Im just curious when ppl start playing a new mmorpg.  The last game I started at launch was swg.  Since then it has been at least a few months if not a year after it has been released.  This is mostly due to the fact that no new mmo comes out that I want to play  at a time where I want to play a different one

Makes some sense to wait a few months at least, to try a new MMO, but I think the problem is that most MMOs thrive on that initial surge of players, and the new player experience tends to be the most fun, when there are lots of other new players around.  Coming into an MMO after its been around for a year tends to lead to a much more isolated experience, leading to less social attachment, and moving on to another game before too long.  

That's if I even find the time to try a new MMO that isn't so new anymore. I'm usually too distracted by all the shiny new games that are coming out, MMO and SP alike, so I forget to even consider MMOs that have been around a while.

Wait a few days for bugs to clear out.

A few months, and even then only if the game looks appealing.  I know some people have to try EVERY game that hits the streets.  I just can't see that.  Too many boxes, wasted subs, and even worse wasted time.

Ken

I try to play any game I think would be good right at launch.
By far the best time; Tones of people in all the leveling zones, active pvp all the way up. Minimal min/max'ing nobody beats your with their rediculous gear.

Sometimes there is pets/mounts/stuff you can get that dissapear. I still have my old school mount in WoW; one of my most prized posessions :P

Depends on the MMO and who's making it.  Now that said I love to beta test, all kinds of MMOs.  But in beta you know the game is going to be laggy and glitchy, you can also see if the game will even be worth playing at launch.  Most game aren't.  ArenaNet is one of the best for making sure the game is ready to go at launch time, and more companies are claiming to try and follow in their foot steps.  But the current trend is to release an unfinished product, very bad.  So I usually wait a tleast a year from release, then if they have a trial I DL it.  If they have improved the game then I may play, if they haven't then I wait another year.

There are some MMOs I do plan on playing from the get go, two I have really been looking forward to.  One is SW:TOR and the other is GW2 (GW2 being an ArenaNet game).  I am looking forward to APB and STO as well, and while I do plan on beta testing them if I can get in, I doubt I will play them from release.  However, the reson I like beta testing is the challenge of trying to break the game.  To try ang get the game company to build the best game they possibly make, to test it and stress it.  And that's where the funs lies in that for me.  Playing a game for the fun of playing an MMO usually isn't fun at launch, it is usualy quite cumbersome.  As most companies are still trying to nail down issues they are having.

 Launch day, I like to see the rue work that has been made to meet the public on day one.

Plus, if i like the game its excellent to follow its evolution across the months and years

 It all depends, if it looks like an interesting game but is said to be buggy, I'll wait. Usually, I wait 3 months anyways, that way there's people who know what is going on if I need help, bugs are out, and the price is usually dropped. Although lately, I've been buying games right away. I bought Champions only 4 days after release. I guess it all depends.

 used to be at lunch day but now the game of the month things (kids)trow that out of the window

now i wait for kids that are never satisfied to go away from the game then i play it if game is appealling to me still

like i just went to see rom new area is nice and all so i ll ptobably come back in 2 3 months when kids cooldown from it ,but sometime like wow it doesnt cool down lol 

There are few companies games I will be in from launch, Bioware and Arenanet games I can play from the first day.

For the rest I wait until they fixed the worst issues or patched in the content I want.

I still waiting for WAR to patch in those 4 last citys that was supposed to be almost finnished before launch but just didn't have the right polish (yea, right). As soon as they are in I will try WAR.

I voted a few months because that is my usual waiting time, sometimes I do the beta and decide how long I should wait until I get it based on the beta.

Originally posted by Vhaln

Makes some sense to wait a few months at least, to try a new MMO, but I think the problem is that most MMOs thrive on that initial surge of players, and the new player experience tends to be the most fun, when there are lots of other new players around.  Coming into an MMO after its been around for a year tends to lead to a much more isolated experience, leading to less social attachment, and moving on to another game before too long.  

That's if I even find the time to try a new MMO that isn't so new anymore. I'm usually too distracted by all the shiny new games that are coming out, MMO and SP alike, so I forget to even consider MMOs that have been around a while.

 

On the other hand playing from launch day on you get the experience of every asshat and asshole rushing to max level, that don't know how to really play the game (remember FFXI when released to the US, a good majority of the early playerbase had NO CLUE what skillchaining was nor wanted to learn which made for painfully long group sessions) added on top of the usual massive game balancing, exploit fixing, lagfest.

Only time I buy at launch is if  I've played in closed beta for atleast 2 months and like the game coming into to open beta.

I found that for pvp based games its really fun to start at the begining. That way you have hundreds of noobs from the start to kill for your gain. Like WAR for example with especially fun from the begining until midlevel.

Here's my two cents:

1. Most people have already stated my preference, which is to wait a few weeks for most bugs to be fixed. The other reason why I wait is for the starting to clear out a bit, so there will be less lag and less frustration as that 1 creature you need to kill gets killed many-a-times before you get to it; and there will be those annoying people who will camp it, just to kill steal.

2. The best of both worlds scenario: Once the waiting period is over, if the game is very popular, there's a good chance that new servers will open up. Join the new server and it will be like playing the game at launch with all its mayhem, but more polished.

I like to do the same thing that somebody else already said, which is to wait a few weeks or so for the initial mess to get sorted out and then start when new servers get launched.

I try to get into the Closed or Open Beta.

Since I'm a sandbox player my games are usually missing features and buggy with preformance issues so I wait 3-6 months before I buy the game. If its still buggy I'll unsub and comback at the 12 month mark.

I have been "no trial, no play" for a little over 4 years, which means I usually have to wait several months to a year to see anything that comes out. The last game I remember buying at launch was WoW. I have better things to spend my money on than the lies and half-truths that the hype machine spins around these new games.