How can Blizz increase the number of the WoW players ?!

[BenBos]

WoW doesn't need to up the player numbers.

As long as there are more than 2-3 million subscribers the game is more than profitable.

As for the player enjoyment: the connected realm play assures everyone that enough players will always be around (both for the AH's as for the content runs).

Blizzard found the Holy Grail of MMO's with connected zones and realm play.

Not all players have realised this yet, but WOW is now independant of players on seperate servers. So the game can even support 200K players per region now.

[ComputerNerd]

Just make interesting and innovative, social, and engaging expansions and the players will come...

Considering the game offers more social options than ever before, I find it funny that people always criticise that.
The problem is the the players who don't want to talk.
Forced communcation, forced co-operation is not making someone social.
You saw what happened with daily heroic quests, minimal amount of communication necessary to get the job done, and then everyone left.
Nobody wanted to do optional bosses, or anything less than efficient.

However I do agree that the starter edition is way too restrictive.
Reducing grouping restrictions I think is a good idea, also perhaps some mail/auction access but limited to those also on starter accounts.
Yes, the level cap on the starter edition should be raised, perhaps as far as 60.

[Saphyron]

Expand on the free-to-play segment of the game, allow them to level to the previous expansion cap. Make the subscription model like Runescapes, free-to-play exists but only within a certain portion of the game, in this case, only up to MoP content. Also, let free players form groups but still restrict whispering and global chat channels for obvious reasons. They could still find groups via the in game group finders.

If players want to access Warlords of Draenor, they would have to pay the subscriptions. There would be a massive influx of f2p players who are very likely to become subscribers once they hit their level cap.

Sounds good tbh.

Doubt it wil happen within this expansion. but could be something in the future.

But I would say set the lvl cap to 80
Make the battlechest include mist in patch 6.1
And as you say let people form groups.

[MoanaLisa]

Starter edition should go to 60 at least or perhaps even higher supported by a well-stocked cash shop for those levels.

[bruggles]

I don't know, from my experience nothing kills a game faster than going F2P

[Karnak]

I despise F2P as a general rule. That said, if they retained the $14.95/month model where I keep getting everything and also allowed F2P along side it where those players had to purchase access to the things I get as part of my subscription I wouldn't mind too much. Might be annoying trying to do a dungeon or raid with a guildy and being told "I can't do that. I didn't buy that dungeon." though.

The reason I despise F2P is that you always end up spending far more that the subscription cost of an MMO just to get the same stuff as you had with the subscription. F2P is just nickel and diming you to spend way more than you want to without realizing how it is adding up.

[Deleted]

I don't know, from my experience nothing kills a game faster than going F2P

SWTOR best example.

[Chirri]

Because the market dynamics have changed. Subscription based gaming is going the way of the dodo and micro-transaction funded games are the most profitable.

But really to go back to the original question here the answer is simple:

They can't. Less and less people look upon each new expansion as "Something new and exciting" and instead see "more of the same". The majority of the gaming community looks at the Warcraft franchise and sees a franchise where nothing new has been offered in almost a decade.

More and more MMOs are going F2P with microtransactions because they know they cannot retain a player base that compares in any way with Blizzard's World of Warcraft. A lot of them have tried and then had to fall back on to F2P, and a number of them understood that F2P would be the biggest perk their game could offer over WoW, so went F2P from concept through production. Blizzard practically owns the MMO subscription market, all that's left is F2P.

F2P isn't the most profitable, it's the only profitable option for other companies (they tried subs, their games weren't enough better than WoW to support that payment scheme). Blizzard isn't confined by low player numbers the way other game companies are. Not yet, anyway. Certainly WoW's been winding down for quite a while.

OT: I like Shoc's idea. Make WoW F2P up to the previous expansion's level cap.

It's unfortunate that the game went the route of "more leveling" as far as continued advancement, but we're 9 years down the road and probably too late to switch to something else. If they pop out another MMORPG, I hope they seriously consider an alternative.

I don't really think Blizz needs to increase the number of players, though. I don't think huge player numbers is necessarily good for the game.

And 100 new players would come in your place. Big deal really.

100 new players, of whom possibly none would be willing to pay. It was a gamble, and the way they originally handled the restrictions made "going back to see what's changed" no longer an option. So they've guaranteed a number of potential customers will never, ever seriously consider looking at trying the game out again. I'm curious about what kind of player retention they have among the players who refuse to pay in at all - those players are important to keep those willing to pay, sticking around.

[Darsithis]

Starter edition should go to 60 at least or perhaps even higher supported by a well-stocked cash shop for those levels.

Yeah level 60 at least.

SWTOR best example.

SWTOR thrived after going F2P

[Captainn]

Getting out more content would be a good place to start. Not repeating another Cata expansion where there was hardly anything to do. Some people find that a turn off.

[Obtuse]

The day WoW goes F2P is the day I hang up my sword and shield and never return. I pray that day never comes.

I like the idea of the starter account upgrade. 70 is too high but 58 seems about just right.

[Durandro]

Free to Play until level 60.

Removing the need to purchase older expansions (basically the current Battlechest, up to level 85) to play the content, just requiring a sub to play past level 60.

This will increase the playerbase dramatically, and probably also increase the higher level population by hooking more people in via the free to play element.

Of course, free accounts will have to be limited to joining lower population servers since many servers are currently already overcrowded. But I'm hoping eventually all realms will be directly linked in one form or another.

[Airwaves]

Should be F2P till level 60 or 70. Get people addicted then they will buy the extra expansion to keep playing.

[cityguy193]

As long as there are more than 2-3 million subscribers the game is more than profitable.

So if we continue the 4 year trend of loosing a millions of players every year, the game will dip into the red within 2 expacs

[Airwaves]

So if we continue the 4 year trend of loosing a millions of players every year, the game will dip into the red within 2 expacs

The game is made around making a profit with 500k. They never expected anymore players then that.

[Deleted]

BTW Naxxramas and Ony were horrible enough. I don't think WOW needs more shit like this.

Don't you dare talk trash about Naxxramas man! Was the best PVE experience I ever had in Wow!
The WotLK update I mean.

[NuLogic]

I think wow is fine. I will probably loose interest before wow pop dies.

[Ticj]

Increase the amount of advertising. Do it on TV, not some ads that nobody cares about on shady websites.

They actually did say that the amount of people leaving has always been the same, but its the people who are joining that has taken the hit.

People seem to not think about this fact when they are saying that the way WoW has gone is bad, but it is just in general that WoW is an old game, and most of the targeted audience has moved on. Most of the sub's will start to be coming in from newer generations.

[aeuhe4yxzhds]

If they would make it free to play, all those items they are going to put in the shop you would have to pay for even with your subscription.

[worstpvperus]

And 100 new players would come in your place. Big deal really.

But how many of those people would spend a dime?