Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[TERA recaps the most recent closed beta weekend, concludes that PvP players enjoy PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/tera-recaps-the-most-recent-closed-beta-weekend-concludes-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/tera-recaps-the-most-recent-closed-beta-weekend-concludes-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/tera-recaps-the-most-recent-closed-beta-weekend-concludes-that/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

PvE players, meanwhile, enjoy wearing backless evening gowns into combat.
TERA has just wrapped up its most recent closed beta weekend and is aiming at another this coming Friday. In this latest test, players finally got to take part in the game's PvP offerings, and the official postmortem leads to an ironclad conclusion: PvP players really enjoy killing one another. Across the beta's two PvP servers, players racked up a total of 50,000 kills, with over 150,000 battles fought. And that's not even factoring in the number of guild battles taking place with over 2,000 guilds formed.

As it turns out, it wasn't just the players doing the testing; the developers were also putting together a small guild and going out among the people, as it were. It seems as if the game's PvP is humming along smoothly, and with the next closed beta coming up in just a couple of days, it'll be worth watching to see how the rest of the game stacks up.

And for those players participating in the closed beta weekends, the third edition begins Friday!

MassivelyTERA recaps the most recent closed beta weekend, concludes that PvP players enjoy PvP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-recapblueholebluehole-studiosclosed-betaclosed-beta-recapclosed-beta-testclosed-beta-weekenden-masseen-masse-entertainmentfantasynumberspvppvp-serversrecapstatsterayou-dont-sayWed, 07 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EA reveals SWTOR subscription and sales numbers, beats financial predictions [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/ea-reveals-swtor-subscription-and-sales-numbers-beats-financial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/ea-reveals-swtor-subscription-and-sales-numbers-beats-financial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/ea-reveals-swtor-subscription-and-sales-numbers-beats-financial/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Screenshot -- Star Wars: The Old Republic
It looks like Star Wars: The Old Republic didn't let its daddy down, as EA has reported much better sales than expected for the December quarter, largely thanks to the runaway sales of the new MMO title (as well as many of EA's other heavy-hitters). The company ended up earning an adjusted $344 million for a total net loss of $205 million, which isn't too shabby if you consider how much money just went into the development and launch of The Old Republic.

Perhaps most interestingly to players, however, is the fact that EA has reported sales of more than 2 million units of The Old Republic with about 1.7 million subscribers. Those are the highest (and the hardest) numbers we've heard so far. EA's Chief Financial Advisor, Eric Brown, stated in an interview that EA managed to pull in more SWTOR subscribers than the studio had initially anticipated. He added that at launch, the studio was able to add a great number of users per server courtesy of some technical improvements. If you're economically minded and want to get the full, dirty, stock market details, just click past the link below.

[Thanks to Gabriel for the tip!]

[Update: Darth Hater has compiled some additional TOR-related statistics and Q&A from today's EA earnings call: "2,000,000+ copies sold, 40% sold through Origin; 1,700,000+ active subscribers, 1 million concurrent." The company also notes that "Active subscribers means anyone paying OR in their trial period. MOST of those 1.7m are paying at this point."]

MassivelyEA reveals SWTOR subscription and sales numbers, beats financial predictions [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaearningseconomicseconomyelectronic-artsfinancesindustrynumberssalessales-numbersso-many-numbersstar-wars-the-old-republicsubscription-numbersswtorthe-old-republictorWed, 01 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Leaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/leaderboard-play-the-game-vs-play-the-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/leaderboard-play-the-game-vs-play-the-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/leaderboard-play-the-game-vs-play-the-system/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Leaderboard
Recently, MMO guru Raph Koster made some waves by lamenting the loss of immersion as a core game virtue. In a follow-up post to his first one, he clarified that he was speaking about the two different sides of game play and game development:
"These are also two ways to play a game. You can come to it as purely a math puzzle to solve, or you can come at it as an experience. And ironically, with all the advances we have made in terms of presentation, it feels like more and more games are less about the experience and more about the acronyms and mechanics."
So in today's Leaderboard, we're going to have it out: immersion versus statistics, the love of the game versus the love of the numbers. Do you play MMOs more for the experience of it -- to be immersed in its game world, reveling in the stories, characters, locales, and feel? Or do you find yourself gaming the system more and more, min-maxing to win at the numbers game while seeking the most efficient path through content?

Vote after the jump and let your voice be heard!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system

MassivelyLeaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredimmersionleaderboardmin-maxnumbersnumbers-gameplay-the-gameplay-the-systempollraph-kosterstatssurveyvoteMon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE dev diary crunches the numbers on New Eden violence]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/eve-dev-diary-crunches-the-numbers-on-new-eden-violence/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/eve-dev-diary-crunches-the-numbers-on-new-eden-violence/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/eve-dev-diary-crunches-the-numbers-on-new-eden-violence/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Online - Crucible nebula
Despite the fact that EVE Online has one of the most advanced virtual economies in the world (not to mention pretty graphics, interesting lore, and a great soundtrack), CCP's sandbox game is primarily about one thing and one thing only: blowing up spaceships.

Sure you can become a captain of industry, a respected (feared?) trader, or a profit-seeking miner, but at the end of the day, many EVE fans care little for the gameplay that exists outside of spaceship on spaceship violence. CCP's latest dev blog reflects this obsession, and CCP Diagoras presents a load of statistics culled from the end of 2007 to the present. Among the interesting (if esoteric) factoids: Something blows up in New Eden once every six seconds.

Head to the game's official website for more numbers.

MassivelyEVE dev diary crunches the numbers on New Eden violence originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-diagorasccp-gamesdev-blogesotericaeveeve-onlineexplosionsnumberssandboxsci-fiviolenceFri, 02 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I'm sure many of us have wondered how game developers decide upon item stats, experience amounts, damage per second, and all of the other numbers that we come across in our favorite games. Actually, it might sound more like, "Why the heck is my uber sword of uberness only doing X amount of damage?!" At GDC Online this week, Sara Jensen Schubert gave a rare glimpse into the math behind MMORPGs. She has worked on games like Shadowbane and DC Universe Online and is now a lead designer at KingsIsle Entertainment. Her background and focus is a traditional RPG viewpoint, and she builds from there to go through the process of designing and building stats, character attributes, experience rewards, the leveling curve, and itemization. While her talk is aimed at those in the industry, it offers a unique perspective into what goes into those stats behind our gear and why it takes us so long to level up. Read on for highlights from the presentation.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math

MassivelyGDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dcuodpsexperience-pointsfeaturedformulagdcgdc-2011gdc-onlinegdc-online-2011itemizationkingsislemathnumbersrpg-mathsara-jensen-schubertshadowbanespreadsheetsstatisticsWed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends boasts 15 million registered players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

League of Legends has officially surpassed the 15 million player plateau. That means it's time for a smattering of silly stats from the marketing department to help illustrate just how large that number really is.

In a new press release published this morning, Riot Games touts everything from its peak concurrency numbers (500,000), to its daily player totals (1.4 million), to the headline-grabbing registered players figure. While those numbers are quite impressive, Riot doesn't stop there. "An average of ten games of LoL start every second of every day," the company says, before adding that "gamers spend 3.7 million hours in-game [...] every day."

The title's first season of competitive play is coming to a close, and Riot CEO Brandon Beck has a hearty thank you in store for the title's faithful. "We're committed to continuing to match their dedication with our relentless focus on ongoing enhancements to the player experience with great new features, content, and polish - and we have some very exciting surprises in store just around the corner," he says.

MassivelyLeague of Legends boasts 15 million registered players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>15-million-playersbrandon-beckbusinessconcurrencyfantasyleague-of-legendslolmmo-industrymobamoneynumberspress-releaseregistered-playersriotriot-gamesstatisticsstatsTue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TERA releases Community Play Event numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/tera-releases-community-play-event-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/tera-releases-community-play-event-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/tera-releases-community-play-event-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you're a TERA fan but not lucky enough to score an invite to En Masse Entertainment's recent Community Play Event (CPE), you can take heart in the fact that the company has released some information pertaining to all the players who did attend. We know, there's the potential for some salt in the wound here, but En Masse's Jon Tuite nonetheless has some interesting factoids relating to character races, classes, leveling trends, and many other data points.

It seems that Castanics were the most popular race during the recent CPE, and humanoid races in general accounted for a whopping 68% of all characters. Tuite also points out that the Baraka race was the least popular (7% of the population) and postulates that the lack of a female version could be the culprit.

In terms of class and party dynamics, the CPE data aren't far removed from your average fantasy MMO (i.e., there were a plethora of DPS types, fewer tanks, and even fewer healers). These stats are the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and you can indulge in more number-crunching at the official TERA website.

MassivelyTERA releases Community Play Event numbers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archetypesclassescommunity-play-eventcpedemographicsdpsen-masseen-masse-entertainmentfantasyhealersjon-tuitemathnom-nom-nomnumbersracestanksteratera-onlineMon, 18 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/17/champions-online-gains-profits-and-players-as-a-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/17/champions-online-gains-profits-and-players-as-a-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/17/champions-online-gains-profits-and-players-as-a-free-to-play/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Since Champions Online's relaunch as a free-to-play title a little less than a month ago, any player who has logged into the game has undoubtedly noticed the sheer number of folks running around Millennium City and environs. There are spandex-clad super-people everywhere you look, and groups are significantly easier to get. These are all good things for MMO players! Today we're also treated to the first official word on the success of the relaunch from Cryptic Studios and Atari, which both declare that the move to free-to-play has been -- as we suspected -- a huge success. To celebrate, they're offering all players, both subscribed and free-to-play, a thank-you gift for helping to make the game's reboot so great!

The present offered is a free experience-boosting item that can be picked up from the Champions Online C-Store for at least the next little while. While the companies have not released any specific subscriber or traffic numbers, they have noted that unique logins, concurrent users, and revenue totals have increased by "over 1,000 percent" since Champions Online went free-to-play. As John Needham, CEO of Cryptic Studios, stated in the release: "We're extremely proud of what the Champions team has accomplished with the Free for All launch. It's a pleasure to thank our fans and welcome new ones with this gift." As for how long the gift will be around and whether it is one per account or one per character is currently anyone's guess as the item does not appear to be in the C-Store as of this writing. The gift appears to be a one-hour, 20% experience boost that you can acquire once per account. They also appear to be tradable!

[Update: We've updated this post as the gift is now available in the C-Store, and we've also added the most recent trailer behind the cut. Enjoy! And guys... remember to keep the comments clean and on track with our CoC!]

Continue reading Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated]

MassivelyChampions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1000-percent-increaseataric-storechampions-onlinecoconcurrent-usersconversioncrypticcryptic-studiosexperience-boostexperience-boosterf2pfreefree-for-allfree-to-playfreebieJohn-needhamnumbersrebootrelaunchrestartrewardTrailerVideoThu, 17 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are gaming subscriptions "going the way of the dodo?"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/are-gaming-subscriptions-going-the-way-of-the-dodo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/are-gaming-subscriptions-going-the-way-of-the-dodo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/are-gaming-subscriptions-going-the-way-of-the-dodo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Duck and cover, subscription gamers, as the sky is finally falling (according to a report from Parks Associates, at any rate). The research firm has collated data that suggests one in five active U.S. gamers spends money on virtual items. What's not clear is the definition of "active," nor why the 20 percent of F2P users is highlighted while the remaining 80% is not.

The report ostensibly samples "a wide swath of the online gaming market, including MMOs, console games, casual social titles, and cloud-based game offerings." It also notes a 7% decrease in online gaming subscriptions from 2008 to 2010, a period which also happens to coincide with the once-in-a-generation economic disaster that is still ongoing.

Nevertheless, Parks' Pietro Macchiarella feels that the data makes it "increasingly difficult to justify subscription fees. Thanks to social games and free-to-play MMOs, both casual and hardcore players have the option of playing quality games online for free," he says. Check out the source article at Industry Gamers.

MassivelyAre gaming subscriptions "going the way of the dodo?" originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelbusiness-modelseconomyf2pfree-to-playnumbersopinionparks-associatespollingresearchresearch-firmsubscriptionsubscriptionsWed, 10 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Craig Morrison talks MMO numbers (or the lack thereof)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ah, the numbers game. It's often quite comical when it comes to MMORPGs and their die-hard fans (or detractors, as the case may be). Aside from Blizzard, very few MMO development houses release real numbers relating to their playerbases, and forum jousters are thus relegated to citing guesstimates and, in most cases, pure supposition sprung from the likes of wildly inaccurate measuring tools such as Xfire or the late MMOGchart.

Funcom executive producer and Age of Conan game director Craig Morrison weighs in on the perplexing state of MMO number-crunching on his personal blog, offering a bit of insight as to why hard data is, well, hard to come by. He cites a lack of context for the near-universal reticence of developers when it comes to publicizing their community sizes. "Without standard definitions everything ends up in that vague, murky and entirely subjective middle ground... and a middle ground that very few could reasonably be expected to accept as being worthwhile exploring in a business sense," he writes.

So what's his solution? In broad terms, he mentions a rating system, citing television's Nielsen metrics as well as cinema box office figures as semi-comparable standards. While such a system probably wouldn't stop the endless fan bickering, it might at least provide an answer to the question of how each individual company defines success.

MassivelyCraig Morrison talks MMO numbers (or the lack thereof) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanblogcraig-morrisonforum-warriorsfuncomnumbersnumbers-gameopinionratingssubscription-numberssubscriptionssuccessxfire-is-not-accurateThu, 23 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vanguard US server merge complete [Update]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/vanguard-server-merge-complete/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/vanguard-server-merge-complete/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/vanguard-server-merge-complete/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's been a rough ride for players of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes over the past few months, with the dreaded "maintenance letter" back in December that left players uncertain about the game's future. That uncertainty wasn't helped when rumors began circling that the game would be merging servers, followed by a confirmation of same. As of now, the server merge is complete, with the game's population all concentrated on a single server dubbed Telon.

The good news for players is that the merge, on a whole, went fairly smoothly. There was a slight extension of the expected operation time, which is really normal when dealing with a large-scale operation. It should also help the game's players enjoy the game with a larger population to draw from. The bad news is... well, a server merge is never exactly a comforting fact for any game, and we can only hope that the long-term benefits for Vanguard outweigh the negatives.

[Update: This does not affect the EU server which is set to merge at a later date. Thank you to everyone who tipped us on this!]

MassivelyVanguard US server merge complete [Update] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>numbersplayer-populationpopulationserver-maintenanceserver-mergesserver-populationserverssoesony-online-entertainmentvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvsohFri, 09 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[More information on the stats of Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/27/more-information-on-the-stats-of-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/27/more-information-on-the-stats-of-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/27/more-information-on-the-stats-of-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

With the changes coming to Final Fantasy XIV after the first round of public testing, there are many older concepts going away, newer concepts coming in, and more than a few ideas that the community railed against which have been gutted long before release. The most recent issue of Dengeki has taken a look at some of the hard mechanics and numbers in the current test version, and that results in some interesting pieces of new information compared to what we already knew.

HP, MP, and TP, previously stats that could be raised as a character's physical level improved, now increase automatically with physical level. Three stats -- Agility, Charisma, and Luck -- have been yanked, with the six remaining stats (Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, Piety, Mind, and Intelligence) still raised via points. It also appears that damage will be applied to various parts of a monster's body, allowing for tricks such as disabling a monster's special attacks via careful targeting. While we don't know quite enough to start down the road toward min-maxing characters in Final Fantasy XIV, we're getting a clearer picture of the game's operation every day.

MassivelyMore information on the stats of Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesdengekiffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivlevel-bonuseslevelslocation-damagenumberssquaresquare-enixstatstargetingtranslationsSun, 27 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: A million little topics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/15/the-mog-log-a-million-little-topics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/15/the-mog-log-a-million-little-topics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/15/the-mog-log-a-million-little-topics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I promise you, this column is not an almost wholly fictional account of events that happened while my character was addicted to mithkabobs. (I just like working references in, if you haven't noticed.) No, this week is something a bit different for the column, since we're going to eschew our usual rambling manifesto style about Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. Instead, we're going to be taking it piece by piece in the smaller scope.

See, there are topics that are worth talking about here that fit into an entire column (usually between 1000-1500 words). Then there are topics that aren't worth talking about in quite that much depth, but still worth bringing up in brief. And not all of them fall under the aegis of forum talks or question-and-answer sessions, either. So today, we're going to be hitting a few smaller points in rapid succession. You don't have to read it, but then you'll miss the fascinating deconstruction of nihilism in the middle. Also there's a button you can click on for free money. Your call.

Continue reading The Mog Log: A million little topics

MassivelyThe Mog Log: A million little topics originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesassortedbetafeaturedffff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivgroup-playguildsideasmerit-pointsnumberspvpskillsstatssystemstestingSat, 15 May 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What still doesn't make sense to you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/the-daily-grind-what-still-doesnt-make-sense-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/the-daily-grind-what-still-doesnt-make-sense-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/the-daily-grind-what-still-doesnt-make-sense-to-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We've got a pretty complicated hobby here, even by the frequently vexing standards of general gaming enthusiasts. There are more than a few elements that we have to wrap our heads around in order to play effectively, much less be on the forward edge. So it's kind of inevitable that we each find our own breaking point for where we stop understanding why we need to do some things. The whole series of explanations eventually turns into an endless rant that looks similar to English but just doesn't make sense.

You might have read all of the math for the defense cap in City of Heroes or the diminishing returns mechanic in Star Trek Online, but you might not have understood the numbers being flung around. Or perhaps it's something even simpler, like the very concept of the soft cap for Hit in World of Warcraft. Not for lack of trying, your brain just won't process it. So what still doesn't make sense to you despite your best efforts? Is it a small aspect of gameplay or something you urgently feel the need to get right? Has it made a major impact on your playstyle?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What still doesn't make sense to you? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescohgame-mechanicshumormathmechanicsnonsensenumbersstar-trek-onlinestotdgthe-daily-grindtimecubeworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 10 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How concrete do you want your numbers?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/the-daily-grind-how-concrete-do-you-want-your-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/the-daily-grind-how-concrete-do-you-want-your-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/the-daily-grind-how-concrete-do-you-want-your-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

RPGs in general have always been associated with the idea that abstract qualities can be quantified -- everything from strength and agility to personal charisma and willpower. The concepts have become so tied together that saying something has elements of an RPG usually means "you make numbers go higher." Games like World of Warcraft and EVE Online both have extensive information available about the numbers behind the working of the game.

On the other hand, people have complained that the emphasis on numbers turns the game from an exercise in play and experimentation into differential calculus. And there's certainly room for games like Final Fantasy XI, which gives enough information for comparison without going into detail about what a given value actually does. On the other hand, by removing contextual comparisons, it becomes difficult to figure out what effective difference there actually is between Accuracy +3 and Accuracy +5.

So which do you prefer in a game? Would you rather tend toward having all of the numbers laid out in front of you, even if it means needing ornate spreadsheets to enjoy everything? Or would you rather keep as much of the system as possible under the hood and invisible?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How concrete do you want your numbers? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eveeve-onlineffxifinal-fantasy-xigame-mechanicsmechanicsnumbersstatstdgthe-daily-grindvaluesworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 15 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the community news that's fit to print]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-community-news-thats-fit-to-p/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-community-news-thats-fit-to-p/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-community-news-thats-fit-to-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In a city marked by constant alien invasions, assaults from an island controlled by a sadistic villain, rampant street crime, and various technological and magical disasters, there's always something to talk about. There's usually more than a few things for players to talk about on top of that, which certainly helps keep our interest in City of Heroes even when we're not right in the thick of things.

After all, whatever else you might say about the game and its flaws -- it's fun. It gives you a fun ride of being a superhero or supervillain. If you can't enjoy a conversation about that, really, you're just plain getting jaded.

Naturally, having discussions about nothing more than "it's fun" would get a little old, but that's certainly not all of the discussions about the game. Just about half. Today, we're taking a look at some of the other half, spotlighting some of the most interesting, though-provoking, or just plain funny discussions and threads coming out of the City of Heroes community.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the community news that's fit to print

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the community news that's fit to print originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcoh-issue-17community-spotlightcomparisonscovcoxfeaturedgoing-roguegrammarissue-17number-crunchingnumbersparagonparagon-cohparagon-studioespatchessequelsequelsspellingWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mog Bonanza winners announced in Final Fantasy XI]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/mog-bonanza-winners-announced-in-final-fantasy-xi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/mog-bonanza-winners-announced-in-final-fantasy-xi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/mog-bonanza-winners-announced-in-final-fantasy-xi/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Picking numbers for a contest always defaults to something familiar - your zip code, your birthdate, the number of times police have been called to your house because you were shouting so much the neighbors thought you were assaulting someone. At least that way you can blame cosmic randomness instead of just guessing wrong. The many residents of Final Fantasy XI can start blaming fate, as the winning numbers for the Moggy New Year Bonanza have been announced, right on schedule.

In ascending order, the winning number for the Rank 5 prize is 8, Rank 4 is 9-6, Rank 3 is 7-3-3, Rank 2 is 1-1-6-4, and the supreme Rank 1 winning numbers are 5-8-8-4-6. The official site has assembled a small chart showing both the winning numbers and the number of winners of each prize category. Over five hundred thousand players won the Rank 5 prize, narrowing to only 43 people winning the top award.

Of course, there's a limited timeframe to pick up your prize -- anything not claimed by February 15th will be lost forever, so it's best to move in quickly to pick up your reward. Congratulations to those who won, and for those who didn't, well, a Shadow Lord statue isn't that cool.

MassivelyMog Bonanza winners announced in Final Fantasy XI originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contest-winnerscontestsffxifinal-fantasy-ximog-bonanzamoggy-new-year-bonanzamooglesnumbersshadow-lordsquaresquare-enixSun, 31 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion live server numbers crunched]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/13/aion-live-server-numbers-crunched/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/13/aion-live-server-numbers-crunched/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/13/aion-live-server-numbers-crunched/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Aion has been out for roughly 6 weeks so we thought it might be fun to crunch some of the numbers NCsoft provides on their official North American website. We've taken a look at realm balance, class balance, and what level Aion's population is at. Data collection occurred on November 12 at noon Eastern. A spreadsheet containing all data can be viewed here.

Realm population balance (Elyos vs. Asmodian)

Realm population balance is 50/50 on 3 of 14 servers. The remaining 11 servers have the Asmodians ahead of the Elyos by a 51:49 ratio. It appears as if NCsoft's forced realm population balance mechanic is keeping things under control, but one wonders how rampant these disparities would be if character creation was unrestricted. We've seen unbalanced two-faction MMOs before.

It should be stated that these numbers only represent a tally of Elyos and Asmodians across all servers and not how organized or active each realm is in PvPvE.

Continue reading Aion live server numbers crunched

MassivelyAion live server numbers crunched originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionfeaturedncsoftncwestnumber-crunchingnumberspopulation-balancerealm-balanceserver-metricsserver-statisticsFri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The unbearable lightness of stat boosts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/the-unbearable-lightness-of-stat-boosts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/the-unbearable-lightness-of-stat-boosts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/the-unbearable-lightness-of-stat-boosts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There's nothing quite like spending two hours in a muck-filled dungeon, hacking and slashing your way through countless monsters and creatures best left to the realms of twisted imagination, to receive an ultimate reward: a sword which gives you an extra .25% chance to hit enemies in sunlight. Or an extra .2% damage to any monster you've killed more than four of in a given play session. Or you get an extra 1% health for five seconds every time you correctly spell "exalted." Ravious over on Kill Ten Rats recently posted his thoughts on precisely this phenomenon: the issue that you're looking at a lot of work for, ultimately, almost one percent of a reward.

While the post is specifically talking about Lord of the Rings Online, it can easily apply to many other games, and we can all think of rewards that were similarly important and yet less than overwhelming. Part of the reason behind this, of course, is that MMOs need to have a power curve ramp-up without granting everyone too much damage or health or what-have-you, as Ravious dutifully notes. However, there's a point where too much balance becomes too little meaningful impact -- it can be better, at times, to only have one bonus but make it a big one. It's ultimately up to the player which one they prefer, but most of us certainly do seem to prefer having each upgrade be a big one.

MassivelyThe unbearable lightness of stat boosts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-mechanicskill-ten-ratslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotronumbersupgradesFri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NIDA Online wants you to bathe in numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/nida-online-wants-you-to-bathe-in-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/nida-online-wants-you-to-bathe-in-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/nida-online-wants-you-to-bathe-in-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you're the type of person who loves watching big numbers tick up on the screen, then boy do we have the game for you. It's called NIDA Online, and it's for those of us who feel better after seeing gigantic numbers tick up on the screen.

We'll be honest. We're not exactly sure what's going on in this game. There's mages, summoners, and knights, but then there's also pictures of people in power armor in addition to medieval armor. We're really confused. It's also billing itself as an action MMORPG, which we can only assume means fast paced combat.

What we're not confused about, however, is the open beta start date. The game is opening their doors tomorrow, so anyone interested can jump into the open beta and give the game a whirl.

If you want a better look at what you're getting into, however, we've embedded one of the number spamming videos into this post after the break. The quality isn't very good, but the numbers Duke, the numbers!

Continue reading NIDA Online wants you to bathe in numbers

MassivelyNIDA Online wants you to bathe in numbers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmobetagamekissnidanida-onlinenumbersopen-betaTue, 22 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Eve dev blog on PvP ship losses]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/eve-dev-blog-on-pvp-ship-losses/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/eve-dev-blog-on-pvp-ship-losses/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/eve-dev-blog-on-pvp-ship-losses/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The latest dev blog for EVE Online is from CCP Diagoras and contains some numbers and information about ship losses through PvP over the last year from April 2008 to April 2009. Firstly there are some very specific subscriber numbers. At the end of April 2008 the game had 234,314 active paying accounts, which had grown to 299,064 by the end of April 2009, which fits nicely with their statement a few days later that the game had passed 300,000 paying subscribers. Using these numbers and the number of ship losses which involved another player attacking he comes up with the information that in April 2008 there were 0.61 ship losses per subscriber in that month. By April 2009 this had raised to 0.67.

The blog then follows up with a series of graphs that show more specific PvP ship losses per month. Some interesting highlights include how dreadnaught losses fluctuate over time compared to the number of each capital ship type destroyed per month which reflects the pattern of big battles over that time, and the numbers of Battleships and Interceptors destroyed which show the preference players have for Caldari and Gallente ships.

MassivelyEve dev blog on PvP ship losses originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleshipcaldariCCPccp-gamesdreadnoughteve-onlinegallenteinterceptornumbersstatisticsThu, 28 May 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyzing WoW's growth by the numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/analyzing-wows-growth-by-the-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/analyzing-wows-growth-by-the-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/analyzing-wows-growth-by-the-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


When you get down to the nitty gritty numbers, World of Warcraft's growth has stayed fairly consistent over the last three years or so. This of course is after the initial boom in 2005, and thanks mostly to a continued schedule of expansions the last two years. But where will it go from here?

Over at WorldIV, they take a very detailed look at the statistics that may effect WoW's future, based on its past. Will it reach 13 million subscribers by the end of 2009? That's the big question, as the two authors of this article dissect the factors that will affect that possibility. Even if you're just curious about the growth patterns that WoW has enjoyed since it's release, this article will educate you on any curiosities you may have.

MassivelyAnalyzing WoW's growth by the numbers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardgrowthnumbersstatisticsstatssubscriptionsworld-of-warcraftworldivwowFri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA shows their year in review graphically]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In the spirit of the season, GamerDNA is giving the gift of insight to all its users in the form of a year in review column. Part one of this column describes several interesting metrics about the number of new titles tagged in user profiles by release month, platform, or specific game (no hard numbers given).

Some interesting notes:
  • The top title added by users was Age of Conan. It was released in May and correlated to a month of lower unique titles being added. No mention is made of how many users subsequently removed titles from their profiles... but maybe they're saving that for part two.
  • There is a noticeable drop in game titles being added for the months of June and July, around the time of the re-branding effort and subsequent server issues.
  • The largest uptick in titles added (by release date) was in September, presumably due to Warhammer Online. November is still creeping up on the September numbers with the Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Mines of Moria, and World of Warcraft's Wrath of the Lich King still gaining traction.
We are promised more phat numbers in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled... well, not literally.

MassivelyGamerDNA shows their year in review graphically originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>datagamerdnaguild-cafeguildcafenumbersyear-in-reviewTue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online director expects three million subscribers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/warhammer-online-director-expects-three-million-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/warhammer-online-director-expects-three-million-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/warhammer-online-director-expects-three-million-subscribers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Warhammer Online Creative Director Paul Barnett said in an interview that he's (literally) betting that WAR will achieve one million subscribers within a year and three million at its peak. Apparently there's an office betting pool at Mythic about this subject. If Barnett's right, he stands to win ... wait for it ... $26. Wow. Enjoy your large pizza, man!

It's an ambitious bet. Even Barnett himself described it as "bullish." Time will tell if another word -- similar to that one but with a relocated "i" and an added "t" -- will be more appropriate. If all 1.5 million shipped retail boxes sell and there's close to 100% player retention after the first month (that last bit is very unlikely), the game will quickly be halfway to the end goal. But we know from past experience that significant attrition can be a problem.

The interview is full of other cocky statements, about World of Warcraft and other topics. If you're interested, grab yourself a grain of salt and start reading!

MassivelyWarhammer Online director expects three million subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betfutureinterviewmythicmythic-entertainmentnumberspaul-barnettpoolprojectionssalessubscriptionwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftWed, 17 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Silkroad Online boasts 7.2 million registered users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/silkroad-online-boasts-7-2-million-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/silkroad-online-boasts-7-2-million-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/silkroad-online-boasts-7-2-million-registered-users/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


World of Warcraft is huge by pay-to-play standards. We know that. But if you want to play the numbers game, some free-to-play MMORPGs can stand toe-to-toe with WoW when it comes to registered users. Silkroad Online does, according to Korean publisher Joymax. The company just announced that it has reached a new milestone -- 100,000 concurrent users. That's out of 7.2 million registered users. And that's just on its own servers; Joymax boasts that 18 million people are registered for the game across all providers and regions.

18 million users in a free-to-play MMO is not necessarily as good for business as 10 million paying subscribers, since F2P users are only potential sources of income. Joymax didn't share any information about revenues, and it didn't explain what percentage of registered users regularly purchase virtual items with real world currency.

Silkroad Online spans the globe in both a virtual and a real sense. Users are registered in countries from Asia to North America, and the game's fantasy setting is based on the historic Silk Road trade route, which has connected Western and Eastern countries for centuries.

MassivelySilkroad Online boasts 7.2 million registered users originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinaconcurrent-usersf2pfree-to-playjoymaxnumberspress-releaseregistered-userssilk-roadsilkroadsilkroad-onlinesubscribersusersThu, 26 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO subscriptions to be included in NPD reports]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/mmo-subscriptions-to-be-included-in-npd-reports/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/mmo-subscriptions-to-be-included-in-npd-reports/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/mmo-subscriptions-to-be-included-in-npd-reports/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The NPD group already has a prestigious reputation as the most trusted tracker of gaming industry related sales figures. Now it's seeking to augment that reputation by tracking subscription data in addition to initial software sales. This will enable the NPD group to provide businesses and others with detailed market info regarding all sorts of subscription plan based services -- from XBox Live to IGN Insider to MMOs like World of Warcraft, The Lord of the Rings Online, and EVE.

The reports will chart new subscriptions, renewals, and total market share using a sample group of "more than 3 million consumers who have agreed to complete online surveys."

We already know that World of Warcraft is number one among subscription-based, gamer-oriented MMORPGs in the North American and European markets, but hopefully these new reports will provide fairly accurate estimates about titles for which we don't have any official numbers, such as The Lord of the Rings Online.

MassivelyMMO subscriptions to be included in NPD reports originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eveindustrylord-of-the-rings-onlinenpdnpd-groupnumberssalesservicessubscriptionsworld-of-warcraftMon, 11 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fantasy sports and MMO games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Forge tackles an interesting question: are fantasy sports MMOs? Some of the more traditional sports fans would probably deny it, but Matt echoes a great case made by Charles Hudson: they feature repetitive gameplay, a combination of luck, skill, and strategy, and there is the obvious social element. I don't know if I would call fantasy sports "virtual worlds" (so this is likely the last you'll see of them on Massively for the foreseeable future), but it's definitely true that both fantasy sports and MMOs share the same type of social gameplay that's made them both so popular.

Now, Matt says they also have a story, and to a certain extent, he's right. The real allure of sports is knowing all the stories behind it-- that Brett Favre's father passed away right before he played, or that the star hockey player is leaving right after the game ends to go see the birth of his baby. Behind all the stats, sports is one big storytelling session, and Sportscenter is the biggest daily soap opera of all time.

But I don't think it's the story element that pulls in fantasy sports players-- it's the competitive element. The numbers all break down, and at the end of the year, you have a clear ranking that says who's better than who at predicting sports outcomes, and by how much. There is a certain amount of that competitive draw in PvP, but MMOs, I think, are far too distant from the actual numbers to make a sports fan happy. They may be interested in story, but at the end of the day, the game comes down to runs, strikes, and outs, and I think that's the way they like it.


MassivelyFantasy sports and MMO games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charles-hudsoncompetitionfantasy-sportsmmosnumbersrankingsportsthe-forgeMon, 03 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[G4 writer: Every MMOG since WoW is an epic failure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/g4-writer-every-mmog-since-wow-is-an-epic-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/g4-writer-every-mmog-since-wow-is-an-epic-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/g4-writer-every-mmog-since-wow-is-an-epic-failure/#commentsFiled under: ,

Insert "I pick whatever," and that list can be found on every webbed nook and seedy cranny. But this is the best list ever. Says Who? Anyone with a blog! Normally these lists are the opinions of one person, but the overall outlook is held to the site they scribble on. I don't remember taking a vote for "Massively's" Top 5 Sci-Fi MMOs," (although EVE would be my top pick) but it's possible other Massively writers voted. (You wouldn't believe how much we spam each other.) Well, this list by G4's Sjohnson entitled "Epic Fail: Gaming Failures" is turning a few heads. At the top of the heap, the writer boldly chooses the #1 failure as being: "Every North American MMO Since World of Warcraft."

What? It gets better. To solidify their opinion Johnson uses the all-to-familiar Star Wars Galaxies debacle ("Don't NGE me bro!") and points to the mega flopped Sims Online. Both power-players with established franchises, and their own built-in fanbases that should have thawed out the Frozen Moses and blew the genre to smithereens. What about actual MMOGs that were released after World of Warcraft? Johnson failed to list one. Maybe his list would have been better titled, "Every MMO ever released except World of Warcraft."

Lastly, World of Warcraft's 9 million total sub count is cool and all, but it doesn't mean a MMOG with 200k subs isn't successful in its own right. If you want to make a list about MMOG failures and base it on subs alone, it's only fair to include all those grindtastic ones based in Asia that have millions of subscriptions too. I wouldn't touch those MMOGs even if you imprisoned me on a gold farm with a thousand Natalie Portman cylons. (Wait a minute...) Still, I think these lists are fun and it leaves room for great debate. I want to know what you guys think. Has every single MMOG since World of Warcraft failed? Should LotRO have over a million subscriptions by now? What about the trouble regarding countless MMOG cancellations and delays over this past year-- is World of Warcraft to blame? Let us know in the comments.

[via, Random Battle]

MassivelyG4 writer: Every MMOG since WoW is an epic failure originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gods-and-heroeslistslotrommog-subscriptionsnumberssubscriptionsswgwowWed, 28 Nov 2007 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft still growing -- 9.3 million served]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/world-of-warcraft-still-growing-9-3-million-served/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/world-of-warcraft-still-growing-9-3-million-served/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/world-of-warcraft-still-growing-9-3-million-served/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Gamasutra reports that Vivendi, the parent company of Blizzard, has seen its Q3 2007 sales go up 19% over the last quarter. Vivendi credits this growth partially to the Chinese release of The Burning Crusade expansion for World of Warcraft, which occurred in Q3. The company revealed that World of Warcraft now has 9.3 million subscribers -- 300,000 more than the the number reported last quarter.

That means that WoW has grown by the size of one and a half EVE Onlines or two whole City of Heroeses in just a few months. Or put another way, the population of World of Warcraft is now greater than the population of Sweden. We think it's safe to say that World of Warcraft will be the dominant title in the industry for a while longer.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft still growing -- 9.3 million served originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardchinafinancialgamasutranumbersquartersalessubscribersthe-burning-crusadevivendiworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 14 Nov 2007 23:13:00 EST