I'm not a WoW basher, but this is one area, that Blizzard, with WoW, completely turned into a number's "one Up" game. They just kept having press releases evertime they hit a new subscriber milestone. So much so that it influenced sales and marketing and hit the main news. Now everyone(game companies) wants a piece of the pie so now it matters, sadly. Players are joining this now as well to show off who's game is better, another sad state.
So, for just this once, I truly blame WoW. Something I never do.
That becouse US culture is based on big bigger biggest, fast faster fastest or best better the best:)
Im the greatest, mine is bigger then yours, im richer then you, i more powerfull then you, im fastest hehe.
And that also go for numbers servers population and how games these days are design so people can brag about it, and its mainly comming from US and tthere culture that even influence in some way europe and asia more or less:)
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009..... In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
I'm not a WoW basher, but this is one area, that Blizzard, with WoW, completely turned into a number's "one Up" game. They just kept having press releases evertime they hit a new subscriber milestone. So much so that it influenced sales and marketing and hit the main news. Now everyone(game companies) wants a piece of the pie so now it matters, sadly. Players are joining this now as well to show off who's game is better, another sad state.
So, for just this once, I truly blame WoW. Something I never do.
That becouse US culture is based on big bigger biggest, fast faster fastest or best better the best:)
Im the greatest, mine is bigger then yours, im richer then you, i more powerfull then you, im fastest hehe.
And that also go for numbers servers population and how games these days are design so people can brag about it, and its mainly comming from US and tthere culture that even influence in some way europe and asia more or less:)
Well the number game is MUCH MORE severe in Asia compared to the US. In some Asian countries, students are giving a numerical rank (based on exam scores) and posted PUBLICLY.
When you come right down to it, like other things in life, with MMORPG's "size matters" and for most of them having a robust player base is very important hence we focus on sub numbers so much.
Sure, we solo a lot, (wish that wasn't so, but I'm in the minority) but when we wish to interact with others, be it to sell our wares, or show off our uber gear, there's better be people around to show off to.
I recently played Fallen Earth and while I really enjoyed the game, it was a ghost town at the upper levels and I could not stick with it.
Just like I never eat at restaurants that aren't popular, same goes for MMORPG's, where the need is much greater.
I always play on PVP servers (even though I'm a carebear) because having someone to be in conflict with is essential for my enjoyment of these games.
Nothing more boring than trying to hunt the world for victims only to find its totally empty (why I miss my old server Mordred in DAOC.) WAR largely failed because they couldn't keep up the momentum and get players together in large enough quantities.
People decry the zerg, but fact is, many of them love the zerg (esp in open world PVP).
Once the numbers drop off everyone is no longer happy.
One trend of modern MMO's that I hate is the failure to post the number of players online . I used to love that about DAOC, if I ran the world MMORPG companies would be required to post the figures.
Why do most companies hide the number of subs? Because they are ashamed to report unfavorable results. If they were proud of them they'd tout it to the world. (see CCP and EVE online).
Even Blizzard cheats, they only publish their sub numbers on an uptick, once they start to decline they go largely silent and get more vague until their next expansion comes out. (I applaud NCSoft for always making their sub numbers/income sources very clear in their finanicals, unlike most other firms)
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Comments
That becouse US culture is based on big bigger biggest, fast faster fastest or best better the best:)
Im the greatest, mine is bigger then yours, im richer then you, i more powerfull then you, im fastest hehe.
And that also go for numbers servers population and how games these days are design so people can brag about it, and its mainly comming from US and tthere culture that even influence in some way europe and asia more or less:)
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
Well the number game is MUCH MORE severe in Asia compared to the US. In some Asian countries, students are giving a numerical rank (based on exam scores) and posted PUBLICLY.
No one does epleen better than that.
... ??????
What did you want to say ?
"epleen" is not an english word.
When you come right down to it, like other things in life, with MMORPG's "size matters"
and for most of them having a robust player base is very important hence we focus on sub numbers so much.
Sure, we solo a lot, (wish that wasn't so, but I'm in the minority) but when we wish to interact with others, be it to sell our wares, or show off our uber gear, there's better be people around to show off to.
I recently played Fallen Earth and while I really enjoyed the game, it was a ghost town at the upper levels and I could not stick with it.
Just like I never eat at restaurants that aren't popular, same goes for MMORPG's, where the need is much greater.
I always play on PVP servers (even though I'm a carebear) because having someone to be in conflict with is essential for my enjoyment of these games.
Nothing more boring than trying to hunt the world for victims only to find its totally empty (why I miss my old server Mordred in DAOC.) WAR largely failed because they couldn't keep up the momentum and get players together in large enough quantities.
People decry the zerg, but fact is, many of them love the zerg (esp in open world PVP).
Once the numbers drop off everyone is no longer happy.
One trend of modern MMO's that I hate is the failure to post the number of players online . I used to love that about DAOC, if I ran the world MMORPG companies would be required to post the figures.
Why do most companies hide the number of subs? Because they are ashamed to report unfavorable results. If they were proud of them they'd tout it to the world. (see CCP and EVE online).
Even Blizzard cheats, they only publish their sub numbers on an uptick, once they start to decline they go largely silent and get more vague until their next expansion comes out. (I applaud NCSoft for always making their sub numbers/income sources very clear in their finanicals, unlike most other firms)
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon