EA will have their Q3 2012 Earnings Call on Wednesday, Darth Hater will cover this with our normal live blog at 2 PM PST.
We hope that EA will announce subscription numbers in additon to the total number of box sales YTD.
In the meantime, a look at VGChartz gives us some idea of what the sales numbers may look like for Star Wars: The Old Republic. We tracked the pre-order numbers using this site and now we can look at it from the post-launch sales perspective. Here are the numbers for the week ending January 21:
- Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Weeks Since Release: 5
- Platform: PC
- Global Total Sales: 2,061,403
- Global Weekly Sales: 61,708
- Global Weekly Rank: #10
Note: Sales numbers come from retailers only and may not include digital. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.
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Posted 1/31/2012 10:54:17 AMI don't know how open they should make it, but I do think opening things up for modders would help. There is a healthy community of modders that follow Bioware titles. I would love to see what those people could do with SWTOR.
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Posted 1/31/2012 2:08:46 PMYea. it would add a lot of content. I would even try to have a go at it. I would make a mario kind of map, with platforms, and some puzzles to go through a maze. It shouldnt be hard to do with the tools given, but it would need time, and probably more expertise than I have.
Examples like SC2 and WC3 should be examples of how single player games are a very attractive game with all the custom maps. I even notice people play SC2 and not for the story, or even the ranked games but just custom maps.
Its a lot of content that people can enjoy, and I would be one of them.
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Posted 1/31/2012 10:18:08 AMI posted an earlier comment, but i guess it was too long winded and it dissappeared, or maybe i previewed it? Not sure what happened, but I couldnt back track to it if I just previewed it, anyways.
Anyhow, the over all point was more layers of content to end game is needed to keep the casual gamer playing since they will not look at the fact that even though there are 8 classes ( 8 games in one) with different stories, abitlies, and content as more content for the same game. So the layers can be Mini games, open world, more maps for instanced pvp and the other end game stuff.
However, it seems this is a process and it takes too long, and that is why BW, like blizzard for WC3 and SC2, have people make custom maps with thier engine. So BW should do the same, that way people can take characters like Revan in the game and use him for other mini challenges. This will keep the game a lot more interesting for those who want to only play one character, and it allows BW to focus on story and thier content planned for the game which I hope includes space combat pvp.
Anyways, BW please make your engine open so people can make mini map games from it. I hope buying an engine from Hero does not complicate rights to sharing the engine. If it does, you might as well make another engine just for mini maps, beucase it is worth it imo, you can do a survery to prove me right. It would be cool if you can port all the big figures into the game. It would be like WC3 and SC2 but 3d.
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Posted 1/31/2012 8:23:27 PMSo in other words what you want here is something like Star Trek Online's Foundry or City of Heroes/Villains Architect system?
Honestly, you can't compare an MMO to an RTS like SC2 or WC3. Neither of them has to deal with a persistent world where multiple players can move in and out of a single map. I suggest comparing apples to apples and as I mentioned, the Foundry would be a more apt tool for player-created content.
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Posted 2/1/2012 7:19:04 PMedit: 2nd time my comment dissapeared, but this time I planned for it. So why does my comment disspear? It even says on the homepage that I am the last person to post but my comment does not show up?
The idea of RTS is a building macro managment system of ques and of course the strategy of unit organization, and which unit is used to counter the other. An mmo with an avatar is micro managment, which is also part of RTS, so the idea for an MMO to fit into an RTS is that we are the individual parts from the RTS. However, how can we imitate an RTS? There are several ways to do this by adding NPCs.
One would be armies of NPCs for examples similar to Rift, or Dota. Or more akin to a RTS having capture points that can spawn NPCs which would be similar to building ques of a RTS and also similarily, if they wanted to, make each spawn point have a selection of units to be chosen as a counter to the opponents units. However the pathing of the units would probably be automated, or possibly even include certain paths which also add to different outcomes. This way the individual as a micro manament is also playing a macro role in the game. This also makes it more engaging to involve others as intel and oberservers to help others make that choice when interacting with the spawn point.
Also BG, for WoW, was supposed to be more like Dota than it turned out to be. So the idea of an RTS fitting into an mmo can work, but how far they want to implement it is probably based on how many resources it takes to make it work. The idea is probably unrealistic in that sense, since we already see issues with lag, video lag, in certain circumstances. Which is an unfortunate reason since it like saying they cant compete with other mmos becuase certain limitations, which Rift seems to have managed, but apparently that is a system hog on resources too.
Also your point of VO, its not just the problem for the custom part of the game, but the game in its entirety. So at least they can have a section which it wont matter if there is no VO, since VO makes the content creation process take too long. I know I sound impatient, but swtor is missing a lot of social activities like mini games, which they missed out on, and I am not sure what thier plan for that is, and why they even missed on this golden opportunity to include it.
If BW marketing thought it would make the game better to have as an expansion to bring people back, and therefore to exlude it is better, then they are wrong, since they hurt the feel of thier game being about RPG story, and not much else, when there is a lot to the game but without that focus to bring it out. So people did not get to experience that, and they will not as new customers 6 months or 1year from launch, when they decide to buy the game just becuase of mini games. It should have been on of thier focus points, like story, in thier game.
Its what makes games like SC2 and WC3 replayable even for the non-RTS player, becuase of all the different maps, and different kind of games on those mini maps. Its too great of an asset to pass.
The issue I see, is that BW high quality (in thier next content patch they are adding one more war zone) takes too long to compete with other MMOs, that if they (other mmos) have a more extensive package for end game, then people will simply play that since that is a huge problem with mmos and its not just quality but also content (content for some is the journey and for a lot would be the end game). Either swtor needs to focus on end game, or try to give others a chance to add content of thier own. However, its all about marketing, and BW never marketed thier game like that either, so they did set themselves up as the only content makers of the game, and so I hope that is not a deterrment for them (BW), or for other custom map makers if they decided to have some fun with the possiblity
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Posted 2/1/2012 1:47:35 PMMy main point was that using RTS games is not an apt comparison for MMO player-created content, which is why I brought up STO's Foundry and the CoH Architect system. Do you disagree with that? My impression was that you wanted game-converting mods like you find in games like Skyrim. I'm sorry if my assumption was off base.
I have played the space combat and that is a good candidate for player-created missions.
However, to date I haven't seen Cryptic allow player-created PvP maps or the "open world' Warzones you're talking about. You can create storylines also. However, keep in mind that BW's emphasis on fully voiced content is a major roadblock to your proposal.
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Posted 2/1/2012 4:53:08 AMSo warzones are out fo the question? Why did BW make warzones if its not part of the persistent world? I think the concern is why are you so motivated put this idea down. Its a good idea. Its so good that star trek did it, and I did not even know they did that. Good for them.
How about we pretend you came up with the idea. Now pretend its also a good idea, and how it can work.
Also things like mini games which are not connected to the game like space combat which is not even coop, and completely isolated from the game other than having rewards, exp, and titles is already in a BW game. They have already set the standard that the world is not all interconnected persistent world. But you know what? Thats a good thing. Lets have both.
So i guess you dont play the space combat part of the game at all, or any part of the game that is not part of the persistent world? So no pvp as well. Also what is so persistent about open world in the first place in swtor since you make it into a big deal. I am fine with the way the game is, and how planets are parralell universes for each faction, which means if you are in a certain zone on a planet, the other faction does not even have access to reach you since you are essentially in another instance other than contested areas. So, my point is also, if you care a lot about the perisitent world, which should include realism, and pvp that the style that BW went with several features is wrong for you, right? If so, then that is a different argument about how BW did not make the game you were looking for. Since I was pointing out to add more content in a game that is already instanced, and has single player parts.
If it is not, then why are you picking on this idea as being something completely irrelevant when BW has already done more than I would want others to do anyways.
If modders can add rewards,titles, and exp to thier custom maps then that would me more than a single player of the space combat mini game by having custom maps being coop (Also there would be no need to add exp, rewards and titles for custom maps since the reason to play would be the content and not the rewards. However, BW devs could also add some custom maps of thier own that give people titles, rewards etc as part of this system as well). Again, for me personally I like variety, and I am asking for more and I do enjoy the space combat as it is, but would like more as others would as well.
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Posted 1/31/2012 10:11:29 AMI read somewhere VGChartz numbers were never right, so these numbers are probably inflated.
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Posted 1/31/2012 10:49:32 AMInflated? you mean under reported as they do not include digital copies or copies sold outside the US?
Wound in the Force::GoHann (lvl 35 Maurader)
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Posted 2/1/2012 4:23:44 PMWell Looks like you were right but am honestly at a complete loss as to how I got my numbers so wrong. Well, you live and you learn
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Posted 2/1/2012 5:15:01 AMWell, looking at servers as a sample, either players dont play enough and its all different people playing on odd days, or play too many alts on a server since the population on a server would be in the thousands just with accounts. HOwever the ones seen playing would be maybe a 1000 on the whole server. You can deduce this by looking at the population of all planets, and the fleet. The fleet would normally be in the 100s, and the planets depending around that point or half that, so on peak hours you have a variance from 1000 players on a server. There are how many servers for BW? Then you can kind of guess since the variable of peoples playing habits makes it unclear. HOwever lets assume 2000 active metionable players per server. That is a low number, but that is the impression I got.
I am not sure where this 2 million comes from either, but maybe your sample server is different since mine is from Europe. However I assume this is the case for all mmos with active members being a smaller group with a lot more time invested than those who of course have a lot going on for them. Which is why things like mini games would also help to boost the number of active players since players can log into for a quick round of a few games instead of planning for long raids which they dont have time for.
edit: I counted around 210 servers so thats around .5 million active members (per day--, since that number is higher per two days, or week etc) keeping the populations high on peak hours. So that makes sense, and its a big number but per server sometimes it does not feel that big, which is something I hope can change with Illum open world pvp for example. Other than the fleet of course as being a great social hub.
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Posted 1/31/2012 3:17:04 PMAll i said was I had read somewhere that there numbers are always way off. I could be wrong, if i am great. I don't trust the numbers.
Also, sales don't matter, it's subs that matter, and i can bet that only a third or less of the box slaes were retained.
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Posted 1/31/2012 2:41:43 PMHi,
I don't understand the logic applied. If Vgchartz ONLY includes estimates of retail box sales how could the 2m tally be an overestimate. Surely Retails Sales + Digital Sales > Retails Sales. Don't forget that SWTOR uses a PC platform where digital sales often (not always) exceed box sales. I would love to understand your conclusions with respect to VGC numbers being inflated. Any yes, I do own a substantail amount of EA stock lol
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Posted 1/31/2012 11:02:00 AMno, inflated, these are supposed to be boxed sale, so these numbers are inflated, we don't know virtual sales (digital). So yes these number may be close to right, when you include digital, but i doubt it.
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Posted 1/31/2012 10:03:35 AMThat number could have been higher if it was more casual freindly to gamers. By that, I mean they would have to have more end game content that fits many aspects thay fit in controlling an avatar to mimicking dota, to instanced random dungeon layout for maps, more instanded pvp with different themes, houses, open world content thats similar to sand box games, and a lot of mini games.
However, it is a great game, but its not too casual friendly of a game, or swtor would see numbers close to single player games if it offered the same but with an mmo experience making it more epic, Casual gamer will reflect on the game from playing once character and not what BW has created and that is 8 games in one. That is the problem, the packaging is misleading, and that could be an issue for the casual who loses interest of something that looks like more of the same, since other classes would be better than an expansion in terms of content when playing a new class, with new story, and most importantly new game play mechanics.
Its unfortunate that BW spent a lot of time fine tuning thier game instead of adding more layers to an already amazing game. Since they were suppose to release the game in spring, and spent half a year or more fine tuning the game... which they did a great job at, but I hope the competitiveness of mmo markets, and their vulnerablity to single player games offering the same but instant action satisfaction wont draw customers away from the mmo market and more into latter. For example swtor can add character customization that allows people to test end game characters in special dueling arenas. This can imitate something similar to street fighter, and also allow people to play other classes to get a feel for them. Maybe in this specialized street fighter arena, they can also add coop modes and players can choose to be a raid boss against others, or a toned down raid boss as another different stuyle of gameplay against others. However, I do like this idea, it seems everything takes too many resources and time to get it right, that to make this idea into a reality it would have to be the perfect idea, or something that is clearly a good decision based on feedback becuase impleneting different layers of game take too long, and they have to weigh out thier options with toher ones.
So hopefull the gamers who can keep this game alive do not lose interest becuase this game is not like thier other favorite rpg, fps, or strategy games, and wait for hopefully a game that adds a lot more layers for people who only want to play one character to have a wide range of social activities, and choices for end game content.\
Also they already have english, french and spanish but only released in America, and Europe. There are a lot of countries that would buy more copies with servers dedicated to them with better ping. SO there is already an untapped market in a lot of places that dont need more languages then the ones already in place.