World Of Warcraft Hit By Subscriber Decline Following Mists Of Pandaria Launch

I like WOW but I think its time for Blizzard to retire this current version and take inside to work on a "sequel" of sorts. Then in 3-5 yrs release a new leaner monster.

Is this real numbers or is this based on Xfire? Maybe we should wait for their conference call and find out the truth. I wouldn't doubt it though, just find it a strange thing to write an article based on a "possibility".

It doesn't help it's the worst PvP season probably ever. If they can fix it in 5.2 it will help tremendously. PvP, arenas particularly, are ridiculously frustrating right now. Healers cannot be killed, CC is completely out of control, win trading out the yahoo, etc.

I quit WoW because I realized how stupid it was to spend $15 a month on a game like that one, I think it's very expensive for what you get.

IMO, mileage may vary from user to user. I spent five years in the same guild getting to know its' members and going through dungeons with them. My friends who also played had a great time learning the ins and outs of PvP.

Yes, I get your point, but my point is I realized I could have that same interaction with my friends in other games that do not demand that payment. and really the sole reason I was playing WoW was because of playing with real life friends, not because I truly enjoyed the game.

Same. We all quit and didn't look back.

if im not playing wow im spending anywhere between 1-200$ a month on games. that's how i justify it though. getting bored now though, think i'll be throwing in the towel for a bit soon.

I've been considering getting back into it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the current state of World of Warcraft, though, Johnathan.

With 5.2 on the horizon, now could be a good time to remember the ropes! Still having fun since MoP launched but then, seems i am a exception here...

I played MoP for a few weeks. The new features and content are pretty cool, and even the five man dungeons are more challenging and raid-like. Overall, I think it's a solid expansion that's worth trying if you liked the past expansions. I'm thinking about reactiving my account as well.

if im not playing wow im spending anywhere between 1-200$ a month on games. that's how i justify it though. getting bored now though, think i'll be throwing in the towel for a bit soon.

I'm one of the few people alive who has never played WoW and am glad I never have. I will be glad when this game finally dies.

nothing like being glad something dies you don't even play and millions of other people thoroughly enjoy.

you sound like a great person, lets hang out.

YES LET'S! You're so kind.

weren't you the same person talking about how you hated all the people bashing Devil May Cry for being bad when they havent played it?

I shouldn't have said I NEVER played it. I tried the 30 day trial way back when it first came out, wasn't interested one bit. I have a brother in law who quit his job to sit around and play WoW all day every day. He lives in his grandma's house WITH HIS WIFE to do it.

To the number defense, it's still higher then the cataclysm decline (9.1 millions) and this was for the last quarter of the 2012 year so not counting new years and February (which, i notice, has a peak in activity at least in my server.)

Still, the number is FAR from the peak wow had (close to 13 millions). Kinda worrying. It's still far from being dead since the second leading subscription based MMO, EVE, can't get past 200 000 players. Wow will still be there for a long time, either you like it or not.

The real tipping point for WoW will be when the gold farmers quit due to lack of interest. A huge chunk of subscriptions will disappear overnight and we'll get a true sense of how many people are really playing.

My guess? 1/3 of the 9 million would be gone of the farmers quit. At least if it's anything like it was when I quit back in 09 or 10, whenever the Argent Tournament was all the rage.

why would gold farmers ever quit if there are a ton of subs. they'll only quit if there isn't profit to be had.

That's what I meant. Once it becomes unprofitable or they find some better use for their time, there is going to be a huge decline in WoW subs. I imagine it would be like WoW getting down to 4 or 5 million total subscribers, the market for gold farmers dries up, and then they bail and only 2 or 3 million are left. I don't think it will be an equal decline of gamers to farmers all the way.

it would take FAR FAR less than 4-5 mill subs for gold farmers to bail. more like 500k-1m

Wow is a rare thing for me now, never got into raiding and didnt buy this expansion. My favorite class has been changed too much so the entertainment value is minimal.

Sad panda?

I was just thinking that when i saw the front page picture.

I'm currently in the 10 day free trial and I'm just not having as much fun with it anymore. WoW was a great game but I think it has finally hit that point that it is all worn out.

Like an ex girlfriend. Sure you had a great time for those few years. But you got bored. A couple years later she pops back up on your radar. Then you remember all the fun you had. You ask her out, fool around, then the memories come rushing back. The grinding, all the new stuff, and the cost. You've been there done that. Move on, you left for a reason, it stopped being fun. You changed, she didn't change with you.

Normally grinding and ex girlfriends are the fondest of memories...

See what I did there?

Instead of expanding, they need to condense the game. Condense the world so it is not so over whelming. Push people together, like a 5th grade dance, eventually everyone will start dancing.

That's what happened to Everquest. I played in a end-game raiding guild up until Planes of Power (4th expansion). I think I tried to get back into it around 2006 but 8 expansions came out during my haitus. The entry point, especially as a new player is intimidating. The grindy nature of EQ and game progression made it extremely difficult to come in and get anywhere without knowing someone in a semi decent guild to help out.

Since I've stopped playing WoW WoTLK, Cataclysm and MoP has come out, not to mention content and other game patches that significantly change the game. Althought WoW is a bit more player friendly, it makes it really hard to want to get back into the game without becoming overwhelmed.

this is exactly the problem with WoW, it is way too over complicated now because instead of perfecting things already in the game, Blizzard thinks the answer is just to continously add more crap so people come back and check it out.

From what I heard WoW has turned into a complete mess like you said. I have a few friends who said it isn't even fun to play anymore. I guess it's all by taste really, but every WoW player I know is a fat lazy jobless bum. Not sure if that's what the game attracts or not.

IDK if I should recent that. I have a full time job and married. Plus everyone in my raiding group has a job and has kids. I'm the only one in my group that doesn't have kids. But then again....I agree with you to a certain point. I'd met people in this game that have nothing to do...are in their late 20s early 30s and still live at home....grinding honor or finding a way to get rich in this game.

Don't take it personally. I just know that everyone I know who plays WoW is 30+ with no job and lives at home or off other people. My fiance's brother lives with his grandma still and he's 33, with no job, and his grandma is paying all his bills. All he does is play WoW with his shirt off slurping down sodas and complains. I'm sure there are normal people playing WoW...

I only show up raid nowadays. Its the same thing. You grind for gear, pvp or pve...its the same. From what everyone is complaining about in the MMO champ forums and the WOW Forums...is the dailies that you have to do. People have trouble keeping up if they started late or if they want to level up alts. This is drawing people away from the game. I at least want to have one alt semi-geared but I just cant do it since I have to do the same dailies I did on my main. It bores you out quick. Another factor is that people complain about how terrible people are in this game. This game has become way more easier over the years, (51pt talent system to what we have now) and player friendly. I'm not saying I'm a pro at this game, but I still join random dungeons where mages or hunters are doing 8k dps and an arms warrior has me at 10% life in arenas, and cant kill me because checking my logs, he never used a single execute. If I didint enjoy my raiding group or progression, I'd quit too