Predict the population 6 months after PS3 release

[XxOstiaxX]

Calling it right now. I am 95% sure that by the time the PS3 version is released, there will be no more market wards. Retainers will be used merely for storage, providing they're not done away with completely if a Mog house is implemented. We will have central market system to buy and sell goods, all from a single menu. Whether or not it will be blind bidding is up in the air.

My main thought of why an auction house type system has yet to be implemented is because of server issues. If they can't get a mailbox to work yet, they won't be able to get an auction house working. And if anyone honestly does not want a mailbox, speak up or forever hold your peace. (And you better have a really good reason why you don't want a mailbox.)

BECAUSE THEY IS IN WOW!!! HOW DARES YOU SUGGEST WE USE SOMETHING IN WOW?!?!?

[viion]

funny thread, soooo optimistic.

I bet no more than 5-10k from PS3 alone lol.

[Vahzl]

I imagine the population will triple, to around 73 active players.

[Delsus]

1. At that time (FFXI launch) MMO's were still pretty niche and nerdy... Everquest players were still considered basement nerds... Today that is far from the case. From WoW to farmville, people have accepted online gaming as a viable gaming genre

2. FFXI required additional hardware... I can't think of any of my friends that had the PS2 hard drive.... the PS3 comes standard with one

3. XBox live, playstation network, netflix and gamefly have gotten people more accustomed to paying for online services... a lot more than they were 8 years ago

4. I don't think it is crazy to think that 1/6th of the people that bought FFXIII will try FFXIV.... 1 out of every 6.... that is definitely not a stretch

5. There is no MMORPG on PS3 other than DCUO....

6. WoW did 12 million with no Japanese players....

7. Monster hunter is HUGE in japan.... Japanese players want this... very badly, they want this game to succeed

8. People love a good train wreck... people will drop the money on the game just to see what all the fuss is about... I'm not saying they'll stay after the free month... but they'll get it

Need I go on?

Edit: Lawyered!

According to This site only 3 mmos have over 1 million subs, if everyone and thier mother wanted to play mmos now, then this would not be true. The fact is mmos still arent as popular as single player games because of the commitment you need to play them. Yes WoW got 12 million subscriptions but that is one game not the whole industry, WoW is probably about 1% of the gaming market.

Oh and yes the ps2 version required additional hardware, but you could fix that getting the PC version, which ran on buget laptops since the NA release of it.

[viion]

Japan now have TERA lol so we'll see how much they "want" XIV to succeed over the coming 3 months.

[Rydin]

According to This site only 3 mmos have over 1 million subs, if everyone and thier mother wanted to play mmos now, then this would not be true. The fact is mmos still arent as popular as single player games because of the commitment you need to play them. Yes WoW got 12 million subscriptions but that is one game not the whole industry, WoW is probably about 1% of the gaming market.

Oh and yes the ps2 version required additional hardware, but you could fix that getting the PC version, which ran on buget laptops since the NA release of it.

I'm just saying, FFXI came out in an era where MMO's were not very mainstream.
But now, from Farmville to Monster Hunter to Second life... People are very into MMO's.

Also Final fantasy has a clear already present fanbase. Japanese players are hungry for a huge MMO.

Famitsu carries A TON of weight. A high Famitsu score and the game will do well, at least in Japan. As far as the west, if the game starts selling incredibly well in the east, westerners will jump on board. Not as heavily, mind you, but we definitely don't like being on the outside

[Renshi]

If i'm still playing 6 months after PS3 release I'll bump this and we can all laugh at our wrong guesses or be amazed if someone nails it.

My guess 100k subs. I think this is pretty optimistic.

A bunch of people.
Wondering about this is a waste of time, so I'll go play some =)
Wait, why did I post this even? Ah yeah, because I was eating spaghetti.