Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

World of Warcraft: Subscribers Down, Profits Up

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

During yesterday's investor's call, Activision-Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft subscriber numbers are ~10.2 million. This number is down approximately 100,000 since November of last year. The company indicated, however, that profits for the quarter were up due to successful releases of Skylanders and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and to over a million folks taking advantage of the WoW Annual Pass.

Read the full investors' report and its news about World of Warcraft.



¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


«1

Comments

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    news title would have been better stated as:

     

    Activision/Blizzard:  Wow subs down, Profits up

  • ArawulfArawulf Guest WriterMember UncommonPosts: 597

    Actually the subscriber loss isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Plus a million annual passes sold.  The ship isn't sinking quite as fast as I was lead to believe.

  • DauzqulDauzqul Member RarePosts: 1,982

    I thought WoW's subscription loss would be much greater since last November due to the launch of SWTOR.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by Qazaam

    Actually the subscriber loss isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Plus a million annual passes sold.  The ship isn't sinking quite as fast as I was lead to believe.

    should be noted

    a million annual passes does not mean that players payed for a year in advance

     

    the annual pass is a declaration of "intent to pay for a year"

    players can pay monthly and be part of the annual pass  -- and the player can drop out from the agreement anytime

     

     I agree, WOW is doing OK

  • ProfRedProfRed Member UncommonPosts: 3,494

    Originally posted by mmoDAD

    I thought WoW's subscription loss would be much greater since last November due to the launch of SWTOR.

    Well like 90% of WoW's subs are in regions where SWTOR is not yet available.  You will see a bigger drop in subs from Rift opening in China than SWTOR launching NA and Europe.

  • ArawulfArawulf Guest WriterMember UncommonPosts: 597

    Originally posted by Nadia

    Originally posted by Qazaam

    Actually the subscriber loss isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Plus a million annual passes sold.  The ship isn't sinking quite as fast as I was lead to believe.

    should be noted

    a million annual passes does not mean that players payed for a year in advance

     

    the annual pass is a declaration of "intent to pay for a year"

    players can pay monthly and be part of the annual pass  -- and the player can drop out from the agreement anytime

     

     I agree, WOW is doing OK

    I know how the annual pass works, but considering the fact that only about 5 million accounts even qualified to sign up for the annual pass and that 20% said, "I plan on playing WoW for another year" speaks volumes. 

    The other thing to consider: with so many players getting into the MoP beta - I wonder if they are even going to charge for that xpac considering how many will get to consume it's content before it's even out. Hmmmm.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by ProfRed

     You will see a bigger drop in subs from Rift opening in China than SWTOR launching NA and Europe.

    thanks for ithe info

    I wasnt aware that RIFT is launching in China in march

  • dreamsofwardreamsofwar Member Posts: 468

    Things are never as bad as this site makes it out to be.

    The money lost from the small number of cancelled subscriptions is easily made up by their cash shop.

  • AntariousAntarious Member UncommonPosts: 2,834

    Originally posted by Nadia

    Originally posted by Qazaam

    Actually the subscriber loss isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Plus a million annual passes sold.  The ship isn't sinking quite as fast as I was lead to believe.

    should be noted

    a million annual passes does not mean that players payed for a year in advance

     

    the annual pass is a declaration of "intent to pay for a year"

    players can pay monthly and be part of the annual pass  -- and the player can drop out from the agreement anytime

     

     I agree, WOW is doing OK

     

    The one line of this I would bring up is:

     

    "players can pay monthly and be part of the annual pass -- and the player can drop out from the agreement anytime"

     

    Actually if you sign up for the pass the cancel option is greyed out on your account.   Mousing over it will say you cannot cancel until (and I forget the exact wording) but its 12 months from when you signed up for the pass.

     

    Obviously you can go to your credit card company and decline the charges... however, you will then have your account permanently banned as well.

     

    So yes you can drop out anytime... if you don't plan on ever playing that account* again.  (edited to add "that account" )

     

    Some people may choose to do that...

     

    I just thought it should be clear that while you could "opt out" there is no way to go into account management and do it.   Or in other words... There is no Blizzard approved way to simply drop out.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by Antarious

    "players can pay monthly and be part of the annual pass -- and the player can drop out from the agreement anytime"

    Actually if you sign up for the pass the cancel option is greyed out on your account.   Mousing over it will say you cannot cancel until (and I forget the exact wording) but its 12 months from when you signed up for the pass.

    Obviously you can go to your credit card company and decline the charges... however, you will then have your account permanently banned as well.

    So yes you can drop out anytime... if you don't plan on ever playing that account* again.  (edited to add "that account" )

    Some people may choose to do that...

    I just thought it should be clear that while you could "opt out" there is no way to go into account management and do it.   Or in other words... There is no Blizzard approved way to simply drop out.

    people have paid with a time card and their acct was frozen when next month wasnt paid - not banned

    http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/338806/Annual-pass-no-money-taken.html

     

    faq

    http://us.battle.net/support/en/article/world-of-warcraft-annual-pass-faq

    terms of use

    http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/world-of-warcraft-annual-pass-tou.html

    If your World of Warcraft subscription lapses during the Twelve Month Commitment, or if you fail to make any required payments or timely payments, Blizzard reserves the right to terminate your participation in this offer in addition to any and all other remedies that may be available to Blizzard at law.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by Nadia

    news title would have been better stated as:

    Activision/Blizzard:  Wow subs down, Profits up

    Yeah, unless Blizzard sells more stuff in the RMT as well. It wouldn´t actually be that far fetched, 100K players ain´t so much.

    People paying for a year really is a profit that should be splitted for the entire year or they suddenly will lose money next period since those people already paid.

  • snoop101snoop101 Member UncommonPosts: 400

    Wel I think now and in the next few months WOW will actually get more subs. I see three reasons.

    1) People realizing that Star wars is just blah. People who didnt sub to wow cause they were waiting to see how star wars would turn out.

    2) I think theres a lot of people (like myself) who havent played since WOTLK and are missing wow. I could see this because other then Rift there is no other fantasy mmo's worth playing. 

    3) People getting the anual pass to get diablo 3 free.

  • wormedwormed Member UncommonPosts: 472

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by wormed

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

    blizzard claimed one month sales of 4.7 million --- I trust that more than an "estimation" site

    http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2847887

  • dreamsofwardreamsofwar Member Posts: 468

    Originally posted by wormed

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft:_Cataclysm#Sales

    Blizzard would also be breaking the law by releasing false information to investors. 

    Even if your link was true, 3 million would still make it the most played MMO on the market wouldn't it?

     

  • wormedwormed Member UncommonPosts: 472

    Originally posted by Nadia

    Originally posted by wormed

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

    blizzard claimed one month sales of 4.7 million --- I trust that more than an "estimation" site

    http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2847887

     

    If that's the case, it's still a far cry from 10.3m.

  • wormedwormed Member UncommonPosts: 472

    Originally posted by dreamsofwar

    Originally posted by wormed

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft:_Cataclysm#Sales

    Blizzard would also be breaking the law by releasing false information to investors. 

    Even if your link was true, 3 million would still make it the most played MMO on the market wouldn't it?

     

    Yea, and I'm sure you think the "law" is pristine and perfect in the United States. /sarcasm

  • KholeKhole Member CommonPosts: 136

    That 4.7 million is still just one month of sales. It hardly equals the total sales of the expansion.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    i hated cata with a passion but it outsold all other wow expansions on its release

    http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/12/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-breaks-sales-records-for-pc-gaming.ars

  • ShivamShivam Member Posts: 465

    Originally posted by wormed

    Originally posted by dreamsofwar


    Originally posted by wormed

    http://www.vgchartz.com/game/38102/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm/

    The gullible fanboys really think there are still 10.3 million active subscribers when they only sell 3 million of the latest expansion?

    ...yeeeea, not likely.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft:_Cataclysm#Sales

    Blizzard would also be breaking the law by releasing false information to investors. 

    Even if your link was true, 3 million would still make it the most played MMO on the market wouldn't it?

     

    Yea, and I'm sure you think the "law" is pristine and perfect in the United States. /sarcasm

    But it isn't that lawless either where companies openly lie to its investors and expect to get away with it.

    You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty -- Mahatma Gandhi

    image

  • wormedwormed Member UncommonPosts: 472

    Originally posted by Khole

    That 4.7 million is still just one month of sales. It hardly equals the total sales of the expansion.

    ... you really think they sold 5.6 million more copies since then?

    ...

    ...

    The point is that they DON'T have 10.3 million ACTIVE subscribers. What their definition of "subscription" most likely differs than what it SHOULD be. 

  • dreamsofwardreamsofwar Member Posts: 468

    Originally posted by wormed

    Originally posted by Khole

    That 4.7 million is still just one month of sales. It hardly equals the total sales of the expansion.

    ... you really think they sold 5.6 million more copies since then?

    ...

    ...

    The point is that they DON'T have 10.3 million ACTIVE subscribers. What their definition of "subscription" most likely differs than what it SHOULD be. 

    Where is your proof of that?

    If what they say about their profits is true, it doesn't even matter.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by wormed

    The point is that they DON'T have 10.3 million ACTIVE subscribers. What their definition of "subscription" most likely differs than what it SHOULD be. 

    im not a blizzard fan

    but blizzard spells out what sub means better than any other company

     

    World of Warcraft’s Subscriber Definition



    World of Warcraft® subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.

  • MichaelCrMichaelCr Member Posts: 32

    lol I already droped my SWtor sub. Its a Single Player game with no varation once you play 1 toon on ether side you have seen 90%of its content replayablity is the worst I have seen in any game. You will see the numbers are going to start droping for Swtor once peep can get out of there subs.

  • huskerman34huskerman34 Member UncommonPosts: 252

    Dont matter to me. I could only handle one hour of this game before i quit.  There is better out there.

    Edgar F Greenwood

Sign In or Register to comment.