NCSoft fires a bunch of people.

[Llava]

Whatever.  Artifact Entertainment is going to rise from the ashes and dominate you all.

[Signe]

I've already bought a pitchfork and my torch is made with citronella so it keeps the buggies away while we burn the witch.

[shiznitz]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

It is a very real possibility.  Real Money Transfers could ruin multiple companies if it is not controlled IMMEDIATELY.

I understand why this is hated, but what if RMT games were free to everyone, funded by those who want to RMT? Yes, this would never fly in a PvP game, but for a PvE game with good non-item dependent gameplay it shouldn't matter.

[WayAbvPar]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

It is a very real possibility.  Real Money Transfers could ruin multiple companies if it is not controlled IMMEDIATELY.

I understand why this is hated, but what if RMT games were free to everyone, funded by those who want to RMT? Yes, this would never fly in a PvP game, but for a PvE game with good non-item dependent gameplay it shouldn't matter.

If it was designed properly, perhaps. But nothing in the current landscape of games makes me terribly confident that such designers exist.

[Llava]

shiznitz
Foozle
Posts: 1000

Con....grats? 

[Hoax]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

It is a very real possibility.  Real Money Transfers could ruin multiple companies if it is not controlled IMMEDIATELY.

I understand why this is hated, but what if RMT games were free to everyone, funded by those who want to RMT? Yes, this would never fly in a PvP game, but for a PvE game with good non-item dependent gameplay it shouldn't matter.

If it was designed properly, perhaps. But nothing in the current landscape of games makes me terribly confident that such designers exist.

Disagree there are several non worldy persistent online games that do just that and it works very well.  Gunbound comes to mind and I know there are several others that intend to or are currently using a similar strategy.

[Lum]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

But I'd be confused. Where would I park?

[Cheddar]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

But I'd be confused. Where would I park?

Your trailer.  Obviously you would be out of the job and flipping burgers!

[damijin]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

But I'd be confused. Where would I park?

At home, I'd assume. You could probably run a lucrative RMT company out of your basement, for whatever games still exist in that brilliant vision of the future.

[Righ]

Your trailer.  Obviously you would be out of the job and flipping burgers!

Don't the people who flip burgers usually have a job?

[Signe]

I hope SOE buys NC Soft.  Then I hope Blizzard buys SOE.  Then I hope Blizzard goes out of business.  Everyone would stand around looking confused and saying, "Wha' happened?"  That would make me fucking giggle.

But I'd be confused. Where would I park?

Yikes!  I'm so sorry.  I just made you redundant over and over with no place to go!  I feel awful.  If that scenario ever happened, I would go in the basement and eat worms!   

[Big Gulp]

None of you people have what it takes to survive unemployment.

Sometimes you just need to strap on the g-string, bow tie, and rollerskates and head on down to the bus stop. 

[schild]

I did that once. The children's parents were not amused.

[Signe]

Gee, what happened to my edit where I got Lum a job working for Schild and renamed him "Lum the Mod?"  I think I've lost my mind!

[ynot]

http://www.blizzard.com/press/051219.shtml

How could they be more clear?

World of Warcraft customers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or purchased a prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the installation box bundled with one free month access. Internet Game Room players that have accessed the game over the last seven days are also counted as customers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rule.

about 1 million subscribers in europe(January 19, 2006   )  and usa (August 29, 2005) (about 2 millions subscribers total), and 2,5 millions users in asia.

[Trippy]

World of Warcraft customers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or purchased a prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the installation box bundled with one free month access. Internet Game Room players that have accessed the game over the last seven days are also counted as customers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rule.

about 1 million subscribers in europe(January 19, 2006   )  and usa (August 29, 2005) (about 2 millions subscribers total), and 2,5 millions users in asia.

That one's old:

SPANISH VERSION OF WORLD OF WARCRAFT® IN DEVELOPMENT

World of Warcraft's European customer base is currently at more than 1 million players, with the worldwide total now at more than 6 million players.

That's where the 6 million comes from and that was back in February. I also have it on very good authority that Blizzard actually *under reports* their subscription numbers.

[schild]

That's where the 6 million comes from and that was back in February. I also have it on very good authority that Blizzard actually *under reports* their subscription numbers.

That would be accurate. The last information I got said they were around 6.8-7.1M.

[ynot]

* I did not have a look at Blizz press release for a while,(bad bad)  I was wrong blizz now give actual figure(no longer estimates based on boxsale) >slap me
* I guessed a 1-1,5 millions subscribers for EU+US, I was wrong the number of subcriber for EU+US given by blizz indicate 2 millions +
* I think that stating/knowing that the is a distinction between subcriber and customer is needed, and that it is mistake to mix the 2

anyways ... :)
 

[Arthur_Parker]

May 10th Blizzard Europe Press Release

Launched in November 2004, World of Warcraft has quickly become the world’s most popular MMORPG, with a worldwide customer base of more than 6.5 million players.

[Cheddar]

* I think that stating/knowing that the is a distinction between subcriber and customer is needed, and that it is mistake to mix the 2

WTF, I honestly do not understand.  Please elaborate!

[Merusk]

I think he's trying to say, "Don't count Asia in the X-million number, because they don't pay a monthly fee."

However,  I'm sure Blizzard is much happier counting them as subscribers than the rest of the world when you start to look at the ROI of $15/ month for unlimited time vs X$/ Hour.  Particularly when you get to the hardcore time-investment players.

[Chenghiz]

I understand why this is hated, but what if RMT games were free to everyone, funded by those who want to RMT? Yes, this would never fly in a PvP game, but for a PvE game with good non-item dependent gameplay it shouldn't matter.

If it was designed properly, perhaps. But nothing in the current landscape of games makes me terribly confident that such designers exist.

Disagree there are several non worldy persistent online games that do just that and it works very well.  Gunbound comes to mind and I know there are several others that intend to or are currently using a similar strategy.

In Gunbound you can use money to buy items in-game that actually do make you more powerful - but players also have the (popular) option of playing on a server where items do not affect your gameplay other than making you look cool.

[Trippy]

I think he's trying to say, "Don't count Asia in the X-million number, because they don't pay a monthly fee."

However,  I'm sure Blizzard is much happier counting them as subscribers than the rest of the world when you start to look at the ROI of $15/ month for unlimited time vs X$/ Hour.  Particularly when you get to the hardcore time-investment players.

Koreans pay a subscription fee just like we do, though they can buy a 7 day subscription as well as a normal 30 day one, that's why there's a disclaimer about Game Room players and 30 days (they count the 7 days and 30 days together as long as the 7 days played within 30 days, if that makes sense). The Chinese speaking countries/territories just pay for the time in game but they are presumably counted in the same way as the 7 day Koreans -- i.e. any player who is playing on a paid game time card in the 30 days is counted as a "customer" or something along those lines.

[Merusk]

Yeah, I know that and I wasn't referring to the 7 and 30-day game cards.  (Nor do I advocate their exclusion as customers.)  The whole idea was a separate thought from the "interpreting ynot's engrish" segment of the post.

I was talking about the Chineese model where you pay for X number of hours. If Blizzard was going to exclude anyone as some kind of book-cooking lunacy, hiding the accounts of US players who pay $15 but play 5+ hours a week makes more sense than hiding Asians who "only pay 50 cents an hour" from a cost->profit standpoint.

[ynot]

(they count the 7 days and 30 days together as long as the 7 days played within 30 days, if that makes sense)
= if you use one 7 days gaming card you are accounted in the same way than a player paying a 30 days one?
 

If Blizzard was going to exclude anyone as some kind of book-cooking lunacy, hiding the accounts of US players who pay $15 but play 5+ hours a week makes more sense than hiding Asians who "only pay 50 cents an hour" from a cost->profit standpoint

I dont understand

[Strazos]

I'm just wondering how people in China can afford to play a MMO....by the hour...

[Numtini]

I understand why this is hated, but what if RMT games were free to everyone, funded by those who want to RMT? Yes, this would never fly in a PvP game, but for a PvE game with good non-item dependent gameplay it shouldn't matter.

If it was designed properly, perhaps. But nothing in the current landscape of games makes me terribly confident that such designers exist.

Actually I'd put forth the Doubloon oceans in Puzzle Pirates as a great model. Most items are luxury items (clothing, stores, housing, ships) and it allows you to buy the real money Doubloons with in-game Pieces of Eight, so if you play often enough, you can actually pay your own way.

The downside is that if it's free, it's overrun by 12 year olds.

COH would be a good game for an alternative payment system.

[Hoax]

I really dont think any non-worldy MMO's are going to last as subscription based much longer.  I will pay $15/mo for a persistent world that needs to be maintained and gives players the freedom to interact with it.  But if the only thing you do is bash other players or bash npc's.  I'm not paying for it much longer*.

Of course in order for this to happen someone will have to design a virtual world style MMO that doesn't suck, so I guess things will remain the same for a long time.

*sigh*



*edited to reflect reality.

[Yoru]

Of course in order for this to happen someone will have to design a virtual world style MMO that doesn't suck, so I guess things will remain the same for a long time.

Man, between that, a hangover and people talking about Superman, I just had a wicked idea for game-designer-themed superheroes.

"It's the Raphsignal! Save us from the Dastardly Dr. Diku, Raphman!"

And so on.


Maybe I shouldn't post before I've had coffee...

[JoeTF]

I'm just wondering how people in China can afford to play a MMO....by the hour...

More than 50 mln chinese earn more than your average US salary.

[Soln]

All BS aside about RMT's, they are a waiting financial nightmare for some company.  With zero oversight, taxation, or GAAP conventions it's a money laundering dream.  Yeah, all that crap has been said before.  But the moment Homeland Security of some Senator starts up an audit and media interest about the "drug and terrorist money" going on in RMT's it will be painful for the companies getting away with it so far. 

I mean, there's a couple of people here on f13 who work in financial services and securities -- I am off base here?

[Righ]

I'm just wondering how people in China can afford to play a MMO....by the hour...

More than 50 mln chinese earn more than your average US salary.

Rubbish. It's well known that all Chinese people supplement the abject poverty gleaned from their day jobs of working in terraced padi fields by farming in Azshara in miserable sweat shops dominated by their cruel communist overlords.

[Broughden]

I'm just wondering how people in China can afford to play a MMO....by the hour...

More than 50 mln chinese earn more than your average US salary.

Not to mention Im sure there are quite a few of us old schoolers on here who remember playing MMO's offered by AOL and getting $800+ bills per month.

[tazelbain]

Less than 5% of China workers makes more the average American? That doesn't sound implausable.

[Cheddar]

Not to mention Im sure there are quite a few of us old schoolers on here who remember playing MMO's offered by AOL and getting $800+ bills per month.

NWN for the lose :(  Man it was a happy day when the hourly fee went away!