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Will we see WoW as F2P/B2P in 2013? [Poll]
Thorkune
Member UncommonPosts: 1,969
With all of the AAA mmo's (except WoW and Rift) being F2P/B2P, will we see WoW go F2P/B2P in 2013? Blizzard has to be looking at it by now. Tera goes F2P tomorrow, and I honestly think Rift will be the next to enter the F2P realm. So, how much longer can Blizzard hold out?
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Not this year, unless there is an unprecedented falloff in sub numbers.
I venture to say they still have more subbed players than the next 5 titles combined, so why would they give up that revenue?
Sure, of the subs get down to 250K, they'll think about it, just don't see that happening any time soon.
But...I've been wrong before....
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"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
Anyone who says yes is just trolling... they can bring in tens of millions off micro pets/subscriptions, no company would go F2P to risk that.
They'd start increasing the cosmetics cash shop content long before going F2P.
Just wait 3 more days for their Q4 report.
I heard some predictions from people who don't know squat (my friends) saying they'll be down to 5 million by now
It'll be a fun weekend.
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wow has to many subs to go free 2 play. Its not even a consideration. I believe titan will be free 2 play from start. Wow will not go buy 2 play ever. they do have some nice sales on the boxed games and still make money of that.
Why go free 2 play or buy 2 play when u are making as much money as they are right now. when u have 10 million subs u don't have to worry about what the rest of the industry is doing.
Be careful what you wish for. If WoW were to go F2P it would cause such a huge implosion on the rest of the industry with players old and new flocking back to play that the only time you would see any really huge migrations would be when new games were released. It would be like seasonal migrations of canadian geese. Flying back and forth between WoW and a new mmo and back again.
I know I would. Long forgotten avatars that sit idle in a mmo I no longer have the desire to pay for would suddenly be top on my list to play. Millions! And I mean MILLIONS of players would flock back just to see their old friends once again. If not to continue where they left off it would be to serve as a common stomping ground. A mmo touchstone if you will.
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
I think they can only reduce the subs from $25 to $15, that's it, nobody from Blizz wants F2P game after all....
After Titan, maybe not before that.
Much more interesting question: when titan releases blizzard are obviously going to try and push the population to Titan as they are not going to sub to both, I predict a cynical starvation of resources for wow despite the existing sub base- could be very interesting to watch..
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Umm, subs are already $15 per month.
I don't think wow will go f2p or b2p anytime soon, I think titan will be b2p.
Say what you want about them, but the Blizz name attracts sales, even for mostly crap games *cough*Diablo 3*cough*, they have no need to go f2p on any of their games.
They might as well have 1 sub for WOW/Titan. That way people will believe they are getting "extra" value.
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Not likely, reason being they don't have to.
Sub + item shop + paid services + box sales + expansions. They'd be nuts to give this up as long as it remains working.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Most of the AAA MMOs with a decade or so of content under their belt are still subscription MMOs.
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even if all goes wrong for WoW (which is 100% not a case) I don't think such change will occur this year.
try before buy, even if it's a game to avoid bad surprises.
Worst surprises for me: Aion, GW2
The fact for me is, any game they release thats a MMO won't require they switch what has worked and made them the most money. You can hold me to this that 2013 blizz-con will reveal Titan (Star Craft MMO???) and it will be a subscription MMO with a RMAH.
Knowing them, If you are a subscriber to WOW and pre-order Titan they will give you special in-game stuff for being a sub to WOW, but you have to remain subbed to get them. these guys will be able to print money, they have no reason to change because the indusrty is failing and needs to find better ways to stay afloat, blizzard is the reason they need to go F2P.
"Not even a cray super computer can make this game run well. Thats what happens when you code an MMO in pascal. " - miglor
Let's see... 9.6 million active accounts times $12 per month (let's say EVERYONE buys 6 months at a time):
Gee thats think about this WoW claims to have 9 or so Mil players that is around $135,000,000 a month in subs.
Even if that 9 Mil subs is not correct and paying subs is even 1/2 that at 4.5 Mil subs there bringing in around $60,000,000 A month just in subs.
Gee lets make the game F2P because I really dont want my 60,000,000 a month, come on people think about it.
Might want to think about these pollls before you put them up.