Activision Blizzard Q2 2020 Earnings Call

[Onikaroshi]

That's not a bootlicker answer, that actually makes sense. Although it certainly does not feel like that in the game. WoW token also dropped a lot down recently, which is an indicator that less people are buying game time. It usually goes down at the end of the expansion.

Wow token has been pretty steady for awhile at like 120k, though today it bumped up to 131k.

[Wilian]

What does engagement mean? People playing the game? How many? Can you give us a number? Why is there such a high engagement when it's the end of expansion blues?

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Bootlicker.

Engagement means how many hours on average you are spending in game.

For example, if 100 people are spending 1000 hours in game over X period, under that period it could be considered high engagement level. However if 100 000 people are spending same amount of hours under same period, that'd be low engagement level.

[stoffe]

I thought the first "well done" corporate fangirling was about the standard but here you are, turning it up to 11. They'll be sending your beta invite, along with a plane ticket and limo for a private guided tour of the office any day, for sure.

Stop with the salt man.

Is there anything wrong cheering for something you like? You being silly now.

[SirBeef]

Why are those better than MAUs though?



Why was subs fine, but MAUs isn't? How are they not "actual numbers"?

Don't forget these fools that want sub numbers now were the same ones calling them fake and inflated with Chinese accounts back then.

[twothe]

By rule: if you have increasing numbers you say that you have increasing numbers. If you don't have increasing numbers you say marketing bullshit.

Blizzard has the same number of MAU as the last to quarters, but since Overwatch "saw a significant number of returning players" that means some other playerbase must have dropped. There is no mention of the playerbase of Hearthstone despite the new expansion, so it is reasonable to assume that numbers there are way below expectation.

WoW numbers increased, from Classic and the stay-at-home effect. That means players are steadily loosing interest in retail (which is normal at this point of an expansion). That engagement is "highest at this point of an expansion" is nonsense, because before they mentioned that mostly classic players are boosting numbers, which have nothing to do with the expansion at all. Also that pre-sales are accelerating is nothing unexpected the closer the launch. Since both was explained with such fluffy words it can be expected that the pre-sale for Shadowlands is below expectation, otherwise they had said it much more clearly.

So in real words: the playerbase is stagnating despite all efforts. Classic and Covid-19 are the main drivers at the moment, while players loose interest in retail. The new expansion isn't received as well as they'd like to.

[SirBeef]

Wow look at all these defensive replies.

Post some quantifiable proof that World of Warcraft is increasing in player numbers. Oh wait you can't. You can only blindly repeat whatever Blizzard decides to squeeze out of their sphincter.

Post some quantifiable proof it's losing subs. Oh wait you can't.

[Bigcountry11782]

No one cares about diablo Immortal

[Djaye]

What does engagement mean? People playing the game? How many? Can you give us a number? Why is there such a high engagement when it's the end of expansion blues?

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Bootlicker.

classic doing great and just released AQ patch. this is why engagement is at a decades high.

[Relapses]

By rule: if you have increasing numbers you say that you have increasing numbers. If you don't have increasing numbers you say marketing bullshit.

Blizzard has the same number of MAU as the last to quarters, but since Overwatch "saw a significant number of returning players" that means some other playerbase must have dropped. There is no mention of the playerbase of Hearthstone despite the new expansion, so it is reasonable to assume that numbers there are way below expectation.

WoW numbers increased, from Classic and the stay-at-home effect. That means players are steadily loosing interest in retail (which is normal at this point of an expansion). That engagement is "highest at this point of an expansion" is nonsense, because before they mentioned that mostly classic players are boosting numbers, which have nothing to do with the expansion at all. Also that pre-sales are accelerating is nothing unexpected the closer the launch. Since both was explained with such fluffy words it can be expected that the pre-sale for Shadowlands is below expectation, otherwise they had said it much more clearly.

So in real words: the playerbase is stagnating despite all efforts. Classic and Covid-19 are the main drivers at the moment, while players loose interest in retail. The new expansion isn't received as well as they'd like to.

In other real words: I disliked the words Blizzard used so I invented some new ones which conveniently align with my cynical viewpoint that everything about WoW sucks. Please quote me so and say I'm right so I can feel good about myself.

[CerealLord]

I love all of these marketing experts in this thread. All the business people who know exactly what Blizzard "really" means.

[Barzotti]

By rule: if you have increasing numbers you say that you have increasing numbers. If you don't have increasing numbers you say marketing bullshit.

Blizzard has the same number of MAU as the last to quarters, but since Overwatch "saw a significant number of returning players" that means some other playerbase must have dropped. There is no mention of the playerbase of Hearthstone despite the new expansion, so it is reasonable to assume that numbers there are way below expectation.

WoW numbers increased, from Classic and the stay-at-home effect. That means players are steadily loosing interest in retail (which is normal at this point of an expansion). That engagement is "highest at this point of an expansion" is nonsense, because before they mentioned that mostly classic players are boosting numbers, which have nothing to do with the expansion at all. Also that pre-sales are accelerating is nothing unexpected the closer the launch. Since both was explained with such fluffy words it can be expected that the pre-sale for Shadowlands is below expectation, otherwise they had said it much more clearly.

So in real words: the playerbase is stagnating despite all efforts. Classic and Covid-19 are the main drivers at the moment, while players loose interest in retail. The new expansion isn't received as well as they'd like to.

Blizzard: "the sky is blue"
You: "oh Blizzard you definitely meant to say the sky was red, right"

I'm pretty sure Blizzard know more than you what they mean to say, especially in a earnings report.

[Senen]

Are we seriously having a news on Blizzard quarter results, but no coverage of the Blizzard employees coming forward to speak about how badly payed they are? Really disappointing.

[RobertoCarlos]

How much of a bonus did Bobby get while more than 50% of workers feel under paid

[Freestyle80]

By rule: if you have increasing numbers you say that you have increasing numbers. If you don't have increasing numbers you say marketing bullshit.

Blizzard has the same number of MAU as the last to quarters, but since Overwatch "saw a significant number of returning players" that means some other playerbase must have dropped. There is no mention of the playerbase of Hearthstone despite the new expansion, so it is reasonable to assume that numbers there are way below expectation.

WoW numbers increased, from Classic and the stay-at-home effect. That means players are steadily loosing interest in retail (which is normal at this point of an expansion). That engagement is "highest at this point of an expansion" is nonsense, because before they mentioned that mostly classic players are boosting numbers, which have nothing to do with the expansion at all. Also that pre-sales are accelerating is nothing unexpected the closer the launch. Since both was explained with such fluffy words it can be expected that the pre-sale for Shadowlands is below expectation, otherwise they had said it much more clearly.

So in real words: the playerbase is stagnating despite all efforts. Classic and Covid-19 are the main drivers at the moment, while players loose interest in retail. The new expansion isn't received as well as they'd like to.

Lol is there a reason you are trying to twist all their words to your liking? Do you get off to Blizzard games not being popular or something? Weird fetish dude

Wow look at all these defensive replies.

Post some quantifiable proof that World of Warcraft is increasing in player numbers. Oh wait you can't. You can only blindly repeat whatever Blizzard decides to squeeze out of their sphincter.

wow look at this salt, imagine wasting your time on a game you don't even like.

Not to mention where's your proof that what you say is anything but bullshit? Oh wait you just mad LOL

[Queen of Hamsters]

They specifically mention Classic when it's just about Classic. They did not do that here. Only one version of the game has an expansion coming out.

Let's hope some of the massive profits as a result of Corona, finds its way into the developer's pockets rather than the top brass'.

And the salty crowd is pathetic, as usual. It's illegal to lie in these reports. What's in there, goes, regardless of what some incessant doomsayers feel about it.

[Tiev]

Diablo "Do you guys not have phones" Immortal.

[Lurker1]

Blizzard: "the sky is blue"
You: "oh Blizzard you definitely meant to say the sky was red, right"

I'm pretty sure Blizzard know more than you what they mean to say, especially in a earnings report.

Well said!

[Morpheel]

Christ... Why the f* are you all doomsayers so toxic towards WoW? Why constantly rant on Blizzard even though they're literally still profiting? You're not convincing me or any other player who loves the game to quit, you're not convicing any blizzard empoyee that the game is dead and should they stop their line of development, you're just being an annoying person with too much free time. Don't like it, don't play it... Move on, it's not shameful and nobody is forcing you to stay...

[Edward Wu]

Christ... Why the f* are you all doomsayers so toxic towards WoW? Why constantly rant on Blizzard even though they're literally still profiting? You're not convincing me or any other player who loves the game to quit, you're not convicing any blizzard empoyee that the game is dead and should they stop their line of development, you're just being an annoying person with too much free time. Don't like it, don't play it... Move on, it's not shameful and nobody is forcing you to stay...

Where's the doomsaying? I'm just poking fun at their pathetic attempts to spin this in a way where WoW is never-endingly expanding in one aspect or another. Probably because their shareholders demand it. It doesn't change the fact that WoW has been a stagnant game for years now. There's the ebb and flow of expansions but beyond that it's been stagnant or slowly losing players. The only reason subs doubled last year was because of Classic.

You can keep coping until the game finally dies for good some time in the distant future, but it won't change the facts lol.

[RobertoCarlos]

Christ... Why the f* are you all doomsayers so toxic towards WoW? Why constantly rant on Blizzard even though they're literally still profiting? You're not convincing me or any other player who loves the game to quit, you're not convicing any blizzard empoyee that the game is dead and should they stop their line of development, you're just being an annoying person with too much free time. Don't like it, don't play it... Move on, it's not shameful and nobody is forcing you to stay...

Maybe people want to see thier money go to the people who made the game? Not Bobby at the top who doesn't do shit except lay off staff and cut costs as well as squeeze any possible pennies out of the playerbase