Well, it’s May, and that can only mean Q1 financial are up, and there are many calls to be made. Who better to run through for this article than Blizzard? I mean, they’re name is on the banner image.
First, the bad news. The subscription numbers for World of Warcraft have dropped back to pre-Cataclysm 11.4 million. This has been attributed to the speed at which players are completing Cataclysm’s content, which is much faster than previous (Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King) expansion packs. On the other hand, Blizzard still has 11.4 million paying customers, and that remains pretty impressive.
The drop in players is also likely due to the release of Rift. As in Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, Blizzard has noted in the past that competing MMOs cause a sharp decline in users, followed by a slow trickle as they calmly return with their heads down, hoping you’d forgotten about the time they smashed the floor lamp and walked out the door, claiming they’d never come back again.
On the other hand, World of Warcraft has become more profitable. If the two don’t add up, consider Blizzard’s increasing sale of microtransaction pets and mounts.
You can read Joystiq’s article here: http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/world-of-warcraft-dips-to-a-mere-11-4-million-subscribers/
MMO Fallout 