We lost 70% of our player base half a year in

[Thaciscokidd]

AHEM.



What was that I was saying about statistics and incomplete data earlier? That so called census ignores players not in an FC...oops.

It's one physical server, and 5 logical servers. So the argument of 2 vs 5 is......again......WRONG.

I ultimately agree with you on this Vel. But the problem is that unless active concurrent subs get to some ridiculous numbers(Like WoW WoTLK numbers) we will never get a true player count. That why Lucky's work is use as a acceptable measuring stick because this is probably the closest thing we're gonna get to a true census.

[VelKallor]

That why Lucky's work is use as a acceptable measuring stick because this is probably the closest thing we're gonna get to a true census.

Unless SE does one themselves.

[Thaciscokidd]

Unless SE does one themselves.

True, but that info could be detrimental to the game overall. Any negative fluctuation could/would send shareholders into a tizzy. Sadly our true population is data best kept secret.

[pikalovr]

AHEM.



What was that I was saying about statistics and incomplete data earlier? That so called census ignores players not in an FC...oops.

It's one physical server, and 5 logical servers. So the argument of 2 vs 5 is......again......WRONG.

Materia was steady whilst all other servers lost players, and we expect 6.2 to be a massive uptick in player numbers. Materia, like any new datacentre, is growing steadily, and we look forward to that continual growth over time. We are both busy and happy.



Seeing as SE refused to do that to the JP datacentres, its unlikely they will do it anywhere else.

it ignores players not in an FC to EXCLUDE free trial players cause they shouldn't be brought into a data set based on active "current" players aka those who have at least purchased the game. the free trial is more so a preview for the whole game (which will get increasingly true as more and more expansions come out). also if you did include ANYONE 60 and below the numbers would be inflated regardless cause anyone can make a free trial account and character then just never touch them by limiting it the way he has he has created the TRUEST form of data gathering on population we can get. but his method of achieving said data is still flawed he uses lodestone which DOESN'T take into account active or inactive players. it will just show you the overall amount of players. as a matter of fact you can look me up i'm not subbed rn and it'll still show my character even if you put it in the search bar and nowhere does it say if i'm actively subscribed or not. unless he's using another algorithm or filtering method to check how each character is on an active account or not an alt character etc... the data while being filtered to the amount of TRUE players aka paying players. we have no idea how he filters out inactive characters or potential alts. which is why this data shouldn't be taken at face value not "incomplete data"

[Shurrikhan]

That so called census ignores players not in an FC...oops.

And specifically without any progress beyond the limits of the free trial.

That intersection --the most direct way we have of limiting the census of full FFXIV players to those who actually have purchased and have subbed to XIV (i.e., are playing its full version)-- is the only part left out of the census, deliberately.

Past free trial levels? You're included in the census.
In a FC, and therefore clearly not on free trial? You're included in the census.

[Lauront]

it ignores players not in an FC to EXCLUDE free trial players cause they shouldn't be brought into a data set based on active "current" players aka those who have at least purchased the game. the free trial is more so a preview for the whole game (which will get increasingly true as more and more expansions come out). also if you did include ANYONE 60 and below the numbers would be inflated regardless cause anyone can make a free trial account and character then just never touch them by limiting it the way he has he has created the TRUEST form of data gathering on population we can get. but his method of achieving said data is still flawed he uses lodestone which DOESN'T take into account active or inactive players. it will just show you the overall amount of players. as a matter of fact you can look me up i'm not subbed rn and it'll still show my character even if you put it in the search bar and nowhere does it say if i'm actively subscribed or not. unless he's using another algorithm or filtering method to check how each character is on an active account or not an alt character etc... the data while being filtered to the amount of TRUE players aka paying players. we have no idea how he filters out inactive characters or potential alts. which is why this data shouldn't be taken at face value not "incomplete data"

If you go on to the website, it lists the criteria it uses to determine if the character should be counted or not. He does use some measurements to determine if the character is active or not. If you go on the site using Chrome it will offer to auto-translate, and it seems to do a decent job of it.

The criteria for determining the active character that is the basis for aggregation are as follows.
Maximum level is 60 or more (not including 60 just) OR Jobs that cannot be released by free trial OR FC affiliation *
Levels and experience points have changed since the last survey (4/10)
The number of minions and mounts has changed since the last survey.
A new character that was not in the previous survey
One or more mounts
Exclude characters that use jumping potions in the job at the time of data acquisition (IL260 of the main weapon at the time of data acquisition and the maximum level of the battle job is 60, or the maximum level of the battle job is 70 at the same IL390)

This also provides a breakdown of these figures further down on the site, which also sheds more light on the retention question.

Where I believe it is less discerning is in being able to determine if a character is an alt or not, and from memory it also can't discriminate between people returning as a result of a free login campaign (there is one active between 15 and 30 June) and someone who's just a regular re-sub. So what it represents is a maximum of all characters which meet its criteria during the survey period, subject to however accurate the Lodestone data it is scraping is, with the criteria intended to remove any bots and the like.

[Raoabolic]

Any negative fluctuation could/would send shareholders into a tizzy.

Shareholders calling the shots of a product? What could go wrong? :^)

[Shougun]

Shareholders calling the shots of a product? What could go wrong? :^)

So many things I've loved have had their life drained from them because someone with profit first mindset came in latched on with all their tentacles. Best part is these ones are usually funneling money into themselves and their like minded buddies, till the cash cow stops mooing and they move on. Rather than say pay the people who make it great, looking at Blizzard right now lol.

Though profit is still important of course- can't pay people or yourself if you're making nothing, just there is an obvious set of people who generate buddy buddy networks with the explicit purpose to go in and funnel everything to the top.

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

OP, your sources are bad and you should feel bad.

Steam accounts are a minority compared to the windows and console accounts.

[hunkygladiator]

OP, your sources are bad and you should feel bad.

Steam accounts are a minority compared to the windows and console accounts.

So? Unless the characteristics of the players on different platforms are extremely different, the decrease is the same. This is basic statistics.