Actually they lost 800,000 subs. ((SOURCE)) : http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wor.../1100-6421529/ . But then again they lose and gain every now and then.

I would like to point out that add-ons made things easier, and so players were unable to work with a more manual system. I think I'm the one you're quoting on add-ons by the way, I could be wrong and presumptuous. Hope I'm not. It would be terribly embarrassing.

I would also say that your view of the add-on usage is also a wrong view then, because people were really coddled by the use of add-ons and really can't do raids and stuff without them. And I'm being perfectly serious here. I'm looking at it in a very broad, general view with the idea of players actually getting better in mind. I'm not dismissing that add-ons do help ((I used add-ons to modify text and location of words, but never, ever used anything to tell me to start running and stuff)) a gamer, but it's most certainly a crutch for players who do use it. Remove this crutch and you get what we have now in FFXIV: Players being unable to complete simple objectives, like going to a dedicated damage sponge team or not get under Twintania for conflag because they're used to giant text popping up in their faces with wonderful alerting sounds blaring up their ears.

It's like driving stick after driving a wonderful, convenient auto for a long, long while. You'll probably suck at it.

The "best players" ((Term used loosely mind you)) had to use mods because at that point everyone was using and applying the rule of "Use it or beat it" ((seriously)) , and I remember something about Blizzard starting to tune stuff to the use of add-ons. I might be wrong on the latter mind you, but the former was the case with some of the people I talked to. Not that it's everyone since I don't talk to a few million people, but it still gave an image.