Will Blizzard release sub numbers of Classic eventually?

[Big Thanks]

It seems really unlikely. I can't imagine why they would. There will be a drop-off after launch--I don't care what anyone else says--and then they've set a precedent. Additonally the subs are the same for Classic/Retail so if they're not reporting it now they won't report it then.

It would be great if everyone got it through their skulls that ATVI isn't using this as a metric any longer. No one else does in the gaming industry so why should they? It's really simple but people just can't let it go I guess.

If I had to bet you will never again here a word from Blizzard Entertainment about how many people are actively subscribed to any of their games.

The idea that they will do this to deliberately slap-in-the-face the "You think you do but you don't" is one of the most moronic 12-year-old ideas that I've read here recently. Just dumb.

Why the FUCK would any game company do that? Just why?

Its just that...you know full well this project has been mystified...prophesied in the forums.
It has been a point of discussion for many many many many years. You know this better than anyone else.

To not show a metric on this...it would mean we would be kept in the dark forever.
No theorist will be proven right or wrong.

Its a tragedy if we are not given a metric of any kind. i just dont believe it.

And on top of that, what will Blizzard say once players start asking for "TBC servers" or "new content"?
Blizzard will have to give us a metric of success of Classic then...

[MoanaLisa]

To not show a metric on this...it would mean we would be kept in the dark forever.
No theorist will be proven right or wrong.

Get this through your head.

You don't need to know. They don't care if you're kept in the dark forever about this. Play the game or not. Blizzard isn't out to prove any forum theory right or wrong. How difficult can this be? They are NOT LIKE YOU. They don't sit around worrying about how to respond to crazy forum theories. It might be a tragedy for you personally. It's not in any way a tragedy for them.

Your poll is running 9-1 against you. Get real.

[Big Thanks]

Get this through your head.

You don't need to know. They don't care if you're kept in the dark forever about this. Play the game or not. Blizzard isn't out to prove any forum theory right or wrong. How difficult can this be? They are NOT LIKE YOU. They don't sit around worrying about how to respond to crazy forum theories. It might be a tragedy for you personally. It's not in any way a tragedy for them.

Your poll is running 9-1 against you. Get real.

I still believe in my theory.

This topic will come back in force in the future. It will be everything people will talk about:

"Who is more famous classic or retail"
"How many subs"

Is inevitable. It will be THE topic of discussion everyday since classic launch.

You can laugh at me in the future...its just a theory

[XDurionX]

I still believe in my theory.

This topic will come back in force in the future. It will be everything people will talk about:

"Who is more famous classic or retail"
"How many subs"

Is inevitable. It will be THE topic of discussion everyday since classic launch.

You can laugh at me in the future...its just a theory

There's no question. If classic has 10% of retail activity after 2 months it will be a success. People who think 14 year old stuff will be more interesting to people than new stuff are delusional.

[Big Thanks]

There's no question. If classic has 10% of retail activity after 2 months it will be a success. People who think 14 year old stuff will be more interesting to people than new stuff are delusional.

For this project to be a success it needs...100%...to increase the MAU's of Blizzard by X%.

Because is literally the only thing this project is giving to Blizzard money-wise.
Unless you think they will implement a shop and services to Classic WoW...or any other additional income source.

So far, the only source of money Classic can bring is a new subscription or additional MAU's.

[Kelathos]

If it does well, Blizzard will offer press releases to announce milestones. I doubt we'll ever see sub numbers.

[Wilian]

They will bake the sub numbers together to show growth for investors over their WoW IP. There's zero incentive to separate them

[Big Thanks]

I have hypothesis (not a theory) about why Classic was green lit. At one point the cost of paying community management personel (forum admins) to handle the same "feedback" (which boiled down to "when are you going to make vanilla server? its like very easy) and give back the same answer (its NOT very easy and probably never); crossed the actual cost of making Classic.

So, the day that the yearly cost of answering the question: When you making classic server? became greater than actually making a classic server, they green lit the project.

LoL, crazy hypothesis

My theory for the green lit is that Blizzard is still human and this is a passion project. But im naive and most of the time wrong

[j0hncramer]

This project is stuff legends are made of.
This has prophecy level proportions.

We need this numbers for science...even blizzard knows this IMO they have an obligation

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We have been discussing this project for MANY years on the forums.
Many many many many years.

I still remember the thread "Will blizzard reveal Vanilla wow in this blizzcon"

Everyone was like "no"
Other were like "yes"

The "wall of no" was presented to us.

This is stuff of legends man...you had to be here.

I've been lurking MMO champ since TBC days. They don't have to do anything. You're still being a drama queen.

[Big Thanks]

I've been lurking MMO champ since TBC days. They don't have to do anything. You're still being a drama queen.

Remember this?

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...-you-play-them

Remember the "wall of no"?
Just watch the poll. Majority said No.

You telling me this is not the end of a prophecy?

Ok Ok, i agree im a drama queen...always has been. But if you were here on MMO-C you would know how exciting it was to see this project come true and how many theories were jumping around.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

@Togabito You care WAY too much about how many players are playing a video game that it's becoming an obsession. You need serious help, maybe consider taking a break from WoW for awhile.

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You telling me this is not the end of a prophecy?

Prophecy? You understand this is a video game right?

[Big Thanks]

@Togabito You care WAY too much about how many players are playing a video game that it's becoming an obsession. You need serious help, maybe consider taking a break from WoW for awhile.

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Prophecy? You understand this is a video game right?

I dont have a life, yes not looking to have one either.
Here we are

[God Save The King]

Well, as far as we know, World of Warcraft will be a one-size-fits-all subscription, granting access to Classic and the real game. So unless they split the sub and double charge, they won't even be able to tell us the sub numbers.

[j0hncramer]

Remember this?

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...-you-play-them

Remember the "wall of no"?
Just watch the poll. Majority said No.

You telling me this is not the end of a prophecy?

Ok Ok, i agree im a drama queen...always has been. But if you were here on MMO-C you would know how exciting it was to see this project come true and how many theories were jumping around.

I'm glad Classic is happening, there are a lot of people looking forward to it, including me. (I recently quit BFA but I will be resubbing for Classic) Doesn't mean Blizzard has to give us any sort of internal data. They CAN give us data, they do not HAVE to. Also, There is no prophecy. There has just always been a subset of WoW players that preferred Vanilla and have been asking for it. The popularity of private servers and demand from legitimate players has just finally reached a level that Blizzard realized was likely too profitable to ignore. That doesn't make it a prophecy.

[Goondicker]

I don't think they'll give numbers for it unless two conditions are true:

1: the numbers are great, and
2: they need to look better to investors

Would be very niche to have both of these conditions at the same time, so I think it is unlikely.

[chazus]

Probably not. Blizzard learned some time ago that releasing sub numbers has one possible outcome.

If the subscription number is anywhere from 0 - Twenty Billion: "Omg the game is dying"

[Big Thanks]

Well, as far as we know, World of Warcraft will be a one-size-fits-all subscription, granting access to Classic and the real game. So unless they split the sub and double charge, they won't even be able to tell us the sub numbers.

Im going to tell you my strategy to see the numbers in the future it probably wont work...but it might work.
Give me one sec to check the Quaterly Resulsts since 2016...

edit:

So...Blizzard gives the MAU's of all Blizzard games put together since 2016
2016: 36M
2017: 40M
2018: 35M

So its jumping around between 35-40.
On the first quarter of Classic WoW we will see how many MAU's Blizzard will have...and we can judge Classics success this way.

We will NOT be able to calculate the amount of subs. But we can see its success.
Because MAU's is everything CLassic WoW can give to Blizzard money wise.
For this project to be a success Blizzard needs to have new subscriptions and better MAU's.
Otherwise is just a failure in terms of business.

Its a start thats all i have...what do you think?

[God Save The King]

Im going to tell you my strategy to see the numbers in the future it probably wont work...but it might work.
Give me once sec to check the Quaterly Resulsts since 2016...

edit:

So...Blizzard gives the MAU's of all Blizzard games put together since 2016
2016: 36M
2017: 40M
2018: 35M

So its jumping around between 35-40.
On the first quarter of Classic WoW we will see how many MAU's Blizzard will have...and we can judge Classics success this way.

We will NOT be able to calculate the amount of subs. But we can see its success.
Because MAU's is everything CLassic WoW can give to Blizzard money wise.
For this project to be a success Blizzard needs to have new subscriptions and better MAU's.
Otherwise is just a failure in terms of business.

Its a start thats all i have

That is inaccurate at best. Anyone who is biased to see classic succeed will attribute any increase to Classic. Anyone thinking rationally will also note that any increase could be due to any of their other games. It will likely be a heated debate when we get the Q3 call. It's also possible that, say in Q2 2019, the MAUs are 40 million. Then in Q3 another 3 million MAUs are lost, and 4 million people play classic. Then you'd see 41million, which would also be misrepresentative.

While I'm sure people will attempt to use MAUs to confirm their individual bias, in reality, without a thorough breakdown, it's rather useless information beyond how Blizzard is doing in aggregate.

[Big Thanks]

That is inaccurate at best. Anyone who is biased to see classic succeed will attribute any increase to Classic. Anyone thinking rationally will also note that any increase could be due to any of their other games. It will likely be a heated debate when we get the Q3 call. It's also possible that, say in Q2 2019, the MAUs are 40 million. Then in Q3 another 3 million MAUs are lost, and 4 million people play classic. Then you'd see 41million, which would also be misrepresentative.

While I'm sure people will attempt to use MAUs to confirm their individual bias, in reality, without a thorough breakdown, it's rather useless information beyond how Blizzard is doing in aggregate.

You are right.
We need an actual "record" quarter to jump to conclusions of success.

Imagine is 45 M!

Then we can jump to conclusion, safe to say.

Otherwise...we will have no information.
But lets say its 35M...again.
That would be pretty "meh"...and also safe to say classic was not a success "business-wise".
It did not improve MAU's.

edit: this is VERY flawed...i know...

[The Stormbringer]

@Togabito are you related to that one guy who really loves PVP and classic, and has that animated elf avatar he drew himself? You remind me a lot of him.