Should Blizzard reveal current subscription numbers?

[Trumpcat]

Blizzard used to report subscription numbers for WoW, other MMOs don't report them. Yet it was pretty safe to assume WoW has more than the rest combined. Blizzard didn't shame to report when the subscription numbers dropped to a half and even though other MMOs meanwhile are getting shut down, no new content, etc. Blizzard are the ones who got crucified by the "fans" for the lower numbers. So reporting anything below 12 million creates unhealthy atmosphere surrounding their title, why would they keep doing it? Yes, subs will rise for Legion, but they will probably not reach the numbers during Wrath of the Lich King and certainly NOT because Legion is bad (although it may be, we don't know yet). Basically whatever Blizzard says, unless it passes 12 million will be perceived as bad.

Across the board the old style MMOs are seeing withdrawal. How many teenagers you know nowadays who passionately play WoW? Any other similar MMO? Was it like that 7 years ago? Everyone knew World of Warcraft then, today the youth often hasn't even heard of it, not to mention the other WoW wannabe games. Many of the people who used to play day and night in the past have jobs and families today, which leaves little time to play an MMO for 5-6 hours each evening, not to mention 12 or more hours. So yes, if other companies are not "obliged" to announce their subscribers why Blizzard should be? Such information concerns corporate levels and development, not the subscribers.

As long as Blizzard keep doing awesome job, which they do, including the willingness to admit mistakes and improve, which they also do, I am a happy customer.

[DarkAmbient]

Nobody cares about subscription numbers except people who are desperate for a reason to hate the game.

Nope. There are people like me who find it interesting to know how many other people share their hobby. And I don't believe that someone who also considers WoW a hobby has not even a passing interest in how many other people play it.

What I like about EVE Online is that it tells you on the launcher how many accounts are currently logged in.

[Deleted]

Nope. There are people like me who find it interesting to know how many other people share their hobby. And I don't believe that someone who also considers WoW a hobby has not even a passing interest in how many other people play it.

What I like about EVE Online is that it tells you on the launcher how many accounts are currently logged in.

I also play this game and I have absolutely NO interest in knowing how many millions of people play the game.
As long as it keeps being fun I will play, when it stops being fun I will stop.
The amount of people playing has a grand total of 0 fucks to do with my enjoyment.

- - - Updated - - -

I know what I need to know. Personal experience? - not as good as it used to be? You asked for it.

I personally think Blizzard should reveal information, regardless of how damaging it is. It can't be that bad, since it is an older game. But WoW does bring a good amount of revenue. Added-Value revenue that is here, gone tomorrow. Whereas subscriptions are slower to fall .. much slower. It's a safer gauge, in conjunction with revenue.

Please just fuck off back to your Legacy whine tread, you are getting worse then RDA which is an achievement all by it self.

[DarkAmbient]

I also play this game and I have absolutely NO interest in knowing how many millions of people play the game.
As long as it keeps being fun I will play, when it stops being fun I will stop.
The amount of people playing has a grand total of 0 fucks to do with my enjoyment.

Not even a tiny bit? I don't believe you.

Not saying you are one of these people, but there are quite a few on here who become almost personally offended when others say they would like to know how many people are subscribed to WoW. They become incredibly defensive and start going on about how the numbers don't affect them and how much they don't care. It's a bit odd, tbh.

[Gorgodeus]

I disagree. I clickd the first option but with a caveat:

Blizzard doesnt owe the customer shit, but the do owe the shareholder. If i owned any amount of Activ Blizz stock that mattered, I would want to know what the actual revneu streams looked like, because they tell an important story, more so that just "yea we are in the black." Publicly traded, so should be public knowledge, not for us, but for the investor. It doesnt really matter if it benefits them, they dont own "them."

Share holders only care about the bottom line. If you owned stock in McDonalds, you do not care how many Big Macs they sold. You care about the bottom line.

[ls-]

Reporting something like sub numbers to player base is useless, and does no good. Community as a whole doesn't understand anything, ofc there're individuals who're interested in economics and related stuff.

Anyways, said numbers were always used to hate on Blizzard, if they were high or higher than expected, Blizzard were dirty liars and were pulling numbers out of their asses, if numbers were low or lower than expected, "WoW's dead!11one".

Average player doesn't need to know things like that. Average player doesn't even care. Minority of players reads forums and minority of minority posts on forums.

[BannedForViews]

Share holders only care about the bottom line. If you owned stock in McDonalds, you do not care how many Big Macs they sold. You care about the bottom line.

This is false.

[Deleted]

Not even a tiny bit? I don't believe you.

Not saying you are one of these people, but there are quite a few on here who become almost personally offended when others say they would like to know how many people are subscribed to WoW. They become incredibly defensive and start going on about how the numbers don't affect them and how much they don't care. It's a bit odd, tbh.

I don't care that others care about it no need for me to be defensive.
That being said you not believing me doesn't change the fact that I don't give a fuck how many people play the game, as long as it stays fun for me.
Same reason I still play settlers 2 instead of all the newer ones, for me its the most fun to play. Don't give a fuck who else plays it.

[Deleted]

This is false.

No it isn't, I don't give a shit how Guinness is making its money but I do care about the few grand I get every year because I own stocks.
Stop making up fairy tales, as long as they money is coming in no stock holder would give a fuck how the money is made.

[BannedForViews]

No it isn't, I don't give a shit how Guinness is making its money but I do care about the few grand I get every year because I own stocks.
Stop making up fairy tales, as long as they money is coming in no stock holder would give a fuck how the money is made.

The few grand? Im not talking about ignorant people that blizzard doesnt care about. Im referring to people with 10s if not hundreds of millions invested in the company. The want to know ehre and how every last cent was made. These things matter. It is why people get many years of schooling and job training. Blizz doesnt give a shit about the aversge joe with 20 shares, but they do care a about the people who could make or break their stock price.

[Deleted]

Thats only true to an extend


Lets say they making money (and there is also of question of much money), still, if the growth of the product/service is struggling or non existent at all a investor gona pull out rather then investing more money

But the people invested in a company, not in WoW.
The company is doing better then ever before with a number of heavy weight titles wrecking the markets.
So seeing the company is not struggling you are wrong in this case.

I personally invested in a beer brand in Ireland and I get paid every year.
I don't give a fuck how they are making their profit, I only care about my return on investment.
They could be selling everyone deluded piss with a brand on it (looking at you heineken..) for all I care.

[Polybius]

Blizzard should only report information relavent metrics to shareholders for all their games.

I honestly don't care about subs, I only care about my guildmates and friends. People unsub for many different reasons, yet it's magnified and cherry-picked by hysterical posters for every damn expansion set.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

The numbers only served people's arguments no matter what they were. Positive and negative alike. I have no doubt if you have enough money invested in Blizzard and its parent companies if you really wanted to know the numbers you could get them. Because you deserve that information at that point. Everyone on forums like this just used them to push away people for the most part. You know... stuff like every single person that left during WoD was because of how flying was handled levels of ignorance (calm down child it's just one of many examples). The sub numbers derailed almost every topic here and just about everywhere else. So it made perfect sense for them to not bother anymore. Oh and yes, when everything was going good with the numbers they used them to rope more folks in. Not that surprising. It's a business about making money. Once the public turned on them and started using the numbers to attack and damage the product we lost that right. Sounds like a good business choice to me to be honest even though good business choices can be a bit shady at times.

[Pull My Finger]

I believe Blizzard should be more forthcoming about everything dealing with WoW, since this is their bread and butter. I don't appreciate when large companies hide behind other statistics to mask something deeper going on. If money is being diverted, I want to know.

Omg. If you're gonna be that guy, at least be halfway adult about it and go worry about Nestlé, Google, Monsanto, BP or Pfizer.

@Topic: No, it's none of your business and Blizzard doesn't have to, and shouldn't disclose any information about anything to you, at all, period. Sit down and play games on your computer.

[Deleted]

No, they should not have to reveal these numbers to the public. It would however be fair to reveal it to the shareholders, but I assume they get a more indept report anyway.

[Pann]

But the people invested in a company, not in WoW.
The company is doing better then ever before with a number of heavy weight titles wrecking the markets.
So seeing the company is not struggling you are wrong in this case.

I personally invested in a beer brand in Ireland and I get paid every year.
I don't give a fuck how they are making their profit, I only care about my return on investment.
They could be selling everyone deluded piss with a brand on it (looking at you heineken..) for all I care.

I'm not sure how you managed to invest in a beer brand in Ireland seeing as Guinness are part of Diageo.

[Deleted]

This is an interesting, yet delicate topic. ?

Its niether of those.

Blizzard Should not do anything. They dont owe you any sub numbers or anything else for that matter.

[Deleted]

Out of curiosity did sub numbers ever include those that paid for the game with the gift vouchers, or was it only those with a recurring subscription?

[Roadblock]

With China moving to a traditional sub scheme it would be interesting to know for sure.
I mean China was skewing numbers for years, with "1 min of time paid in last 30 days" = counts as a full sub.

We'd get a proper split of western to eastern players ratio and other interesting deductions could be made.

Also LOL at the nitwits still thinking tokens somehow lessen the sub count.

[Donald Hellscream]

Sub numbers mean fuck all to people who aren't shareholders so I see no reason why they should release them to the public, all it is gonna do is prevent the " WOW IS DEAD!!!!!111 " fire from dying down.