When people refer to games dying, they aren't referring to games shutting down. They're referring to this from a social perspective. Games are dead when they can no longer fail to attract enough new customers to offset the number of customers leaving, and when there is very little incentive for new customers to enter into the game. It may also refer to the viability for upstart player populations to get properly established, which disincentives new players form playing or sticking with the game. The end result of this is that you end up with new losses in player population, which is incredibly disruptive in MMORPGs and can often make them borderline, if not outright unplayable.
Going by revenue is misleading, because it ignores the fact that games like L2 have been set up these days to basically require monetary investment in the L2Store for everything ranging from "Humane XP Rates" to "Gearing up characters."
L2's revenue movement in a subscription game would signal an increase in player population, which would be beneficial to both players and the publisher. However, it actually signals nothing but an increase in game investment among the current player base, because the player base has only shrunk both in Korea and in the West. This is only beneficial to the publisher, particularly in games this old.
So, you are no only basing your assumption on a misinterpretation of what "dead" means in terms of the discussion regarding MMORPG games; you're failing to comprehend why those revenue numbers are - frankly - useless for coming to the conclusions that you seem to be positing to readers here (much less making baseless hypothetical predictions on when games will die).
One of the reasons why some publishers like the cash shop model, is that they can actually increase revenue while a game is dying. There are always users who do not want to abandon time/monetary investment and start over elsewhere. It just so happens that grindy games like Eastern MMORPGs are often higher in proportion regarding these people. This makes it much easier for those games to switch business model and still get revenue even when the game is practically dead.
In a subscription game, quitters always equal lost revenue. In a cash shop game, that isn't always the case. As long as you can gain that revenue back by getting the remaining players to increase their spending, you're fine. They make cry about low populations, etc. but the publisher doesn't care about that, as long as their core - paying - player population stays put.
Why do you think NCSoft changed their business model? They wanted to increase revenue even though the game has been dying out for years. The only way to increase revenues in a game that once needed 10+ servers for the player base and can now barely accommodate 2-3, is to extract it by other means... Means which do not require you to actually grow the player base, but simply retain those willing to spend, and get them to spend more and more.
This means that while the game is dying, which is actually bad for the players themselves... it's still "good enough" to "keep around" for the publisher. If you can get any net profits off of a project, then it's always worth keeping around (unless you really want to get out of that market, at which point the "amount" of profits may be understated to justify that decision).
They don't care about the health of the game, insofar as they are able to keep growing revenue. They only care about the revenue they are able to extract, and whether or not they can continue to forecast growths in revenue.
Have you ever taken a class on business or economics? Run any type of business? Worked as an independent contractor (where you need to maintain or increase your income to maintain your standard of living, etc.)?
When people speak of the end being here, they are talking about clear breakdowns in the social and economic workings of the game as an MMORPG, and how that has effected the game's attractiveness and viability for new players. Not "the servers have shut down."
Disclaimer: I added my non-professional guess when they will shutdown the games that show no hope in attracting new revenue.
Sorry friend, but your concern for the health of this beloved game is contradictory. And I tell you because, you, who are one of the most powerful othells of the server freya and better equipped, leaves his clan and join to Max. There are 85% of the characters better equipped, for what? To be hero? It would be logical, to make sense of your words, join another clan with your friends and really make the server much more entertaining.
Greetings.
Sorry friend, but your concern for the health of this beloved game is contradictory. And I tell you because, you, who are one of the most powerful othells of the server freya and better equipped, leaves his clan and join to Max. There are 85% of the characters better equipped, for what? To be hero? It would be logical, to make sense of your words, join another clan with your friends and really make the server much more entertaining.
Greetings.
Yes is true
He othell the fort of Freya claiming for a game that the same is killing to go to the MAX that dominate the server (all Rbs and dragons).
If you do not want the server to die change clan and fight against them and it will come back from fun.
There are many people equipped who do not need to be at MAX the question is what do they do there?
And stop complaining only makes the ridiculous
Why is the projected revenue for the last quarter of this year 20% higher than the upcoming quarter? I'm assuming these are global figures, will there be a release in another region that coincides with this increase?
Why is the projected revenue for the last quarter of this year 20% higher than the upcoming quarter? I'm assuming these are global figures, will there be a release in another region that coincides with this increase?
But like Tren said above, NCsoft's main revenue nowadays comes not from game content but from the L2Store aka online casino. The projected revenue is more an indicator for planned promotions than for anything else :)
But like Tren said above, NCsoft's main revenue nowadays comes not from game content but from the L2Store aka online casino. The projected revenue is more an indicator for planned promotions than for anything else :)
True, must be some serious promotions though. The game is in a sad state when L2Store promotions have more affect on projected revenue than actual content updates.
Unfortunately that is how it is. Yesterday evening Neutron confirmed it:
The L2Store will continue to remain an integral part of the business. Players who support the game through the L2Store are not only getting the benefits of boosted EXP and items, they also contribute [to] the game economy [by] trickling in the items when selling items in private shops and the auction house, giving those who are unable to buy items on the L2Store a chance to do so with [botted] Adena. http://boards.lineage2.com/showthread.php?t=292676#4
(bolding by me)
the end will never be here as long as there are nostalgic players, players who love the game as it is (like myself :p)
all the games now-days have in game store, p2w and such, MMOing is not what it used to be :)
but as long as you love the game it doesnt really matter. I'm not here to break out from the ordinary and become no.1 on the server, im here just to enjoy L2 as the most classic and perfect MMO (imo ofc).
Their profit might be okay, but as someone that has played since c1 it looks more and more like they aren't putting as much effort into the game. I've been primarily playing BnS since it's launch but I come back to L2.. when I do it is deader then dead and i'm on chronos. My friends list is "last log in 5 months ago" or more. Party finder is dead and so is global.
And watching the events, or lack of.. really says more then anything. christmas.. there was no santa. This anniversary was the simple letter event nothing huge despite the game being around for 13 years. The lack of hype even around a big event is beyond telling to where the game is going.