Why did this obviously unresearched post go up on Massively? Poor editing, IMO.
As has been reported all over the place (hours before this entry was posted on Massively, even), the big announcement is that J.K. Rowling is self-distributing e-books of the Potter series online.
Pottermore will also have lots of new information on the world -- background information that didn't make it into the books. (But that fans always speculate about.) It also has an online shop.
And -- most importantly for this site -- there is no HP MMO. And it doesn't sound like there ever will be one.
In an AP article on Pottermore, Rowling said she had a lot of requests for online games but that the whole point of the site was to "pull it back to reading." So, no, there is no game coming -- the Pottermore site may have games as part of its interactivity, but it's all in support of the series itself.
That's because Blizzard's definition of "subscriber" includes players who access the game through Internet cafes (within the last 30 days is how I remember it working it) -- i.e., every player who pays by the hour to play.
Those players make up at least half (likely, more than half) of the "subscriber" numbers even though they do not subscribe. Because of licensing, Blizzard actually makes up very little revenue from the game in China.
But Blizzard doesn't break down the numbers by region anymore, so it's all guesswork. But it purposely includes ALL players because it sounds more impressive to say it has 11.4 million subscribers than to say that it actually has 5 million or so subscribers who pay $15 per month.
While WoW is still the big gorilla and probably will be for years to come, its growth days are clearly over. This would especially be true if WoW had solid growth in China, because that means there would be an even higher percentage of a drop in $15/month subscriptions.
Co-workers can be weird. I know of two people at my workplace who play, and every now and then the three of us talk about.
And whenever we do, one of our co-workers starts insulting us -- practically yelling -- about how it's stupid, how the married player is lucky his wife doesn't leave him because he plays a game, etc. I just try to ignore it now, but it really took me aback the first time it happened.
The funny part is, despite her very loud anti-geek bias about how being a geek makes people undesirable, she is the one who is single. I've been with my boyfriend for almost five years, one co-worker who plays is engaged and the other is married, so clearly being a geek is working for us.
She's one of those people who watches stuff like "The Bachelor," but I don't yell at her about how stupid I think that show is or make extrapolations about how it makes her a lame person ... even though I may secretly kind of think that. It's so aggravating!
I think you misunderstood what Araxes and I were saying. No, SOE isn't using misinformation. Massively is the one with misinformation -- it is saying that the winter rewards are somehow pre-order bonuses when they are not. SOE is not saying that.
SOE hasn't even released what (if any) pre-order bonuses there will be. More details about the pre-order is going on Tuesday, I think.
I just started playing EQ2 about six months ago, so I didn't know if the lack of expansion info was standard or not for the game!
Of course it doesn't help when expansion-related info on MMO sites (*cough* Massively *cough*) have wrong info (everything this site has posted about the winter rewards), so I'm not even sure where to find info. But I guess there is just none to be found, which is a shame.
I've heard rumblings that the expansion isn't very good, which would be a shame. I've been loving EQ2 so far.
I can't believe I have to leave this comment on a third Massively article about the EQ2 winter rewards.
They. Are. Not. Rewards. For. Pre-Ordering.
You do NOT have to pre-order the expansion to get the December or January rewards. You ONLY have to be subscribed when the rewards are given.
The February rewards also do not require you to pre-order the expansion. You get them when you activate the expansion before Dec. 31 of this year if you got the December and January rewards. It has nothing to do with pre-ordering; people who buy the expansion without pre-ordering will still get this stuff if they have been subbed!
Why on earth does Massively keep saying that you have to pre-order the expansion to qualify for the winter rewards?
You just have to buy the expansion and add to to your account before the end of this year. You DON'T have to pre-order! (The other conditions being, being subscribed in December, January and February.)
Actually, people started referring to Deadmines as VC right after launch (the level cap was 60), long before there was a Dire Maul.
My understanding that it came about because people never really said, "Let's do Deadmines!," they said, "Let's kill Van Cleef!"
To this day, I still think of the instance as "Van Cleef" and not "Deadmines." Which, thinking back on it, was kind weird, because no other instance was really referred to in that way.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: Landro's Lil' XT loot codes
Dec 16th 2011 6:09AM (WoW)Pottermore officially announced, but what exactly is it?
Jun 23rd 2011 10:03PM (Massively)As has been reported all over the place (hours before this entry was posted on Massively, even), the big announcement is that J.K. Rowling is self-distributing e-books of the Potter series online.
Pottermore will also have lots of new information on the world -- background information that didn't make it into the books. (But that fans always speculate about.) It also has an online shop.
And -- most importantly for this site -- there is no HP MMO. And it doesn't sound like there ever will be one.
In an AP article on Pottermore, Rowling said she had a lot of requests for online games but that the whole point of the site was to "pull it back to reading." So, no, there is no game coming -- the Pottermore site may have games as part of its interactivity, but it's all in support of the series itself.
Activision Blizzard posts record profits, WoW subs declining [Updated]
May 9th 2011 8:56PM (Massively)That's because Blizzard's definition of "subscriber" includes players who access the game through Internet cafes (within the last 30 days is how I remember it working it) -- i.e., every player who pays by the hour to play.
Those players make up at least half (likely, more than half) of the "subscriber" numbers even though they do not subscribe. Because of licensing, Blizzard actually makes up very little revenue from the game in China.
But Blizzard doesn't break down the numbers by region anymore, so it's all guesswork. But it purposely includes ALL players because it sounds more impressive to say it has 11.4 million subscribers than to say that it actually has 5 million or so subscribers who pay $15 per month.
While WoW is still the big gorilla and probably will be for years to come, its growth days are clearly over. This would especially be true if WoW had solid growth in China, because that means there would be an even higher percentage of a drop in $15/month subscriptions.
The Queue: President's Day
Feb 21st 2011 6:05PM (WoW)That was the only way I could get the mobile site back on my phone -- just clearing the cache and cookies did nothing.
Breakfast Topic: How do you cope with muggles who don't "get" WoW?
Jan 27th 2011 7:12PM (WoW)And whenever we do, one of our co-workers starts insulting us -- practically yelling -- about how it's stupid, how the married player is lucky his wife doesn't leave him because he plays a game, etc. I just try to ignore it now, but it really took me aback the first time it happened.
The funny part is, despite her very loud anti-geek bias about how being a geek makes people undesirable, she is the one who is single. I've been with my boyfriend for almost five years, one co-worker who plays is engaged and the other is married, so clearly being a geek is working for us.
She's one of those people who watches stuff like "The Bachelor," but I don't yell at her about how stupid I think that show is or make extrapolations about how it makes her a lame person ... even though I may secretly kind of think that. It's so aggravating!
EverQuest II reveals January's pre-order rewards for Destiny of Velious
Jan 17th 2011 8:58PM (Massively)I think you misunderstood what Araxes and I were saying. No, SOE isn't using misinformation. Massively is the one with misinformation -- it is saying that the winter rewards are somehow pre-order bonuses when they are not. SOE is not saying that.
SOE hasn't even released what (if any) pre-order bonuses there will be. More details about the pre-order is going on Tuesday, I think.
The Tattered Notebook: How not to sell an expansion
Jan 17th 2011 8:51PM (Massively)Of course it doesn't help when expansion-related info on MMO sites (*cough* Massively *cough*) have wrong info (everything this site has posted about the winter rewards), so I'm not even sure where to find info. But I guess there is just none to be found, which is a shame.
I've heard rumblings that the expansion isn't very good, which would be a shame. I've been loving EQ2 so far.
EverQuest II reveals January's pre-order rewards for Destiny of Velious
Jan 16th 2011 1:19AM (Massively)They. Are. Not. Rewards. For. Pre-Ordering.
You do NOT have to pre-order the expansion to get the December or January rewards. You ONLY have to be subscribed when the rewards are given.
The February rewards also do not require you to pre-order the expansion. You get them when you activate the expansion before Dec. 31 of this year if you got the December and January rewards. It has nothing to do with pre-ordering; people who buy the expansion without pre-ordering will still get this stuff if they have been subbed!
Step right up, step right up and get your EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious pre-order!
Jan 14th 2011 6:15PM (Massively)You just have to buy the expansion and add to to your account before the end of this year. You DON'T have to pre-order! (The other conditions being, being subscribed in December, January and February.)
The Queue: Isn't Christmas over?
Jan 5th 2011 8:34PM (WoW)Actually, people started referring to Deadmines as VC right after launch (the level cap was 60), long before there was a Dire Maul.
My understanding that it came about because people never really said, "Let's do Deadmines!," they said, "Let's kill Van Cleef!"
To this day, I still think of the instance as "Van Cleef" and not "Deadmines." Which, thinking back on it, was kind weird, because no other instance was really referred to in that way.