Curse

Unkillable Cat · Nov 08, 2007, 12:21 PM // 12:21

For those that asked about markups, not sure how much help this is, but for the majority of independant (none chain store) retail, the base markup is 120% of cost where a predetermined price isnt marked, it sounds steep, but it costs a lot to keep a shop open. I think the highest mark up I currently have is 241% but that is purely to prevent inverse snobbery (thats too cheap, there must be somthing wrong with it)

freekedoutfish · Nov 08, 2007, 12:23 PM // 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

...
What I also find interesting is that Lineage I and II combined generated nearly four times the sales in that quarter than sales than Guild Wars...

lineage 2 is (supposedly) a nicer looking game and, despite its really bad reviews, that is why most people will rush out to buy it.

Its more recently released and they assume its better because of that and they want flashy looking graphics!

I expect alot of those people got the game home, installed it and realised "hm.... maybe ill go back to GWs where it actually has some fun content"!

Its like any new game! Look at that "crisis" thing on the PC. All the hype is based around its supposedly amazing, photo-realistic graphics. Thats all anyone talks about. The previews say it has a good storyline too and decent playability, but all the focus is on visuals.

The same goes for newer MMOs. People just rush out and buy what ever is the newest and looks the nicest.

Bryant Again · Nov 08, 2007, 01:45 PM // 13:45

But why are so many still subscribed to it?

Interesting little article, nonetheless. 350k GW players? I imagined at least a little under a million. Wow.

Loviatar:

Quote:

Originally Posted by draxynnic

The conclusion is accurate: it places a bottom limit on the number of people who've played the game since the release of EOTN (I'm willing to bet someone who buys EOTN has logged in to GW at least once since release).

Hookecho · Nov 08, 2007, 02:42 PM // 14:42

And 2 days ago NCsoft completed its buyout of Cryptic's City of Heroes/Villians unit so they now control it in house, kept all but one of the founding dev team, and now get to rake in that subscription fee and not have to share it with Cryptic. Thats 150,000+ subscriptions at $15 a month....a nice steady income

I think NCsoft has little to worry over

Loviatar · Nov 08, 2007, 06:27 PM // 18:27

[QUOTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

Interesting little article, nonetheless. 350k GW players? I imagined at least a little under a million. Wow.

people who bought GWEN

did you consider that possibly the majority of the player base did not get GWEN and possibly dont even have all regular chapters either?

just wow

cthulhu reborn · Nov 08, 2007, 06:29 PM // 18:29

Well, the calculation has a problem since the selling price at a game store for GWEN is not the amount the company gets so as far as revenue for the company we have to look at the price for which they sell the game to wholesalers rather than what the public pays.
Only the sales at the GW ingame store are direct to public sales.

Of course keep in mind that for a quarter of Lineage there are 3 months of charges to add up which will probably be more revenue for the company than the selling price of a copy of GWEN to the wholesalers who sell it to the retailers who then sell it to the public.

A. Noid · Nov 08, 2007, 06:52 PM // 18:52

Annnnd some folks bought more than 1 copy.....so by the time you add up all the variables...1 sec here...

add the 1
carry the 6
divide by ...

ok, here it is...we still have no idea how many active players there are.

-ANoid

AznDoDo · Nov 08, 2007, 07:19 PM // 19:19

Zinger really just read one article and basing his 'facts' around just that article. I believe L2 has been on a steady decline in subscription since C3 ( 1.5 years ago? ), though the subscription number has been stabilizing with the change in the expansion name to "Chaotic Throne". Lineage 1 is a major bot-fest now ( so is Lineage 2 IMO ), but of course for both titles I'm speaking on the behalf of the U.S server. Its much more popular and successful in Korea, and maybe Europe? I'm not sure.

In all, I'm not a person to "rag" on companies, its great to see game companies like NCSoft is still making good money and hopefully rebound from the recent troubles they've been going through. The Lineage and GW series are definately by far NCSoft's big weapons in term of income. CoH/CoV and the now dead Auto Assault, are much far behind those two series. So NCSoft isn't gonna drop a high profile game like GW2, cause Lineage 3 has been delayed and not expected to be released till like 2011, due to the engine source code leak. 2011 is a long time, and I believe the only announced titles till 2011 from NCSoft is GW2 and Aion.

ValaOfTheFens · Nov 08, 2007, 07:24 PM // 19:24

I expect sales of GWEN to pick up soon. Christmas is close and there will be some sales(I'll be buying it then). Last year I waited until December of buy NF for the same reason.

Hookecho · Nov 08, 2007, 07:42 PM // 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by AznDoDo

The Lineage and GW series are definately by far NCSoft's big weapons in term of income. CoH/CoV and the now dead Auto Assault, are much far behind those two series.

Last numbers I saw had the CoH/CoV numbers around 150K and increasing so....
thats $2.25 million in subscription fees alone a month.... So while L+L2 abd GW have higher game sales I think the added subscriptions for CoH/CoV will help a lot.

and I say this as a person who has 3 GW and 2 CoH/CoV accounts

YMMV

wolfwing · Nov 08, 2007, 08:21 PM // 20:21

Yeah but does the figures for Lineage I and II count subsriptions for that time? Guildwars you just buy the games, those you pay per month.

Mordakai · Nov 08, 2007, 08:58 PM // 20:58

Anyway you look at it, $14 million dollars, at least 350k + players = good thing for Anet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

Of course, if Tabula Rasa fails (the initial reports I've heard about it weren't great), then NCSoft, and consequently GW2, will be in a pickle.

Not sure about that. If Tabula Rasa fails, that means that NCSoft will have to support GW2, as Guild Wars is their third biggest title (after Lineage 1 & 2).

It's also really not fair to combine Lineage 1 and 2 against Guild Wars... (2 products against 1)

Wait til GW2 comes out, then compare!

**cosyfiep** · Nov 08, 2007, 09:45 PM // 21:45

wasnt it more expensive than $40 in euros? (or other non US currencies?).....

Mordakai · Nov 08, 2007, 10:13 PM // 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosyfiep

wasnt it more expensive than $40 in euros? (or other non US currencies?).....

That makes the 81% sales increase is even more impressive!

Kashrlyyk · Nov 08, 2007, 10:23 PM // 22:23

35 Euros = 51 Dollars today.

Buster · Nov 08, 2007, 11:52 PM // 23:52

NCSoft releases too many mmo games and doesn't give a game a chance to develope into major success. Lineage,Lineage 2, COV,COH,Tabula Rasa,Dungeon Runners and not to mention AION coming out soon. So where does this leave GW2 room to get success ? It doesn't. Obviously they feel quantity is better than quality which will eventually hurt the success of Anet unfortunately.

wetsparks · Nov 09, 2007, 12:35 AM // 00:35

It hurts other pay to play mmo's not guild wars. All of those pay to play mmos that they release though will be hurt because not enough people have the disposable income to pay 2,3,4 monthly fees to play 2,3,4 different mmos.

twicky_kid · Nov 09, 2007, 12:36 AM // 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buster

NCSoft releases too many mmo games and doesn't give a game a chance to develope into major success. Lineage,Lineage 2, COV,COH,Tabula Rasa,Dungeon Runners and not to mention AION coming out soon. So where does this leave GW2 room to get success ? It doesn't. Obviously they feel quantity is better than quality which will eventually hurt the success of Anet unfortunately.

As long as people are willing to keep feeding the slot machine it won't matter.

Anet cannot compete with WoW. They know this. Instead of making 1 solid product to compete they'll make multiple "new" products to give alternatives.

Players like WoW and are highly dedicated but are always searching for an alternative. Anet is exploiting this with their games. They don't need to produce anything ground breaking just different enough to peak people's interest so they'll buy.

wetsparks · Nov 09, 2007, 12:59 AM // 00:59

and cheap enough the won't be forced to break their warcrack habit.

draxynnic · Nov 09, 2007, 01:46 AM // 01:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkillable Cat

For those that asked about markups, not sure how much help this is, but for the majority of independant (none chain store) retail, the base markup is 120% of cost where a predetermined price isnt marked, it sounds steep, but it costs a lot to keep a shop open. I think the highest mark up I currently have is 241% but that is purely to prevent inverse snobbery (thats too cheap, there must be somthing wrong with it)

Even after you take off store markups, before you can count actual profit you have to consider the cost of making the boxes and the material in the boxes, advertising (although EOTN mostly seemed to have in-house advertising) and the costs of developing the game. I'm not sure if those revenue figures are actually profit figures, but if they are that would also be putting up the number of sales required for every thousand dollars of revenue.