Second Most Popular Subscription-Based MMO

[Zenif]

I recently came over from GW2 and i gotta say i'm really feeling the P2P difference. I hope more games will go P2P giving me all the content for my sub, rather then having me watch things go into cash shops, while the base content sufferes from updates once in a blue moon.

At any rate i hope FF XiV will stay on the P2P ship, and show it can be done, even when the start was more the just rocky. Because most failed P2P didn't fall because of the business model, but because being a terrible value for their price. Repeat that few times (ESO, WildStar) and everyone thinks P2P is the harbinger of doom...

[h0tNstilettos]

That article is a little misleading. Sites that pull data of active subs place total in the millions, a bit over 2 million, and that only counts those in an FC. So the article saying 800,000 to 1.2 million active estimate is waaay off. An article I saw published like a month ago said active subs were 2.5 million, which is about right considering the estimates from pulled data.

As for king of MMOs, sub numbers don't make an MMO the best in this particular situation. It is a widely held consensus that FFXIV is the best pay to play MMO on the market right now and is now the torch holder. Most of those subs WoW still has is those playing for nostalgia. Most have played many many years and just can't let go, while many have been able to let go. WoW can release an expansion giving players a virtual turd and they'll still see a big burst in subs. Not saying WoW is a bad game. It's a superb MMO, but not quite as good as FFXIV, especially with the past so and so expansions. WoW is only better to those that need parsars/addons and love PVP more than PVE. If FFXIV was released at close to the same time WoW was, FFXIV would have more subs, even if WoW had same graphics quality like being released today. Everquest>WoW>FFXIV>who will be next? Those 3 MMOs are considered the pinnacles of the MMO. And someday, another will be. Maybe EQ Next will be next. Pun not intended.

[Illya]

*There are currently only 2 paid MMOs

[h0tNstilettos]

*There are currently only 2 paid MMOs

No, actually. EVE and Wildstar are 2 others, but Wild Star will be going free to play. It should be noted that even when most of the MMOs going free to play did have a sub, they still never topped FFXIV in subs. No pay to play MMO in history has had more subs than FFXIV except WoW.

Edit: Person couple posts below this points out others I forgot about.

[Cakekizy]

*There are currently only 2 paid MMOs

WoW, EQ, EQ2, FFXI, FFXIV, EVE, LOtRO. I'm sure I missed a few.

[Spawnie]

WoW, EQ, EQ2, FFXI, FFXIV, EVE, LOtRO. I'm sure I missed a few.

swotor is still pay to play and has item mall for free non sub players also is pso2 pay to play also??

[Dualblade]

swotor is still pay to play and has item mall for free non sub players also is pso2 pay to play also??

Swotor is F2P with a cash shop and the option to subscribe.

[Spawnie]

Swotor is F2P with a cash shop and the option to subscribe.

but still has sub based options so can fall into that categorey aswell XD

[DragonFlyy]

WoW, EQ, EQ2, FFXI, FFXIV, EVE, LOtRO. I'm sure I missed a few.

Just a personal opinion, but if there is an F2P option, then I don't count it as a sub based game. So EQ, EQ2 and LotRO are out of that list ... for me anyway.

[NefarioCall]

Even if someone quits, they had to purchase the game.