[WoW] Down to 5m subscribers? Myth?

Borknagar · 07-16-2009, 06:25 AM

Here:

Tobold's MMORPG Blog: WoW subscriptions down to 5 million

Quote:

Blizzard is quick to boast about their "over 11 million subscribers", but more than half of these subscribers are in China. And the Chinese servers have been down for a month now, with rumors circulating that they won't come back up anytime soon. So if Blizzard were to truthfully state how many subscribers they have right now, the number is down to somewhere around 5 million. But what is really happening is hard to make out, because everyone involved is keeping a lid on the news, total radio silence.

Is that even possible?

If it's truth, could it help the game for the players somehow?

(pushing out more content X time to keep more Western subs)

Anyway I guess the Chinese didn't payed much to play anyway, heard it's like 6 cents per hour or something.

What you guys think?

Gwen Rockpounder · 07-16-2009, 06:29 AM

No change at all in content generation, China didn't even have the LichKing expansion due to the usual undead etc hassle.

Blumpster · 07-16-2009, 06:34 AM

Communism is awesome.

Ukerric · 07-16-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borknagar

Is that even possible?

Due to (probably) various differences, Blizzard decided not to renew the 3-year contract for the World of Warcraft license accorded to The9, the company who operated World of Warcraft China.

The contract was expiring on June 9th. At that point, the entire operations was supposed to be transferred off to Netease, the new holder of a 3-year contract to operate the business.

The9 decided it didn't like that (hell, you lose 75% of your revenue, you're not happy), and is suing. They got a restraining order against Netease, so they can't run WoW. And The9 is not allowed to run WoW either, so the result is that the whole chinese cluster is down.

There was a photo reportage from Joystiq one or two weeks ago. All the walls of the Blizzard HQ are peppered by flatscreens showing who's online, with geolocalised pixels per IP, color-coded by cluster (NA, Europe, Corea, China). The chinese color... was totally absent from those pictures. Not a single player online on the chinese clusters.

Burning_Samurai · 07-16-2009, 09:20 AM

What's the purpose of The9 making such a move? Seems like they accomplish nothing except gaining what I can only imagine to be a massive amount of grief from anyone and everyone involved with WoW China. Who would want to deal with them ever again, player or game producer?

Twobit Whore · 07-16-2009, 09:24 AM

The9 was going to lose it anyway, and I guess getting it banned pushes people to other games, some of which The9 may be offering.

masteen · 07-16-2009, 09:25 AM

How will poor Blizzard ever get by on just $70,000,000/month?

Sharmai · 07-16-2009, 09:25 AM

I really don't understand law. If the contract expires how can you force someone to continue using your service if they are unhappy with it and want to move? That looks like what The9 is trying to do

spronk · 07-16-2009, 09:44 AM

I've heard the9 just took their version of wow and renamed it to something like the world of fightcraft, and thats what all the chinese wow players are playing. haha

The9 was probably robbing Blizzard blind and doing fuckall for the game, and naive Blizzard said "fuck this, we're gonna find another company!" Of course, you are dealing with china. The head of The9 is probably like the nephew of the head of the commie party, so of course they cockblocked Blizzard and are now laughing at them. Always choose your partners carefully in Asia, both in business and sex!

And the "Law" has very little to do with fuckall in Asia, South America, Africa, etc -- its all about who you know, bribes, corruption, nepotism, getting votes, etc.

Scaffa · 07-16-2009, 10:22 AM

I've read a few articles on The9 over the last few years, and it tends to point to them being really shitty at running games. One article went into detail about their over the top security and how they had to practically bomb-proof their building because of alot of threats from disgruntled Ragnarok players.

Seems like they get contracts, as Spronk said, based on nepotism.

kasey · 07-16-2009, 10:28 AM

China is more like capitalism, they are also robbing everyone of their intellectual property and fucking everyone over as hard as they can. Hardly communist, more like pirates. They have been doing similar things with many companies of my country as well.

Gecko · 07-16-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kasey

China is more like capitalism, they are also robbing everyone of their intellectual property and fucking everyone over as hard as they can. Hardly communist, more like pirates. They have been doing similar things with many companies of my country as well.

China is owned by Microsoft?

nosf · 07-16-2009, 10:33 AM

There was a ...press release? Anyways, a news item that showed the9 had a new game which I think was Warhammer, but the point was they were using all the WoW imagery and fonts and such to promote it. Image if SoE started to advertise Everquest using the World of Warcraft font and title image - it was pretty amusing.

Kevincheese · 07-16-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nosf

There was a ...press release? Anyways, a news item that showed the9 had a new game which I think was Warhammer, but the point was they were using all the WoW imagery and fonts and such to promote it. Image if SoE started to advertise Everquest using the World of Warcraft font and title image - it was pretty amusing.

That's China.

NativityInBlack · 07-16-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevincheese

That's China.

Tee-hee polystation vii 2.

I think we should wait until it's really confirmed, could be just a rumor. : / Even if not Bliz may revert it I guess.

07-16-2009, 06:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Gwen Rockpounder Old but not grumpy! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Ing-Ger-Land! Posts: 1,097	No change at all in content generation, China didn't even have the LichKing expansion due to the usual undead etc hassle. __________________ 8 clicking Fred Bloggs in ERepublic and rediscovering pc/console gaming. Stuart Pearce for PM, he'd sort the politicians out!

07-16-2009, 09:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
Twobit Whore Insert Quarter Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 11,158 -14 Internets	The9 was going to lose it anyway, and I guess getting it banned pushes people to other games, some of which The9 may be offering. __________________ I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hand. I ball my fists and you gonna know where I stand.

07-16-2009, 10:28 AM	#11 (permalink)
kasey Internet to post ratio soon 1:1 Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: somewhere close.... -1547 Internets Posts: 1,833	China is more like capitalism, they are also robbing everyone of their intellectual property and fucking everyone over as hard as they can. Hardly communist, more like pirates. They have been doing similar things with many companies of my country as well. __________________ ,,I,, >< ,,I,,

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07-16-2009, 06:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Blumpster . Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 2,300 +14 Internets	Communism is awesome.

07-16-2009, 09:20 AM	#5 (permalink)
Burning_Samurai Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 504 +4 Internets	What's the purpose of The9 making such a move? Seems like they accomplish nothing except gaining what I can only imagine to be a massive amount of grief from anyone and everyone involved with WoW China. Who would want to deal with them ever again, player or game producer?

07-16-2009, 09:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
masteen Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,351	How will poor Blizzard ever get by on just $70,000,000/month?

07-16-2009, 09:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
spronk nerd Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,094	I've heard the9 just took their version of wow and renamed it to something like the world of fightcraft, and thats what all the chinese wow players are playing. haha The9 was probably robbing Blizzard blind and doing fuckall for the game, and naive Blizzard said "fuck this, we're gonna find another company!" Of course, you are dealing with china. The head of The9 is probably like the nephew of the head of the commie party, so of course they cockblocked Blizzard and are now laughing at them. Always choose your partners carefully in Asia, both in business and sex! And the "Law" has very little to do with fuckall in Asia, South America, Africa, etc -- its all about who you know, bribes, corruption, nepotism, getting votes, etc.

07-16-2009, 10:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
Scaffa Seriously. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 774	I've read a few articles on The9 over the last few years, and it tends to point to them being really shitty at running games. One article went into detail about their over the top security and how they had to practically bomb-proof their building because of alot of threats from disgruntled Ragnarok players. Seems like they get contracts, as Spronk said, based on nepotism.

07-16-2009, 10:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
nosf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 790 +16 Internets	There was a ...press release? Anyways, a news item that showed the9 had a new game which I think was Warhammer, but the point was they were using all the WoW imagery and fonts and such to promote it. Image if SoE started to advertise Everquest using the World of Warcraft font and title image - it was pretty amusing.