Originally posted by cheyane

I have upto Lich King on my US WoW account and up to BC on my European accounts yes plural I have 2 in Europe. The thing that is preventing me from playing is that I have to buy Cata if I want to advance and I do not want to do that. I just want to play  Mists and level to the end but no they want me to pay for Cata and this is why I am not buying Mists.

 

I am okay with the sub just the box costs for earleir expansions are putting me off and if I want to play my 64 priest on the European servers I have to buy Lich and Cata and that my friend is too much for me .I like the way Everquest 2 does it where you buy the last expansion to play all.

You realise you can buy Cataclysm for £5 from amazon right?

Don't worry WoW China released today! Blizzard took great effort to rush the Chinese release months earlier than ever before in China.

Now you can blame weak sales on China again while they are actually covering up for th declining EU/US sales.

And with the additional millions of "sales" and "subscriber" you can start to pretend MOP is the promised "GW2 KILLER!"!!!" too even though GW2 didnt even feel a scratch.

Wow didn't rush to china, Its just china approved mop faster then they had any other expansion. Yea sales are a bit down u can say, The thing is most people i know got digital copy, 

There seem to be a hell of a lot of people running around in pandaria , And with cue times on the most heavily populated servers i find it hard to belive only 600 k copies sold, 

So time will tell  but I have trouble believing that mop hasn't sold over a million copies, In europe people where complaining about cue times on forums and stuff so i find it extremly hard to believe wow wont match cata numbers at least. 

Originally posted by cheyane

I have upto Lich King on my US WoW account and up to BC on my European accounts yes plural I have 2 in Europe. The thing that is preventing me from playing is that I have to buy Cata if I want to advance and I do not want to do that. I just want to play  Mists and level to the end but no they want me to pay for Cata and this is why I am not buying Mists.

 

I am okay with the sub just the box costs for earleir expansions are putting me off and if I want to play my 64 priest on the European servers I have to buy Lich and Cata and that my friend is too much for me .I like the way Everquest 2 does it where you buy the last expansion to play all.

Wrong.

Everyone who have the basic game, gets Lich King at no additional cost now, just as they did with TBC earlier. In other words, TBC AND WotLK are included in the battle chest now.

I don't have a link to the announcement, but if you check the Table of Features on their EU site, you'll see that for yourself.

An update to the original story in the link:

"Update: Analysts at investment bank Brean Murray, Carrett & Co. are also weighing in on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria’s financial impact, and they’re painting a rosier picture. They believe the expansion pack will be a key driver of publisher Activision Blizzard’s third quarter 2012 revenue growth.

“We think recent reports of weak retail sales for Mists of Pandaria may fail to reflect a channel shift toward a greater percentage of digital sales,” they said.

“More than 1 million people bought premium subscriptions, which bundled a year-long subscription with a copy of Diablo III. We look for the premium subscribers to not only pick up the expansion but for a significant portion of them to download it through the Battle.net platform, which should offer high margin revenue.”

Brean Murray estimates 4.5 million units of Mists of Pandaria will be sold in the third quarter despite competition from free-to-play titles and NCSoft’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game Guild Wars 2, which has sold over 2 million copies. It also expects subscriber numbers to increase from 9.1 million to 9.8 million by the end of the third quarter."

http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/27/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-performance-disappointing/#7QSW17czQFH28uPJ.99

Looks like things might not be as bad as some people hoped it would be.  I haven't bought a PC game in a store in years and no one I know who plays WoW bought MoP in one, either.

Originally posted by Ginaz

An update to the original story in the link:

"Update: Analysts at investment bank Brean Murray, Carrett & Co. are also weighing in on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria’s financial impact, and they’re painting a rosier picture. They believe the expansion pack will be a key driver of publisher Activision Blizzard’s third quarter 2012 revenue growth.

“We think recent reports of weak retail sales for Mists of Pandaria may fail to reflect a channel shift toward a greater percentage of digital sales,” they said.

“More than 1 million people bought premium subscriptions, which bundled a year-long subscription with a copy of Diablo III. We look for the premium subscribers to not only pick up the expansion but for a significant portion of them to download it through the Battle.net platform, which should offer high margin revenue.”

Brean Murray estimates 4.5 million units of Mists of Pandaria will be sold in the third quarter despite competition from free-to-play titles and NCSoft’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game Guild Wars 2, which has sold over 2 million copies. It also expects subscriber numbers to increase from 9.1 million to 9.8 million by the end of the third quarter."

http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/27/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-performance-disappointing/#7QSW17czQFH28uPJ.99

Looks like things might not be as bad as some people hoped it would be.  I haven't bought a PC game in a store in years and no one I know who plays WoW bought MoP in one, either.

Anyone who's serious about WoW enough to buy a 1 year sub isn't likely to want to go to a store to buy MoP and not get to play i right at  release. It's laughable to suggest that anything but the vast majority of sales of MoP will be digital.

Originally posted by Ginaz

An update to the original story in the link:

"Update: Analysts at investment bank Brean Murray, Carrett & Co. are also weighing in on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria’s financial impact, and they’re painting a rosier picture. They believe the expansion pack will be a key driver of publisher Activision Blizzard’s third quarter 2012 revenue growth.

“We think recent reports of weak retail sales for Mists of Pandaria may fail to reflect a channel shift toward a greater percentage of digital sales,” they said.

“More than 1 million people bought premium subscriptions, which bundled a year-long subscription with a copy of Diablo III. We look for the premium subscribers to not only pick up the expansion but for a significant portion of them to download it through the Battle.net platform, which should offer high margin revenue.”

Brean Murray estimates 4.5 million units of Mists of Pandaria will be sold in the third quarter despite competition from free-to-play titles and NCSoft’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game Guild Wars 2, which has sold over 2 million copies. It also expects subscriber numbers to increase from 9.1 million to 9.8 million by the end of the third quarter."

http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/27/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-performance-disappointing/#7QSW17czQFH28uPJ.99

Looks like things might not be as bad as some people hoped it would be.  I haven't bought a PC game in a store in years and no one I know who plays WoW bought MoP in one, either.

Stores don't tend to stock PC games anymore, at least here in the UK, so its either online mail order, or digital, and who has the patience for mail order? and yes, i bought digital, did an upgrade to my account from the launcher. MoP is probably the first expansion to be mostly digital imo, i fully expect digital sales to be the primary source in future for MMO's anyway, i would lay heavy odds that future expansions of GW2 will be available as a digital 'upgrade' directly from Arenanet too.

I for one love Pandaria and pre-ordered digital download, hence I and many others most likely don't show up on any sales listing... It is so much awesome fun, and I seriously couldn't care less what the population is on the game other than perhaps getting longer queue timers, but then again in a five man group wouldn't it stay the same anyway? If you lose as many tanks as healer and dps... 

Pandas rock, they are just so cute and the land is beautiful... I hate the new talent system but I'm always willing to deal with battle systems I hate for a game that I love for example Final Fantasy 8... even bought Final Fantasy 12, but the battle systems aren't my cup of tea, just the storyline is... 

Now, if only they could just add more features more talent points and guild advancement, instead of oversimplification *sigh*. 

Overall though, the launch was polished and smooth, and I'm having a great time, as are my guildmates ). 

Only problem, terrible timing on Brewfest, really? No time to get 90, and missing precious days that I can't kill Coren Direbrew because he's a 90 fight... 

Originally posted by ohpower

OK little additional facts

1 the actual source is Banque Lazard, which not is not above error but certainly reliable. These guys are investment banks, not your average mmorpg fan/"journalist". They tell people where to put their money, and don't give a **** about the actual future of the game apart from its financial reports, so I think they can be trusted. (And they very certainly aren't your average consultant: they are the real deal)

This.

Funny not one of the poster that keeps debating back and forth dares to quote and challenge this fact.

Maybe because it is fact, and therefore undebatable, unlike half of the spin about accuracy of statistics herp derp that people keeps on debating back and forth on.

Even if they can't be trusted (maybe they are not a very good investment bank), you can be reasonably certain that they didn't make up statistics just to troll WoW or they are GW2 fanbois or something. They are all about making money on investments, and they are stating their projection that they can't see a good investment in Activision/Blizzard's stock price at the moment.

Thing is many more people would have bought MoP if they dint go to an 8 year old style.
I still hear people in my guild saying it a joke and panda's aint comming they are fooling us again like in April !! :)

Now they are at a point of no return, they choose that turn without listening to their playerbase.
Arrogance is bliss.

Without panda's it would have sold more..
Without panda's they could have let me return, and my guildies..
Without panda's they dint split up their playerbase in half of who like and dislike panda's.
Without panda's it woulnt have gotten the name kiddy pokemon and pandalands.

Over time MoP might sell a little better, but many people turned away from WoW when they announced Mist of Pandaria.

Dont get me wrong, my wife LOVES it :) !!!
But i cannot buy MoP and hear that awfull sound of kung fu panda's
Or spend another 300 euro to move to Outland with 6 hours queue where most of the EU playerbase moved to from their ghostown's

If this expansion fails, they cannot blame it on age, they may blame their Ghostcrawler who said we need panda's ingame.

Originally posted by Mothanos

Thing is many more people would have bought MoP if they dint go to an 8 year old style.
I still hear people in my guild saying it a joke and panda's aint comming they are fooling us again like in April !! :)

Now they are at a point of no return, they choose that turn without listening to their playerbase.
Arrogance is bliss.

Without panda's it would have sold more..
Without panda's they could have let me return, and my guildies..
Without panda's they dint split up their playerbase in half of who like and dislike panda's.
Without panda's it woulnt have gotten the name kiddy pokemon and pandalands.

Over time MoP might sell a little better, but many people turned away from WoW when they announced Mist of Pandaria.

Dont get me wrong, my wife LOVES it :) !!!
But i cannot buy MoP and hear that awfull sound of kung fu panda's
Or spend another 300 euro to move to Outland with 6 hours queue where most of the EU playerbase moved to from their ghostown's

If this expansion fails, they cannot blame it on age, they may blame their Ghostcrawler who said we need panda's ingame.

For me anyone who does not buy MOP cus of panda's are missing out, the leveling experience (just dinged 87) is the best it has ever been, sure it's more on rails than it's ever been but so far it's been a joy to level, cannot speak for end game or this dailey grind I have been hearing about but I feel if millions did not come back for MOP cus of pandas then they've missed out.  You do have to get Blizz humor to appreciate it but it's hella fun for sure. 10/10 for the leveling experience.  This expac might go down as the best expac you've never played.

---

Originally posted by nsignific
Don't worry guis, mop released in China so even if it sells a lot we have a new excuse to claim it's doing badly!

---

Asia dont buy expanions :P
They download it
They buy a timecard
pay 1 cent per hour
and are counted as subscriptions

Thats why you still see 9.1 million subs
While in reality its just not even close
Even if they log in once 1 month they are counted as a fully payed subscription.

When i was still playing WoW 7 months ago in Europe on Bladefist server we had 30 people in Stormwind...
Many servers are death and deserted and many people moved to Stormscale / Outland / Ravencrest / Silvana etc etc

Blizzard refused to assist death realms....
Many people refuse to pay 20/25 euro per character...
I have 10 characters and all profesions on max, so when i server change i need them all.
thats 10x20 euro - 200 euro for me alone then i have my wife with all profs on max.
that would be 400 euro...
Retarded prices if you ask me, no discount for old players from 2004
No discount for transfering multiple chars
No nothing

Just pure greed

Any company needs money i know that, but the way blizzard earn their money is showing no love for loyal players or any helping hand to deserted realms.

Cross realm zone;s is the worste thing ever for low populated zone's, people now need to share their low populated zone's with bots from high populated realms and Horde gankers who outnumber Alliance on 80% of all servers.

They are choking on their own decisions and are paying a high price for it.

Many reasons to not buy MoP makes it alot easier for people who where in doubt to buy MoP.
They dont give those players a reason to play anymore.

---

Originally posted by expresso

---

Originally posted by Mothanos Thing is many more people would have bought MoP if they dint go to an 8 year old style. I still hear people in my guild saying it a joke and panda's aint comming they are fooling us again like in April !! :) Now they are at a point of no return, they choose that turn without listening to their playerbase. Arrogance is bliss. Without panda's it would have sold more.. Without panda's they could have let me return, and my guildies.. Without panda's they dint split up their playerbase in half of who like and dislike panda's. Without panda's it woulnt have gotten the name kiddy pokemon and pandalands. Over time MoP might sell a little better, but many people turned away from WoW when they announced Mist of Pandaria. Dont get me wrong, my wife LOVES it :) !!! But i cannot buy MoP and hear that awfull sound of kung fu panda's Or spend another 300 euro to move to Outland with 6 hours queue where most of the EU playerbase moved to from their ghostown's If this expansion fails, they cannot blame it on age, they may blame their Ghostcrawler who said we need panda's ingame.

---

For me anyone who does not buy MOP cus of panda's are missing out, the leveling experience (just dinged 87) is the best it has ever been, sure it's more on rails than it's ever been but so far it's been a joy to level, cannot speak for end game or this dailey grind I have been hearing about but I feel if millions did not come back for MOP cus of pandas then they've missed out.  You do have to get Blizz humor to appreciate it but it's hella fun for sure. 10/10 for the leveling experience.  This expac might go down as the best expac you've never played.

---

Ive leveld since 2004 brother :)
And i realy disliked panda;s the moment they announced it ;)

You remember the forums and the playerbase who splitted in half ?
Seemed 50% like it and 50% hated it.

My guild who had a healty 300 man size where losing members from 2011 Q1 to 2011 Q3, last time i loged in we had 8 people online...

The sounds of panda's and their animations are not my style at all, without panda's i would have bought it 1000%
Blizzard made that decision of not buying their product realy easy.

Originally posted by Mothanos

Asia dont buy expanions :P
They download it
They buy a timecard
pay 1 cent per hour
and are counted as subscriptions

Thats why you still see 9.1 million subs
While in reality its just not even close
Even if they log in once 1 month they are counted as a fully payed subscription.

When i was still playing WoW 7 months ago in Europe on Bladefist server we had 30 people in Stormwind...
Many servers are death and deserted and many people moved to Stormscale / Outland / Ravencrest / Silvana etc etc

Blizzard refused to assist death realms....
Many people refuse to pay 20/25 euro per character...
I have 10 characters and all profesions on max, so when i server change i need them all.
thats 10x20 euro - 200 euro for me alone then i have my wife with all profs on max.
that would be 400 euro...
Retarded prices if you ask me, no discount for old players from 2004
No discount for transfering multiple chars
No nothing

Just pure greed

Any company needs money i know that, but the way blizzard earn their money is showing no love for loyal players or any helping hand to deserted realms.

Cross realm zone;s is the worste thing ever for low populated zone's, people now need to share their low populated zone's with bots from high populated realms and Horde gankers who outnumber Alliance on 80% of all servers.

They are choking on their own decisions and are paying a high price for it.

Many reasons to not buy MoP makes it alot easier for people who where in doubt to buy MoP.
They dont give those players a reason to play anymore.

Lies... It is 9 cent an hour.

Originally posted by Mothanos

 

---

Originally posted by expresso

---

Originally posted by Mothanos Thing is many more people would have bought MoP if they dint go to an 8 year old style. I still hear people in my guild saying it a joke and panda's aint comming they are fooling us again like in April !! :) Now they are at a point of no return, they choose that turn without listening to their playerbase. Arrogance is bliss. Without panda's it would have sold more.. Without panda's they could have let me return, and my guildies.. Without panda's they dint split up their playerbase in half of who like and dislike panda's. Without panda's it woulnt have gotten the name kiddy pokemon and pandalands. Over time MoP might sell a little better, but many people turned away from WoW when they announced Mist of Pandaria. Dont get me wrong, my wife LOVES it :) !!! But i cannot buy MoP and hear that awfull sound of kung fu panda's Or spend another 300 euro to move to Outland with 6 hours queue where most of the EU playerbase moved to from their ghostown's If this expansion fails, they cannot blame it on age, they may blame their Ghostcrawler who said we need panda's ingame.

---

For me anyone who does not buy MOP cus of panda's are missing out, the leveling experience (just dinged 87) is the best it has ever been, sure it's more on rails than it's ever been but so far it's been a joy to level, cannot speak for end game or this dailey grind I have been hearing about but I feel if millions did not come back for MOP cus of pandas then they've missed out.  You do have to get Blizz humor to appreciate it but it's hella fun for sure. 10/10 for the leveling experience.  This expac might go down as the best expac you've never played.

---

 

Ive leveld since 2004 brother :)
And i realy disliked panda;s the moment they announced it ;)

You remember the forums and the playerbase who splitted in half ?
Seemed 50% like it and 50% hated it.

My guild who had a healty 300 man size where losing members from 2011 Q1 to 2011 Q3, last time i loged in we had 8 people online...

The sounds of panda's and their animations are not my style at all, without panda's i would have bought it 1000%
Blizzard made that decision of not buying their product realy easy.

Well you cannot please all of the people all of the time, most dejectors of the pandas were simply jumping on the band wagon as it was the cool thing to do, acting like they were too mature for panda's yet showing the exact opposite in there actions and posts.

My guild (stormscale) did the opposite, I stopped playing wow in January when I was done with the content and came back for MOP by Guild that struggled to run two 10 man raids in Cata now have a dedicated 25m group a dedicated 10man and 10man B team.

If blizzard at some point in the future allow you to try out MOP for free then please swallow your bitterness and give it a try... it might just surprise you.

Ive been against Panda's the moment Cris Metzen announced it.
No amount of contend can make me come back, not even free transfers.

Seems many people are sharing my point of vieuwm its not about pleasing evry1.
I wasnt happy in TBC with squidfaces either, or Bloddelf comming to our Horde.
But it wasnt on a scale what they did with Panda's.

Panda's and the way they move / make sounds / fight is way to childish.
And there are so many rolled panda's that you cannot enter a dungeon or battleground or raid without seeing many of them.

It totaly ruined my WoW expirience when playing.
it was the end of the line for many players.

If MoP sells not well i realy hope some heads are gone roll.
These people who made millions of people quit need to be kicked out of the door before they ruin the game even more.

1st on the list is Ghostcrawler, he need to go asap.

WoTLK jeff kaplan in the lead 12.7 million players
Cataclysm Ghostcrawler in the lead 9.1 million players
I dont even wanne gues what is left now...maybe down to 8 million this year.

And lets not talk about EU for the sake of it, as international servers in EU are80% ghost towns.

WoW made a few very bad turns, no matter how we look at it.

Originally posted by Mothanos

 

I have 10 characters and all profesions on max, so when i server change i need them all.
thats 10x20 euro - 200 euro for me alone then i have my wife with all profs on max.
that would be 400 euro...
Retarded prices if you ask me, no discount for old players from 2004
 

 

Basically, you are complaining because you are addicted to the game.  Take a break from WoW.  Take a break from all MMOs. Play like a normal person when you come back and make only one character.  It isn't Blizzard's fault that you feel the need to move ten characters around to different servers so often.

Also, your complaints don't seem to be relevant to the original discussion topic of this thread.

I hope that this thread has been debunked as useless information.  The cited news article does not account for digital sales, which makes the numbers completely worthless.  I'm no fan of WoW, but I was genuinely curious if this expansion had failed already.  It looks like we have to wait for more solid numbers from Blizzard.

How can someone hate pandas is beyond me. The animals, I mean.

Also in context of WoW;  I just don't get it. Maybe teenagers who are afraid to be linked to a game with presumed "childish" content - yet they were fine with gnomes, elves, cow people, men in drag, etc...

I honestly can't understand that. After years & years of WoW, these people are shocked to see a bear race? Really?