Next time EA announces number of subs...

I hope I'm wrong but I seriously doubt the sub numbers will increase. There's probably been a huge drop off of subscriptions since they last announced the numbers (it was a while ago) even if there's been a slight uptick in subs post-transfers. If there hadn't been a decrease they wouldn't have been able to transfer so many transfers to so few destination servers. One or two types of servers per region does not bode well for the numbers. Sure, it's great for those of us who continue to play and who made the decision to move but not everyone did and those didn't won't last long playing alone.

If I had to guess I'd say the subs will probably drop to around 800k and will stabilize post 1.3.

they talk about the number of subscribers, meaning the people who are in their first month after buying the game, or have paid a subscription in the last 30 days at the time they take the number. Not how many are actually playing. So yes, there is legal ramifications if they lie about the number of people who are subscribed.

Next set of numbers will be their next quarter thingy bob. Which if I'm not mistaken will be around late July. Which will likely be after the lvl 15 free trial begins. Now I would imagine these free trial players won't be counted, only those who will actually subscribe.

My guess will be it will climb a little bit and then stabilise after 1.3. Then it will likely drop.and.rise a bit with new content etc. I wouldnt expect massive changes in numbers (neither up or down) for a couple of months. And my guess is that right now/after 1.3 it will stabilise at around 700-800k

I'm pretty sure that this is an exact prediction of what will happen.

I'm also pretty sure that this guy..

..has never worked for a business that's openly traded.

It isn't going to be pretty.

Those free trials will definitely be included because those free trial players will have to put a credit card on file to be auto-charged as soon as the trial ends and this technicality will allow them to spin those players as subscribers who just haven't been billed yet. Hence, Bioware is allowed to "count" them and most definitely will. This will likely represent a couple of hundred thousand people and will mask their paid subscriber hemorrhage. You don't actually think it's a coincidence that the free trial is starting exactly when it is, do you?

I would bet the subs will be higher than they are right now, or higher than befroe transfers, but no way will they be 1.3m. Id be shocked if the real sub numbers half that.

But the evil geniuses at BW are starting the free trials in july and since they never end they will be able to count anyone who ever makes a free trial account as a sub for the life span of the game. We will probably never know the true number of subs.

No, they will not. It is an unlimited free trial, which means that no credit card is required. There will be no auto billing until they chose to progress beyond level 15, at which time they would have to submit a valid game key and a credit card or some other form of billing information.

he is trying to change the subject to the number of players actually playing, and not the the number of subscriptions they have.