In seven months, World of Warcraft would have lost 54% of its revenue, according to SuperDataResearch. But where does this sudden and sudden drop come from?
First of all, it should be remembered that the new extension Mists of Pandaria was launched in early September and millions of copies have been sold. It is therefore 204 million dollars that were garnered by Blizzard in September for WoW. It is normal that revenues subsequently declined as the majority of players bought their copy quickly. Seven months later, in April, the statements showed $ 93 million. So it is ((204M-93M) / 204M) x 100 = 54.41% loss of income in seven months (a little math!)
Currently, many games are moving towards Free to Play or Buy to Play, this system aiming to buy a game and then be able to play it as much as you want without spending more in a monthly subscription. These games therefore develop a shop which makes the cancellation of subscriptions profitable. In this shop? Mounts, various services, cosmetic equipment and other bonuses are offered to players for a little money.
There are also always subscription games that come back recently like WildStar or The Elder Scrolls Online. These games may also set up a store (this has been confirmed on the TESO side), micro-transactions, providing various services to players who would like to benefit from them. This helps to bring income to the business while balancing the game. The store should not be a place where players are forced to pass but a place where we can go when we want to voluntarily buy things that make us happy.
We tell you about it from time to time, the boutique World of Warcraft has recently been enriched with cosmetic items, 3 helmets which have worked rather well even if Blizzard was not yet sure to repeat the experience. There have been mounts and pets for a while, including a Bind when Equip (an indirect way to make gold with real money), again an experiment that Blizzard isn't convinced. More recently, they did a test where you can buy an Experience bonus directly in-game, but this store is currently only intended for China ... and still, nothing less sure!
Subscriptions still seem trendy despite what people say and Blizzard's figures are certainly down but still make the majority of other publishers green with envy. Despite rumors and speculations, the current economic model surely still has a bright future ahead.
What do you think ?
Sources
Information taken from:
- SuperDataResearch
- VentureBeat
