Let's start from a point: I'm not a fanboy or a hater. I find this game quite nice even if I think that many things should be changed.

Anyway, I'm not on a rush due to the fact that actually I'm not playing anything as "main game". I mean, I can even wait a few months before taking any decision bout my subscription.

Not everyone think as me anyway..I think population is clearly dropping, and is something I say playing on my server.

Here I don't want to discuss if there is a real drop or not, there is another thread for this.

Here I want to ask you something: Do you think Bioware will be able to catch up the initial subscribers or at least a big part?

ps: sorry for bad english , it isn't my main language

pss: Please, avoid fighting..this thread just want to be a quite discussion bout game.

No, they will not get most of the initial subscribers that left the game already back. But this has nothing to do with the product, but more with the subscribers themselves. People often don't go back to what they did not like before, even if it is a lot better later on.

When we talk about subscriber numbers though; the game does have the potential to go into a few million subscribers eventually.

So, TL;DR: No, they will not get their old subscribers back. But yes, they can get the old numbers back or go beyond them.

PS. This is a completely theoretical opinion and simply stating possibilities not personal opinion in any way (damn I wish I didnt have to write a line like this just to ensure not to be called a biodrone)

No, they will not get most of the initial subscribers that left the game already back. But this has nothing to do with the product, but more with the subscribers themselves. People often don't go back to what they did not like before, even if it is a lot better later on.

 

When we talk about subscriber numbers though; the game does have the potential to go into a few million subscribers eventually.

 

So, TL;DR: No, they will not get their old subscribers back. But yes, they can get the old numbers back or go beyond them.

 

PS. This is a completely theoretical opinion and simply stating possibilities not personal opinion in any way (damn I wish I didnt have to write a line like this just to ensure not to be called a biodrone)

Possibly it's not well explained in my first post, with initial subscribers I was referring to "same number" not "same people"

People by a game, play it for a bit, then move on to the next game. The single player industry has always worked this way, I don't know why people haven't grasped it applies to MMOs too.

The days of the million+ subscriber MMO are coming to an end. WoW was a cultural fad, not a genuine market.

Its common Knowledge that its a lot harder to regain customers to any product then it is to retain those customers.

Seeing how some major issues like maintenance times are going to remain unchanged (something that none in my guild apreciates atm), I dont see it hapen.

I see the same you do on my server, 4 people on Hutta on peak times, 20 on drumond, no one available for heroics 4 in that or end game areas, except for the dailies at lvl 50, and even so they arent easy to find.

People by a game, play it for a bit, then move on to the next game. The single player industry has always worked this way, I don't know why people haven't grasped it applies to MMOs too.

 

The days of the million+ subscriber MMO are coming to an end. WoW was a cultural fad, not a genuine market.

People don't apply that line of thought to MMO's just because of the "Massive" factor.

For example, at the beginning of this game I was happy to begin a new, long, adventure with my friends..sharing laughing moments and game moments for years.

Things that can't exists on single player. That's all.

People don't apply that line of thought to MMO's just because of the "Massive" factor.

For example, at the beginning of this game I was happy to begin a new, long, adventure with my friends..sharing laughing moments and game moments for years.

Things that can't exists on single player. That's all.

His point still stands though. Large parts of the market try game after game after game. Even MMO's get bought in the same way. Spend the money on the box, play it for a few weeks, look for something else (and some people then need to complain about a game on the forums untill they found a new game). It is a repeating process that happens for every single game release.

Take, for example, the big one: World of Warcraft. At it's peek, it had 12 million people playing it. I can assure you that the number of people that tried it is at least double if not triple or quadriple that number.

People come and go. About 2,5 million people tried this game now. The community will be lucky if we keep half of them, but 25% is a lot more reasonable bet.. if that at all. The 7 day free trial is one way to get new people to try the game. And if 25% of those will stick around than the game will grow in numbers again.

His point still stands though. Large parts of the market try game after game after game. Even MMO's get bought in the same way. Spend the money on the box, play it for a few weeks, look for something else (and some people then need to complain about a game on the forums untill they found a new game). It is a repeating process that happens for every single game release.

 

Take, for example, the big one: World of Warcraft. At it's peek, it had 12 million people playing it. I can assure you that the number of people that tried it is at least double if not triple or quadriple that number.

 

People come and go. About 2,5 million people tried this game now. The community will be lucky if we keep half of them, but 25% is a lot more reasonable bet.. if that at all. The 7 day free trial is one way to get new people to try the game. And if 25% of those will stick around than the game will grow in numbers again.

People come and go it's ok and normal.

Servers highly dropping, different. It's not because people play for a few weeks mmo and then try another game.

The MMO medium player doesn't think as a single player, and that's a fact.

Its common Knowledge that its a lot harder to regain customers to any product then it is to retain those customers.

 

Seeing how some major issues like maintenance times are going to remain unchanged (something that none in my guild apreciates atm), I dont see it hapen.

 

I see the same you do on my server, 4 people on Hutta on peak times, 20 on drumond, no one available for heroics 4 in that or end game areas, except for the dailies at lvl 50, and even so they arent easy to find.

My point is, it is not about regaining or retaining. It is also about getting new customers and new people to try it.

The customers that tried it and left are very hard to get back, and many companies often don't try it untill their memories of the game have faded and they might look back a year from now and be in a mindset of 'i wonder how the game changed..', and then a new marketing campaign happens to get these people back. Even if just for a month or two of subscription untill they realize again why this game was not for them.

Currently, the game is in a low. The initial rush has faded, many people experienced that the game has nothing left to offer them personally, many others are still enjoying it at the same time. A big patch comes up soon, and now a 7 day trial to try and get new customers in.

All these things have happened before, including the lower population that comes with being in these times.

Still, I will repeat what I often say: Activity =/= Subscribers =/= Customers.

The people that log in every day, or even every week, is not the full 100% of the amount of subscribers a game has. Activity of servers is a sign, but it is not defenite proof.

And the amount of subscribers is also not equal to the amount of customers a game has. Some customers cancelled subscriptions but might come back again one day, some are in a free trial period and others do not even know they are a customer of the game just yet.

This game's customer base will grow. How far will it grow? I do not know. How long will it continue to grow? I do not know. All I am sure of is that right now we are not already passed the peek of the amount of people that play it. The EA Marketing machine, combined with the Bioware talent and the Star Wars IP is a too big combination for 2,5 to 3 million people to have tried this game to be the maximum amount of customer base.

What this means for subscription numbers, I do not know. But I do know the customer base has not reached its peek yet.

People come and go it's ok and normal.

Servers highly dropping, different. It's not because people play for a few weeks mmo and then try another game.

The MMO medium player doesn't think as a single player, and that's a fact.

They actually do.

Greetings everyone!

Since we have several threads that cover the various aspects of server population, speculation, suggestions and more, we are going to close this thread in the interest of consolidating discussion. We ask that you please continue this discussion here:

• Server Population is dropping
  
• Server Population is GROWING!
  
• When will there be Server Merges?
  
• Free transfers in the future?
  
• NOW = 1.7 Million Active Subscribers | 3 Months from now = Guess What
  

Thank you!