Measuring MMOs

With the release of the latest edition of SirBruce’s chart of MMO populations, the debates have once again erupted over not only the validity of the numbers,...See more » With the release of the latest edition of SirBruce’s chart of MMO populations, the debates have once again erupted over not only the validity of the numbers, but also over the how to even talk about the populations of these virtual worlds. It’s a discussion that has come up before, of course. With recent versions of the charts, Bruce has started to include stats such as “peak concurrent users” and “average concurrent users.” With the rise of non-subscription services, the industry is having to adapt to different metrics altogether. Services such as Blizzard’s have had to attach statements to their press releases to gain credibility for their figures, after much skepticism from competitors. World of Warcraft’s Paying 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 having 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 canceled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.See less »