World of Warcraft has 9 million subscribers

World of Warcraft marches on - there are now more than nine million subscribers.

Blizzard has announced that the world’s most popular massively multiplier online game, World of Warcraft, now has over nine million subscribers worldwide.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago when the developer announced that the game had reached the eight million subscriber mark. Blizzard claims that the continually increasing number of subscribers is down to the compelling experience and continuing updates to the two and a half year old game.

The game’s The Burning Crusade expansion pack, which came out last year, undoubtedly caused a surge in the number of subscribers after selling almost 2.4 million copies in the first 24 hours after its release. The expansion then went on to sell around 3.5 million copies in its first month on sale.

Blizzard has also announced that it is currently working with its World of Warcraft partner in China, The9, to prepare The Burning Crusade for release in the region. The developer expects this to cause another influx of new and returning subscribers.

Given the sheer size of China and how fast the expansion pack sold in other regions, we expect to be reporting WoW passing the ten million subscriber mark soon after the expansion pack’s release.

Having said that though, with the laws that China introduced nearly two years ago that were designed to prevent gamers from playing online games for too long, could WoW’s appeal be limited in the region? Share your thoughts in our forums.
Quote Almightyrastus 25th July 2007, 12:52
Lthough how many of those 9 million are current subscribers and not just people who have signed up in the past then left?
Quote specofdust 25th July 2007, 13:11
The vast majority. Not many people will leave open a $15 a month account that they're not using.

This figure is just depressing. Think of the money that has been spent on this game, and if that had gone on a larger number of games, how much great stuff we could be seeing from various devhouses right now. As it is we'll get another crappy WoW addonpack and Blizzard execs will get even bigger yachts.
Quote samkiller42 25th July 2007, 13:11
I would say that is quite sad, over 9 million people from around the world play the game, but how many of those have either lost there lives, or marriges/releationships etc (No offence to anyone though) to playing this one game.

Still, an amazing acheivment, and i bet their making alot of cash from it.

Sam
Quote Preti9cboi 25th July 2007, 13:46
The game would be much better if there was actual voices.
Quote [USRF]Obiwan 25th July 2007, 13:47
wow...

9.000.000 * 15 = 135.000.000 dollars a month

Blizard must be twice as rich as B.Gates by now!

Quote ou7blaze 25th July 2007, 13:54
Yeah there are alot of people are addicted to the game basically, im a subscriber now but i'd definately consider mself a very casual player, lvl 50 in like a 1 month and a half , some people get to 70 in less than a month, but i have a life and those people obviousl those don't, it's quite sad really.
Quote ChromeX 25th July 2007, 14:02
Quote:
Originally Posted by [USRF]Obiwan
wow...

9.000.000 * 15 = 135.000.000 dollars a month

Blizard must be twice as rich as B.Gates by now!

Alot of people will have 3 or maybe even 6 month subs though so its more like 12/13 something like that? Then a crap load of that goes on the servers (maintinence, bandwidth lets not forget b.net is totally free USwest/USeast/Europe/Asia * D1, D2, SC thats a **** load of bandwidth and accosiated costs ) then you've got staff wages (basic salary, development costs), rent for the building and builings where the servers are stored. All kind of support costs.

Still... If blizzard were to offer me one months profit after all those costs i'd still have enough to never have to work a day in my life! :D

I've got a sub, WoW is a really good game. Its just that it's full of little kids! :( If the player base was abit more mature than say.. EVE I think i'd do alot better!
Quote Amon 25th July 2007, 14:35
Any geographical representation of the subscriptions? No surprise if there were an extreme concentration in the Far East.
Quote Hells_Bliss 25th July 2007, 15:03
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim S
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/07/25/world_of_warcraft_has_9_million_subscribers/1

Blizzard has announced that the world’s most popular massively multiplier online game, World of Warcraft, now has over nine million subscribers worldwide.

I cry for the world's youth.

...anybody wanna raid MC tonight? :o
Quote themax 25th July 2007, 15:05
I know quite a few people double or triple up on accounts for farming purposes. This is mostly prevalent in the high end guilds though.
Quote Spacecowboy92 25th July 2007, 15:16
This game is way too popular, I might just have to check it out soon.
Quote wafflesomd 25th July 2007, 15:28
The game sucks too, that's the worst part.
Quote Amon 25th July 2007, 15:34
Quote:
Originally Posted by themax
I know quite a few people double or triple up on accounts for farming purposes. This is mostly prevalent in the high end guilds though.
You've got to meet the people who triple-box the game. They're almost as bad as the (real-life) Starcraft gosus I know.
Quote pendragon 25th July 2007, 16:45
I think WoW is a great game. It's not for everybody though. :) Congrats to Blizzard on their success.
Quote bilbothebaggins 25th July 2007, 17:59
Quote:
Originally Posted by ou7blaze
(...) im a subscriber now but i'd definately consider mself a very casual player, lvl 50 in like a 1 month and a half , some people get to 70 in less than a month, but i have a life and those people obviousl those don't, it's quite sad really.
If that's casual ... what's a person called that takes 5 Months for L40 ? :p ;)
Quote wafflesomd 25th July 2007, 18:12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amon
Quote:
Originally Posted by themax
I know quite a few people double or triple up on accounts for farming purposes. This is mostly prevalent in the high end guilds though.
You've got to meet the people who triple-box the game. They're almost as bad as the (real-life) Starcraft gosus I know.

How about 50 box:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/08/extravagant-world-of-warcraft-setup-includes-47-pcs-seven-monit/
Quote TTmodder 25th July 2007, 18:20
9 million subscribers. they should more concentrate og finding out who's online almost 24/7/365, so we can see the scary amount of people that should be sponsored a t-shirt with the text "Blizzard stole my life"
Quote Amon 25th July 2007, 18:27
Quote:

Yeah I know about the multi-boxers. Except they can't do that in a university.
Quote zhangmaster12 25th July 2007, 19:31
i have a friend who leveled to 70 in 2 weeks. he didnt leave his room for three whole days : |
Quote proxess 25th July 2007, 20:17
I don't really see what the buzz is about that game. I mean, its WoW. Theres absolutely nothing interesting. I find Ultima Online better, I wish they'd make UO2 like it was meant to be 7 years ago. But EA fired the Origin crew, those idiots. Now they're working on Tabula Rasa with NC Soft.
Quote Bungle 25th July 2007, 21:30
9 Million RPGs have come a long way since the days of Dungeon Master Who would have thought it would get this big. Amazing.
Quote Panos 25th July 2007, 21:55
For a retarded game they are doing very well. I would like ofc to see their region spread. Imho 80% will be Far Asia.
No I'm sane enough and never played WoW.


I'm playing EVE since Beta, and before that UO since 1997. I need proper PVP where if you lose you actualy lost everything you had on you. Where the economy is player driven and expansions are FREE.
Quote completemadness 26th July 2007, 17:59
sadly i have to say i play wow, just because the games market is far to stagnant ATM, and far too many people now play WoW

I also have to agree, paying for the expansion is a complete rip off, it should be free, i mean ffs whats the $15/mo paying for ?
Quote Almightyrastus 26th July 2007, 18:06
I have just started the 10 day trial and I have to say I am pretty impressed, never thought i would like it too much, always thought that it looked a little too cartoony for me. The part I am liking the most so far is that sure it is a fantasy game like so many others but it it not taking itself too seriously, I mean dwarves quoting AC DC songs while they fire a mortar and gnomes riding around on mechanical chickens.

I have held off subscribing for this long due to the fact that I had no money to spare on something like this, now things are changing I think I could get into the game pretty well. Simple, no brainer fun really.
Quote Amon 26th July 2007, 19:03
I used to play WoW. Does anyone want an unused 60-day game card?
Quote completemadness 26th July 2007, 21:44
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amon
I used to play WoW. Does anyone want an unused 60-day game card?
if its free ;)
Quote Amon 26th July 2007, 21:48
Yup for free. Chiefly, I'd like to give it to someone who hasn't played it yet ;)
Quote completemadness 27th July 2007, 00:26
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amon
Yup for free. Chiefly, I'd like to give it to someone who hasn't played it yet ;)
arg !!! :p ummm so yeah ... ignore what i said earlier ... i havent played wow ... :D
Quote Almightyrastus 28th July 2007, 20:53
Well I have only just started the 10 day trial.....
Quote Morphine-Kitty 28th July 2007, 21:47
Played it at my friends house for a couple hours. Got more boring and boring until I stopped. Way too repetitive if you ask me, and its a huge rip-off.
Quote RTT 28th July 2007, 21:58
I am so glad I never got sucked into WoW :)
Quote Morphine-Kitty 28th July 2007, 22:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTT
I am so glad I never got sucked into WoW :)

You're not missing much.
Quote The_Gimpy 28th July 2007, 23:42
Hook me up with some free wow time. I'd love to get into the game. Gave the 14 day a try, but it wasn't enough to see if i really wanted to get into it. I guess the game gets much more involved then the first little bit I got to do. I just can't justify buying the game to find out I don't like it after a month. 15$ plus the cost of the game is alot.
Quote RotoSequence 29th July 2007, 05:17
It's amazing how grinding for more levels for magical pants so you can get better magical pants can be so darned appealing for so many.
Quote Bungle 29th July 2007, 09:47
Quote:
Originally Posted by RotoSequence
It's amazing how grinding for more levels for magical pants so you can get better magical pants can be so darned appealing for so many.
Even more disturbing, is that some will kill you in real life for those magical pants if you steal them.
Quote completemadness 29th July 2007, 15:43
i have to agree, grinding is teh suck

However, instances and raids are really good fun (if your group is good) - but one of the biggest things i hate, is you have to grind like 5 hours to do 1 hour of fun stuff
Quote Almightyrastus 30th July 2007, 18:38
So far the levelling has not felt like grinding, it has gone along pretty well with the questing. I used to play SWG and levelling in that really felt like a grind, in that it felt like you had to get to CL90 before you could do anything else, WOW is not feeling that that at all, there is plenty of stuff I can do whatever level I am, in that respect the levelled areas is a pretty good idea
Quote Amon 30th July 2007, 20:15
World of Warcraft isn't really a grind as far as time played-to-outcome gained is concerned; depends on how much individuals value game equipment. The game experience with friends great, simple, and relatively faster-paced than, say, Final Fantasy XI: Online (which I own as well). On the flipside, it was in those features where I found the game fumbled. My tastes in RPGs has shifted in time, and the immersive, role-playing fantasy factor that I sought in WoW (hence the MMORPG abbreviation) was thin, whereas FFXI emphasizes on characterization more--an inescapable trait of the FF franchise anyway. On the level of overall fun, yes, WoW is great. In terms of Lord of the Rings type of fantasy, it's a bit lacking. Still, thumbs up to WoW for attracting a fleshy (figuratively, and maybe physically) audience.
Quote tewsfraba 31st July 2007, 02:51
For World of Warcraft cheats, dupes, exploits, bots and hacks go to http://www.exploitsrus.com/wow.html
Quote Morphine-Kitty 31st July 2007, 05:59
I'm seeing a ban coming for that shameless advertising. Shame on you!
Quote Akava 31st July 2007, 16:52
I used to play this game, quit for a while before "The Burning Crusade" was released, due to unbelievable boredem at having done anything and everything i could in the game. Then after seeing a few friends playing i started again, it was going to stay casual... then i got sucked in again... and now i have quit, once again due to boredem.

I would suggest that no one plays this game, if you want to really enjoy yourself and challange yourself, you have to raid, which requires being in a good guild... which in turn, requires that you raid a few nights a week minimum... which in turn requires a hell of alot of farming... and after weeks of farming... raiding... being hasseled by little kids "Can i have some moneh because you must have some as you are level 70, and that means that you get 500000000g per kill" Along with the pointlessness that is PVPing unless you have insanely good gear... you'll probably be as bored as i was. :D

Im not saying it isn't a good game... well... no i am... but then SWG was also a good game... but as with all games like that you can only go so far, and unless the dev team is VERY good, you will more than likely end up wasting your time and money, next time i have an itch to play, i think ill try and learn another language, or just spam various forms.

Anyway, sorry for the essay, but if i can save one of you some time and money...


EDIT: Thank you Mr.tewsfraba for i had nearly forgotten the daily task of ignoring, reporting, deleting emails, and running from, the one and only... GOLD SELLERS!
Quote Bungle 31st July 2007, 19:38
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akava
I used to play this game, quit for a while before "The Burning Crusade" was released, due to unbelievable boredem at having done anything and everything i could in the game. Then after seeing a few friends playing i started again, it was going to stay casual... then i got sucked in again... and now i have quit, once again due to boredem.
That my friend is the destiny of most games. Most games become boring after you play them to death. I played guildwars Prophecies quite a bit for a year and enjoyed myself playing online. Eventually I grew tired of it. I wouldn't pick it up again but would recommend it to others who haven't tried it. knowing when to move on from a title is the key.:)
Quote Akava 31st July 2007, 22:46
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bungle
That my friend is the destiny of most games. Most games become boring after you play them to death. I played guildwars Prophecies quite a bit for a year and enjoyed myself playing online. Eventually I grew tired of it. I wouldn't pick it up again but would recommend it to others who haven't tried it. knowing when to move on from a title is the key.:)

Very much the same thing, after the first time of quiting, i started playing GW, great game, and no monthly fee :O, I can't wait for GW 2 to come out, from what i read about it, some time ago, it looked really good. B)
Quote Overlord 15th August 2007, 17:50
A good game, unless your prepared to put in long hours, be happy in substandard gear. The massive thing missing from WOW is the community is just horrible. If you can find a good guild and good friends then i would say its the best game in the world, sadly finding them is next to impossible. I'll stick to fps's where i can play for 1-2 hours and still have a life.
Quote mikeuk2004 15th August 2007, 18:25
I cant believe there is that many people with the money to waste to pay for a game subscription. Thats crazy. Ill never pay a monthly fee to play a game. Its another subscription that you foget about cancelling when you have had enough.
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