MMOG Subscriptions Update

As he does every few months, SirBruce has updated his page detailing Massively Multiplayer Online Game subscription numbers. No major additions this time around, just some minor tweaks reflecting recent trends. FFXI is way up, with EQ taking a slight dip. No data on EQ2 is included yet. For slightly cynical further analysis, Anyuzer provides us with his opinions.

Comments

Is it? Why

[SmallFurryCreature]

EQ2 is just going to ursurp EQ1

Perhaps. People have invested an awfull lot of time with their EQ1 characters. Are they really willing to start all over?

WoW has had a lot of positive reviews but nothing truly staggering. Nothing to suggest that people not yet involved with MMO games will take it up. Will it be enough to take people away from characters they invested a lot in to try a new game?

SWG has released JTL. The figures are not yet in on how good or bad it is doing. SWG has a lot of dual even tripple accounts (1 player having more then one payed for account). JTL really doesn't have a reason for you owning more then 1 account. Will the sales reflect this? Will new people start joining? I seen a couple but the server is not exactly being flooded with newbies.

Guildwars is trying a different license system with no monthly fee, you just pay for the game and any expansion packs they bring out.

We had a whole bunch of western MMO's come out but only SWG DAoC seem to be have achieved some success.

EQ's dip is hardly a dip if the drop is going directly into a rise of EQ2. Sony will not be worried if EQ1 entire subscriber base goes over into EQ2. What will really worry them if they don't. Since the dip is happening now this means that either people have decided to leave EQ1 without waiting for WOW without just sticking with their characters and waiting for WoW to come out and wow them away.

I think WoW will perhaps not be as big a change as blizzard hopes. Yes in some ways it looks good but they also been amazingly reluctant to truly open up their betas to europeans. Have they got something to hide?

I don't play demoless games. MMO's are just to expenive to try.