World of Warcraft cranks it up to 11 (million)
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, News items
Just two weeks before Wrath of the Lich King descends upon the denizens of Azeroth the world over, Blizzard has announced that World of Warcraft has reached the 11 million subscriber mark. That's yet another milestone for the oft-celebrated MMO from the house that built Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo.
So when -- if ever -- will World of Warcraft's climb in subscribers ever end? Some say the Star Wars: The Old Republic could harken the siren song for the little MMO that could, but nobody really knows for sure. Even when the day comes that WoW is no longer top dog, it'll still be around kickin' tires and lightin' fires. You can't kill that which has no life, after all.
So when -- if ever -- will World of Warcraft's climb in subscribers ever end? Some say the Star Wars: The Old Republic could harken the siren song for the little MMO that could, but nobody really knows for sure. Even when the day comes that WoW is no longer top dog, it'll still be around kickin' tires and lightin' fires. You can't kill that which has no life, after all.

















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wjowski said on 2:39PM 10-28-2008
Sometimes I think Blizzard puts out these announcements for the sole purpose of annoying the people going on and on about how WoW is 'dying'.
Reply
KingJames said on 2:41PM 10-28-2008
How many of those 11 million subscriptions can your American audience play with? They should just put in the title World of Warcraft; made and played in China. I stopped caring about how many people play this game when the more people started playing the more boring the game got.
Reply
Tony said on 3:05PM 10-28-2008
I suppose these things would be exciting if almost every MMORPG didn't fracture that number through dozens upon dozens of servers with a significantly lower cap. It's not like I can play with 11,000,000 other people.
On the flipside, I guess it's nice to know that what you've been spending your money on isn't going anywhere soon.
Reply
Bimmicus said on 4:44PM 10-28-2008
I will not be buying Wrath, nor will I continue playing past the first of the year. WOW is a good game, but two years is plenty.
Surely I'm not the only one who will be passing on the expansion?
Reply
The Claw said on 5:45PM 10-28-2008
Surely you're not, indeed. But I guarantee you that you're outnumbered by people returning for the expansion. And the "12 million player" press release will prove that, when it arrives.
Zandareth said on 5:58PM 10-28-2008
Oh man this is a big IN YOUR FACE to all the people saying WoW is dying.
Flames incoming in 5, 4, 3...
Reply
DeathMutant said on 6:55PM 10-28-2008
Every MMOG -- even EQ1 -- has a spike in population immediately after an expansion. This means nothing except that Blizzard is using every opportunity they can get to make announcements about popular WoW *still* is.
I would be interested in seeing WoW's population three months *after* WotLK goes live. That is the true test.
Jack said on 8:12PM 10-28-2008
Sure Every MMOG has a spike in population immediately after an expansion... but there is no expansion out yet. Also this "Spike" is more them the complete subscriber base of LOTR or AoC or even Warhammer... (BTW we not hear any updated numbers of Warhammer or AoC for some time now.) We not even known how many real subscriber warhammer has like they are just getting close to the end of there free month.
Also this are WoW real subscribers with active accounts!! A good morp is make by the people playing it and WoW got that part down. All that people that quit this game include me what I really miss is my friends of WoW. Not the game, not the tired battlegrounds not the endless grinds. But the people I was doing it for all I really wanted was raid with the people of my guild that I did get to known and liked and some even loved. I did go to all that crap of group finding till pvp battleground just for get the join of playing with friends.
Ever time when I start a new MMO I feel alone and have this feeling "did that done" this feeling was real strong with Warhammer it kinda did feel like WoW but the friend level was missing there was not even a zone chat when I was playing and most players just pass me like I was some kind of poo on the floor. The grouping system did get me going for a few levels more but soon the grouping did look so computer toons no one never did say anything everyone was just doing there thing competing there quests I was level 20 got burned out and quit the game.
I still did not go back to WoW I think most of my friends already forget me but I got to say I did wish I seen what I really did like in WoW and what other morps lack
Kaiallard said on 2:58AM 10-29-2008
Asian popularity...
Its why nobody is challenging WoW anytime soon.
Reply
Jaben said on 7:00AM 10-29-2008
The fact is, the game's good. The grind is still a real problem for me, but unfortunately that's intrinsically part of the MMO scene, and probably will be for some years to come. However, the graphics and gameplay are a delight, and it doesn't take a monster machine to look or feel great.
I'd give the game at least 2 - 3 years of dominance in the market before something else comes along. And i wouldn't be at all surprised if it was a Blizzard game.
Reply
Digit-8.com said on 4:46PM 10-29-2008
That is really impressive numbers
Reply
Bossy said on 11:11AM 10-30-2008
You know why these figures are true?
Not only because Vivendi has to put them in an audited financial report for the stock market.
But look at this:
www.xfire.com
It outplays everything on the western market (Xfire is not used in China --- hihi)
and of course this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/videogames/229575/ref=pd_nr_vg_mte
hourly updated ....
and Wow stands with 5(!) products in the top 20 of PC games sales - in a season where so called BIG PC releases are done.
The rest of the year these basic wow products just stand in the top 5 and this after ... 4 years.
Oh BTW NO Chinese in these charts either.
Yes I know... the competition is THAT bad.
Reply