In NA, FFXI released one year after it did in JP

[Konachibi]

Nah they had around 4-6 million players by the time Burning crusade came out, and by the end of it they had 10 Million, they did have a rough start, with server stability, long queue's and lag, oh the lag in pvp was horrible(World pvp back then)

It still is. With the amount of AoE abilities every class waves around now, the new PvP zone is just an easy-way to melt your computer. Once everyone piles together and starts nuking the whole screen turns multi-colour and runs at about 1 frame a millenia.

Dungeon queues take about 30 minutes, sometimes longer, unless you're a tank or healer.

And honestly the amount of ACTUAL players is probably back to 4-6 million, most of the numbers they added were trial accounts or multi-accounts.

Sooooo glad I don't play it anymore XD

[XxOstiaxX]

It still is. With the amount of AoE abilities every class waves around now, the new PvP zone is just an easy-way to melt your computer. Once everyone piles together and starts nuking the whole screen turns multi-colour and runs at about 1 frame a millenia.

Dungeon queues take about 30 minutes, sometimes longer, unless you're a tank or healer.

And honestly the amount of ACTUAL players is probably back to 4-6 million, most of the numbers they added were trial accounts or multi-accounts.

Sooooo glad I don't play it anymore XD

Eh... Yeah they still lag in PVP, but it cant be compared to the old day's, old day's the server and zone would crash, now you get a lag here and there, you get long dungeon timers, if you are not a healer or tank, and erm they never used trial accounts to account for their numbers

[Cichy]

If people are paying for monthly fees and expansions offcourse it will run.
Here's a video many may want to take a look at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-II...layer_embedded

[AsterBarnivere]

If people are paying for monthly fees and expansions offcourse it will run.
Here's a video many may want to take a look at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-II...layer_embedded

This is where people underestimate Arenanet's ability to grab players with it's B2P/microtransactions that are only for cosmetic purposes. GW1/factions ran on the same model and still has a strong amount of players (including myself) because their transactions are done "right" and had no effect on gameplay AKA buy to win. GW2 is following the same B2p/cosmetic model, and if there is nothing "game-breaking" with the model being used, then I believe it will be a success just like it's predecessors..

[Konachibi]

This is where people underestimate Arenanet's ability to grab players with it's B2P/microtransactions that are only for cosmetic purposes. GW1/factions ran on the same model and still has a strong amount of players (including myself) because their transactions are done "right" and had no effect on gameplay AKA buy to win. GW2 is following the same B2p/cosmetic model, and if there is nothing "game-breaking" with the model being used, then I believe it will be a success just like it's predecessors..

Forsaken World operates on the same model but caters to a more 'anime fan' gamer. Some of the outfits are absolutely wild, but people love it. When Age Of Conan went free2play thousands of players screamed at Funcom telling them not to make 'character enhancing' items available in the market. Funcom did that, AoC hit the 2 million player mark about a month after going f2p.

FFXIV could easily operate using a similar cosmetic market based model along with selling expansion packs.

[Madruk]

This is where people underestimate Arenanet's ability to grab players with it's B2P/microtransactions that are only for cosmetic purposes. GW1/factions ran on the same model and still has a strong amount of players (including myself) because their transactions are done "right" and had no effect on gameplay AKA buy to win. GW2 is following the same B2p/cosmetic model, and if there is nothing "game-breaking" with the model being used, then I believe it will be a success just like it's predecessors..

The one thing I hate about micro transactions is it focuses on freebie cosmetics that should be gotten in game via accomplishments to promote individuality (ie if you have a certain badass look its because you defeated that hardmode raid encounter, not because you went to E-Macy's and bought it).

Still, GW2 is looking better than anything out there for the foreseeable future.