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Quarterly Producer Letter for Q2 2024 ×

Server population is dropping...


Miffy

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Guess what?

 

1) That is normal for any MMO, the hardcore segments and people that can use a Holiday for video games play like crazy for the first few weeks.

 

2) The Holidays are over.

 

3) The numeric values that "Full, Very Heavy, Heavy, Standard and Light" server load are not hard coded. The server admin could move those around to fit the load averages and insert/remove servers from their virtual pool of machines to meet the demand or tool down.

 

So while its a great thing that it looks like Bioware weathered the initial rush and still have good population on the servers, they still haven't even started advertising with TV commercials so they may well continue to grow, but in a much smoother fashion now.

 

So it really looks good at this point. Might need to condense at some point, but not yet.

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Any one else noticed that the servers were all full during peak times the other week and now all the full ones are now only heavy or very heavy. Lots are just standard now and you log on to them to see what the populations are like and you'll get like 20 people in a zone compared to around 80 in the very heavy ones.

 

Bioware needs to start merging servers before they make the mistake every other developer has done with mmorpgs ever since WoW. If you're part of an unpopulated server you're more likely to quit because you cannot find the people to play with.

 

It's not a doomsday thread but Bioware need to get on top of the population decline before the servers get too underpopulated and people quit.

 

Been fallling bad over last 3 weeks, work has nothing to do with it.

 

 

I know 7 people who have no even bothered to log in and cancelled.

Edited by tsbond
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No. Bioware stated 1 million on December 22nd, after the game released to retailers. And those of us who have played MMO's for years know that MMO's get the vast majority of their overall population in the first few days after the game releases.

 

Yes, WoW was the exception to this rule, but it is virtually the only exception to this rule. It also didn't release both in NA and Europe simultaneously like TOR did.

 

You can argue semantics all you want. Doesn't change the fact that "The Old Republic has become the fastest growing subscription MMO in the history of our industry" So yeah the details might not be perfect, but it's obvious this game has done close enough to the 2 mill sales.

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You can argue semantics all you want. Doesn't change the fact that "The Old Republic has become the fastest growing subscription MMO in the history of our industry" So yeah the details might not be perfect, but it's obvious this game has done close enough to the 2 mill sales.

 

Sales have nothing to do with people not playing and unsubbing, the servers are a good indication of that and considering 7 of my friends are moved on already.

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Actually over this last weekend the servers populations have gone up significantly, many of the new servers they opened up went from standard to heavy, and there were twice as many full and very heavy servers up. I keep track of these things sometimes ;)

 

Two of the servers I play on are always "heavy" but went up to "very heavy" from fri-sun, and the same was the case with many other servers as I looked when I would switch servers :rolleyes:

 

The server status is a lie.

 

For example, Darth Sion had over 120 people on the Imp Fleet last Sunday afternoon when the server status was at "heavy".

~80 on the Rep Fleet. Over 100 on Dromund Kaas, Coruscant, Balmorra(Imp), and Taris(Rep).

 

The Perlemian Trade Route server, despite it also having the same "heavy" status, had ~50 on the Imp and Rep Fleet, less than 100 on Dromund Kaas and Coruscant. Less than 50 in Balmorra(Imp), and Taris(Rep).

 

There seems to be a fairly big gap in population between two "heavy" servers.

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Allow me to beat this dead horse one more time before I go to work.

 

Do a quick google search. Find out all the analysts are predicting 2-3 million *subscribers* by March 31. I'm sorry but I'll more take the word of market analysts than randomgamer01

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Sales have nothing to do with people not playing and unsubbing, the servers are a good indication of that and considering 7 of my friends are moved on already.

 

Almost every west coast server was heavy during peak times and during the afternoon. I was in a queue Fri, Sat and Sunday.

 

I was playing an alt and there was a ton of newbs asking newbie questions. i'd say yes it is a good indication and it's going well.

 

The game is so good even the people that don't like it hang around the forums and post.

Edited by TheHeadCapper
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School/work has nothing to do with it. /sarcasm off

 

They launched the game over a month ago for pre-access and 20th for everyone else. It's only safe to assume that quite a few of those are kids between the age of 7-18. In other words they had no school. School started and you're seeing a drop? What a shocker.

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Yet I don't see you going after every post in here that has $300 million listed as the budget on the game.

 

You seem less militant to that. Seems selective.

 

Anyone who gives any estimate of the cost of TOR is guessing. That includes those who say $100 million or $150 million. I usually go with $150 million because it's more of a mid-line estimate, but it's still not backed up by anything. Fact is, EA spent well over $800 million to buy Bioware, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't for ME and DA, 2 franchises that will never generate that kind of profit revenue. At this point, it's likely that even EA executives themselves would argue over how much money has been allocated specifically to TOR.

Edited by Mannic
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the hype factor is leaving the game .. doesn't mean it will fail but the OP is right in that when too many people leave a server it usually end in a canceling spiral and is the reason why milking people for server transfer is a perfectly profitable technique.

 

If you think about it, it would also help server population by allowing free character transfer from empire --> republic on any server that has a population imbalance , fixing 2 issue with 1 fix is the holy grail of any mmorpg.

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Believe what ever you wish. Today is a national holiday the kids are out of school and it is 3:40 pm EST and the servers are light and standard. Guessing at sales means nothing at all. Also the first buyers of the game will be coming up on 30 day peroid this week. We shall see saturday. Edited by tsbond
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Believe what ever you wish. Today is a national holiday the kids are out of school and it is 3:40 pm EST and the servers are light and standard. Guessing at sales means nothing at all. Also the first buyers of the game will be coming up on 30 day peroid this week. We shall see saturday.

 

It's not national.........

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You think server populations have dwindled now?

See how they fare on the 21st...

:rolleyes:

 

Do you think the queue i was in on the weekend will be gone? Doubt it, seems more people are buying it from all the newb questions in the starter zones.

 

Even people that don't like it still hang around the forums and post the game is that good.

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Anyone who gives any estimate of the cost of TOR is guessing. That includes those who say $100 million or $150 million. I usually go with $150 million because it's more of a mid-line estimate, but it's still not backed up by anything. Fact is, EA spent well over $800 million to buy Bioware, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't for ME and DA, 2 franchises that will never generate that kind of profit revenue. At this point, it's likely that even EA executives themselves would argue over how much money has been allocated specifically to TOR.

 

That's great (despite providing inaccurate information yourself - although not certain why you think they went from 5 years and spent $80M, and added $70M in the last 8 months of development).

 

However, you regularly come into threads to crush people using any sort of sales number. And you even said yourself that you hate inaccurate information.

 

Yet you do not correct people ever when they use $300M as the budget.

 

Seems selective you would crusade against one misinformation and totally let the other slide....especially for a self-proclaims vanguard of misinformation.

Edited by Scar
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Fact is, EA spent well over $800 million to buy Bioware, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't for ME and DA, 2 franchises that will never generate that kind of profit revenue. At this point, it's likely that even EA executives themselves would argue over how much money has been allocated specifically to TOR.

 

 

Those two franchises have a combined sales of over 12 million copies. There's at least one more mass effect game and who knows how many dragon age games. I'd say they're more than big enough to warrant the purchase.

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Rift has spoiled people with their monthly (BIG) content release and fast fixes and patches that last 30 mins. And BW is stuck back in the Start of wow days only they are not Blizz and players know now what is possible and will not accept less. Well except some fan boys but even they over time give up and move on

 

 

And you may see more numbers drop once the month is up. Some players are not renewing, I am not

 

And if they are such a big company then why are some claiming they can not offer separate maintenance times because it cost so much (despite EU servers are in Eu already)

Edited by Kaarina
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