Game population by the numbers.

[Maxwell]

Regarding the console market
In my opinion, large big brand MMORPGs should stay away from the console market. By its nature, a MMORPG is supposed to evolve over time with content and technology, something consoles cant do very well. To MMORPGs, consoles are basically a set of additional physical restrictions. Not only that but some may bring an additional layer of fees (xbox live / PSN+)

Regarding the numbers !
I couldn't care less about the numbers. If i like the game and people are available to play with when i'm logged in, then all is fine ! If the number of subscriber is so important to you, go play WoW. The number of active account can indeed be a metric to measure the health of a MMORPG, but its not a deterministic metric nor the one and only. It must also be noted
that the competition in the MMORPG market is more or less a zero-sum situation. The majority of player don't play more than 1 mmo at a time due to monetary and time constraints.

A lot of people didn't make the switch from XI to XIV not because of the lower quality of the game, but simply because they didn't feel like working on another MMO. Those people stayed in FFXI because they found their comfort zone and don't want to start again. Leaving less potential accounts for XIV, but not tied to XIV's health.