Links to the MMOData.net archives

Hey all

When the MMOData.net site shuts down you will still be able to access the site using following links :

- The archive : http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/
- The blogspot : http://mmodata.blogspot.com/search/label/News


Regards

Ibe Van Geel
MMOData.net

Version 4.1 thoughts and comments

Hey all

Well I have some good but mostly bad news for anyone who liked and followed MMOData.net.

v4.1 will be the final version of MMOData.net, and MMOData.net will close down on June 2014.
That's right I am closing shop.

The biggest reason is that it is getting increasingly difficult to get any useful numbers. Also many of the subscription based MMORPG's went free to play, and their companies tend to not give out useful active accounts numbers.

As for the only growing subscription based MMORPG left, EVE Online, I no longer receive subscription numbers. CCP no longer responds to my requests.
It is a shame really, I doubt that their numbers are declining, but I lost a bit of confidence in CCP, I hope they will give out useful numbers to the public on a consistent basis.

A bit of better news for some of you, because I am closing down the site in 6 months, I will make the complete excel of the MMOData charts available for download. This includes the exact datapoints and their sources or estimate information.

Well that's it, I hope most of you enjoyed the MMOData charts, and perhaps someone will pick up where I left off.


Regards

Ibe Van Geel
MMOData.net

MMOData Charts version 4.1 is Live !

Version 4.1 notes :

General Changes :

- Added World of Warcraft Sub datapoint.
- Added Second Life PCU datapoint.
- Removed questionable Runescape Sub datapoints.
- Added closure date of Warhammer Online.
- Corrected closure date of Shadowbane.

Internal Changes :

- Made source en estimate notes better understandable and more structured.
- Cleaned up obsolete data.

If the charts do not update for you try the following :

- Right click on the link of the chart with your mouse and open it in a new window or in a new tab.
- Refresh/Reload ( F5 ) the page.
- Now you should see the correct version number 4.1 in the bottom right corner of the chart.
- Once you have reloaded 1 chart, all the others should be updated as well.

Version 4.0 thoughts and comments

Hey all

It took a long time, but here I am back again, presenting you v4.0 of the MMOData.net charts.

While this version has a reasonable amount of additions and changes, I expect following versions to have quite a bit less. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get any subscription numbers. Not in the least, because subscription based MMORPG’s are the exception these days. Most of them go free to play.

I definatly do not like this evolution, because I am a gamer who prefers fair competition, and therefore prefer a level playing field. Still, this is the direction the genre is heading for a couple of years now.

That does not mean there are no options for the true gamers amongst us. There is EVE Online, Ryzom, Ultima Online and a few more.

World of Warcraft is taking its second nosedive after a small recovery around oktober 2012. Landing at around 7,7 million subs. Still the biggest MMORPG out there, but at this rate EVE Online may overtake WoW in a couple of years :p

Talking about EVE Online, that is still the example of how to do things in the post - WoW era. While CCP thought they were becoming the dinosaur of the industry, and therefore had to implement a cash shop with micro transactions. They realized their mistakes in time ( after their customers reminded them where their loyalty must lie Riots-in-eve-against-microtransactions ). And turned around and got back on track making EVE Online a better game.

CCP is being rewarded now, with a PCU ( peak concurrent users ) of over 65.000 and over 500.000 monthly playing subscribers and a continued growth every year since release, now more than 10 years ago.

At this moment EVE Online is the second biggest subscription based MMORPG in the west, and the only subscription based MMORPG that is still growing in the west and probably in the world.

If you make a game for gamers, with good features, it will sell and people will pay a monthly fee.

The new PCU for EVE also means it is now the MMORPG with largest shard ( single game world ) in the world, passing Second Life which has now a PCU of around 63.000 players. It will be still a while before the absolute record will be broken tho ( 88.000 PCU in Second Life a few years ago ).

Then some notes about requests I received, following MMORPG’s have my interest, but I have no reliable data for them and can't add them to the charts : Tera, The Secret World, and many more.

About World of Tanks, no I can't add it to the charts, because it isn't an MMORPG. And no they haven't gotten the record PCU for MMO's on a single shard, because a chat room combined with several 30 player games does not make one single game world, but several instances of tiny game worlds :)

So that's about it for now. If there is something new, you will be notified via twitter ( or you can regularly check the site :p ).

MMOData Charts version 4.0 is Live !

Version 3.9 - 4.0 notes :

General Changes :

- Added LEGO Universe.
- Added subscription datapoints for EVE, SWTOR, WoW, Runescape.
- Removed SWTOR estimate.
- Added PCU datapoints for EVE Online and Second Life.
- Updated subscription datapoints for Runescape.
- Revised Aion and WAR subscription datapoints.
- Expanded charts to December 2013.
- Changed the EVE Online listings into the following divisions :
EVE Online Global SS ( Tranquility + Serenity subscriptions )
EVE Online Tranquility SS ( The main EVE server subscriptions )

Website Changes :

- Added new Hit counter.
- Added Follow by Email.
- MMOData.net is now on Twitter @MMODataCharts
- Added Twitter follow link.
- Disabled comments on all pages except News items, for version feedback you will be limited to the version thoughts and comments, this to centralize the feedback and discussion. There will be a thoughts and comments post for each version.
- Added mmorpg statistics links.

Internal Changes :

- Added various sources and information as notes in the dataset for following MMORPG's :
WoW, Aion, SWTOR, EVE, LOTRO, STO, Rift, Runescape.
- Expanded sheets and formulas to December 2013 where applicable.
- Changed / Added following internal only listings for EVE Online :
Global AA ( Tranquility + Serenity / subs + trials )
Serenity SS ( The Chinese EVE server subscriptions )