massively multiplayer
How World of Warcraft's 10 Million Subscribers Stack Up To The Rest
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 12:40 PM on February 14, 2008
We all know that Blizzard's World of Warcraft is just another monumental success in a long line of monumental successes, but how does a 10 million strong subscriber base compare to the competition? There are a lot of massively multiplayer online games out there—EverQuest, Final Fantasy XI, EVE Online, Lineage—but their numbers pale in comparison to the juggernaut, the subscriber-thief that is WoW. According to newly released figures from MMO analyst site MMOGChart.com, Blizzard's MMO is commanding an impressive 62% of the market. What's even more impressive is its climb to 10 million.
As you can see, it didn't World of Warcraft long to bypass former worldwide MMO champ Lineage. After that, it never looked back, cruising to 10 million without so much as a stutter. Those numbers don't appear to be tapering off in the slightest.
For anyone who has a remote interest in the MMO market or is surprised by the low numbers for EverQuest and high numbers for Final Fantasy XI, the data is worth looking at. It's also worth a peek if you want to point and laugh at the disaster that is Star Wars Galaxies.
An Analysis of MMOG Subscription Growth - Version 22.0 [MMOGChart.com via Waxy]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Coldplayer
Posted February 14, 2008 8:55 PM
Whoot! Go WC! U show them who own's this Neighbourhood.
Ah, yes. Runescape. My Super arch nemesis. The Copper dagger in my Butt.* its filth still lingers on my finger tips. Oh how u “wasted!” away many of what would have been better days. With your lousy combat system, you’re six hundred or so dozen skill sets that made it feel like one big grind fest. With your over complicated farming skill, and of your praying, and my personal favourite, Fire making! U even got me to click every ten feet to move around the whole damn freak joint.
I commend u on the fact that I lost near all my items when I died, and made it so, that to do any number of quests, first I would need to do the equivalent of a 12 step fetch quest with that of my skill lvls.
Indeed, u got me levelling up fishing, so I could then catch the shark I needed, oh but wait. Now the damn thing needs to be cooked! Oh darn, my cooking skill isn’t high enough, oh but I can’t become an amazing chief until I get my Crafting skill up to scratch so I can mould the baking pan required to then cook the damn shark. But how am I going to craft this there pan, without the ore I need. Guess I Gotta to mining first. Then it’s of to the Smithing hut to smelt the ore, to craft the pan to cook the shark, to…. Oh crap, why am I doing this again?
I think I made my point.
And no u can’t have my lvl 85 character. Fat chance Hess ever gonna see the light of my monitor again... Can’t say he'll ever walk again too. Barsted...
*Oh ya. Copper being cheap. Dagger being painfull. And Butt being, my butt that had to sit through it all... God bless Tim Tams.
wow
Posted February 15, 2008 1:44 PM
It was amazing! Excellent post explain why wow get 10 million Subscribers.
SirBruce
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
More people need to digg this story! :)
SirBruce
Zephroth
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
realy what will happen with wow just as fast as it went up it will go down. I know they already lost 3 accounts with me and my parrents. Sorry but Customer service and support should come before proffits.
Zephroth
SirBruce
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Square-Enix releases a FFXI census report every year. According to it, there are still "500,000+ players". Now, they don't specify how much over; they've said the same thing for 3 years running. The login distribution graphs don't show any noticeable decline. Perhaps the problem was you didn't have to expansions; the census notes that new zones have become popular and old ones less.
[www.playonline.com]
SirBruce
Mendorian
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Skunky:
FFXI is holding up because SquareEnix hasn't released any hard numbers regarding their subscriber base for years.
I've revisited the game after 2 years of absence, and it was really a shame (Ragnarok Server). The auction houses completely empty, the cities almost completely empty, the level areas almost completely empty (no surprises here), and that was during european prime time. I also made chars on Fairy, Seraph, Kujata, Asura - same thing there. Even though I left because of the RMTs ruining the game, there at least WAS an economy to ruin.
I highly doubt the user count is still accurate.
Mendorian
pumpkinguts
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Everybody stop hating on WOW, It's #1 because it's the best.
pumpkinguts
Skunky
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'm surprised how well FFXI has been holding up. Kujata ftw!
I'm also surprised that UO's still holding steady, with a relatively flat line.
Skunky
finalgearsolid
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
That's really impressive. It doesn't even show signs of stopping. I think as long as Blizzard can crank out really good, indepth expansions at least once every two years, this things got some Chun-Li sized legs. On a side note, I'm interested to know how roughly how many people signed up for Wow after the episode on South Park. I'm just curious to see how much of an effect it had on the game.
finalgearsolid
wraith808
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
If you go to the site, not only are the charts bigger, but there are other charts too... all of the MMOs are represented.
wraith808
Atrahasis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
We need a new space-themed MMO that doesn't suck.
Atrahasis
placebofud
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@NeoAkira:
You mean these: [www.mmogchart.com] [www.mmogchart.com] ?
placebofud
Xagest
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'm sure Ragnarok Online beats out all of these if you consider everyone in the illegal Private Servers
Xagest
Livid
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Burn in hell SWG!
Livid
avconsumer
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
10 million people can't... be.. wrong. Mwa-ha-ha.
avconsumer
geekgrrl
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
nom nom nom...rofl.
geekgrrl
beeporama
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Yeah, just wait 'til the Hello Kitty MMO gets out of beta, bitchez.
beeporama
fuchikoma
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Ragnarok has had 17M before... it's clearly not in "all others" but never gets tracked by these guys.
fuchikoma
tanhaauser
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I do not trust any chart that does not count Maple Story.
F
tanhaauser
Jomo7
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Zunnoab: Yeah...for SOE whose shot themselves in the foot with Vanguard and SWG and even has alienated old members of Planetside
I'd play FFXI if I hadn't been banned twice now because they seem to have issues with charging my credit card, don't tell me, and then when it's too late, ban my account and don't let me recover it. Why can't they be like other MMOs and just not let me sign in until I pay.
Jomo7
jacksons98
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I couldn't get into WOW. Have a lot of friends on it, made several medium level characters but it just felt empty. Really didn't see any point in the game other than to level and kill even more and bigger creatures. Kind've lame.
jacksons98
Toothball
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Sinfjotle:
I went looking for Phantasy Star too, but I guess it was forgotten.
Toothball
mikecoscia
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Man I hope Stargate Worlds can etch out a living.
mikecoscia
Kuromimi
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I've played several MMOs, but none of them can hold my interest long. I played FFXI first, but little did I know how HARD it was. To the point of not having fun. Switched to WoW and it seemed much too easy. Yes fun, but where is the sense of accomplishment?
Played City of Heroes for awhile, great fun using the character design, but not much in the long term play value. But now with them adding in Villains with the package, and doling out new content every few months since the start, I'm giving it a try again.
Kuromimi
brieeyeball
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Just thought I'd point out to all the people complaining about the size of charts (too many, not going back and replying to all of them) that you can see them full-size by following the link. I guess Mcwhertor wanted to just give the gist of the charts, since the details are the only reason to read further on MMOGChart.
brieeyeball
openedge1
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
What is sad is all the LOTRO fanbois are in denial over this guys charting methods...
They even think that the original 800k mis-reported from the Boston Globe is more correct (where they guy took an advert from Turbine that said 4 millions "CHARACTERS" made and divided that by 5...not realizing that it could be 5 PER server at 12 servers....lol)
No...I think this shows just how boring and crappy all MMO's after WoW have been..
Later
openedge1
LordChris915
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
WERE IS MAPLESTORY!!!!!
DO I HAVE TO PUT IT ON THERE MY SELF.....COZ I WONT!
*angry face* >8-(
LordChris915
mondog
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Looking at how the stats are gathered on that site that is referenced they are hardly accurate. Going by the way that that site gathers the stats Lineage II should have 16 million subscribers.
mondog
dsvella
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
As an Ex-JAGEX employee i am disgusted that they hold a significant amount more than many good MMO's.
dsvella
Bleentastic
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
OMGi used to play Tibia it was the first MMO i played and it was filled with Swed's that use to PK ppl and yell SWEEEEE! all the time till like most MMO's now a days (non-WoW ones) became "infested" with BR's (Brazilian) and ruined the game for most people. That and the constant war between the Swed vs Swed vs BR vs everyone else got me out of the game. Game seem to explode now. was 10 servers when i started now it has like 60 or so. Ahh those were the days
Bleentastic
Fyren
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Can we get a Cha-Ching for Blizzard?
Fyren
skullpanda
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I hope Darkfall plays the EVE online card. Appeal to a niche audience, and just keep growing. Nothing is going to be able to compete with WoW for a long time, considering that it's carebear, idiot, and child friendly. Oh well. At least it's eradicating that "all mmo players are stinky losers" stigma.
skullpanda
Murrytmds
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
What th crap. I know WoW is big, but THAT big? And runescape bigger than EQ 1/2 combined? That online make this chart very suspect in my eyes..
Murrytmds
magically_delicious
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'd love to see someone attempt to challenge world of warcraft. Crap like vanguard and Lotro certainly suck to much to do so.
magically_delicious
Wyld
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Now I want my honor and arena points.
Wyld
Ra on the Moon.
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
watch out Wow! EVE is on your tail!!
Ra on the Moon.
Anaxtasian
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@IDontC: WoW was sustainable huge let's say... 2 years ago. But in the last months have been getting popular, with all the TV adds. Big badda boom! Grrr overpopulated servers and inflation I tell ya.
Anaxtasian
Anaxtasian
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@MeanMF:
lol... In the other hand, I want me some WoW :(
Anaxtasian
SuperMekman
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Take that FFXI! God I hate that game!
SuperMekman
lifeinthefridge
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
i agree too bad guild wars isnt on there , but of course no subscription fee. Which is a good thing :)
lifeinthefridge
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@evslin:
Great Plan!
EnigmaNemesis
evslin
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@evslin: a ban on Sony/X-Box.
evslin
evslin
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@heartless_king: I'm calling for a ban on all mmo related news because it always breaks down to someone or some people always having to bitch about WoW.
I'd also like to call for a ban on Nintendo news because that brings the Sony fanboys out, a ban Sony news because that brings the X-Box fans out, a ban X-Box news because that brings the anti-MS crowd out, a ban on console gaming because you'll have people saying PC gaming is better, and also a ban on PC gaming because you'll have people laughing about video cards costing more than a Nintendo Wii.
Actually, let's just ban everything, that way nobody will have anything to disagree on.
evslin
heartless_king
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'm calling for a ban on all mmo related news because it always breaks down to someone or some people always having to bitch about WoW. I used to hate WoW. Used to hate all MMO's. Thought the same thoughts you did, "Pshaw, spend money monthly to play a game? Get real". I'm on my 2nd lvl 70 toon, in an endgame raiding guild, a full time college student, and employed part-time since that is all I need working 20+ hours a week. All possible arguements are null and void, so please do us who do play ANY mmo a favor and just save your crying for someone who really cares. Most of us spend as much time playing online as you cryers do playing on consoles. Most of you haters haven't even tried an MMO. I know from experience that's how most of you are, I was one.
I find it remarkable that Blizz makes enough money off of wow subscriptions alone to have more money than some countries in the world. Maybe that is their plan, they'll get all of us WoW/Diablo/SC players together and form our own country. We'll take over a chunk of Asia just because it would be so damn ironic. I think the only thing that could kill WoW at this point (even if it has a large drop, a large drop from 10 mil still leaves you with a few million people which is still a helluva lot more than the rest), will be something of Blizz's own creation. They've got the forumla down now, they just need to keep it fresh or do something new with it to keep us happy and hungry.
heartless_king
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Irenicus-the one and only:
:-/
LOL!
EnigmaNemesis
Rokuchan
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'd be interested to see a list of non-subscription games. Guild Wars for the win.
Rokuchan
Ghede
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
How many of those playing WoW are also playing one or more of the others?
... Are there only 10 Million MMO players out there? And every one of them has at one point subscribed to WoW?
Ghede
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@EnigmaNemesis: hehhe, okey I won't, besides, there are other things that can make one cry. Like Shenmue 3!!! /cries
Irenicus-the one and only
PsycheDiver
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
EVE Online is still the best MMO there is.
PsycheDiver
kyosen
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
heh.. I don't know what's worse, playing WoW or hanging out in pubs.
kyosen
Shiku
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
FFXI definitely deserves to be up there. Best MMO.
Shiku
scram
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
well on the bright side thats about 10 million fat lifeless addicts that wont take up space in our lives, in pubs etc.
scram
Odin
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@necrotoxin:
If you're talking about Warhammer Online then it's just not going to work. Not unless they tighten up the combat a good deal from the last time I played and improve their PVP battlegrounds clone.
Odin
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Irenicus-the one and only:
/agree
Don't bring up bad feelings please!
LOL!
EnigmaNemesis
Saith17
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@JetPogi: I was looking for it too. That's the only one I ever played, short of a free demo of WOW.
Saith17
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@EnigmaNemesis: I just want SWG to burn... I can't believe they are reporting a damn increase... whats wrong with gamers?
Irenicus-the one and only
atomos
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I played WoW for awhile, but felt too much like a stupid noob so quit. Though I did play EQ back in the day, but had people to twink my characters. Starting from scratch is such a pain.
atomos
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
They cant get accurate numbers, or any for that matter from the other companies, because they don't release any like Blizzard does.
And in all truthfulness, WoW having this much success is a double edged sword.
EnigmaNemesis
Zunnoab
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Is this the same place that admitted they pulled the numbers out of their hat in the past?
Everquest is one of the (IF NOT THE) top MMORPGs for SoE.
Zunnoab
Tubatic
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@AdmiralRupert: As opposed to millions of lives wasting billions of hours offline in console games?
Get off it, M8. Gamers game.
Tubatic
Kaljin
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@tamago007:
It sucks because it appeals to a casual market? Or does it suck because it just sucks?
Kaljin
Ecks
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I do wonder why *EVERYONE* plays WoW when other games are fun (I've played EverQuest and FFXI), but seeing 500k (FFXI) vs 10 *MILLION* (WoW) is a HUGE difference.
Ecks
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@AdmiralRupert: Not millions with a problem though, I had problems lol but not everyone does, and as long as you play moderatly it can be great fun and the only game you need.
Irenicus-the one and only
Sailorcancer
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
PSU isn't on it. That's the only MMO I play.
Sailorcancer
tamago007
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
WoW sux
tamago007
AdmiralRupert
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Millions of lives wasting billions of hours online. That is the single saddest thing I have ever seen in my life.
AdmiralRupert
D3Anon
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Yeah whats that again about LOTRO and other mmos claiming they will take a chunk from Wow?
D3Anon
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Runescape second biggest? WTF! lol
I'm glad to see EvE Online growing, a game I played on and off for years hardcore. Great game.
Come on Star Wars Galaxies, die die die. I hope it dies real soon, to teach SOE and LA a valuable lesson!!! Oh god I miss you so :( Whyyyyyyyyy
Irenicus-the one and only
smashbruvah
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
All those lives... gone. A damn shame.
smashbruvah
icelight
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
For all the "WoW will never die" commenters out there, it might be informative to look at the MMOG by Relative Size graph, and notice that, much like WoW dominates the market now, there was a time when Lineage was just as overwhelmingly present. And then eventually it lost its share to steady erosion. And Lineage was by far the dominant game for significantly longer than WoW has been around. So I'd be very careful about making predictions of immortality just yet.
icelight
SirBruce
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Hi guys, thanks for the link to my charts; I hope you're all enjoying them. :) The charts are new as of February 2008 although some games don't have data updated since 2007 or 2006.
As others have pointed out, I only track subscription-based MMOGs, and then only those I have data for. There are a lot of Free-to-Play and microtransaction-based games that aren't tracked. Also, for games like Dofus and RuneScape, only the paying subscriptions are tracked; they would be much higher if they included free players.
Guild Wars has registered 4,878,000 accounts since release. But how many of those are actually active players? There's no subscription free, so you can't really compare it to subscription MMOGs. Also, I would argue that games like Guild Wars and Hellgate: London are not really MMOGs anyway since the world has no persistant state; it's just persitant characters and a lot of instances that reset.
If the charts are too small, you can go to the site directly to look at them in the Charts section. There's also a very long Analysis & Conclusions section which has more data and discussion. If you can't find a particular game (someone mentioned Matrix Online), you need to look at one of the charts for the smaller games. Also, there's an Excel file in the Downloads section for those who want to look at the numbers and the charts in detail. The FAQ covers all questions as to sources and methods and why a game you want to see probably isn't listed.
Any other questions? :)
Bruce
SirBruce
llama-king
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
wow i play dofus i never though it would be on a chart like this because most of the people playing it are french
llama-king
homernoy
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
PC gaming is DEAD! Fuck you...
homernoy
R3load
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Bisu: Wow. These numbers officially show that WoW isnt going anywhere. For a long time.
The funny thing about that is everyone I played EQ2 with before telling them I was leaving when WoW hit the shelves, they told me I was stupid because it would not last, and they said the graphics sucked, Lol. Three months passed and WoW had a higher subscription base than EQ2. Six months passed and WoW had already exceeded all other MMO's (those on the list). One year passed and dammit if they didn't keep rising. I wonder what they would say to me know, even though I don't play anymore.
R3load
NKato
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@GenericKen: Rich enough to own their own nation. Technically, they already do.
NKato
GenericKen
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I think back to all the money Blizzard spent supporting Diablo 2 and refining its gameplay through 10 pretty significant patch releases with no return on investment whatsoever.
I think now to the obscene amounts of money Blizzard is making applying those game concepts to WoW. It's getting to the point where WoW doesn't belong on these subscription charts, but on a chart of national GDPs.
Assuming $15 a month and a gross revenue of $1.8 billion a year, they'd rank at #152 out of 183 on this list:
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)"
GenericKen
hoeney
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
a game like WoW isn't fun, it's too easy, and i've played it before when it was called diablo 2
hoeney
Leathersoup
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
The graphs here are from 2006! Not exactly up to date. This is probably from before Wow hit 8 million subscribers.
Leathersoup
NKato
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@surft: Are free to play MMO's subscriber-based? No. So, no it wouldn't be covered. Boom.
NKato
kirstpo
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I had my experience of MMORPG with Final Fantasy IX. Played it for a year or more. I didn't personally know anybody else that played it. It was fun though. Would've been better if I knew somebody that I could play the game with. Probably won't get back into an MMORPG because it takes too much time. At least I can say I've experienced the wonders of an MMORPG once in my life.
kirstpo
NKato
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@combatmedic77: Just wait for Bioware to come with their new MMO. I'm hoping it will be all-encompassing like SWG was, while being just as "fun" as WoW.
NKato
NeoAkira
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@brent_w:
I don't mean games with a large amount of Korean players, I mean Korean MMORPG's. You know, the one's that we get updates about all the time here on Kotaku. I'm pretty sure they weren't included.
NeoAkira
Xenigma
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
It's interesting to see the numbers of games you are familiar with. Star Wars Galaxies, for example, seemed to have considerably greater losses after they released their "Combat Upgrade" and "New Game Enhancements" in 2005. Good riddance, I say. The revisions made a fairly likable game utter trash. Still, I'm surprised to see ~100k subscribers listed going into 2008.
What makes me happy is seeing EVE Online steadily increasing. Great game that deserves a solid fanbase.
What puzzles me is Anarchy Online not having listings past Jan. 2006 on their 0-120,000 chart. I guess it might be because of new free accounts, though they do list games like Runescape. Shame the account base is pictured at so low at that point too: one of my favorite MMOs, once they cleaned up the majority of the bugs.
Xenigma
ninja_squirrel
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
hey look its pac-man!!!! but seriously looking at that chart i can understand why games like marvel universe online were canceled, companies probably look at that chart and say "why even try".
ninja_squirrel
Karlott
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@thejakeman: probably disagrees with you: BB's history, but it's free and available on SCHTHACK. Little buggy, but the core game is fully intact and excellent if you like PSO.
And yeah...WoW sucks. Now if other companies would see this graph and say "hmmm maybe trying this is a waste of our time" they'd stop churning out so much shit MMOs and work on GOOD games. But they're all delusional and think they're going to get significant shares of that WoW playerbase. Hint: They aren't.
Karlott
Kavatar
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
It amazes me that World of Warcraft is continuing to gain subscribers constantly even after being around for 3+ years. It also makes me shake my head that so many people waste their lives on online RPGs.
Kavatar
surft
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
does the survey cover free to play mmo's?
surft
Monstercloud
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
It's not even that Guild Wars doesn't require a fee to play, it doesn't share the characteristics of an MMO. It's more closer to Diablo, since you don't see the majority of people out of towns.
Monstercloud
Durandel
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Bluecell: I used to play Runescape quite a bit, and I loved it. The graphics are definitely sub par, but aside from that, it's a solid experience (in every way that an MMORPG should be). I'm not surprised it lies at #2.
Durandel
thejakeman: probably disagrees with you
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Phantasy Star Online? where? Blue Burst is still running...
thejakeman: probably disagrees with you
Gouki4u
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Looking at that pie chart makes me wonder why any developers would bother with an MMO at the moment. When WoW dies, if Blizzard doesn't have something to fill the void (unlikely) then will be the time to strike, but does developing now put a game in that juicy, hypothetical position? I doubt it.
Gouki4u
Bluecell
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
It pains me that Runescape does so well...if these graphs are to be believed. Everytime I see that game, I wonder how people can play it. It's boring, incredibly flawed, and hideous to look at.
Bluecell
Torusan
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I always wonder how FFXI fared against other MMOs other than WoW. Love it to death.
Torusan
DAMN YOU WITZBOLDDDDDDDDDDDD
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
You can play it for free though.
DAMN YOU WITZBOLDDDDDDDDDDDD
Yuki
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@chugger1992: Because it costs money. Heh, I used to play that game for free back in high school and given my experience with it, no way is it worth even $5. Let us not look back on such dark days.
Yuki
DAMN YOU WITZBOLDDDDDDDDDDDD
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Iron_Dragon_2.0: Runescape is subscription based. Guild Wars isn't.
DAMN YOU WITZBOLDDDDDDDDDDDD
Risky
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I can't read these tiny graphs!
Risky
AndrewDB
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@CheckersMcGavern: here here. All too true.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is one of the most beautiful, and wonderful mmo's I've played and I've played almost every single mmo listed on this list, and even betaed some of them. Which one do I come back to?.. Vanguard.
Anyway, yeah, these graphs are sorta bleh.
AndrewDB
chugger1992
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Yuki: $5 a month and contained within a web browser- why not?
chugger1992
CheckersMcGavern
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Popularity doesn't = quality.
This just means the games much more over-rated than I originally thought.
CheckersMcGavern
Iron_Dragon_2.0
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Wait wait wait. Runescape counts yet Guild Wars doesn't?
Iron_Dragon_2.0
JetPogi
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
If you include MapleStory that chart will look different.
JetPogi
Vecha
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Runescape....wow.
Vecha
muu
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Bah, we all know that subscription figures are in no way related to a game's quality. WoW, with all its subscribers, is filled to the brim with assholes you wish you never spent any time with. FF11, on the other hand.... on the other hand...
muu
Yuki
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Runescape has the second largest market share? Are you kidding me?
Yuki
HigglyPiggly
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Where's Guild Wars?
HigglyPiggly
DigitalHero
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@brent_w:
Oh sorry. On South Park's "Make Love Not Warcraft" episode, Cartman is walking through an alliance town and says, "Look at all these guys. I bet they are all Korean". Your post just reminded me of that. LOL. Sorry about the confusion.
DigitalHero
weeoo
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I'm not into MMOs too much because I don't want to pay twenty bucks a month to play them. If it's like XBL where you pay only fifty bucks a month then yeah that's reasonable, but then again I don't like to pay fifty dollars a month0_o...
weeoo
brent_w
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@DigitalHero: Cartman?
brent_w
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
To be fair, all the Asian accounts are gold farmers!
:-p
EnigmaNemesis
zzt711
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Where the hell is Guild Wars! Even though you only need to purchase the core game, one still needs to subscribe (setup an account), you just don't need to pay a monthly fee. Guild Wars works off a different cash model, you pay full price on three different campaigns, an expansion and some additional minor stuff.
And yeah it's no WoW, but it actually way better than many paid for mmo's, heh.
When the heck is Warhammer Online going to be out already :(
zzt711
zdude255
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Hmm, WoW seems to be a giant Pacman, eating everything in its path.
zdude255
Sinfjotle
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
No Phantasy Star Universe? Or am I blind?
Sinfjotle
SnakeCL
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Its very impressive, but keep in-mind, over 1/2 of that WoW subscriber-base is from Asia-alone.
"2.5+ million in North America, 2+ million in Europe, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia."
SnakeCL
DigitalHero
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@brent_w:
"What do you call Lineage & Lineage 2?
The vast majority of subscribers to both games are Korean."
Ok Cartman hahaha
DigitalHero
pylon_trooper
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
[jp]
+ Watch video
Damn all of your big MMOs. Again, I say...Blitz.
pylon_trooper
Random1512
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I think that it dose include regional content, but pointedly only includes subscription games. ROSE Online, Maple Story, Gunbound, Kartracer, and all the rest are microtrans supported games. Maple Story is big enough in the US to have it's own cardgame (in Toys R Us no less, not just cardshops) but has 0 subscribers.
Random1512
brent_w
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I hadn't realized how low Ultima Online's numbers have become.
brent_w
Hrist
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
City of Heroes sure died, didn't it.
Hrist
DigitalHero
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Now that I think about it, where is this guy getting these numbers from to create this chart?
DigitalHero
brent_w
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@NeoAkira: @Vyse24:
What do you call Lineage & Lineage 2?
The vast majority of subscribers to both games are Korean.
(Not to mention they are the flagship games of Korean MMO giant NCsoft.)
brent_w
Sinfjotle
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
So Square still hasn't updated their current people playing in like two years or whatever? It's not 500,000, it's probably a bit lower.
Sinfjotle
DigitalHero
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
"For anyone who has a remote interest in the MMO market or is surprised by the low numbers for EverQuest..."
Well, Everquest is almost 10 years old so that has to be a factor and there is a sequel out.
DigitalHero
Barf#1
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
That's Insane! That means Blizzard makes around $150,000,000 a month on subscription fees ALONE. Never mind the toys,cards,cups,and all other WoW Stuff they sell. Imagine if WoW hit the consoles!
Barf#1
Jaybosan
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
that is pretty sad for the rest of the MMO's. I'm beginning to worry for the next gen. I've entered a stage of my life where I don't desire a really hardcore MMO so the casual trend suits me ok, but I do love me some random hardcore PvP action that is lacking from WoW these days.
Jaybosan
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I hope LOTRO survives.... They deserve it at least..
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
brent_w
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I cant see anything, these charts are too small. :-(
brent_w
Katorok
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Wow if you look at the line graph, you can see that WoW's subscription base has NEVER EVAR gone below the previous month, they have been steadily increasing SINCE CREATION...
Katorok
dadeisvenm
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
How about WoW v. non-subscription MMOGs because subscriptions sux.
dadeisvenm
Teiris2355
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
FFXI FTW! :D
Teiris2355
BuckTwenty
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
The only MMO I ever played, Matrix Online, isn't even on there.
...nor should it be. What a waste.
BuckTwenty
justhesh
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Aethyr: ...and it's not a typical MMORPG, but MMO&RPG.
justhesh
IDontC
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I knew WoW was big, but i never figured it was that huge.
IDontC
okenny :)
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I really does seem like WoW cannibalized and grew it's market simultaneousness.
okenny :)
combatmedic77
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Hey shut up! SWG was WAY more fun than WoW ever was... before the NGE crap killed the game...
*sob*
combatmedic77
necrotoxin
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I hope blizzard is enjyoing their large piece of pie, and soon EA Mythic will be enjoying a nice big slice.
necrotoxin
Xander
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I love statistics like these.
Xander
mpmaley
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
All right FFXI! #5!
mpmaley
protoman
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
world of WHY
protoman
KillerAJD
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
"it didn't World of Warcraft".....?!?! I think something is missing! Anyways, looks like WoW is doing quite well, lol. Somebody needs to shop a DS-like money making .gif for Blizzard, lol.
KillerAJD
Ampillion lives a life much like No More Heroes.
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@NeoAkira: I'm thinking this is aiming more at the worldwide subscriber numbers, and doesn't tabulate in things that might be F2P or entirely exclusive to regions. Though I'm not sure why they wouldn't be included in the Asian market shares unless there are just no subscription type models there that are hugely popular.
Ampillion lives a life much like No More Heroes.
pylon_trooper
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I still think that Blitz 1941 was the best MMO game out there. The grinding was fun because it was at least skill-based.
Bring back Blitz 1941. Free and good. Where did it go?!
pylon_trooper
ggodo
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@NeoAkira: I think you're right. the Guild Wars 'buy the disc then play til we shut down our servers' model doesn't seem to apply to these charts. the site seems to be tabulating how much these monsters pull in via subscriptons.
So Guild Wars and Diablo don't count.
@Aethyr: See above.
ggodo
Kyoya
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
City of Heroes didn't even make the list, that just makes me sad.
Kyoya
dirkxxdiggler
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
click the link to the website, it shows the graphs much bigger.
dirkxxdiggler
Mit
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Guild Wars comments: Notice the 'subscription' in the chart titles.
Mit
perrinbar
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Aethyr: That's what I would guess as well. If they are just tracking subscriptions rather than game purchases Guild Wars wouldn't have any numbers. It's still a good selling game however, certainly no WoW though.
perrinbar
ffmusicdj
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Wow...
ffmusicdj
Vyse24
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@NeoAkira: I don't think so. There's nothing about Maple Story on any chart.
Vyse24
Morberis
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I've never even heard of Dofus before...
Morberis
Bisu
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Wow. These numbers officially show that WoW isnt going anywhere. For a long time.
Bisu
Ashurahori
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
No love for Guild Wars?
Ashurahori
MeanMF
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I have a sudden hankering for pie.
MeanMF
NeoAkira
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
Does this even count all those Korean MMO's that are super popular in korea?
NeoAkira
Aethyr
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
@Sparx88: I guess because it's not subscription based...?
Aethyr
Sollus
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
I can't read the text on those charts. Too small.
Sollus
Sparx88
Posted 5:08 PM 16/2/08
That sucks, Guild Wars doesn't even have its own slot
Sparx88
Charleslegrand
Posted 7:46 PM 3/3/08
If you read a bit, you'll see that some games are not there because there is no data available.
Charleslegrand
Charleslegrand
Posted 7:46 PM 3/3/08
Runescape for the win lol
Charleslegrand