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Mmogchart.com Updated to 20.0
SirBruce writes "Mmogchart.com has been updated to Version 20.0! This is a major update, with updated numbers for many games, most notably World of Warcraft, Eve Online, RuneScape, and most of NCSoft's titles. I've also added three new MMOGs to the tracking data: Tibia, The Matrix Online, and Dungeons & Dragons Online. I've also removed the old subscriber data for Ragnarok Online in Japan, and unified the various total subscriptions charts. Also new to this update is preliminary market data for Asian MMOGs (including Ragnarok Online) that are commonly reported in terms of Peak Concurrent Users and Average Concurrent Users. Given the differences in pricing models, many of these games are not subscription-based, so a direct comparison with subscription MMOGs cannot be made. My thanks to everyone who helped with this update, and thanks to those of you who waited patiently for this update!"
I hate this type of post because it's pointless. Of course many people consider WOW the worst because it's very popular. Every single person is unique and to make a game that appeals to everyone is impossible. What one person might find fun another might hate. What you find boring another finds interesting. There is nothing wrong with that and that is why there are so many genres of games.
Ooo man the floppy drive is broken. No wait. The computer is just upside down.
So tell me why, in case you enjoy the game. I really wish to know what makes WoW interesting. What is better than in the "other" MMORPGs? What makes WoW to something that deserves a 50+% market share?
I like it because it's straightforward. There's not a lot of non-game activity required to play the game. The quests are straightforward, the game mechanics are straightforward, the class roles are straightforward. For the vast majority of the content, you either can do it on your own or can find a group within a few minutes by barking up the appropriate tree. I don't have to deal with idiotic guild politics and teen-aged angst, I don't have to deal with planning out my skill progression, I don't have to research where the best equipment is. I can do it all without all that junk.
On the other hand, the game does have those elements to it, but they're optional. For people who want to form guilds and take down huge monsters and collect phat loot, they can do that, and have a good time at it. I don't want to, and the game works well for me; other people want to, and the game works well for them.
Overall, I think that's what it has going for it. The game caters to basically all gaming styles.
The chart looked about as I expected: World of Warcraft towers above the rest while several other MMOs lose ground. But what I didn't expect to see is that WoW's gains are significantly higher than its competitors' losses. World of Warcraft is doing more than dominating the market--it's increasing the size of the market.
I'm interested to see whether those gamers will move to other MMO games after World of Warcraft or if they're only in it for WoW.
This isn't true.
World of Warcraft's Paying Customer Definition
World of Warcraft customers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or purchased a prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the installation box bundled with one free month access. Internet Game Room players having accessed the game over the last seven days are also counted as customers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or canceled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rules.
If you buy multiple game cards, as someone else pointed it, it's still tied to the same individual account, so you still only get counted once. Now, the same individual could set up multiple accounts with different characters, but that's true for any MMOG. They'll be paying double for that. The cards don't expire, but they run in real time, so once activated, you only have that many days to enjoy the game. Then they expire.
People playing in the Internet Game Rooms aren't buying boxes with a free month, either.
It's possible to get double-counted if you logged in via a game room, and then liked the game so much you went out and subscribed or bought a game card. But that would only last for 7 days.
Bruce
I disagree completely. WoW isn't popular because of marketing. It's popular because it's the only MMORPG out there which is fun to play right from the start. You don't need to wait until you're level X before you can go on adventures or get cool items and spells. You don't need to spend a week to get used to the user interface. WoW's a fast MMO that rewards the player immediately, and hardly ever punishes him for things such as getting killed, not having a 2nd account/computer, or not having lots of gold and thus not being able to buy the best possible gear. It's very easy for somebody new to get into the game and start playing right away. It makes you think "hey, this is fun" right away. Most MMOs throw the new player into the complicated game world after a 5-minute tutorial, whereas in WoW the first entire zone is tailored for new players, and there are always directions on where to go next.