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BBC - World of Warcraft subscribers are leaving, Activision warns

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Comments

  • meadmoonmeadmoon Member UncommonPosts: 1,344
    Well, I'll just keep playing until it dies. Maybe by then something better will be released. Right now it's trash clones, half-assed sandboxes, or "hipster" games (you know, the ones that try so hard to be different that they end up just like the others), or WoW. Not much choice.
  • kabitoshinkabitoshin Member UncommonPosts: 854
    Take away flying mounts, lfr, lfg, and make leveling a little difficult.
  • azzamasinazzamasin Member UncommonPosts: 3,105
    Originally posted by Datastar
    I feel thier problem isnt the f2p/b2p games out there, its the dumbing down/lack of innovation across the board on all of blizzards games over the past few years.  Thats just my personal opinion.

     This and their inability to add content that is MMO worthy and not what people want.

     

     

    Dumbing down of their game, such as removing talents and the inclusion of stupid non-mmo activities like Pokémon wil be their utter downfall.  Sure casuals and once a week players might like that, but the backbone of community driven is their hardcore players and until WoW includes more MMO-Like activities like:
    • Housing
    • Alternate Advancement systems
    • Alternate content
    • Removal of PUGable Raids
    Strengthen the binds that keep players playing long-term and you grow your base.  Dumb the game down and you fail miserably.

    Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!

    Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!

    Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!

    image

  • azmundaiazmundai Member UncommonPosts: 1,419

    oh good, i was wondering when we were gonna have this important discussion again.

    LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
    I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already :)

  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by Iselin
    It's because Bliz has lost touch wit pop culture. Kung Fu Panda? Really? Madagascar, Finding Nemo and Land Before Time were much, much better. So where are the penguin, fish and dino people, eh?
    Please don't give them ideas! I can just see the next 3 expansions...

    OT:
    When WoW reaches less than 3 million subscribers, then I'll worry.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • LatronusLatronus Member Posts: 692
    Originally posted by AlBQuirky

     


    Originally posted by Iselin
    It's because Bliz has lost touch wit pop culture. Kung Fu Panda? Really? Madagascar, Finding Nemo and Land Before Time were much, much better. So where are the penguin, fish and dino people, eh?

    Please don't give them ideas! I can just see the next 3 expansions...

     

    OT:
    When WoW reaches less than 3 million subscribers, then I'll worry.

    They won't do the Dino race because EQ2 already has that.  Blizzard takes what new games are hyping and expansion for that matter, change it enough to not get sued and release it in their own expansions.  WoW always has been and always will be a clone. MMO players that have been around longer than Blizzards clone now that.  Those that cut their teeth on WoW are the ones that think it was the first at anything other than dumbing down the genre.

    image
  • ThomasN7ThomasN7 87.18.7.148Member CommonPosts: 6,690
    It had it's day in the sun. It simply is time to move onto something better.
    30
  • Shadowguy64Shadowguy64 Member Posts: 848
    Originally posted by ThomasN7
    It had it's day in the sun. It simply is time to move onto something better.

     

    What game(s) that will be is the multi-billion dollar question.

  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,843
    Originally posted by sado2020
    My wife and I tried playing WoW again for a few weeks.  During that I was doing that, school, and finishing up The Last of Us.  I kept trying to level my 89 druid to 90 but I just couldn't will myself to do it!  To my surprise my wife, once a diehard WoW fan, couldn't do it either.  We just found the game tried and worn out.  WoW's still good and has the population to prove it has a fanbase, but we just can't get into it anymore, it just doesn't have the luster it used too

    I made it to 90, even enjoyed panda land much more than I thought. The whole ancient wisdom vibe. Then came the dailies... I did them for a week. I couldn't do them any more. I then found Wushu. 

     

    I don't think i can every follow the "quest to level cap" formula again. I'm going to try archeage, but I think any game today released with that format is doomed.

  • NasherUKNasherUK Member UncommonPosts: 480

    People are leaving because the reasons for it drawing so many people in and them getting hooked no longer exist, wow lost it's soul a long time ago. Most of it is down to poor design decisions.

    Also WoW as it exists now, is not as good as many of the F2P based MMOs so the subscription requirement is no longer justified.  Guild wars 2, SWTOR and Planetside 2 to name a few all have better content and design and are cheaper if you do pay.

    Blizzard always used to make top quality and very polished games, so they were worth the money. But since they got involved with Activision that is no longer the case. It's all about rushing out half-arsed updates and milking the customer for as much cash as possible now, in keeping with the Activision way...

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    Originally posted by MadDemon64

    I smell a potential f2p conversion coming on.

    Lets face facts.  Games like TERA, SW:TOR, Aion, and LOTRO were only kinda popular when they were s2p games, but once they converted to f2p, they experienced HUGE population booms.  The same will happen if/when WoW converts to f2p, and right now, I think it's less of a matter of "if" than it is of "when".  In fact, even if they made it b2p where players had to buy the expansion packs but not need to pay a subscription, that would create a similarly huge population boom (and might be enough to bring me back).

    I agree,this is not like Blizzard to say anything negative,they usually only spam bragging rights over and over.So they definitely have an agenda behind this which does smell of f2p conversion.

    Also they recently overhauled Titan,perhaps also a f2p conversion and what better way to test that market before Titan comes out than in Wow.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • NitthNitth Member UncommonPosts: 3,904


    Originally posted by Wizardry
    Originally posted by MadDemon64 I smell a potential f2p conversion coming on. Lets face facts.  Games like TERA, SW:TOR, Aion, and LOTRO were only kinda popular when they were s2p games, but once they converted to f2p, they experienced HUGE population booms.  The same will happen if/when WoW converts to f2p, and right now, I think it's less of a matter of "if" than it is of "when".  In fact, even if they made it b2p where players had to buy the expansion packs but not need to pay a subscription, that would create a similarly huge population boom (and might be enough to bring me back).
    I agree,this is not like Blizzard to say anything negative,they usually only spam bragging rights over and over.So they definitely have an agenda behind this which does smell of f2p conversion.

    Also they recently overhauled Titan,perhaps also a f2p conversion and what better way to test that market before Titan comes out than in Wow.


    ...do people really think they are going to dump 8 million sub revenue?

    image
    TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development

  • NasherUKNasherUK Member UncommonPosts: 480
    Originally posted by Nitth

     


    Originally posted by Wizardry

    Originally posted by MadDemon64 I smell a potential f2p conversion coming on. Lets face facts.  Games like TERA, SW:TOR, Aion, and LOTRO were only kinda popular when they were s2p games, but once they converted to f2p, they experienced HUGE population booms.  The same will happen if/when WoW converts to f2p, and right now, I think it's less of a matter of "if" than it is of "when".  In fact, even if they made it b2p where players had to buy the expansion packs but not need to pay a subscription, that would create a similarly huge population boom (and might be enough to bring me back).
    I agree,this is not like Blizzard to say anything negative,they usually only spam bragging rights over and over.So they definitely have an agenda behind this which does smell of f2p conversion.

     

    Also they recently overhauled Titan,perhaps also a f2p conversion and what better way to test that market before Titan comes out than in Wow.


     

    ...do people really think they are going to dump 8 million sub revenue?

    Depends how much it costs to keep the game running. They might have 8 million subs, but if they need 7.9 million to cover their costs, then they either down-size the company or risk going F2P. Or the company collapses over night.

    As they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall :)

  • tordurbartordurbar Member UncommonPosts: 421

    The reason I left a month after CATA launched was the talent changes. I went to Rift and am still subbed. 

    Nostalgia brought me back with MOP but I only lasted two weeks in panda land.

    Yes, I think after 7 years that I was finally getting tired of WOW but I felt that way at the end of TBC and WOLK and keep subbed. It REALLY was the talent changes that did it for me.

    Despite that I hope that WOW continues. F2p is not the answer. As one poster said, f2p brings in new players, but who has NOT tried WOW at one point. Still I wish the best for WOW. I have not played any game that I enjoyed as much as I did with WOW from vanilla through WOLK. 

  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    Originally posted by Jyiiga

    Subscribers to the online adventure game World of Warcraft have dropped dramatically this year, publisher Activision Blizzard has said.

     

    The company said 14% of users left the game between January and March - a fall of 1.3 million.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22464058

    In my opinion, people have left the game because Blizz has made the game too linear, too restricted and too directed. No choice you make makes any difference to your gameplay anymore.

  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,857
    Originally posted by Jyiiga

    Subscribers to the online adventure game World of Warcraft have dropped dramatically this year, publisher Activision Blizzard has said.

     

    The company said 14% of users left the game between January and March - a fall of 1.3 million.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22464058

    Maybe Blizzard will finally decide they can afford to open up Legacy servers.

  • BrialynBrialyn Member Posts: 184

    I've been saying that time will be the biggest WoW killer for years. Everytime someone would post "this game is a WoW-Killer" I would chuckle to myself.  

    Blizzard/Activision had to know that this gravy train wouldn't last forever and I'm sure they have their plan B, at least I would hope so.  With Titan essentially resetting one has to wonder what trick is up their sleeve. Time will tell. 


    image
    Currently Playing: FFXIV:ARR
    Looking Forward to: Wildstar
  • MuruganMurugan Member Posts: 1,494

    I think if WoW does go F2P and you have people from this forum like Amzamiviram (or whatever) spending hundreds of dollars a month in the cash shop that this will be a huge boon to P2P MMORPG's.

     

    WoW is the only MMO that has mainstream noteriety, if the phenomenon of people spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on virtual items is suddenly exposed to the mainstream then society will finally react, and recognize it for the scam it is.  When everyone knows someone who suffers from F2P money grubbing then friends and family will stage interventions, clinics across the country will open up to treat online gaming addiction (not yet a widespread/known problem in the West), and all the families and relationships ruined by partners who spent their family's savings on "Swords of Might" and "Frilly hats of Sillyness" will finally have the spotlight to share their tale.

     

    WoW going F2P will only bring about the model's demise faster.  Paying real money for virtual items is lunacy no matter how much this website and the people who do it want to justify their actions.  Only when their actions are brought out into the light, and in the open will they realize what they are doing/have done.

     

    Seek help people who spend thousands of dollars a year on virtual junk, please I'm sure there are people who care about you who would be appalled at the way you have been sucked into this scam.

     

    I look forward to the day when pushers of F2P cash shops are viewed with as much disdain as drug dealers, and honestly I think people will view them in an even more negative light if they knew the extent people got sucked into the isolationism and dependence upon paid for virtual items in some MMORPGs.  Take it away Blizzard, take it to the extreme!

  • spookydomspookydom Member UncommonPosts: 1,782
    WoW's not done yet, but by the powers of Greyskull it is  boring nowadays, no offence meant to anybody who still enjoys it. My vote goes to opening timelocked progression servers like EQ did a few years ago. That is very probably the only thing that would make me want to play WoW again. 
  • ElijarhElijarh Member UncommonPosts: 84

    Gear to win, Cata & fucking panda's!! That's why I left. I loved WoW in the early days. I'm all up for games growing but not changing the fundamentals. I missed Vanilla.

     

  • MothanosMothanos Member UncommonPosts: 1,910

    Let me say this about WoW as a old bitter grumpy veteran.

    WoW Vanilla - hard contend and nothing dumped down
    WoW TBC - hard contend and nothing dumbed down
    WoTLK - Easy start with harder contend at the end
    Cataclysm - dumped down for them grand mothers and grand daddy's
    MoP - dumped down even more - specialy the talents and all those shit daily's.

    I dont care about how many asian player they have (quite alot tough) but on all 3 servers i played that where listed as Full all dropped to low or fake medium while it was a ghost town with 2 raid guilds left...

    But it has nothing to with other games or age, WoW is just a dunmped down easy mode farmvile game these days.
    yes they are hardmodes for the 1 percenters, but these dragon slayers lost their glory long long time ago when Blizzard changed their mind about WoW being a hardcore game.

    It still amuse me that when 1% of the playerbase saw endgame contend it reached their peak.
    The moment it got dumped down shit hits the fan and people are leaving as its just no glory to be decked out in the purples anymore.
    Random dungeon
    Random raids
    Random battlegrounds
    Random this
    Random that

    The whole community collapsed and all the moms and dads and kids whined at blizzard that those 1 percenters are elitist and we 99% of the playerbase want to see it to.

    The whole progresion path that made WoW epic fell into the abyss.
    But if you say this on any forums all those kids and grand pa's come running out of the woods with their pitchforks to prove us otherwise.

    UO
    EQ
    Eve Online
    WoW Vanilla
    WoW TBC

    These where the best mmo's ever made
    Evrything else doesnt even come close to it.

    Blizzard took a wrong turn to cater to all those whiners and turned their back on the people who loved to play the old way of WoW.


    Vanila + TBC pulled in millions and millions of players and layed down such impresive subs yet it was the most hardcore progresion in the history of WoW.

    That dear Blizzard is what is biting you in your backside, not Free to play ot buy to play crap mmo's
    Blizzard betrayed themselves.....

  • Kevyne-ShandrisKevyne-Shandris Member UncommonPosts: 2,077
    Originally posted by spookydom
    WoW's not done yet, but by the powers of Greyskull it is  boring nowadays, no offence meant to anybody who still enjoys it. My vote goes to opening timelocked progression servers like EQ did a few years ago. That is very probably the only thing that would make me want to play WoW again. 

    I'll GLADLY transfer my main to a WotLK pristine server. I'm in T10 transmorg gear (that I saved since WotLK) and hearthed in Dal to this day. Can I say I'm a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX13vYvon6I fan enough???

  • Kevyne-ShandrisKevyne-Shandris Member UncommonPosts: 2,077
    Originally posted by Mothanos

    Vanila + TBC pulled in millions and millions of players and layed down such impresive subs yet it was the most hardcore progresion in the history of WoW.

    WotLK was when WoW peaked. It peaked then because the secret was as this video showed -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX13vYvon6I -- "Why nerf the boss? When you can buff players". That was an OP expansion for players. Players had a lot of AoEs (because AoEing is fun). No need to run around like chicken with it's head cut off (like now in MoP), trying to make an MMORPG into a MMOFPS eSport. Your devs didn't tell you to "l2p" or your class was to easy and needed a stupid power system, and one that requires you to spend more time generating holy power to do anything. And 4.0.1 healing changes that borked healing and made 4 distinct healing classes into but one generic one.

    You love TBC, I love WotLK. At least then you could enjoy playing your class. For two expansions now I don't, and I love my main to pieces. I went from I couldn't wait to raid ICC to be a raid anchor (lead tank healer, I felt so powerful and useful), to I played more in WotLK than in 2 expansions having lost all that to be but a true one button healer (want to score on Recount, spam HR).

    It's not LFR or casuals, it's borking what is fun to players.

  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,857
    Originally posted by Mothanos

    Let me say this about WoW as a old bitter grumpy veteran.

    WoW Vanilla - hard contend and nothing dumped down
    WoW TBC - hard contend and nothing dumbed down
    WoTLK - Easy start with harder contend at the end
    Cataclysm - dumped down for them grand mothers and grand daddy's
    MoP - dumped down even more - specialy the talents and all those shit daily's.

    I dont care about how many asian player they have (quite alot tough) but on all 3 servers i played that where listed as Full all dropped to low or fake medium while it was a ghost town with 2 raid guilds left...

    But it has nothing to with other games or age, WoW is just a dunmped down easy mode farmvile game these days.
    yes they are hardmodes for the 1 percenters, but these dragon slayers lost their glory long long time ago when Blizzard changed their mind about WoW being a hardcore game.

    It still amuse me that when 1% of the playerbase saw endgame contend it reached their peak.
    The moment it got dumped down shit hits the fan and people are leaving as its just no glory to be decked out in the purples anymore.
    Random dungeon
    Random raids
    Random battlegrounds
    Random this
    Random that

    The whole community collapsed and all the moms and dads and kids whined at blizzard that those 1 percenters are elitist and we 99% of the playerbase want to see it to.

    The whole progresion path that made WoW epic fell into the abyss.
    But if you say this on any forums all those kids and grand pa's come running out of the woods with their pitchforks to prove us otherwise.

    UO
    EQ
    Eve Online
    WoW Vanilla
    WoW TBC

    These where the best mmo's ever made
    Evrything else doesnt even come close to it.

    Blizzard took a wrong turn to cater to all those whiners and turned their back on the people who loved to play the old way of WoW.


    Vanila + TBC pulled in millions and millions of players and layed down such impresive subs yet it was the most hardcore progresion in the history of WoW.

    That dear Blizzard is what is biting you in your backside, not Free to play ot buy to play crap mmo's
    Blizzard betrayed themselves.....

     

    What he said

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