Home Gaming WoW, 600k fewer subscribers!?

WoW, 600k fewer subscribers!?

1 min read
69

Last time I gave you numbers on World of Warcraft, back in early May, WoW had lost 1.3 million subscribers.  At the end of last week, Activision-Blizzard bought its independence from Vivendi, but they also revealed that WoW had lost another 600 000 subscribers, now down to 7.7 million.

WoW is still the largest subscription-based MMORPG, and considering the amount of cash at their disposal to be able to buy their freedom from Vivendi, I don’t think the company is in any imminent danger.  It is just interesting to see that the trend is continuing – despite the Mists of Pandaria being released last September, WoW just isn’t hitting the numbers it did back in 2010.

I wonder if this will light a fire under Activision-Blizzard to get a move on Titan.  That game has been in development hell for far too long.  I think people are desperate for something new – check out all the new MMOs that are constantly coming out.  In fact, I’m sure those MMOs would be happy to just get 600k users, while WoW was able to lose that amount and still be comfortable with 7.7 million subscribers.  These guys used to know what they were doing when it came to MMOs, and actually still do (even though people are leaving in droves).  It will be interesting to see what they bring out next to woo people back.

Last Updated: July 29, 2013

69 Comments

  1. That Super Twit

    July 29, 2013 at 10:39

    I miss my Shaman.

    Reply

    • TiMsTeR1033

      July 29, 2013 at 10:45

      I never played WOW so yeah but did look really fun to play.

      Reply

    • Unavengedavo

      July 29, 2013 at 10:55

      Me too, contemplating whether I should resub…

      Reply

      • Tarisma

        July 29, 2013 at 11:20

        You’ll just end up disappointed I did after I stopped for close to year and the game had lost its magic for me.

        Reply

        • Unavengedavo

          July 29, 2013 at 11:33

          Then I’ll rather wait for ESO.

          Reply

          • Tarisma

            July 29, 2013 at 11:35

            Probably a better idea. I’m busy with GW2 and FF14 ARR. But wild star is fast approaching and that has peaked my interest!!

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 29, 2013 at 12:24

            Wildstar looks amazing, if it can live up to the promises, then that will be fun as hell

          • Dalmeth

            July 29, 2013 at 13:51

            Agreed, ESO and Wildstar are my next MMOs. I played WoW for years, trying to get back into again after Cata and MOP was a failure though, it just didn’t have that much appeal anymore.

          • InsanityFlea

            July 30, 2013 at 11:34

            I can’t wait for ESO 😀

            Currently playing neverwinter at present which is good!

    • loftie

      July 29, 2013 at 11:31

      • Unavengedavo

        July 29, 2013 at 11:33

        Orc Enhancement Shaman FTW!! 😛

        Reply

        • Theo Steenekamp

          July 29, 2013 at 11:39

          Gnome mage!

          Reply

          • loftie

            July 29, 2013 at 12:02

            Son, I am disappoint.

          • Theo Steenekamp

            July 29, 2013 at 12:09

            Nah just kidding proud Blood elf DK:)

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 29, 2013 at 12:25

            Bah… Orc DK, Moo Shammy

          • Vampyre Squirrel

            July 29, 2013 at 12:41

            LoL! when last did you guys play the game? 😛

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 29, 2013 at 13:47

            About 8 or so months ago. Got too fed up with the same crap over and over

          • Vampyre Squirrel

            July 29, 2013 at 13:55

            Yeah… technically the same quests all the time, just in different areas, or slightly harder… but at least it’s in different areas and you don’t HAVE to do the quests again unless if you choose to, unlike Diablo 3 😛

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 29, 2013 at 13:58

            Got my warrior, DK, Druid, shammy and Mage all on 85… the rest somewhere 60-40…

            It just gets too boring

          • Vampyre Squirrel

            July 29, 2013 at 15:50

            I got a Warrior, Paladin, DK, Druid, Priest and Hunter to 85+ (3 are at 90) and then a whole bunch of other characters between 20 and 60.

            I just can’t bring myself to doing Outland and Northrend again… so boring.

          • loftie

            July 29, 2013 at 14:49

            I am currently still playing.. 🙂

          • Vampyre Squirrel

            July 29, 2013 at 15:50

            I sadly can’t afford to chuck R150 away every month on the subscription… but I probably won’t go back to WoW even if I could.

      • That Super Twit

        July 29, 2013 at 13:14

        Tauren Shaman 🙂

        Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 29, 2013 at 14:29

      I miss my Gnome Warlock! 🙁 Good times!

      Reply

  2. Tarisma

    July 29, 2013 at 10:40

    A new MMO… That’s what… Wow is still a very good game but it’s 12 years old now, and with the current stream of mmo’s it will be near impossible for them to not lose players.

    Reply

    • Gareth L

      July 29, 2013 at 20:34

      12? More like 8-9, but I see your point.

      Reply

  3. Brenz

    July 29, 2013 at 10:57

    I think its just coming to end of its life cycle. Recent mmo’s are showing how much more can be done than the old click button and watch animation combat, the engine is dated and its no fault of the developers, all good things come to an end eventually.

    I have had many fun memories from wow, (I will never forget the excitement walking into Karazhan as my first raid, i was so nervous!), it will always be special to me, even though i dont play mmo’s anymore due to work restrictions, being responsible for your future is lame 🙁

    The solution is to start looking toward Titan I think, no doubt when it is eventually released they will rule the mmo ladder once again.
    I dont think they can woo that many people back to get to 10mil subs again, I could be wrong, but especially with ESO and FF14 on the horizon, players are becoming spoilt for choice.

    Reply

    • loftie

      July 29, 2013 at 11:34

      “click button and watch animation combat”, hehe not as simple as that. 🙂

      Reply

      • Brenz

        July 29, 2013 at 11:37

        Ok maybe I wasnt being entirely fair with that. I do know the combat system very well, having raided tank and dps (never healer though).
        But my main point was that newer mmo’s are coming up with a lot more interesting and interactive combat systems.

        Reply

        • loftie

          July 29, 2013 at 12:16

          Yeah, WoW has sort of been dumbed down a little with the talents and rotations. Most boss fight mechanics have become faceroll, but you still need keep a lookout and cant just stand there DPSing. I myself prefer BG’s and Arena, not much of a raider.

          Reply

  4. Gareth L

    July 29, 2013 at 10:58

    I’ll get flak for saying this, but I feel that World of WarCraft destroyed Blizzard as a “respectable” game studio. It stole the focus of too much of their development and innovation, and everything that has come out of Blizzard’s doors since WoW’s release has simply come from the “team that made WoW”. This is evident in all successive games’ artstyle and approach to online vs LAN attitude.

    Deny it all you want, but Diablo 3 is not the true sequel to Diablo 2, it’s a WoW spin-off with its chunky shoulder pads and online Auction House.

    SO the sooner that they move on from Word of WarCraft, the sooner we might get some innovation again – as opposed to titles simply made from developers available in between WoW expansion packs.

    Reply

    • Kromas

      July 29, 2013 at 11:02

      Starcraft still has its magic.

      Reply

    • TiMsTeR1033

      July 29, 2013 at 11:07

      They should make Warcraft 4!

      Reply

    • frikkenator

      July 29, 2013 at 11:40

      Just yesterday I was telling a friend the exact same thing. With the exception of StarCraft 2 everything else has been pretty bland.

      Reply

    • Kyratic

      July 29, 2013 at 11:41

      Absolutely agree, Handsdown, blizzard has produced several of the best games/series ever to hit the gaming world, Starcraft, Diablo, Warcraft… But then came WoW, meh money making grind drug. I don’t understand how people can still be playing/paying it. Guild Wars 1 was a better MMO, but It died the healthy death all games should. And now a newer fancier version is around. But not WoW, no WoW is now Undead, living in the life past death. Blizzard needs new life.

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 29, 2013 at 15:19

      I absolutely agree with you. Not to mention, they killed off some of their best characters in-game (Arthas, Illidan etc.). Those were characters they could have built serious lore on, instead of chucking them into shitty expansion packs, where no-lifers grinded them for gear.

      Reply

  5. James Philip Lawrence

    July 29, 2013 at 11:27

    if wow goes FTP i will jam it again , since everything now days doesn’t make me stick my hand into my pocket to enjoy myself (see what i did there). i think its time wow joins the rest.

    Reply

  6. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    July 29, 2013 at 11:27

    FTP in 3….2……1

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 29, 2013 at 15:19

      Warcraft: Call of the Grind
      A new FPS from Treyarch.

      Reply

  7. loftie

    July 29, 2013 at 11:30

    People are leaving because it has become too easy I think. I still play, but don’t actively subscribe. I might get a month here and a month there, but still play lots of other games in between.

    Reply

  8. DrKiller

    July 29, 2013 at 11:38

    I guess there will be a new expansion coming out soon…

    Reply

  9. Michael Matusowsky

    July 29, 2013 at 11:54

    They just need to go F2P with a cosmetics store. That’s all.

    Reply

  10. Lardus-Ginger loving Pervert

    July 29, 2013 at 12:06

    I became dis-invested in the story and characters. Huge-ass patches also did not sit well with me. I mean, I even started playing more with my priest and mage than with my all powerful Orc Warrior Tank of DOOOOM!

    Reply

  11. Vampyre Squirrel

    July 29, 2013 at 12:40

    WoW was awesome for a while… I only joined just after Wrath of the Lich King came out and hit patch 3.3, I loved it, ALL the servers were busy and getting a raid group was easier than killing a chicken in Elwynn Forest. Then Cata hit and it was epic, awesome, busy… and then it all died, before the last patch even came out, end game content bored everyone and my server went from “high population” to what everyone called “Newbie”, meaning it had less high level characters than new players. Everything stayed dead until Mists of Pandaria and it picked up again for about 3 or 4 months… but hardly anyone I knew went back to the game. I had 6 characters over level 85… and I’m one of the players they’ve lost recently, so is my wife, and we’ll probably never go back to WoW… it’s become stale and end-game content is hardly even there…

    RIP WoW, I foresee you will soon become free to play and then die off.

    Reply

  12. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    July 29, 2013 at 14:28

    It had a good run. I played WOW for well over 5 years. Azeroth was like a second home, but it needs to die now. WOW needs to die!

    Reply

  13. Xelus

    July 29, 2013 at 15:01

    Honestly, I dunno why everyone is going about this game. It’s one of the most stretched and milked franchises of this generation. It also seems as if the developers isn’t actually keen on moving on with their lives. Its old, its over, now leave it be. I’d rather play games like Guildwars, or Planetside 2 before I’ll ever play another minute on this game.

    Reply

  14. BacchusZA

    July 29, 2013 at 17:07

    I have friends who still play, & who ask me to join them, & I am tempted from time to time, but the urge passes fairly quickly. The gear-grind that started in Wrath is pretty much what puts me off now. It’s a good game, & I’ve got over a year /played (gulp) over my assorted toons, since 1.1 or so, but the thought of grinding the same dailys & instances, over and over for months, on 9 toons, for little tokens to buy the current tier of gear, just so that I can repeat the process when the next tier is released? It’s fun for a week or two, then it becomes mind-numbingly boring and painful.

    TBH I have an idea that the days of MMOs like WoW are pretty much over, & the entire genre needs a serious shake up to remain relevant. There hasn’t been real innovation in MMOs in a long time, & it shows. A new MMO comes out, people play it to death for the first 1-3 months, realise it’s the same thing they’ve been doing all along, just reskinned, and quit until the next “new” thing comes along. That also lasts maybe 3 months before the number of players plummets because they’re bored & have moved onto the next one to be released.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Cross-play is finally coming to Overwatch

It includes every system, so try and play against a bunch of Switch users for some easy wi…