EA shareholders meeting: over/under 300k subs?

[pocketthesaurus]

I think you're using the wrong words.

 

I think you're right that ~360k is the number of players who are actively playing the game (log in once a week, for example).

 

However, I think there are a whole lot more "subscriptions", which means something entirely different from "active players". There are the 6-months that people have walked away from. There are free trials that never close but aren't being played any more.

 

I think they could easily say 750k or higher if the question is "active subscriptions".

There are also people who have two accounts. They would be one active player with two subscriptions.

 

The amount of players logging in during peak hours suggests about 600,000 people, at least.

[Synxos]

i can't stand FPS, call of duty bores me to death, but just because i don't like it, doesn't mean i'm so stupid as to think its a bad game. just because you don't like something doesn't make it rubbish.

 

also who made me the deciding factor? think you'll find i did.

Um I liked playing this game, but I still think it's a bad MMO for objective reasons.

 

1. the server can't support large battles. In an MMO, this is unacceptable. I'm sorry, but when an "mmo" server can't support many people, it's immediate grounds to consider it a bad MMO. It doesn't matter if you have fun during the story parts, or think it's a good RPG. It's a bad MMORPG.

2. There are bugs in the game that have been here since launch. People not showing up in ops frame in WZs still happens occasionally. This might not seem important, but for a healer, it increases your chances of losing tenfold.

3. Endgame consists of a ridiculous pvp grind, that doesn't require any skill. With a cap on medals, skill doesn't matter at all in WZs.

And the PvE raids are incredibly short, and easy. All of the fight mechanics are essentially don't stand in this place during this phase(even the "puzzle" fights do this). That's all.

 

Those are a couple of objective things off the top of my head that classify it as a bad MMO. You might not like FPS, but if you heard one that didn't have good collision detection, aka your bullets went through people and didn't take away their health, you would still be able to call it a bad FPS.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Synxos

[Tekkoclarky]

Don't think it will be as low as 300k, but it won't be far off, the only reason subs were high last time is because they cheated with the free month.

 

The game is terrible and my sub should be out any day soon, I stupidly renewed a month ago to see what the game was like again. I didn't even last a day the game is that bad, slow and boring. Don't get me wrong though, I had a blast getting my first character to 50, it's the after that, the game is terrible, even alts.

 

My guess is the half mil mark, round about that anyway, and falling.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Tekkoclarky

[Apeth]

No it's not. Read my post #208 in this thread for details as to why some guesses are better than others. Or are you saying me guessing 100 million subs is as good a guess as yours?

 

My guess is based on what I've read on the forums and from what people have posted. I have just as much right to say its accurate as you do.

 

What needs to be remembered is me putting 1 line of unsubstantiated guess work based on things I have read is the same as someone who makes a page long post linking calculations. Both are purely opinion and both are valid.

 

Until BW releases the correct figures release.

[Sharee]

I bet the numbers will be better than most predictions in this thread. Remember subs have gotten a substantial boost thanks to EA making the first 15 levels free. Many people who tried the game for free seem to have bought a sub just to see how the story ends. Never before have i seen two instances of Nar Shaddaa or Tatooine at once, but here they are today. Those planets are past the free level range, but have so many players a single instance can no longer support them. Also, EA has commented recently how well the move to make first 15 levels free worked.

[Tekkoclarky]

1. the server can't support large battles. In an MMO, this is unacceptable. I'm sorry, but when an "mmo" server can't support many people, it's immediate grounds to consider it a bad MMO. It doesn't matter if you have fun during the story parts, or think it's a good RPG. It's a bad MMORPG.

 

This point so so much and they must of known this from very early on.

[Valkirus]

"Active accounts" (which are what are counted) are paying accounts, any accounts with free time, and usually trial accounts too (all counted within the last billing cycle, usually a month, of the date) in most MMORPGs

 

I donot think WoW counts free trials as subscriptions. And it is the last 30 days of the reporting cycle , the number of "subs" which are active are the ones counted. The player's "account" with Blizzard's Battelnet covers more than just WoW. So they donot count those. They have a seperate number for those. If EA counts the free trials as sub figures, that is pretty deceptive.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Valkirus

[Emeda]

Yes and lawyers , politicians allways tell the whole truth. They would have to answer, but a smart CEO knows "how" to answer.

 

They do that buy not answering the question you asked.

 

Question: How many paying subs does this game have now?

 

Answer: At the end of the quarter we have had X amount of accounts log into the game.

 

They didnt answer the question but gave you an answer to a question you didnt asked.

 

Just like in the weekly Q&A. They even tell you they may have reworded the question so they can answer what they want to instead of what you asked.

[Emeda]

I bet the numbers will be better than most predictions in this thread. Remember subs have gotten a substantial boost thanks to EA making the first 15 levels free. Many people who tried the game for free seem to have bought a sub just to see how the story ends. Never before have i seen two instances of Nar Shaddaa or Tatooine at once, but here they are today. Those planets are past the free level range, but have so many players a single instance can no longer support them. Also, EA has commented recently how well the move to make first 15 levels free worked.

 

What server are you on that has 2 instances of tatt or nar shaddaa?

[Erishumlol]

650k

[Thaltom]

What server are you on that has 2 instances of tatt or nar shaddaa?

 

I've seen two instances of Nar Shaddaa on The Bastion (West- PvP). Haven't really checked Tatooine recently.

[Emeda]

They would ignore it and just claim that the number are being padded somehow.

 

Your right we have to believe them no matter what number they give. Even though they closed almost 200 servers and they still have less heavy servers than they did back when they said they had 1.3.

[Durasturan]

I donot think WoW counts free trials as subscriptions. And it is the last 30 days of the reporting cycle , the number of "subs" which are active are the ones counted. The player's "account" with Blizzard's Battelnet covers more than just WoW. So they donot count those. They have a seperate number for those. If EA counts the free trials as sub figures, that is pretty deceptive.

 

WoW manipulates their data extremely well. Look at their income. Online Subscription (which is not just WoW subs but also sales of the game and ALL online service features) is only $89M/mo. Only $71M of that is from WoW subs. That's only 4.7M $15/Mo subs and those are world wide figures. Compare that to their advertised 11-12 million players and what do you get? Bots, bots everywhere. A solid 2M players are bots. How do we know this? Because up until 2010 they would report the number of bots that they banned each month and it was in the hundreds of thousands. And then they stopped banning them...

 

Also Chinese players which pay a drastically reduced rate, but don't matter to NA players because they don't actually play with us.

 

When it comes down to the bottom line, there are probably only 2.5M-3.5M NA and EU players for WoW right now, but they inflate the numbers by including free trials and Asian subs.

[Goretzu]

I donot think WoW counts free trials as subscriptions. And it is the last 30 days of the reporting cycle , the number of "subs" which are active are the ones counted. The player's "account" with Blizzard's Battelnet covers more than just WoW. So they donot count those. They have a seperate number for those. If EA counts the free trials as sub figures, that is pretty deceptive.

 

Maybe not, but most do, and given how WoW counts far-eastern accounts I'd definately put my money on them doing so.

 

If you're talking about accountwide stuff, SoE got that covered way, way back in Everquest 1, they counted everyone with a Station Pass as an EQ1 active account, even if you'd never played EQ1 on that account.

 

Active accounts are a black art an have been since the turn of the last century.

[Emeda]

I've seen two instances of Nar Shaddaa on The Bastion (West- PvP). Haven't really checked Tatooine recently.

 

When? Im not saying that it has never happened but the person who said it today is completely lying. all but 2 servers that are german are standard or below and i am sorry but you dont have 2 instances on 2 planets when your at standard.

[Izorii]

I suspect as many people have active players does not equal subs. I suspect over 300K subs, but less active players. I suspect a lot of players are sat on the fence not really playing but nothig better has come along, yet.

[belizar]

They would ignore it and just claim that the number are being padded somehow.

 

it will be padded depending when the report is out 6 months subs arent up to middle next month tru numbers after that:eek:

[Thaltom]

When? Im not saying that it has never happened but the person who said it today is completely lying. all but 2 servers that are german are standard or below and i am sorry but you dont have 2 instances on 2 planets when your at standard.

 

I can't give you an exact date but is has been within the last seven days. When I can get online it's between 4p - 10p CST on the weekdays. I know when I logged on it was Very Heavy.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Thaltom

[Valkirus]

WoW manipulates their data extremely well. Look at their income. Online Subscription (which is not just WoW subs but also sales of the game and ALL online service features) is only $89M/mo. Only $71M of that is from WoW subs. That's only 4.7M $15/Mo subs and those are world wide figures. Compare that to their advertised 11-12 million players and what do you get? Bots, bots everywhere. A solid 2M players are bots. How do we know this? Because up until 2010 they would report the number of bots that they banned each month and it was in the hundreds of thousands. And then they stopped banning them...

 

Also Chinese players which pay a drastically reduced rate, but don't matter to NA players because they don't actually play with us.

 

When it comes down to the bottom line, there are probably only 2.5M-3.5M NA and EU players for WoW right now, but they inflate the numbers by including free trials and Asian subs.

 

I do agree with some of your points. But they donot count free trials. And even the Asians with thier reduced sub fees are still paying subs. A subscription is a " paying " one and free trials donot pay a fee each month.

[Valkirus]

Maybe not, but most do, and given how WoW counts far-eastern accounts I'd definately put my money on them doing so.

 

If you're talking about accountwide stuff, SoE got that covered way, way back in Everquest 1, they counted everyone with a Station Pass as an EQ1 active account, even if you'd never played EQ1 on that account.

 

Active accounts are a black art an have been since the turn of the last century.

 

No....the Asian players are also paying a price to play..in other words....there is a subscription involved. How hard is that to understand? If EA wants to count the free trials then they should word thier numbers along the line of.."we have at this time, 1 million players enjoying the game."

[HarleysRule]

They won't announce numbers, but my guess for paying subs about 700k + 200k F2P trial accounts.

 

What server are you on that has 2 instances of tatt or nar shaddaa?

 

I'm on Ebon Hawk. A week ago I was on NS and there were two instances. I haven't seen two instances of Tat, though.

Edited July 27, 2012 by HarleysRule

[Tuscad]

prob will be the same 6 months subs arent up to next month

 

^ I agree with this. Personally I wish they would release the sub numbers every month I would love to see if they yo-yo up and down or just go in a single direction this whole time.

[Shingara]

No....the Asian players are also paying a price to play..in other words....there is a subscription involved. How hard is that to understand? If EA wants to count the free trials then they should word thier numbers along the line of.."we have at this time, 1 million players enjoying the game."

 

No, sorry but your wrong, having pre paid time is not the same as subscription, pre paid time doesnt run out after one month, there is no limit on how long an account with pre paid time becomes inactive. Chinas prisons were using pre paid accounts to farm gold with multiboxing which also padded out these numbers. A subscription is rental not pre paid, subscription runs out after one month if you pay for one month, the account then becomes inactive.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Shingara

[belizar]

well at 7 30 uk time only 4 servers are heavy rest are Standard

 

almost the same as rifts servers atm 6/10 medium i cant compare swtor to WoW servers thats just unfair got bored scrolling thro high's

[Valkirus]

No, sorry but your wrong, having pre paid time is not the same as subscription, pre paid time doesnt run out after one month, there is no limit on how long an account with pre paid time becomes inactive. Chinas prisons were using these accounts to farm gold with multiboxing. A subscription is rental not pre paid, subscription runs out after one month if you pay for one month, the account then becomes inactive.

 

A subscription model will have different ways to pay to play the game. Time cards are also a part of that model as a single month sub would be. The fact is, free trials are not "paying" accounts in way shape or form.