World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Subscribers in 3 Months

[StewShearerOld]

World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Subscribers in 3 Months

Activision Blizzard isn't worried despite a significant decline in subscriptions between the months of January and March.

The world of massively multiplayer online gaming has seen some dramatic transitions in the past few years. Even with landscape changing things like the advent and increasing quality of free-to-play games, however, one constant has remained untouched: World of Warcraft is the king.

That being the case, the king's subjects have been shrinking in numbers over the years. In 2010, the massively popular MMORPG had more than 12 million subscribers. A few years later that number would fall to about 9 million before climbing back up to <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120552-World-of-Warcraft-Subscriptions-Rise-to-10-Million>10 million following the 2012 <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/9970-Mists-of-Pandaria-Review>Mists of Panderia expansion. While this uptick was good news for the aging MMORPG, it seems to have been only temporary. World of Warcraft's user base has again declined, falling by more than 1.3 million subscribers between January and March of 2013.

To its credit, the game's publisher, Activision Blizzard, doesn't seem at all fazed by the news. Part of this has to do with the fact that the game still remains "the number one subscription-based MMORPG in the world' and is still a valuable cash cow. That said, a gradual decline in the game's user base is something its publisher had been expecting. "We do believe further declines are likely, and we expect to have fewer subscribers a year than we do today," said Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard's CEO. "We believe in the long-term value of this franchise and will continue to commit substantial resources to World of Warcraft."

Even if the publisher were to cut off funds tomorrow and shutter the long running MMO, it would still have had an impressive run. In addition to making oodles of money, the massive popularity of World of Warcraft helped expose more general audiences to MMOs. Likewise, while some gamers may be leaving, there are millions more who have stuck with World of Warcraft through thick and thin and remain enthusiastic members of its magical universe. The day might come where this isn't the case, but that's a future that seems so far off it's beyond the sight of anyone looking.

Note: Originally the article briefly mentioned between the months "March and June." As we don't yet possess a time traveling Delorean, this was a mistake. It now says, in all places, between the months of January and March. Our apologies for any confusion.

Source: <a href=http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/8/4313268/world-of-warcraft-down-1-3-million-subscribers-over-three-months>Polygon





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[Erttheking]

Ow. That's a pretty harsh dip in numbers right there.

 

[Duder Dudeson]

World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Subscribers in 3 Months

Activision Blizzard isn't worried despite a significant decline in subscriptions between the months of March and June.

I think your months are off a bit unless time travel was involved. I think one of the biggest mistakes was removing the old world. I miss old unfinished zones to explore.

 

[Something Amyss]

I'm not surprised to see a decline, but wow. That's sharp.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I only just started playing recently after finally caving. Of course I can't afford the full version or a subscription so I'm stuck playing the Starter Edition.

 

[kajinking]

Didn't KOR lose that many in like two months after shipping?

I'm not gonna say WOW is dying or anything but releasing expansions seem to not being having as much effect as they used to. Eventually they're going to have to start work on WOW 2 or something similar and honestly I think that would be pretty damn cool since with all the expiernce they've gotten with MMOs imagine how good a WOW 2 could be.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Incoming doomsayers who think WoW is dying.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Didn't KOR lose that many in like two months after shipping?

I'm not gonna say WOW is dying or anything but releasing expansions seem to not being having as much effect as they used to. Eventually they're going to have to start work on WOW 2 or something similar and honestly I think that would be pretty damn cool since with all the expiernce they've gotten with MMOs imagine how good a WOW 2 could be.

Depending on who you talk to the rumors are that the secretive project Titan they've been working on for years is more than likely WoW's successor; set to take over after the next and final expansion for WoW. Take that information with varying sizes of salt grains.

Decline isn't really unexpected. It's still a good, solid game but it's getting old and people are just getting burnt out on it. In my personal opinion I would put Wrath of the Lich King as WoW's peak; everything after has just felt "meh". I also have mixed feeling on MoP. It has some of the best PvE content since Wrath but my class and spec, enhancement shamans, got the shaft hard with them redesigning the game's class mechanics from the ground up; after years of being largely left to our own devices at that. My issues with that is a rant all to it's own though.

Point is...well I guess I don't really have a point. I suppose not jumping swiftly onto the rage filled bandwagon of gleefully proclaiming WoW's death would be a prudent stance for us all; if I really must have a point.

 

[VladG]

Didn't KOR lose that many in like two months after shipping?

I'm not gonna say WOW is dying or anything but releasing expansions seem to not being having as much effect as they used to. Eventually they're going to have to start work on WOW 2 or something similar and honestly I think that would be pretty damn cool since with all the expiernce they've gotten with MMOs imagine how good a WOW 2 could be.

They are working on Proj. Titan, which will be an MMO (though they said it should have a different fan base than WoW, so it shouldn't be WoW 2 or World of SC, or something like that).

And yes, I AM looking forward to it. Say what you will about WoW, it's still pretty much the best MMO on the market.

As for declining numbers, it's nothing unusual. People are getting bored, hell people are getting Jobs, or in college and don't have time to play it any more. The game has been going on for so long that a big chunk of it's player base will have significantly changed their living habits since Vanilla.


I am however looking forward to the day when it won't be an immovable Juggernaut of the MMO world. I feel we could be mission out on a bunch of good MMOs simply because devs either can't (or won't) compete with WoW, and unlike regular games, very few people are willing to commit to more than 1 MMO at a time (especially if we're talking subs).

 

[viranimus]

It is just a part of the normal MMO end cycle.

As new expansions are released you see people return to burn through the new content in 1-6 months. Then once up to date again grow bored and head back out to greener pastures.

The numbers will continue to yo yo back and forth representing a slow gradual descent.

Any MMO, you can only keep it moving at the head of the pack for only so long. Its the curse every MMO thus far has/will eventually fall to. Being locked in a still frame of its best possible experience, forever limited by its original coding.

Until there is a radical advent departing from existing MMO norms and tropes, this is the same fate all MMOs will suffer.

 

[piinyouri]

Seeing Bobby Kotick speak for Blizzard reminds of just where this company is now.

Made me feel a touch ill in my stomach honestly.

Anywho, this game will come to an end, someday.
I'm not in any hurry to see it, it will come in it's own time, which will probably not be any time in the foreseeable future. (Despite this recent dip in subscriptions)

 

[VladG]

It is just a part of the normal MMO end cycle.

As new expansions are released you see people return to burn through the new content in 1-6 months. Then once up to date again grow bored and head back out to greener pastures.

The numbers will continue to yo yo back and forth representing a slow gradual descent.

Any MMO, you can only keep it moving at the head of the pack for only so long. Its the curse every MMO thus far has/will eventually fall to. Being locked in a still frame of its best possible experience, forever limited by its original coding.

Until there is a radical advent departing from existing MMO norms and tropes, this is the same fate all MMOs will suffer.

Actually EVE Online has had pretty much steady increase in subs since launch 10 years ago (with somewhat of a hiccup with one of it's expansions). True, however, that EVE is quite unique and a niche experience and never got anywhere near WoW subs.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Incoming doomsayers who think WoW is dying.

1/10 the player base isn't anything to over look, and while I will throw a fucking party celebrating the death of this over glorified bore feast when it's LONG over due death finally comes.

1/10 the player base isn't really a sign of 'end times', it's just a trend to keep an eye on and see if it gets worse


now it that number was 50% of subs, oh hell the fuck yes, I'd be rocken a sandwich board that says 'the end of WoW is neigh!!'

 

[soulfire130]

I wonder how long it will take for WoW to die? It seems to just do alot to stay alive.

 

[viranimus]

It is just a part of the normal MMO end cycle.

As new expansions are released you see people return to burn through the new content in 1-6 months. Then once up to date again grow bored and head back out to greener pastures.

The numbers will continue to yo yo back and forth representing a slow gradual descent.

Any MMO, you can only keep it moving at the head of the pack for only so long. Its the curse every MMO thus far has/will eventually fall to. Being locked in a still frame of its best possible experience, forever limited by its original coding.

Until there is a radical advent departing from existing MMO norms and tropes, this is the same fate all MMOs will suffer.

Actually EVE Online has had pretty much steady increase in subs since launch 10 years ago (with somewhat of a hiccup with one of it's expansions). True, however, that EVE is quite unique and a niche experience and never got anywhere near WoW subs.

Hrm. I guess I will grant you that because Eve IS an anomoly of sorts. However, even if it has not happened yet, the formula will still remain the same.

Original snapshot of code > Rise to peak of popularity > Yo Yo dwindling

Eve may not have hit its true "peak" yet given its structure being different, but eventually it will peak, interest will wane in a slow progression as players try to hold on to what it once was, to eventually gravitating to other outlets.

I think what I am driving at is that it would take an MMO that was capable of "molting" out of the limitations and dynamics of its original code and structure to fully represent new industry advents instead of what we see today where MMOs will try to "tack on" new gameplay advents but it is never proper utilization and always come off as a gimmicky "shell" of what it is trying to mimic. In short, despite all the power of internet connectivity, patching, expanding, etc MMOs only have a very limited capacity to truly "Evolve"

 

[Sugarman101]

To its credit, the game's publisher, Activision Blizzard, doesn't seem at all phased by the news.

Was that an intentional joke about WoW phasing? Or did the editor not pick up that it's supposed to be fazed?

OT: As others have said, this is pretty standard for an MMO where sub numbers will go up for a few months after a new expansion comes out. WoW will probably be around for some time, gradually bleeding subscribers until it's no longer profitable.

Also, crazy theory - does anybody think that they might be planning a Warcraft 4 that has a story leading into the next WoW expansion? I think that would be pretty cool.

 

[RicoADF]

Incoming doomsayers who think WoW is dying.

1/10 the player base isn't anything to over look, and while I will throw a fucking party celebrating the death of this over glorified bore feast when it's LONG over due death finally comes.

1/10 the player base isn't really a sign of 'end times', it's just a trend to keep an eye on and see if it gets worse


now it that number was 50% of subs, oh hell the fuck yes, I'd be rocken a sandwich board that says 'the end of WoW is neigh!!'

When that day comes save me a seat, I'll bring the burbon
OT: Something worth watching but still too soon to tell if it'll have any long term effects.

 

[LetalisK]

Incoming doomsayers who think WoW is dying.

1/10 the player base isn't anything to over look, and while I will throw a fucking party celebrating the death of this over glorified bore feast when it's LONG over due death finally comes.

1/10 the player base isn't really a sign of 'end times', it's just a trend to keep an eye on and see if it gets worse


now it that number was 50% of subs, oh hell the fuck yes, I'd be rocken a sandwich board that says 'the end of WoW is neigh!!'

...why? I never understand why someone would enjoy seeing a game that they need not have any association with die. WoW's death should register a "Meh", if anything.

 

[GAunderrated]

Incoming doomsayers who think WoW is dying.

1/10 the player base isn't anything to over look, and while I will throw a fucking party celebrating the death of this over glorified bore feast when it's LONG over due death finally comes.

1/10 the player base isn't really a sign of 'end times', it's just a trend to keep an eye on and see if it gets worse


now it that number was 50% of subs, oh hell the fuck yes, I'd be rocken a sandwich board that says 'the end of WoW is neigh!!'

...why? I never understand why someone would enjoy seeing a game that they need not have any association with die. WoW's death should register a "Meh", if anything.

For me it is a bit personal because I used to be really entrenched in the "lore" of the Warcraft universe. I played Warcraft 1,2, and 3 almost exclusively during those years.

After warcraft 3's ending I was really excited to see where they would take the series and to my disappointment they decided to make it to an MMO. Now from a business standpoint no one is going to argue that their decision wasn't right, but from a fan of the lore standpoint, them ruining the lore by putting it on an MMO that I would never want to play has spurned me in the worst way.

I acknowledge it is completely petty and I can wait another 10 years but eventually WoW will die and I will celebrate. Then maybe, just maybe I can get my warcraft 4 I have been dearly waiting for.