Next time EA announces number of subs...

I think you mean you couldn't care less.

However actually you could, because unless there's enough subs SWTOR won't get developement or expansions....... so maybe you're elegantly stating that?

Every MMORPG counts free trials and free time........ why would SWTOR not?

No. They don't. Free trials do not contribute to any revenues. Counting them could be seen as deliberately misleading investors concerning company fortunes. In this day and age, after the way Enron and its executives were dragged through a years-long investigation and trials that resulted in the bankrupcy of the corporation, do you really think any of the execs in EA is willing to risk that for a game that isn't even in their top five revenue generators?

No it wouldn't be fraud, it's standard MMORPG practice.

Nothing ever refers to "paying accounts" only active/open accounts (which can include all manner of things that aren't paying subs).

The reason they count all those is because they can. Perfectly legitimatedly and legally. This isn't a secret, it's just how things are done and have been done for a very long time now.


It may be Bioware don't count some of the above, but there's no reason for them not to do so.

So, your evidence and support for your argument is a blog from someone who doesn't back up his statement of "anyone in a free trial period" with any kind of data or facts?

Look, I'm not asking you to take EA's word on faith. I'm asking you to use logic. If a company is going to publicly declare what their revenue generators are, do you really think that they are going to play fast and loose with the facts in this day and age of SEC hyper-oversight and activist investors? And do you really think they're going to do that for a game that isn't their number one revenue generator? Do you really think they're going to want to risk possible litigation, criminal charges, and corporation bankrupcy just to inflate the numbers of something that isn't in their top five money making ventures?

Or do you think they're going to play it safe and not take that kind of chance?

So all those play for free subscriptions in July will count too, even though they do not generate revenue?

What does it even matter how much the numbers are skewed? What ever they do or dont count is irrelevent. Its not like that number means anything to us. All we csre about is wether it goes up or down. Up = good, Down= bad. Furthermore, we just use that number to compare how the game is doing in proportion to others who ALSO skew the numbers just the same. So really, arguing on the accuracy of those announcements is pointless.

If the numbers reported are higher than about 400K I am sure that is what some will claim.

Well, they'll be sure to mention the free subs, and I hope it's a big hit. But they'll be releasing the figures during an earnings call, and there's no way they'll get away with not giving an actual figure.