The numbers don't surprise me I have been playing WoW Panda expansion and it is indeed a good effort from Blizz. But it is a bit too easy I think now. Like GW2, very immediate gaming, but is that what people really want? 

Well, folks. IN the next year or two the next generation consoles and internet compatible TV computers will arrive. That will be a game changer on the gaming landscape, and we will maybe see something of a gaming renaissance when that all hits in the next few years.

Originally posted by Entris38
Just here to give some applause to a game 8 years old being able to hit 2.7 million(in the first week)for an expansion. Regardless of opinions it is an amazing feat to continually outsell any of the other huge hyped games. I still play now and then, and have since launch. It's definitely not my cup of tea for an MMO anymore, but they still appeal to a huge audience.

Not hard to appeal to kids :\

Still can't believe people gloss over the fact that Blizzard used an April Fools joke as the primer for an expansion.

*Pandaren april fools was they were to be the 5th playable race in WC3, for an RTS yes, Pandas is a pretty awesome idea. But when you make them look goofy for an MMO...

Now if they had used something similar to the WC3 model, then it wouldn't be so bad.

PS: I wonder how many subs they'll have after October ;)

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by Akumawraith

Blizz has been known to pad thier numbers so the 10 million or so it currently has could be false also.

you have an example where blizzard has padded their numbers?

Every time they use the word "subscriber".  I'm pretty sure they include anyone that played even just one hour in a chinese internet cafe in the last month if not the last quarter.

thats true but the distinction of what is a sub is always made in the same press release

Blizzard counts any player that spent money that month

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html

World of Warcraft’s Subscriber Definition

World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by Akumawraith

Blizz has been known to pad thier numbers so the 10 million or so it currently has could be false also.

you have an example where blizzard has padded their numbers?

Every time they use the word "subscriber".  I'm pretty sure they include anyone that played even just one hour in a chinese internet cafe in the last month if not the last quarter.

thats true but the distinction of what is a sub is always made in the same press release

Blizzard counts any player that spent money that month

 

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html

 

World of Warcraft’s Subscriber Definition

World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules

Yeah.....but how many people make up 'internet game room players' ...... do we have any idea what that number is or what percentage of the total subscribing population is?

Is this how China accesses the game or something? That's the only way I can see it overly 'inflating' or 'exagerating' the WoW subscription numbers.

Even then - if millions upon millions of people are accessing WoW through Internet game rooms, that is still an impressive stat to advertise and anyone in the pr/advertising segment would be a fool to completely discount those players.

And at the end of the day, will anyone sleep better knowing they have found irrefutable evidence that Blizzard puts a spin on their numbers for promotional purposes. OMG! Advertisers are trying to put their product in the best light! Call the CIA.

It's like going outside and feeling smug you've figured out that the sky is blue.

I'm not surprised at the low sales for this expansion given that Cata sucked and all the panning of the "Panda" theme. But - I'm surprised at how much I like this expansion (much better than even Wrath) - the zones are the most beautiful to date and there's so much to do It'll keep me busy for quite a while.

I suspect that the sales will kick in around Xmas time and after people read the good reviews it's getting from the players.

2.7 million copies for about 9 million accounts?

Blizzard - WE TOLD YOU SO!

Sure, MoP isn't all bad, but when you take the long path down insipid leveling and linear character development Blizzard has, then you are going to lose accounts. When you write the kind of storyline that there is for MoP, then you are going to lose accounts. When you simplify everything to the point that there is no significant choice for fleshing out your character's build, you are going to lose accounts.

Originally posted by Smokeysong

2.7 million copies for about 9 million accounts?

Blizzard - WE TOLD YOU SO!

The simple fact of the matter is that it got more people interested (in the west, no less, since we don't count the Chinese as people on these forums -.-) than ANY OTHER MMO *EVER* (bar WoW itself). And it did so in far greater numbers and less time than any competitor.

Now, PRAY TELL, what exactly was it you "told Blizzard to be so"? Shut the hell up.

Originally posted by Smokeysong

2.7 million copies for about 9 million accounts?

Blizzard - WE TOLD YOU SO!

Sure, MoP isn't all bad, but when you take the long path down insipid leveling and linear character development Blizzard has, then you are going to lose accounts. When you write the kind of storyline that there is for MoP, then you are going to lose accounts. When you simplify everything to the point that there is no significant choice for fleshing out your character's build, you are going to lose accounts.

2.7 million subs is still more than any sub based game out there. Might want to back off the I told you so. 

Originally posted by echolynfan

I'm not surprised at the low sales for this expansion given that Cata sucked and all the panning of the "Panda" theme. But - I'm surprised at how much I like this expansion (much better than even Wrath) - the zones are the most beautiful to date and there's so much to do It'll keep me busy for quite a while.

I suspect that the sales will kick in around Xmas time and after people read the good reviews it's getting from the players.

What good reviews? All I've seen now that people are 90 is that it's World of Dailycraft on steroids. People are already bored.

Reading the comments has been more interesting than the article. I've see an ongoing weird and sad trend of WoW & GW2 fanbois shitting all over pretty much any other game explaining why it's not as good as their game. It's a bizarre phenomenon to watch people on gamer forums trash and defend games as if somehow their self worth was tied in to it. It's a game, a toy for your entertainment. If you find yourself getting angry because of the game or what other people say about it then you are taking it to seriously and it's time to dial back a bit.

Originally posted by Smokeysong

2.7 million copies for about 9 million accounts?

Blizzard - WE TOLD YOU SO!

Sure, MoP isn't all bad, but when you take the long path down insipid leveling and linear character development Blizzard has, then you are going to lose accounts. When you write the kind of storyline that there is for MoP, then you are going to lose accounts. When you simplify everything to the point that there is no significant choice for fleshing out your character's build, you are going to lose accounts.

And? how much do you think BC, WOTLK and Cata sold. Compared to then player base of 11+ million i would use your logic and say those were not impressive numbers either.

Some of you try too hard to downplay success of WOW.