BFA subs, and someone's probably getting fired

[Floopa]

https://twitter.com/WeakAuras/status...12677578838016

PogU

RIP for the person getting fired tho

Is this also a breach of EU GDPR law?

Moderation note:

There have been a lot of further developments to this on the part of the WeakAuras developer (ummm...as it were). Here is some additional information:

Clarification about what happened today (WeakAuras Tweet)
So, what happened today:

Someone posted a thread on ((forum that is against TOS)) about how the new API can be abused to get player subscription data and that was used to calculate current subscriber numbers.

What I usually do with those rumors is post them on the WeakAuras Twitter account to talk with other people about it. I knew it was a far fetch and could not be verified unless the full data dump was leaked, which it wasn't. Also the thread has since been deleted and I did not have a screenshot nor was it accessible via Google Cache since it was in the subscriber only area.

What sounded too cool to me was that if those numbers are true, WeakAuras users make up 50% of WoW's user base. Which would be insane. So I began typing my tweet, wanting to talk about it and then it happened. I reached Twitter's max character limit. Well, the lazy person I am, I just figured I'd split my tweet up into three.

Turns out, people really don't read Twitter threads and Reddit only displays the first post of it by default.

This is how it looked to me, https://i.imgur.com/Y2SUrDc.png - but not to the rest of the internet.

Obviously the community took this as a call to arms and soon after, everyone was treating the first tweet as a fact. I tried repeatedly to point out how it wasn't but yeah, you guys know what happened.

Soon after, I got contacted by Blizzard and they basically just told me that the data is false and that I might want to edit or delete my tweet to not look like an idiot that spreads misinformation.

Since I think deleting tweets just because they are controversial is bad practice, and I stand by what I wrote, I once again tried to point out what I have been saying from the beginning, that we have no proof to back up this claim.

So of course, people took my tweet saying just that as me being gag ordered by Blizzard and started claiming I only posted this to boost my follower count and WeakAuras download numbers, threatening to boycott the WeakAuras addon as a consequence. Trust me, this was really not the case and half of that does not even make sense.

Lessons learned:

Put a huge disclaimer at the start of tweets when you are going to post rumors, not at the end.

The internet is still the internet and will never change.

BfA is still in a very dire spot and posting a rumor about how it could be even worse did not help.

I hope I could clear up a few things for you guys and am sorry for causing trouble.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comment...day_weakauras/

[Deleted]

Ok RIP WoW. How this will look after 6 months? 500k?

[crusadernero]

If someone gets fired, will it make you happy and all the whining & moaning was all worth it?

[Gorsameth]

Ok RIP WoW. How this will look after 6 months? 500k?

No? The same as every other expansion, a big spike at launch. a big drop shortly after and then roughly stable or slowly dropping until the next expansion. So if its 1.7mil now I would guess 1.5 mil in 6 months.

[dwarfkicker]

Oof, that's rough. Looks like a lot of people doing the "WoD 2.0" chant aren't too far off the mark.

[Zandalariprelate]

I suppose doesn't count the gold token people and just americans

[Erwarth]

It's for US or EU ? The two are separate.

[shadowmatrix]

So someone is getting fired over numbers that can't be proven correct?

[XDurionX]

Yeah, no way this is accurate. Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

It's for US or EU ? The two are separate.

That's a possible explanation, that those numbers are region specific, then it might be fitting.

[Voidwielder]

Not surprised.

[Arainie]

I think everyone, least of all WeakAuras, should be able to realize that 3.2M subs at the start doesn't include all sources as BfA sold over 3.4M copies prior to release. I'd guess it's either region specific or only includes active "paid" subs and not those with game time through codes or WoW tokens.

[Siglius]

Was that EU or US or Asia?

Wonder if it counts WoWTokens as well.

[Flarelaine]

I suppose doesn't count the gold token people and just americans

Gold is still subscription, but it could be just Americans.

[Super Dickmann]

Literally impossible, because BFA's launch sales were 3.4 mil just on one day, so for the subscriptions at launch to be 3.2mil 200k people who bought the game would have to be sub-less and that's without preorders and so on.

[Deleted]

No? The same as every other expansion, a big spike at launch. a big drop shortly after and then roughly stable or slowly dropping until the next expansion. So if its 1.7mil now I would guess 1.5 mil in 6 months.

Funny didnt happen to TBC and WOTLK so how every expansion? Those spikes you talk about started with MoP. And if game have problem to retain players why Blizz do not target this issue? Sure there are drop offs. But why?

- - - Updated - - -

Does it include WoW tokens or not?

- - - Updated - - -



Yeah just said the same thing.

Tokens work as normal subscriptions. Yes this number includes all regions and all token and normal subs.

[Erwarth]

Does it include WoW tokens or not?

- - - Updated - - -



Yeah just said the same thing.

I think we have to wait for the OP (or WeakAuras author) to know more about that.

Funny didnt happen to TBC and WOTLK so how every expansion? Those spikes you talk about started with MoP. And if game have problem to retain players why Blizz do not target this issue? Sure there are drop offs. But why?

- - - Updated - - -



Tokens work as normal subscriptions. Yes this number includes all regions and all token and normal subs.

The spreading of sourceless statements has begun !

[Deleted]

Funny didnt happen to TBC and WOTLK so how every expansion? Those spikes you talk about started with MoP. And if game have problem to retain players why Blizz do not target this issue? Sure there are drop offs. But why?

- - - Updated - - -



Tokens work as normal subscriptions. Yes this number includes all regions and all token and normal subs.

first drop off was cata

[SL1200]

Literally impossible, because BFA's launch sales were 3.4 mil just on one day, so for the subscriptions at launch to be 3.2mil 200k people who bought the game would have to be sub-less and that's without preorders and so on.

I have no faith in anything blizzard says being the truth.

[Fantaman767]

The problem with BFA are the players not the developers.

People play this game WAY too much and burn out WAY to quick, then blame it on things like systems and devs.

I work 5 days a week but that doesn’t stop me from sinking 16 hours into this game on my days off. Even then, I have barely accomplished everything on my radar.

[Sastank]

Imagine taking this as 100% accurate and coming here to bash BFA oof.

Game and world feels alive to me. I've never understood people's obsession with sub numbers. We don't need to know, and it is only brought up in speculation or to bash current game.