Originally posted by jahar

Originally posted by Torak

"Turbine said this week that its Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) game is now the second-most popular massively multiplayer online game, after World of Warcraft, which claims 9 million subscribers."

 

ha that quote is great too.. it doesnt say anything about its numbers.. just that its popular.. i could argue that I am the 2nd most popular game.. my hair is waay cooler and the girls dig me

What really bothers me about how these guys spin the numbers is this. Its ok to report that WoW has 9 million subs even though only about 2 to 2.5 million are U.S. but its not "ok" to report that L2 has 1.2 million or L1 has 2 million because the U.S. sub base is under 100k each. L1 and L2 still hold the number 2 and 3 spots. FFXI taking the fourth spot. (paid anyway, there are several free to play that can claim far more active players)

LotR simply does not have enough servers to show 800k subs. 

EDIT

I still stand by guess of 250k subs by the end of its first year. A more then respectible number for a  western MMO. (I am beginning to have my doubts though as no new servers are being added to support any substancial growth dispite free trials and discounted monthly fees.

Someone on the VN boards actually did a /who on all US servers at different hours.  This was when the game was only around a month or less old too.

There was around 2000-3000 on 11 US servers.  It didn't add up any /afk or /anonymous people though, so it was probably even more. 

Originally posted by Torak

"Turbine said this week that its Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) game is now the second-most popular massively multiplayer online game, after World of Warcraft, which claims 9 million subscribers."

Ok, I have LotR and play it on occassion, its a good game no question I also betaed for a year.

BUT

Where the f*&% did these guys get their info? It is not accurate from what I can see.

First, there has been no offical anouncement at all

http://www.thelordoftheringsonline.com/index.php?page_id=55&siid=5 

Or in other sites that track the game industry like Gamespot for example

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/middleearthonline/index.html?tag=tabs;summary 

Second, 800k does not make it the second most played. Not that there are 800k.

 

 

This line also doesn't jive with a Midway press release on Aug 2 2007

its publishing partner Midway Games Inc. of Chicago, subscription revenue of at least $12 million a month or $144 million a year, plus $40 million for the game software sold so far.

v.s.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/middleearthonline/news.html?sid=6176030&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title;3

Midway's shortcoming comes on the heels of several high-profile second-quarter launches. With solid reviews, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar sold over 172,000 copies during the quarter, including the special edition of the game. (GameSpot originally reported erroneous NPD Group data putting the number at 71,000 units, and regrets the error.) Meanwhile, the Wii edition of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon only moved about 38,500 units, and the critically drubbed Hour of Victory sold just 16,456 units at retail domestically.

 

 

Since Aug 2 did they suddenly sell another 650,000 olus units and added supporting servers? I played last night and there were only 12 servers and no log in queue. 

Gamespot derived their numbers of boxes sold from Midway's quarterly report... which made no mention of Lotro or boxes sold.  It did mention a $10 million dollar profit... but that's it.  Gamespot then used some kinda magic mojo formula to come up with the box sales. 

Here is the link to Midway's sales # :

www.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_12064.html

To see the table I have included below... you'll have to go to the PDF that they have a link for in the above link, I've included a link to the PDF here as well:

www.midway.com/assets/press/documents/MWY_Q2_2007.pdf

If you don't believe me... look on the internet for as long as you want to try and find an official release of box sales.  You won't find it.  The box sales number is just like Boston Globes 800k subs. number... a complete guess without any clue as to it's accuracy. 

Originally posted by observer

 

Someone on the VN boards actually did a /who on all US servers at different hours.  This was when the game was only around a month or less old too.

There was around 2000-3000 on 11 US servers.  It didn't add up any /afk or /anonymous people though, so it was probably even more. 

Hey, just got an idea.  Perhaps someone smarter than I could come up with a formula or a program that would analyze the amount of gold selling spam and translate that into reliable subscription numbers.  Bingo!  A way to find out sub. #'s for any MMO we want. 

3000 on 11 server is 33.000. considering peak population usually represent about 1/3 of the total, we have 100K on Us server. that is a quite nice number.

With EU combined, that mean they could have 200K subscriptions, quite the rarity nowadays. It would make LOTRO a succesful game.

   Sorry but I just can't see 800k playing the game. I played for 10 days on the trial an did not like it at all. I never saw anybody. I thinkI heard 4 guys on chat in that time. Something I was not used to coming over from WoW and FFXI.

Thats because the starter area isnt very popular for a "Hang Out" lol, If you go into Major City of the game you'll see ton's of people running about. I never had any issues trying to get into a group on this game at all. It's a wonderful game and its very popular if I may say so myself. There's going to be opinions about "EVERY" single MMORPG out there. The day people doesnt judge just 1 game. I might just pass out and not wake up. Because theres always a neg. opinion on a game no matter how good someone think it is. They all have flaws. Nothing is perfect....Everyone is different...

I actually wouldn't be surprised if this number is accurate, if they had anywhere from 500,000+ - 800,000 subscribers, the game servers are filling rapidly, and there's always new players...ALWAYS...coming in every day....If we hit the 1mil. Mark, we'll definantly hear about it...The game is brand spakin' new..it's done so well...GJ Turbine.

Thanks for the laugh, Valentina.

I can not believe you guys are still going on about this crap who gives a rats ass how well it is going it is still going isn't it and that is enough of a success for me seems that every 1 is so fixated on if they have a squezillion subs and how much money they are making WHO CARES there the ones getting rich why does this bother you or me surely there is something more intelligent for you all to talk about then if LOTRO has lived up to what your standards think it should be....... i think i am getting a headache please every 1 lovers and haters get over it for the love of god.

Originally posted by Perception

Thanks for the laugh, Valentina.

haha im with ya on that.. if they were close to a mil, there would be some real numbers out there, not just padded, made up ones

Originally posted by Perception

Thanks for the laugh, Valentina.

Agreed...Before my scrip was up, I had heard about the wonderful Landroval server which was a RP community with lots of people..

So, I thought maybe if I find some people with interests and would be willing to RP, it might keep me.

I arrived from the starter quest to the first town (human side), and it had 2 people...then I found one person running around killing stuff, and I started killing there, and greeted him..

"Hail"

Reply - "Please leave, these are my wolves to kill"

And he runs away...

So, 3 people, one rude...last time I logged in...after 4 months of regular play...no...there were not new people coming in all the time..

Anyways, I enjoy your blog...keep up the good work weeding out all the "praised" reviews, and get some overall viewpoints going...

So you were in the starter area which means you were under lvl 6 right? well of course there was no 1 there they were obviously in combe lvling up once you get out of the starter area so if you have played past the starter area b4 you should know this am i correct?

Originally posted by charlizd

So you were in the starter area which means you were under lvl 6 right? well of course there was no 1 there they were obviously in combe lvling up once you get out of the starter area so if you have played past the starter area b4 you should know this am i correct?

I was not in the instanced beginner area ...and was level 9...I was in Archet when this happened. So, I had finished the beginning area's and was now in the full on sections...and it had 3 people..

I went to Combe and saw no one...As I went to the Comb and Wattle for that specific quest....

So, I still believe "new" people starting is not happening that much!

well i am on us servers so it may be different to euro maybe it is the RP servers they are not getting on as you just pointed out obviously not a true rper to tell you to leave his wolfs alone as a true Rper would have atleast hailed you back. i am seeing new people every time i log on not shitloads but enough to see that people are still joing middle earth, they may stay and they may leave but none the less they are there.

Im sorry if it seemed i was having a go at you i did not meen it that way.

Originally posted by charlizd

well i am on us servers so it may be different to euro maybe it is the RP servers they are not getting on as you just pointed out obviously not a true rper to tell you to leave his wolfs alone as a true Rper would have atleast hailed you back. i am seeing new people every time i log on not shitloads but enough to see that people are still joing middle earth, they may stay and they may leave but none the less they are there.

 

Im sorry if it seemed i was having a go at you i did not meen it that way.

Not at all...your cool...I did mention starter area...but it was the full world, not my own private Idaho..

By the way...that was the US server Landroval...not a Euro server...hehe

So, yes, the disappointment was there, as I heard great things...but, life goes on..

I feel like I found a better game now in EQ2, and can't wait for Tabula Rasa or Gods and Heroes (but, will not buy a pre-order for sure..will wait 3 months and see how they are doing...read reviews etc..)

Thanks

Originally posted by AnimatorKid

   Sorry but I just can't see 800k playing the game. I played for 10 days on the trial an did not like it at all. I never saw anybody. I thinkI heard 4 guys on chat in that time. Something I was not used to coming over from WoW and FFXI.

 

So 10 days with 4 guys in chat  . . . plus 3  . . . carry the 1 . . . . BOOM . .  18 subscriptions in 4 months.

  This game is teh sux. d00d stay away.

Originally posted by midwestnets

 

Originally posted by AnimatorKid

   Sorry but I just can't see 800k playing the game. I played for 10 days on the trial an did not like it at all. I never saw anybody. I thinkI heard 4 guys on chat in that time. Something I was not used to coming over from WoW and FFXI.

 

I think we should go with AnimatorKid's number.  His seem the most scientific.

 

 

So 10 days with 4 guys in chat  . . . plus 3  . . . carry the 1 . . . . BOOM . .  18 subscriptions in 4 months.

 

  This game is teh sux. d00d stay away.

 

 

so should we go by your numbers? did ya just log on to be an ass? he says  there weren't alot of people using the voice chat, and words it the way a normal human would, and you jump into the convo just to mock? come backc when you have somethign to contribute, mr. cool guy 

Originally posted by jahar

Originally posted by midwestnets

 

Originally posted by AnimatorKid

   Sorry but I just can't see 800k playing the game. I played for 10 days on the trial an did not like it at all. I never saw anybody. I thinkI heard 4 guys on chat in that time. Something I was not used to coming over from WoW and FFXI.

 

I think we should go with AnimatorKid's number.  His seem the most scientific.

 

 

So 10 days with 4 guys in chat  . . . plus 3  . . . carry the 1 . . . . BOOM . .  18 subscriptions in 4 months.

 

  This game is teh sux. d00d stay away.

 

 

so should we go by your numbers?

And yes, I jumped into the "convo" to "mock" him.  And yes, now I am doing it to you. 

Originally posted by openedge1

 

Originally posted by charlizd

So you were in the starter area which means you were under lvl 6 right? well of course there was no 1 there they were obviously in combe lvling up once you get out of the starter area so if you have played past the starter area b4 you should know this am i correct?

 

I was not in the instanced beginner area ...and was level 9...I was in Archet when this happened. So, I had finished the beginning area's and was now in the full on sections...and it had 3 people..

I went to Combe and saw no one...As I went to the Comb and Wattle for that specific quest....

So, I still believe "new" people starting is not happening that much!

Oh get off it already and find a hobby , will you, Open?

You play a game up to level 9, see a few people in lower level areas - where no one sticks around in for very long - and feel that's enough to make a comprehensive judgement on?  And you do this with complete sincerity?

LOL. You take absurdity to a whole new level.

The lower level areas in *many* MMOs are often not very populated, for the very same reason - people level up and out of them relatively quickly.

In WoW, I'd start a new character, a Night Elf in one instance and, guess what... Aldrassil would be all but abandoned. In fact, all of Teldrassil was remarkably void of many people. There was one time where there were literally more Horde players there, attacking the NPCs in Darnassus, than there were actual lowbie NE's in the entire area. Why? Because you don't spend much time there. Not more than the first 10 or so levels. Would you say that game is lacking in players?

In FFXI, the newbie areas are, similarly, fairly vacant of many players. it's led some people to think no one really plays it. Yet, go to Jeuno or to Whitegate and there's generally more people than the FFXI engine can even display on a screen at once.

Where LoTRO is concerned...

1. Go to Bree - the place is always busy and almost always has the "reduced awareness" setting active, which indicates there are many, many people online - specifically in that region - and the server has to choke back how far players can see to keep performance at an optimum. That is not the sign of a game with a "low population".

2. Lone Lands and especially Forsaken Inn always has people in or around it, questing, hanging around, etc.

3. North Downs, especially in and around Esteldin always has a bunch of people around. I regularly pass by several other players/groups in my travels, whether I'm on a main road or off.

4. Playing in general... I don't care where I've been or when I've been there, I see other players/groups around, in even the most remote locations, more and more all the time.

Hate to burst your bubble, as it's clear you'd like nothing more than to believe LoTRO is somehow not doing well, but it's doing quite fine. There are plenty of people playing and, yes, the population is noticeably increasing.