How many players do you expect there to be? [Poll]

[Zequill]

2-3 million, its star wars franchise after all

500k for the same reason. I, at least, is looking in the past to base my number http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/Subs-2.png

[Magisleeper]

7 billion.

I would be very dissapointed if every single person on the planet did not play this game.

[Chrysia]

500k for the same reason. I, at least, is looking in the past to base my number http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/Subs-2.png

SWG came out in an entirely different era for MMOs. EQ was the biggest MMO at the time, which has never broke 500k subscribers. WoW hadn't yet hit the scene, and when it did, SOE broke SWG and drove off most of their initial playerbase.

[Deleted]

My version of this^ :

3 months in? It'll gain another million or so.

It's such a good game to keep bringing in more players.

As far as I know, it lacks endgame content, to keep players interested past the leveling process. Rated PvP, raids and such are absent thus far, from what I've heard.
If that's true it'll go right into rock bottom once people start to get to max level.

I'll say about 1-2m after 3 months, on a decline. I really hope I'm wrong though, I want WoW to have competition.

[Chrysia]

As far as I know, it lacks endgame content, to keep players interested past the leveling process. Rated PvP, raids and such are absent thus far, from what I've heard.
If that's true it'll go right into rock bottom once people start to get to max level.

I'll say about 1-2m after 3 months, on a decline. I really hope I'm wrong though, I want WoW to have competition.

Rated PVP isn't in yet, but it's in the works.

Raids absolutely are in, where did you hear they weren't? They even have the dual difficulty level in.

On PVP, there is still PVP gear, PVP titles and rewards, and an entire planet focused purely on PVP.

[Deleted]

Above 5 million, really? Really?

[Deleted]

Rated PVP isn't in yet, but it's in the works.

Raids absolutely are in, where did you hear they weren't? They even have the dual difficulty level in.

On PVP, there is still PVP gear, PVP titles and rewards, and an entire planet focused purely on PVP.

Just like the people who like it have their reasons, those who dislike it do too.
But then, there's also those who are extreme in both directions, like stupid people who either believe it's already the greatest game ever made, and that it'll have 10m subs within months, or others who believe it'll fail before the first three months have passed.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. I hope it'll turn out good, even great, but I'm preparing for another failure, and keeping my money until some player reviews of max level has been given out.

[Zequill]

SWG came out in an entirely different era for MMOs. EQ was the biggest MMO at the time, which has never broke 500k subscribers. WoW hadn't yet hit the scene, and when it did, SOE broke SWG and drove off most of their initial playerbase.

That era is in 2003. Not even 10 years from now? You think the gamer base have increase 10x the last 10 years and WoW just got lucky to be there during those years? Or maybe you think MMO are the new cool stuff to play? Or maybe since 1 MMO was really successful all the other will be the same? There is so many peoples saying more the 2m here when only 4 games was able to break that line (Both Lineage, Aoin and WoW).

[Chrysia]

That era is in 2003. Not even 10 years from now? You think the gamer base have increase 10x the last 10 years and WoW just got lucky to be there during those years? Or maybe you think MMO are the new cool stuff to play? Or maybe since 1 MMO was really successful all the other will be the same? There is so many peoples saying more the 2m here when only 4 games was able to break that line (Both Lineage, Aoin and WoW).

WoW opened up the MMO market. Rift, Aion, AoC, Lineage, basically any MMO after WoW has launched much higher than any MMO before WoW did.

Also, we're looking at preorder numbers, which are 900k+ physical copies in the US alone. All of Europe + digital sales will easily make up another million, very likely more.

Also, yes, the existing player base for games in general has grown insanely in the past 8 or so years. More and more people are seeing gaming as a mainstream form of entertainment, rather than a fringe fad.

On a side-note, I voted conservatively at 2-3 mil, assuming that word of mouth isn't going to hype this game immediately, and it will sit largely on it's initial player base for a while.

[PandarianLeakage]

3 million at launch, after newcomers and leavers I'd guess 3 million at the 3 month mark still. We will see growth in 6 months after it's release and then it will rise pretty quickly from tehre if it retains being a quality game.

[Nefarious Tea]

I really do not get how one is more friendly to females than the other. I mean being a gay man I assume I would be closer to understanding this than some, but the statement makes my mind turn into jello.

On topic however I think this game is going to be amazing. With everyone being invited to that weekend test I think for sure they are going to net a few people who may or not have bought the game otherwise. I would say we are looking 3-4 million at launch. Depending on updates depends on if this number shrinks or grows.

Because lightsabers are clearly a phallic symbol. /discussion.

But seriously, I have no idea where he's getting that silly misogynistic statement from... maybe the fact that it's sci-fi rather than fantasy? Can't be that, I know more women irl that like Star Wars/ Star Trek than I do men. Maybe its the fact that it's got more realistic graphics than WoW? I fail to see this argument as well, because a lot of the people I have on facebook talking about Skyrim are in fact women as well.

[CalasEU]

Well seeing as THIS time it will be a successful "alternative", I'd have to say around 2 million at the 3 month mark. However dropping following the first content patch. But I may be wrong as THIS time it really is going to be a successful alternative MMO, unlike the 10 or so before it...wait I already said that right?

Warhammer Online was an "successful alternative", Age of Conan was, and Rift was. People have said all these games will be successful, but look at two of them, not many people play them anymore, Rift still has some amount of people, but it's not as high, might be the same with SWTOR :-)?

Personally though i do think SWTOR will get loads of subscribers, i haven't tried it yet, though i'm going to lock myself in my room for beta! From the videos i've seen however it looks amazing, the combat is great, how i've seen it is that even though it is a hotkey MMO it doesn't feel like it, which is great.

I've voted 1,5-2million as 3 million is amazo-high, i mean, not even WOW had that many subs after 3 months(Atleast i don't think so)

All in all i'm really looking forward to playing this game

[Teriz]

Warhammer Online was an "successful alternative", Age of Conan was, and Rift was. People have said all these games will be successful, but look at two of them, not many people play them anymore, Rift still has some amount of people, but it's not as high, might be the same with SWTOR :-)?

Personally though i do think SWTOR will get loads of subscribers, i haven't tried it yet, though i'm going to lock myself in my room for beta! From the videos i've seen however it looks amazing, the combat is great, how i've seen it is that even though it is a hotkey MMO it doesn't feel like it, which is great.

I've voted 1,5-2million as 3 million is amazo-high, i mean, not even WOW had that many subs after 3 months(Atleast i don't think so)

All in all i'm really looking forward to playing this game

Yeah, I'm thinking around 2 million at launch as well. Once word of mouth gets around though, I see it getting higher. And from what I've heard, the experience was pretty good from a lot of testers this weekend. When the NDA lifts, and the reviews hit, this game is going to be under a lot of people's tree on Christmas. So I fully expect the servers to get another punch in the gut after the 25th of December.

Unlike Rift, Aion, and even Conan, Star Wars has a ridiculously huge fan base to pull from. It was amazing how many ex-SWG and KotoR players were in beta. I think its a big mistake to compare this to previous MMOs that have launched before. This game is going to be something else entirely.

Also the sci-fi setting helps a lot. Its so much more enjoyable shooting lasers and missiles at mobs than arrows and musketballs.

[Smitzelplix]

I say 1-2 million, might rise, might drop.
All depends on the end-game.


People are used to a LOT of end-game from WoW now9 please don't say it doesn't, WoW actually has a lot of things raid wise etc to do at end, due to the years it has been out). Any new MMO is going to have to overcome that, and 3 months is enough time for the majority of players to start catching up and wanting to experience it.

If there isn't too much to do, then they will get bored and leave, and that is going to be the critical time for Star Wars. Obviously I don'tknow about the end-game, only Beta players do, and they are hampered by an NDA, but I sincerely hope that there is a large amount of variety, else it doesn't matter how good the levelling experience is, if there is nothing to do at the end of it, why bother?

WoW might have a lot of endgame but how much is actually relevant to max level players? What endgame content does WoW have that is counted as progression raiding? To me I only see WoW having one raid right now that is actually worth doing for those who are into progression and that is Firelands, once 4.3 rolls around Firelands will be near obsolete and the Death Wing raid will be the only raid that will really matter. Oh and what is going to happen between 4.3 and the release of MOP, Blizzard better have MOP released in less than a year, Cata has already proved three times in a row that people are willing to drop WoW when they get bored, there's no way that Blizz can pull another ICC without some major backlash, not only will they be competing with SWTOR but Guild Wars 2 is also on the horizon.

SWTOR already has one confirmed raid the Eternity Vault that people have actually gotten to see parts of during a past convention, this is only one of the many videos about the Eternity Vault http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-po8E_LkMY. I don't think anyone has gotten to play through the whole thing yet at least if they have they can't really come forward with that info due to NDA. Also there will be a second Operation/Raid, but nothing is really known about it except that it is in the works right now, I don't even know if it will be in for launch or if it will be a content patch. Then there will be 15 hard mode flashpoints/dungeons, basically these will be like heroic dungeons in WoW, a great many of the 15 will be hard modes of low level flash points bumped up to level 50, but there will be some unique level 50 flashpoints as well.

[Khanjin]

I expect 2-3 million people at release. If there are close to 900k people preordering in the US not counting download, you can close to double that for EU and maybe even triple it counting downloads.

[Ganimah]

They already have 1 million box sales in the US, alone. This doesn't count any online/digital sales. I would bet that it will easily eclipse 3 million. The momentum for the game is really picking up.

[Trollsbane]

Waiting for the advertising to actually start...

[Loaf Lord]

They'll probably start advertising 2 or 3 weeks before launch, 2 is more likely though.

[Deleted]

500k for the same reason. I, at least, is looking in the past to base my number http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/Subs-2.png

500k?

I suppose it will be 2 Mios Presales already and many more will come with the beta. If the tests are good and the feedback from players is good, i suspect the number still rising to be close to 3 millions.

[Pancaspe]

Kind of depends on how they handle the power levers.

How long to max level for power levelers? 5 days? A week?

In RIFT these people rushed to max level and then rampaged on the Forums about no End Game.

You would hope Bioware watched that and learned.