Burning Crusade breaks single day sales record

[Marajade]

Edit: More on topic ... the numbers speak for themselves, honestly.

They do. Like how no one talks about the turnover rate in WoW, and how while the inflow was greater than the out for a long time, its now gone in the oposite direction, where they're loosing players faster than they ever gained them. They simply ran out of new people to start playing. In about a year-two years, the fad players will have all cycled through, and the current subscriptions will better reflect the true playerbase. Thats the downside of not having the tedious grind. Everyone gets to thier personal end much faster than any other MMO, and dont really see where else they want to go from there.

 

[Skaw]

Marajade nailed it on the head. Plus, I don't get the "Well, you're not forced to group." Why pay to play a single player game with optional multiplayer? Play Diablo II, it gives you exactly what you're looking for, with pretty much the same gameplay as WoW from a different camera angle.

WoW fell prey to the biggest MMO Expansion problem - a great majority of old content has been rendered pointless. This is why I like FFXI. Nothing really becomes obsolete.

 

[Strid]

They do. Like how no one talks about the turnover rate in WoW, and how while the inflow was greater than the out for a long time, its now gone in the oposite direction, where they're loosing players faster than they ever gained them. They simply ran out of new people to start playing. In about a year-two years, the fad players will have all cycled through, and the current subscriptions will better reflect the true playerbase. Thats the downside of not having the tedious grind. Everyone gets to thier personal end much faster than any other MMO, and dont really see where else they want to go from there.

This, while decently thought out by you, was also thought of when creating the game. Allow me to show you how they keep your scenario from happening. I will quote the main lines of your post and go from there, the rest is rubbish.

Thats the downside of not having the tedious grind. Everyone gets to thier personal end much faster than any other MMO, and dont really see where else they want to go from there.

y helo thar regular content update, how are joo?

Aside from that, none of your other statements really matter or are not factual/presented as such. They *could* come true but for the same reason millions of people continue to play Counter Strike 1.6, I highly doubt it :/

 

[Skaw]

This, while decently thought out by you, was also thought of when creating the game. Allow me to show you how they keep your scenario from happening. I will quote the main lines of your post and go from there, the rest is rubbish.

The content update in WoW is no where near spectacular. Frequency doesn't equal quality. Plus, if theres people that think others bitch too much about job balance in FFXI, they're better off not even knowing what WoW is. The only game I know of where if theres a single class with a very slight edge, the entire fanbase shits their diapers.

Also, Counter-Strike is free per month. WoW is not. You're less likely to stop playing a game with a one time fee, than one that requires a monthly, if you find you're not having fun.

 

[Strid]

The content update in WoW is no where near spectacular. Frequency doesn't equal quality.

I agree with you 100% here but the masses do not :/

Also, Counter-Strike is free per month. WoW is not. You're less likely to stop playing a game with a one time fee, than one that requires a monthly, if you find you're not having fun.

Think "concept" and you'll get what I mean.

 

[Marajade]

y helo thar regular content update, how are joo?

Aside from that, none of your other statements really matter or are not factual/presented as such. They *could* come true but for the same reason millions of people continue to play Counter Strike 1.6, I highly doubt it :/

The "regular content updates" are nowhere near as extensive as the ones XI gets. And what happens to the old content? For the most part, it fades away and gets forgotten, or at best done infrequently for fun because all the "new" stuff is better, and doesn't require the old.

Also, CS lasted as long as it did because its Free to play. I still play it once a month maybe, but if i had to pay to play, i'd have quit years ago.

 

[Strid]

The "regular content updates" are nowhere near as extensive as the ones XI gets. And what happens to the old content? For the most part, it fades away and gets forgotten, or at best done infrequently for fun because all the "new" stuff is better, and doesn't require the old.

They are no where near as extensive probably because they happen more often giving them less to improve/add at once. Also, FFXI rarely gives content updates... we all know that >.> They started more frequent ones, as of late, with the new expansion but other than that, nothing. They been rather quiet, lately, as well. The old content gets outdated? Happens in every game. Just like the top guilds do not do MC religously anymore, top LS do not waste time in Sky. Works the same both ways but which has more to offer? Let's not also forget PvP content. Mind you, also, starting new characters, etc., you'll go back to those "outdated" places.

Also, CS lasted as long as it did because its Free to play. I still play it once a month maybe, but if i had to pay to play, i'd have quit years ago.

Refer to my responce to Skaw. If you can understand this, it'll help a whole lot.

 

[Marajade]

They are no where near as extensive probably because they happen more often giving them less to improve/add at once. Also, FFXI rarely gives content updates... we all know that >.> They started more frequent ones, as of late, with the new expansion but other than that, nothing. They been rather quiet, lately, as well. The old content gets outdated? Happens in every game. Just like the top guilds do not do MC religously anymore, top LS do not waste time in Sky. Works the same both ways but which has more to offer? Let's not also forget PvP content. Mind you, also, starting new characters, etc., you'll go back to those "outdated" places.

FFXI gives content updates about once every 3-4 months. And they're usualy prety huge (Salvage anyone?) WoW has just now come up with an expansion which will probably help stem the tide of people leaving. But as I said before, they're running out of new people to sign up. Everyone who has wanted to play the game at one point has, got to well near the end of it, and went "ok, now what?"

Refer to my responce to Skaw. If you can understand this, it'll help a whole lot.

The "concept" is that people keep playing it because its free. And the 1.6 million players are actualy "active accounts." Valve counts any account that logged in at some point within the last year as "active."

About a million people still play starcraft, the longest running online game to date. Because its free to play in addition to being a great game.

WoW is on the downward swing in terms of subscribers, simply because you can do everything worth doing in the span of 4-8 months.

 

[Xalioniaf]

I'll keep my opinions about either game to myself, but I find it hard to win a WoW arguement on an FFXI forum.

 

[Strid]

The "concept" is that people keep playing it because its free.

Not even close :/ I give up.

 

[RoM]

They do. Like how no one talks about the turnover rate in WoW, and how while the inflow was greater than the out for a long time, its now gone in the oposite direction, where they're loosing players faster than they ever gained them. They simply ran out of new people to start playing. In about a year-two years, the fad players will have all cycled through, and the current subscriptions will better reflect the true playerbase. Thats the downside of not having the tedious grind. Everyone gets to thier personal end much faster than any other MMO, and dont really see where else they want to go from there.

The bolded coming from an XI player makes me giggle.

The _facts_ are quite easily gathered.(Pre-BC press release, mind you, i'm sure the numbers have vastly improved given the topic of this post.)

WoW leads the market on subscriptions, period. Turn-over be damned, it can afford the rate. Seeing as how it's the market leader naturally you're going to see bigger numbers on both the successful and no so successful sides of the argument. There is no mistaking, however, that there really is no competition nor will there be for quite some time.

 

[Skaw]

Any MMO that has a Korean release leads the Market. It's not exactly rocket science to figure that out, considering Lineage 1 and 2 are still plowing through with subscriptions.

 

[RoM]

Any MMO that has a Korean release leads the Market. It's not exactly rocket science to figure that out, considering Lineage 1 and 2 are still plowing through with subscriptions.

Meanwhile archlord is sitting at the bottom of the charts because it's a terrible game with an even worse engine.

Terribly weak point.

Koreans do not equal or even approach the 8 million or better current subscription numbers worldwide. Meanwhile 1 out of 150 people (based on pre-BC release numbers) in the US alone (sorry canada, i didn't feel like looking up your population numbers) play WoW, what other game can boast even close to that? Let alone for how long the game's been on the market. The fractions are even more impressive for the other countries it's available in save mainland china simply because the population is ridiculous. There's really not any way you can disparage the success of the game and not come off as a XI fanboy in this environment.

 

[Skaw]

Meanwhile archlord is sitting at the bottom of the charts because it's a terrible game with an even worse engine.

Terribly weak point.

Not really. WoW also has localized versions in many other countries. A lot of MMOs don't. FFXI has a pretty slim market. They're just now putting out French and German versions of the game, despite touting that they've had a European release for a few years.

It'd be nice to see the break down of WoWs subscriptions by country, instead of a lump total. You're a pretty big idiot of you do not believe Korean and Chinese subscriptions matter. I wager atleast 1/4 of the total active subscribers are from those two countries alone. Blizzard games are like raw Columbian cocaine to that area of the world.

 

[RoM]

Not really. WoW also has localized versions in many other countries. A lot of MMOs don't. FFXI has a pretty slim market. They're just now putting out French and German versions of the game, despite touting that they've had a European release for a few years.

It'd be nice to see the break down of WoWs subscriptions by country, instead of a lump total.

Actually it is an incredibly weak point. What you're telling me is WoW leads the market because they brought their product to more people faster then XI.... k, and that supports your argument how?

It's more successful, the end. Not only that it's got better marketing and development teams. XI has been out longer, has done less, and continues to lose subscriptions while they continue to plug in to new markets driving their overall success rate through the floors. It survives based on it's namesake, nothing more and that's been it's main success point since day one. Rabid fanboys and the japanese will by a FF game no matter what.

As far as by country subscriptions go click a link learning is fun. Here i'll save you the 2 seconds of your life

IRVINE, Calif. – January 11, 2007 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft®, its subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is now played by more than 8 million gamers around the world. World of Warcraft has also achieved new regional subscriber milestones, with more than 2 million players in North America, more than 1.5 million players in Europe, and more than 3.5 million players in China.

So it doesn't have the korean numbers, big deal. As is quite obvious by the totals given regionally korea isn't really that big of a market share whereas WoW is concerned. China, on the other hand, is. It shoulda also be noted that XI is available to the chinese but they mostly see it as a source of income not an enjoyable playing experience; based on the numbers.

Hell based on the regional numbers less Koreans play the Americans, go figure.

 

[Skaw]

more than 3.5 million players in China.

So wait.. half their subscriber base hails from China alone, and you're telling me that doesn't matter to their gigantic success? Get the fuck out.

Who'se the fucking fanboy here? I'm not saying without China WoW would be a flop. Without it, it wouldn't be nearly as popular, and the fact that other MMOs don't cover as much Earth Area as it is a huge contributing factor. Die in a fire Mokk, you've become one gigantic retard. And no, you cannot buy FFXI in China. You have to import it. It isn't advertised at all.

 

[decidence]

IRVINE, Calif. – January 11, 2007 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft®, its subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is now played by more than 8 million gamers around the world. World of Warcraft has also achieved new regional subscriber milestones, with more than 2 million players in North America, more than 1.5 million players in Europe, and more than 3.5 million players in China.

3.5 million gold farmers... thats almost half the subscription base and like double FFXI's total population.

 

[RoM]

So wait.. half their subscriber base hails from China alone, and you're telling me that doesn't matter to their gigantic success? Get the fuck out.

Where the fuck did i say that?

What i stated was the 1/150 example i made for the US does not apply nor is it as impressive based on China's population numbers. lrn2comprehend and kindly get the fuck out.

 

[RoM]

3.5 million gold farmers... thats almost half the subscription base and like double FFXI's total population.

Meanwhile back at the ranch you've got more farmers then legit players AND they fuck up legitimate players endeavours, unlike WoW where you'd be hard pressed to even notice them.

That aside, welome to Outland where money rains from the skies because Blizzard got tired of banning the cumulative total of XI's playerbase on a regular basis.

Gold buying is all but obsolete and the sites are just now beginning to show their desperation.

 

[Skaw]

Where the fuck did i say that?

What i stated was the 1/150 example i made for the US does not apply nor is it as impressive based on China's population numbers. lrn2comprehend and kindly get the fuck out.

Actually it is an incredibly weak point. What you're telling me is WoW leads the market because they brought their product to more people faster then XI.... k, and that supports your argument how?

Again, if other MMOs put out in more countries like Blizzard did, the gap of their success would be no where near as high.