Warhammer Online has 300k subscribers

By Oli Welsh Published 4 February, 2009

EA's financials reveal slow-but-steady start.

Publisher EA has revealed - as part of its depressing financial report - that Mythic MMO Warhammer Online had 300,000 subscribers at the end of last year.

The figure is a drop in World of Warcraft's 11-million-plus ocean, and doesn't represent the splash that EA was presumably hoping to make with its first entry into MMOs since Ultima Online.

However, 300,000 is still a respectable figure in a highly competitive field, which puts WAR ahead of the estimated subscriber bases of rivals like Lord of the Rings Online and EverQuest II, and alongside CCP's EVE Online. It most likely guarantees the game's profitability - and therefore its future.

Warhammer Online launched in September last year and quickly registered 750,000 players. However, many players had left the game again by the time WOW's Wrath of the Lich King expansion was released in November.

Mythic recently announced plans to expand WAR substantially in the coming months with the free Call to Arms update, including two new character classes and a new realm-versus-realm raid zone.

It has also just released a patch introducing the "Night of Murder" Valentine's event, which marks players on the opposing side as targets for you to kill, and launching the game in Russia.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for a live interview with Mythic's Paul Barnett. Perhaps you could ask him whether he's still confident in his million-player bet.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eraysor #1 3 years ago

    I'd play it if they fixed public quests. There's nowhere near enough people around most of the time for them to even work.

  • Rizo #2 3 years ago

    So they have lossed over half there subscribers already?

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    I'm not sure if I like the random nature of the Public Quest loot. Not that I complain that much, I've never lost yet, even when I've done almost nothing!

    I like WAR for different reasons than I like WoW, and there's certainly a place for both.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #4 3 years ago

    @Eraysor: Try Azgal, or Norn for populated bits in T1/2 and yell, I was on Izor myself before the move and both servers just feel as the game was intended :)

    Nice to see at least one article out there that noted the falloff of the 750K to 300K might had been somthing to do with WolK (or MoM) comming out at the same time at least, WAR's too new to be 'perfect' atm for some ppl, but with the MMO market flooded with games these days (where as DAoC's only 'other option' was EQ at the time) 300K at entry status it's too shabby :)

    Selling1.2 million £30 boxes in Sept and then keeping 300K players playing on avg £10 isn't too bad income for 4 months work :)

  • DFawkes #5 3 years ago

    Indeed, any MMO with a half-decent subscriber base must be a dream for publishers. about £9 a month from 300,000 people is still 2.7 million a month, which I'd imagine is enough to keep the developers creating new stuff and keeping the servers going.

    It could do with a few server merges though. Even though the server I joined has an XP bonus, it's still a bit empty - though it has enough people to get a little bit RvR and Public Questing on the go.

  • Venkman90 #6 3 years ago

    The mass sucess of WoW has set an un-realistic benchmark, as said above 300k subscribers is very good money, unless you budgeted for 1m+ year one and over spent that is.

    Blizzard have always had a massive fan-base in Asia which does make up a large portion of their userbase iirc, so getting up there would be a climb for anyone.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/09 @ 11:48

  • serpantdarius #7 3 years ago

    Part of the problem is their pre-paid cards are so expensive when compared to WOW, that and hardly anyone actually stocks them.
    Edited by 2 at 04/02/09 @ 11:54

  • anomagnus #8 3 years ago

    Rizo,

    Firstly, its 'have they LOST over half their subscribers already?'

    Secondly, no one knows that, because EA and WAR have only mentioned 750,000 copies bought, that does not translate into subscribers.

    As someone who WANTED to love the game, and leveled up a R40/RR41 SM, i just got tired of a game that wasnt ready for launch.

    Keep in mind that WOW once started small as well...

  • Benno #9 3 years ago

    thats a canny enough number

  • Gurgeh #10 3 years ago

    AoC went from 700k subscribers to 415k in the first 3 months, which are comparable figures to WAR. What will be interesting is whether WAR holds on to what it has or continues to lose subs (the people I know still playing it are 50-50 split over being excited about the new classes and zone, or quitting because of what they see as inherent flaws in PvP that are not being addressed).

  • sneetch #11 3 years ago

    @Eraysor
    I'd play it if they fixed public quests.There's nowhere near enough people around most of the time for them to even work.

    That's always the problem with MMOs: group content is a pain-in-the-ass when you're behind the curve, in the first month or two the T1/T2 zones were thriving, now most people have levelled beyond those areas so you'll have difficulty finding a group. That said, on the weekends I've had no problems completing T1 PQs on my plethora of alts including RVR (that's Order on Karak-Hirn, which is giving bonuses for Order players which would account for that) and they've tweaked it so there's at least one "easy" PQ that can be soloed per chapter.

    As for the numbers, they're just releasing in Russia this weekend and I don't believe they have any far-eastern servers yet, so I'm willing to bet that the numbers will grow but, regardless, 300k is healthy.

  • makeamazing #12 3 years ago

    I still havent resubbed yet, but intend to, just dont have the time right now. :)

  • Bleh #13 3 years ago

    Played the beta didn't enjoy it. Friend recently both it and it still looks like a beta. Graphics are bad, animations are still as good as not present. But it seems there are still enough people who enjoy it.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #14 3 years ago

    @Bleh - Question: For a game that has 100s of players in one small area (ala Keeps/forts) and expect 360/ps3 quality graphics in the game - what pc specs would you be looking at?

    If you even look at DCU Online it's not going to be 'epic' in quality either and thats heading for the ps3l... Quality graphics and the mass numbers on screen that you get with a MMO just don't mix, well they can but just not that well on a 'normal' pc, unless your willing to fork out £3000+ to get both to get the best of both worlds.

    Besides WAR 'looks' Warhammer, thats all that matters to most, now all we need is more options to dye armour, kinda hate having amour sets where dyes only cover a small part of it
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/09 @ 14:05

  • sneetch #15 3 years ago

    @Kremlik
    @Bleh - Question: For a game that has 100s of players in one small area (ala Keeps/forts) and expect 360/ps3 quality graphics in the game - what pc specs would you be looking at?

    If you even look at DCU Online it's not going to be 'epic' in quality either and thats heading for the ps3l... Quality graphics and the mass numbers on screen that you get with a MMO just don't mix, well they can but just not that well on a 'normal' pc, unless your willing to fork out £3000+ to get both to get the best of both worlds.

    Indeed, like DaoC before it the graphics are designed for large scale ORvR, hugely detailed models wouldn't work. That said the game looks great to me with all the bells and whistles on but at those settings it can chug a bit in scenarios and ORvR even with the graphics performance improvements so I've downgraded the settings to "looks great to me with a lot of bells and whistles off". The animations appear fine on the characters I use but I'd like more emotes (especially /sit /lie commands).
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/09 @ 14:53

  • Cynicalgamer #16 3 years ago

    This game is terrible. The concept is WoW in the Gamesworkshop Warhammer world. The gameplay, graphics and sounds are similar to the aging WoW, nothing spectacular or interesting. Some of areas are half built or half thought. The quests are grindy and awful with little happening for little reward. The levelling up is abyssmal and not worth the time or effort.

    I have tried and tried to enjoy or even like the game to no avail.

    The much vaunted RvR is just bad - its basically a frenzy of clicking and button pushing for no discernable difference.

    The game engine is very smooth - their a positive (and about the only thing i liked)

    Please, dont buy this, cancel your subscription it is just terrible. (I have cancelled mine)

  • mikeck #17 3 years ago

    "Please, dont buy this, cancel your subscription it is just terrible. "

    Certainly..I will follow your advice, it is terrible after all. Why oh why am I spending all this time with my Engineer when I could be playing other games and not enjoying them instead.

    Edited to ensure the sarcasm was realised by those reading my comment ;)
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/09 @ 15:40

  • Gargant #18 3 years ago

    I like this game better than wow, but then again, I hate wow

  • Orange #19 3 years ago

    Thats a shit number given:

    1) the strength of the warhammer brand name
    2) even Conan had similar after its launch
    3) the competition is only growing, so odds of it increasing much are slim

  • sneetch #20 3 years ago

    @Cynicalgamer
    have tried and tried to enjoy or even like the game to no avail.

    The much vaunted RvR is just bad - its basically a frenzy of clicking and button pushing for no discernable difference.

    In the syle of WoW: L2P noob!1!!!!

    Maybe you didn't notice a difference because you're using "a frenzy of clicking and button pushing". Try picking appropriate skills for appropriate situations, I find it's much more effective. ;)

    Please, dont buy this, cancel your subscription it is just terrible. (I have cancelled mine)

    Hmmm... well, ok, you didn't like a game so I will of course cancel my subscription. Seems like a reasonable request.

  • iokthemonkey #21 3 years ago

    even Conan had similar after its launch

    ----

    From what I can gather, AoC sold 800K copies, according to Funcom.

    Funcom announced they had 415K PLAYERS (and made a distinction between "players" and "payers" so this figure presumably included people playing the free trial or are they claiming they have more subscribers than players?) at their last announcement relating to the user-base, but this was before the server merge.

    The last estimates I saw put it at around 150K subscribers.

    I'm by no means commenting either way on WAR or AoC, but merely trying to present the figures for comparison.

  • iokthemonkey #22 3 years ago

    Ouch.

    [link url=http://www.massive ly.com/2009/02/04/rumors-abound-of-a-massive-layoff-at-mythi c-entertainment/
    ]http://ww w.massively.com/2009/02/04/rumo...[/link]

  • Krelle #23 3 years ago

    They probably need to hit that million mark soon, or theyll fall of the radar within 6 months.
    Too bad, really. Blizzard keeps releasing amazing stuff, but some real competition wouldnt hurt anyone.

    What is the next "big" one coming up? (KO)TOR?

  • sneetch #24 3 years ago

    @iokthemonkey
    Ouch.

    http://ww w.massively.com/2009/02/04/rumo...

    I love how the article at Massively links to the one on Joystiq which links back to the one on Massively.

    Rumour-mongering: mmmm them's tasty page hits!

  • iokthemonkey #25 3 years ago

    Heh. I didn't see that.

    You think it's some kind of anti-WAR circlejerk? : /

  • sneetch #26 3 years ago

    @iokthemonkey
    Heh. I didn't see that.

    You think it's some kind of anti-WAR circlejerk? : /

    LOL! I hope so, I love a good conspiracy. :)

    Breaking news: I've heard from several well-placed sources that EA have been sacrificing and eating Mythic employees in an attempt to downsize the staff without laying them off. Current estimates put the number of Mythic employees sacrificed to the Dark God Khaine at between 2 and 1,319,260.

    We contacted EA for a statement and are awaiting a response. Which we won't get. Because they're bastards who are eating Mythic employees.

    Edit: of course, it may be true, but I dearly hope it's not (that's not just me covering my ass, that's me acknowledging that it's quite possible that these rumours are true).
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/09 @ 18:06

  • MaxiSleep #27 3 years ago

    This kinda confirms my view that great PvP is not going to make a game succeed.

  • iokthemonkey #28 3 years ago

    This kinda confirms my view that great PvP is not going to make a game succeed.

    ----

    I've always thought it was a poor substitute for "proper" content but whenever I say that, the PvPers all appear and shoot me down for being a care bear or something.

    Funny though, if it's so popular, why is it that the two current MMOs that are PvP-centric (AoC and WAR) haven't been the runaway successes they were touted by PvPers as being? They'll claim it's nothing to do with the core concept of PvP being a niche thing and will pull out a bunch of excuses about balance issues or general quality but that still doesn't explain why PvE games do so much better in the West than PvP titles...