    Maybe the game would be better with more low DPS nice guys and fewer high DPS jerks? -- Ghostcrawler, Twitter, 6/29/13

  11. #291
    Mechagnome Layuth's Avatar
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    First quarter numbers for 2014 will be interesting to see considering the massive ban wave that just happened. I have heard numbers upward of one million accounts. There is no way in hell all of them restart.

    Blizzard can fudge numbers any way they want but when you have to merge servers the numbers cannot be increasing. All of you Blizzard haters can rejoice in a few months.
    "If I recall correctly I just posted that this topic is not to be discussed any further." -Ensidia Fanclub Founder

  12. #292
    Quote Originally Posted by Layuth View Post
    First quarter numbers for 2014 will be interesting to see considering the massive ban wave that just happened. I have heard numbers upward of one million accounts. There is no way in hell all of them restart.

    Blizzard can fudge numbers any way they want but when you have to merge servers the numbers cannot be increasing. All of you Blizzard haters can rejoice in a few months.
    What massive ban wave just happened? What did they do boot a whole bunch of bots? How massive was this ban wave? Enough to impact numbers significantly?

  13. #293
    Quote Originally Posted by metatation View Post
    What massive ban wave just happened? What did they do boot a whole bunch of bots? How massive was this ban wave? Enough to impact numbers significantly?
    They haven't released official numbers on it. The ban was for people using a bot that took care of keypresses, requiring the player to only move their character; the bot had been around for quite awhile from what I read.

    I doubt it would have influenced numbers though.

  14. #294
    Quote Originally Posted by hrugner View Post
    They haven't released official numbers on it. The ban was for people using a bot that took care of keypresses, requiring the player to only move their character; the bot had been around for quite awhile from what I read.

    I doubt it would have influenced numbers though.
    Yeah we have no numbers on it. Also not everyone got perma banned with a number of players getting short suspensions which I think is a first for bot ban waves.

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