MMOG Subscription Chart Updated

Thanks to the folks at GameGirlAdvance for pointing to Bruce Sterling Woodcock's newest update of his MMOG subscription chart. This update has newer subscription numbers for many of the MMOG leaders, and has added games such as EverQuest: OA, Shadowbane, EVE Online, and Star Wars Galaxies to the chart, commenting that the recent market shows "...the market competition is fierce and the cannibalization of subscribers is now clearly evident... [but] there is still possibility for large success, as the more recent launches of Ragnarok Online in Japan and Star Wars Galaxies have shown."

Comments

Cannibilization?

[xenocide2]

If you actually take the time to look at the charts, you won't see any "cannibilization." No game takes its subscribers from another game. Instead you'll find that a game grows logarithmically; fast at first but then towards a plateau. If you look at the total subscribership, you'll notice that its growing, not stabilizing. And the market itself is growing, as each new game takes off faster and faster. Its still too early to tell, but SWG may or may not beat Ragnorok in growth speed.

Both have grown very very rapidly, perhaps because of extensive betas. Once you have an investment in the game it can be hard to leave it. You know the game, and you know the people around it. In fact, as a beta tester you've probably got some reputation in line when the full release comes out. This investment in bits on a remote computer mentality is what keeps subscribers around even after new people show up en masse, even after new games have shown up en masse.

Re:Cannibilization?

[Fred IV]

Anarchy Online shares some of the same themes as SWG, if players were going to leave one game to join another this would probably be the one.

There's been some discussion of this on the AO boards. From what I hear, SWG is too buggy and requires too much sit-around-and-wait time compared to AO for the players who post there to switch.

Of course, we'll have to wait and look at the numbers. Also, AO is releasing an expansion this month, that might keep a few would-be-switchers to stick around.

Too bad that AO got off to such a rough start. The game is stable and fairly deep now. The SW license doesn't mean much to me, I plan on sticking around at AO for a while.

PlanetSide:Fun for some, buggy as hell for others

[inkless1]

"PlanetSide (Confidence Rating: D)

Launched in April 2003, Sony has yet to release any subscription figures for PlanetSide, and I lack any data to make a good estimate. http://planetside.station.sony.com"

Yeah, well PlanetSide's stability and technical support is a joke - not to mention that they're still working out the gameplay itself.

Okay

[Daetrin]

No one is allowed to release any more MMORPGs until a few of the old ones have died off, we're running out of colors to chart them with.

Re:OH MY GOD EVERQUEST SUCKS

[d3kk]

Not really. After the horrible first few months of Anarchy Online I think the general public lost all faith in the game. While it may be great now, nobody really trusts Funcom anymore.

Everquest, on the other hand, has (for the most part) been stable for years now. Despite how many bitch about EQ's terrible service, after playing for two years I can sincerely say it's a pretty solid game.

Realm Online

[Calmiche]

As a side note, in case anyone was interested, the Realm Online was sold last week to Norseman Games, a company made up of Realm players. They have since hired several programers and a new artist.

Plans call for massivly upgrading the game and starting to advertise it. Something that hasn't been done in almost 5 years. Expect free trial accounts to come out in the next month or two. Check in if you want to experience some good old classic MMORPG.

The Realm Online

Calmiche,