World of Warcraft has hit the 5 million user mark:

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft®, its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed five million customers worldwide. The subscription-based MMORPG launched approximately one year ago in North America, Australia, and New Zealand and has since released in multiple countries throughout Europe and Asia. This latest milestone comes on the heels of Blizzard Entertainment®'s recent announcement of a World of Warcraft expansion, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade™, which will push the boundaries of the game and offer even more content and features for players.

That's a spicy meatball!

I take it this includes people registering for the 14 day trial as well?

Correction.. 4,999,999

I quit, WoW became as exciting as sticking pineapples in your ass.

I'd like to know what the figures for Current active subscriptions are.

From el linko:

World of Warcraft’s Customer Definition

World of Warcraft customers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or purchased a prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the installation box bundled with one free month access. Internet Game Room players that have accessed the game over the last seven days are also counted as customers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.

I believe they are stating that they have 5 million active subs ... wow

I quit, WoW became as exciting as sticking pineapples in your ass.

that's not the first time i've heard that

I quit, WoW became as exciting as sticking pineapples in your ass.

OH REALLY? DECIDED NOW HAVE YOU?

5 words:

give me your gold bitch

Show me the money...

give me your gold bitch

My gold is going to a good home on eBay.

My gold is going to a good home on eBay.

/train

I was just going to say... 4.9 million of these are Asia Pacific based gold farmers.

Well at least it's not Sony. gg Blizzard.

Wow. That's amazing. GG Blizzard. *thumbs up*

Also agreed about the gold farming thing. Bet least half the wow population are. All working for peanuts to fulfill the needs of relativly rich westerners. Global market place at work for ya.

50 bucks gets you 700g.
How long would it take you to farm 700g?
How long does it take to make $50?
It's a cock suck away for many people here.

Gimpy says Woo Woo!! Chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a CHOO CHOO!!!

It's a cock suck away for many people here.

I usually go to work to earn $50, but if you like to suck cock that's your business :S

Thank the lucky stars Blizzard doesn't setup an Oceania-based server, they might go broke.

Thank the lucky stars Blizzard doesn't setup an Oceania-based server, they might go broke.

Hahaha, very nice.

This is a huge f***ing accomplishment for Blizzard, and I'm going to have to agree with the above poster - With a playerbase this immense, surely they can afford to open up a few servers around the world, you know, for all the people not in america / europe. Yep, we exist.

Not that I really give a s***, because the game is playable with a higher ping, but still, with that amount of people, surely an Australian-only MMORPG server is finally viable?

So because they're making so much money, they should wear a loss just to please some crying Australian WoW players? Why would they do that? Its retarded business sense, especially when they're already making money off those crying Australian WoW players anyway.

what's the monthly payment, $10USD?

thats FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH, surely their hosting fee's don't cost that much... I rekon they could throw up a bunch of servers in every f***ing country

p.s. I don't play the game so I don't care

usually go to work to earn $50, but if you like to suck cock that's your business :S

It's fags like this that ruin the high rates for the rest of us!

Thank the lucky stars Blizzard doesn't setup an Oceania-based server, they might go broke.

Distrubuting players across servers that span different time zones sucks if you play outside peak hours.

thats FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH, surely their hosting fee's don't cost that much... I rekon they could throw up a bunch of servers in every f***ing country

I'm sure it doesn't, but they're in it to make a profit, thats the whole point of business. They're not some kind of altruistic gaming charity that is going to pour all their money back into providing servers for the needy.

Also once the servers are setup they're an ongoing cost. When most people stop playing WoW then they will still have to maintain the Oceania servers over here.

I'm sure it doesn't, but they're in it to make a profit, thats the whole point of business. They're not some kind of altruistic gaming charity that is going to pour all their money back into providing servers for the needy.

so they arent affiliated with qgl ?:)

50 bucks gets you 700g.

Where can u buy it that cheap? Cheapest I found was $59.99USD for 1000 gold.


last edited by gimpy at 23:04:08 20/Dec/05

I'm considering trying out WoW. So is it credit card payment per month? Also, is it fun for a casual gamer too?

Rev, you can pay by credit card or buy pre-paid game cards. However, I think when you activate your account you need a CC to prove your billing address or something.

If you're a casual player you should be able to have fun until you get to 60. Once you get to 60 you either can roll another character or start putting more time in. The problem with 60 is that you can't really spread your time out (i.e. log in for 30 minutes and get something done) - you have to spend a couple of hours (or more) doing instance runs or whatever.

You can do PvP for fun (which is what I'm doing at the moment) but if you want to be ultramegasupremo commander you'll still need to poopsock it and join a guild.

If you can get your hands on one of those 14 day trials that could suit you. It's usually best if you can find some people to quest along with as most of the fun (and most of the pain) seems to come from grouping.

50 cent sold 11million, this nigga got nothing yo.

thats FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH, surely their hosting fee's don't cost that much... I rekon they could throw up a bunch of servers in every f***ing country

sure they could, but why would they?

They're not some kind of altruistic gaming charity that is going to pour all their money back into providing servers for the needy.

Don't be a martyr Khel. Yes they are a business, but they are also a customer service and because of this they rely on reputation, prestige and word of mouth in order to be successful. Of course you don't live to make the customers happy, but if you can afford to (see first post - it seems marginally likely they can) make your cutomers happy while still making a profit then usually that's in your best interest.

You may have the luxury of seeing Blizzard as a multi-national faceless entity, but the fact is there are people behind that facade who have deliberately chosen not to give Oceania a server because of the heartless reasons you have stated. Yes, I will continue playing, but only because I have friends that play. If they finally get sick of lack of good timing or damn lag all over the place and decide to quit then I'm gone too.

They may make a loss in the Australian market, but obviously make it up with the larger global market. They may even make some great partners along the way such as Telstra, GameArena, Internode, etc. Plus the Australian public would love them that much more.

And Rev - as masta_blasta said, the game can be fun for the casual gamer, I barely have spare time with work and all that jazz, but a couple of hours here and there is pretty fun. Having a guild you like or some mates you know makes the game that much more fun, it is a multiplayer game after all.

Game sucks, its fun for the first 40 levels of grinding and then you realise there's no point to doing it anymore.

Plus the number of whiney little tards puts you off.

Just out of curiosity I notice on ausgamers that there is:

Experience a 14 day journey of magic and adventure in the World of Warcraft for only $2. Enlist your friends and family on this epic quest to build your guild and help you navigate the vast, battle-scarred landscape of a world at war.


Could this have something to do with the above news article. Hrm?

Personally I have a partial love of MMORPGs but I prefer the ones from Korea. At the moment Im playing Silkroad Online and its a wonderful experience. [http://www.silkroadonline.net/]

I also play Gunz The Duel [www.gunzonline.com]

Not to say Im cheap but I find that the quality and originality of MMORPGs (or MMOFPS) coming out from Korea is pretty good. Did I forget to mention that they say that some of these games are going to be free forever?. I think this is pretty good.

I've got a trial auth key, if you want it Rev.

Your also forgetting at least 5,000,000 x AUD$80 to buy the game in the first place.. what a jip of a game.

trog, please don't start any more WoW threads. I get angry.

Thanks,
A concerned citizen.

Plus the number of whiney little tards puts you off.

Welcome to every game on the internet! Enjoy your stay!

Welcome to every overly popularized game on the internet! Enjoy your stay!

omg fixT

Welcome to every game on the internet! Enjoy your stay!

Fixed back.

Plus the number of whiney little tards puts you off.

You mean like your posts in this thread?

Experience a 14 day journey of magic and adventure in the World of Warcraft for only $2. Enlist your friends and family on this epic quest to build your guild and help you navigate the vast, battle-scarred landscape of a world at war.


Could this have something to do with the above news article. Hrm?

Nope - that's an ad, this is a press release.

I don't play WoW, and in fact hate it and all MMORPG and everything to do with them and everyone that makes them and their little dogs too, but there's no denying that WoW is one of (if not THE) biggest online multiplayer game of the moment, and that gets props.

our also forgetting at least 5,000,000 x AUD$80 to buy the game in the first place.. what a jip of a game.

People will pay for something if they think it is worth it.


Trog, Why do you hate MMORPG's so much?
I can understand not liking a game cause you think it is boring or some such, but their little dogs!?

Trog, Why do you hate MMORPG's so much?

Because they're online, they're multiplayer and (as a general rule), there's no skill involved. He who invests the most time, wins.

You're not testing yourself against other people, so I find it really boring.

Don't get me wrong, I can totally see why some people find them interesting and entertaining (and addictive), but its just not for me.

I have lost so many good friends to WoW. Damn you WoW!

Trog, Why do you hate MMORPG's so much?

Because it is made by blizzard.

Don't be a martyr Khel. Yes they are a business, but they are also a customer service and because of this they rely on reputation, prestige and word of mouth in order to be successful. Of course you don't live to make the customers happy, but if you can afford to (see first post - it seems marginally likely they can) make your cutomers happy while still making a profit then usually that's in your best interest.

What is this, the Chewbacca defence? Setting up a modern MMORPG server isn’t running down to Computer Alliance and getting a rank mounted server and slapping it in.

Also, I don’t see how khel is really making great personal sacrifice.

You may have the luxury of seeing Blizzard as a multi-national faceless entity, but the fact is there are people behind that facade who have deliberately chosen not to give Oceania a server because of the heartless reasons you have stated.

You make it sound like some guy at Blizzard is plotting directly against Australians. Man, we are lucky to be even acknowledged as a player base. Most other MMORPGs just ignore us completely. Tin foil hat ftw?

Yes, I will continue playing, but only because I have friends that play. If they finally get sick of lack of good timing or damn lag all over the place and decide to quit then I'm gone too.

The biggest thing that effects churn in MMORPGs is content. An Oceanic server won’t stop people from leaving if they are bored.

Besides, most of the problems that occur with ping in wow is directly attributable to their database. Even then, most of the time the lag is more than manageable.

They may make a loss in the Australian market, but obviously make it up with the larger global market.

Or maybe they could spend that revenue on things that matter to their entire community, not just one tiny, tiny aspect of it.

Because it is made by blizzard.

term, or someone, started some crazy I hate blizzard rumour, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for them because they're one of the tiny few PC games developers that actually make games that are playable out of the box, continue to support them (often for years after their release), and smash down on cheaters

I just started playing this about 30 minutes ago. Chose the Night Elves and have completed the first quest. What do I do with the items that I pick up? Can they be taken somewhere in the village to be sold?

It all seems so big and I have no idea where to go.

8-)

lol yeah, find someone to sell the stuff to.

That said if u wanna raid at lvl 60 u need to put at least 6hrs a day in 5 days a week. Im burnt out from raiding that much, but at least we are now at nefarion.

oh and also dont roll alliance, easy mode.

What do I do with the items that I pick up? Can they be taken somewhere in the village to be sold?

Yeah, you can sell items at vendors. As you get higher up you'll get sent off to bigger villages and eventually you'll wind up at your capital (Ironforge) where you can auction stuff off to other players.

EDIT: Also forgot to agree that Night Elves are fags and I love collecting their heads in AV. I'm also aware that playing WoW makes me a fag so I'm some sort of self-loathing fag.


last edited by masta_blasta at 15:14:37 22/Dec/05

oh and also dont roll alliance horde shaman, easy mode.

Fixed.

oh and also dont roll horde, easy mode.

Mega-fixed. Play both to 60.

Game sucks, its fun for the first 40 levels of grinding and then you realise there's no point to doing it anymore.

I partly agree, because I've felt that. But there is so much to do end-game. It gets so much better.. You never even experienced a 10man RAID, they are heaps of fun. The guild you got me into did a 40man RAID in Molten Core last night and it was intense. So there is a point to grinding to 60, you just can't see it. I ain't giving up until I complete MC/BWL/Onyxia. I really enjoy the game.

The game really starts at 60. If I get bored of PVE, I just grind AV/AB/WSG. I would go as far to say it's the best game I've ever played. I usually get bored of games within 10 minutes.

Plus the number of whiney little tards puts you off.

They are everywhere, not just in WoW.

First person shooters are too high blood pressure for me.. I hate getting worked up over a game. Don't get me wrong, I played quite a bit of doom2, I just got over it, and moved on.

WoW for me is a relaxing and very trippy experience. I like that in a game.

What gimpy said,i find it a release,a way to escape the real world.

Man, this game rocks hard!

While frustrating at times when you can't find where to go it's so damn cool to be able to walk around for hours with no load screens at all.

Best game I've played in ages.

8-)

it's so damn cool to be able to walk around for hours with no load screens at all.

I hear real-life is similar.

Graphics aren't as good in real life. There's no glowy open gl effects.

f*** you CP farmers.
Learn to defend and zerg less.

I dont like the City_Train load times. I have to sit in a train for 15 mins just to load the city level.

There's no glowy open gl effects

What are you talking about? Last I checked there were lens-flares (well, eyelash+water flares) and HDR.

Not sure about the girly-coloured, gay-arse WoW effects though, so maybe you win this argument :)

Plus the number of whiney little tards puts you off.

If you don't like whiney little tards, disconnect from the Internet and stay off it

I dont like the City_Train load times. I have to sit in a train for 15 mins just to load the city level.

Gold!

f*** off, spammer