Could a current MMO be overtaking WoW soon?

[CaptainV]

With WoD as the most ill recieved expansion dwarfing even Cata in negative popularity, it seems WoW is in the decline.

For once, I actually think we may just see an MMO that can actually out populate and outgrow it.

So far the biggest candidate is final fantasy 14, a realm reborn with 4.5 million subs and growing every year.

Yes, subs by the way, not just f2p accounts but actual subscribers.

Granted I dont play the game myself but numbers speak volumes, with WoW falling and FF14 rising, could FF14 be the first mmorpg to actually overpopulate WoW?

Or perhaps GW2 will with HoT's launch, or SWTOR with its new promising fallen empire expansion?

Perhaps the dynasty of WoW's titanic subscriber power has finally come to an end...

Im not saying WoW is dead, but I do think, maybe, just maybe, for the first time we may see an MMO overtake it in the next year.

Thoughts?

[Derpleton]

If Final Fantasy 14 has 4.5 million subs and is growing it's likely it'll overtake WoW within this Xpack. With 6.2 likely the final patch of WoD we are likely to be about a year away from 7.0 and I don't see how 6.2 is going to hold anything more than 5 million subs if that. But then again I could be wrong, this is a 10 year old game which people are very attached to and old habits die hard.

[Kataroku]

One of the things WoW has going for it is its polish. Animation, combat and spell feedback, macro system, etc. go unmatched by competitors. Whenever I try a new MMO, there's always something WoW does better.

Rift, for instance, has very little spell feedback. You cast a spell on an ally and you have no idea if it was successful or not - there's either no particle effect or is barely visible. Macro system is also buggy.

FFXIV has a convoluted map system which takes some getting used to. Towns and cities look amazing, the open world not so much. Combat system again slightly lacking with limited aggro-reset distances and abilities not triggering if you're lagging (i.e. from Australia).

[Drungan]

Thing is ... any new MMO needs to do things in a new way to get a massive sub number, if it is just another *kill 3 bears for there liver* and *bring letter to x* and boss fights that basically is just movement puzzles there is no reason to swap to a new MMO as people got a lot of time invested in there *numbers* in WoW or whatever MMO they are playing.

It takes a lot of boredom for people to dump a game they got there friends in and years invested in, has WoW hit that mark now ? .... maybe.

[vqkatsuko]

No there will never be a MMO that will overtake WoW outside of wow, the "MMO" genre of the mega games is pretty much gone. People want to play mobas now and other quick match games rather then a mmo. the only thing that will "overtake wow" is the first non shit VRMMO with a virtual headset.

Also FFXIV has 4.5 million accounts. they might have 1-2 million subs. maybe 2+ but I highly doubt it.

[Arbs]

FF14 has like 1.2 Million subs I think, but the way they said has really confused people into thinking they have 4.5 million. SE had a call at the beginning of the year that they had 1 million subs across Dragon Quest, FF11 & FF14. But im sure FF14 has had a bump in subs. But not that much.

[Tragedia]

Highly unlikely by next year. WoW is still strong and no other game can catch up to them in such time. At the most we can see various players leaving for several different MMOs that contain more aspects to their liking but I doubt another Monolith will rise any time soon.

[Gimlix]

FF14 will go on a big decline before WoW reaches their number.
No game can stand against WoW. The true #1.

[huth]

FF14 has like 1.2 Million subs I think, but the way they said has really confused people into thinking they have 4.5 million. SE had a call at the beginning of the year that they had 1 million subs across Dragon Quest, FF11 & FF14. But im sure FF14 has had a bump in subs. But not that much.

From what i understood, the 4.5M figure is actually accounts created, rather than active subs... which WoW dwarfs easily with it's over 100 million of those.

[Shibito]

Lol final fantasy wont overtake wow not in a million years.

[bmjclark]

Still another few years before it happens unless something drastic happens with WoW subs. Who knows though? Maybe the star wars movie will spark interest in the star wars expansion, WoWs movie will likely have a similar affect on WoW though. Final Fantasy is doing well but it isn't likely to pass WoW any time soon. I do think that in the next 5 years WoWs subs are gonna dip low enough for another game to overtake it though if they keep putting out halfassed expansions like WoD.

[Fenixdown]

It's funny how asking this question one year ago would have just gotten you laughed at. Now? Not so funny now, is it.

WoW's definitely going to fall to something at this current rate. Unless they make the game that kept them well over the top again.

[Deleted]

Dont really care.

The time i have spend on WoW is something i will never do again in another game so i will never start another MMO again after i quit with WoW.

[Zephre]

If Blizzard continues their yearly expac cash grab trend they'll quickly find themselves overtaken there's only so much BS people will be willing to take.

[Sindile]

Perhaps, but I don't care if it happens. WoW will likely remain number 1 for awhile, but that doesn't mean its the best. I'm content with the subs SWTOR has and I'm having fun.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

The only MMO I see poised to possibly overtake WoW is FF14.

And that game needs to improve it's non-raiding endgame same as WoW first.

So really, whichever game creates an endgame that isn't focused around one thing (usually large group dungeons, aka raiding) has a shot to be top dog.

[dextersmith]

I hope so to give Blizzard a bitch slap.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

That's true to an extent but at least FFXIV is taking steps in the right direction with the way crafting is set up and gold saucer. Actually Saucer is a great step that has a lot of room to be expanded in that regard.

Yeah FF14 is the closest. But really the race between it and WoW will come down to who restores/creates non-raiding endgame first.

[Alopex Major]

It takes a lot of boredom for people to dump a game they got there friends in and years invested in, has WoW hit that mark now ? .... maybe.

Most people's friends already have dumped WoW, I know mine have.

[rasako]

Ironically one of the worst MMO launches ever led into what is going to become the new behemoth in the genre. FFXIV is not only poised to overtake WoW it is currently doing it, the way they did it ironically is by doing exactly what current standards tell us not to do. An extremely important main plot with content sometimes gates behind it, a steel leveling curve that hands out the upgrades piecemeal and infrequently thus emphasing personal character growth, a system that not only supports single character play but encourages it, a combat system that is almost slow and plodding compared to other current games in the genre yet because of a difficulty curve that asks you to be better ends up being one of the most skill based and tactical ones out there.

Not only that but handing out classes in non expansion patches, enabling the nonraiders to find just as much depth in their play as the ones that only raid and a company that does not make false promises even going so far as to overly apologize when they do mess up.

There is so much good to be said about FFXIV but I think the biggest take away is that the new king of the ring is here and it's going to br an amazing ride.

as impressed as I was with FFXIV I don't think ~1 mil subs is "poised to overtake WoW".

Maybe if they fuck up ANOTHER expansion in a row.