Pre-Shutdown Server Pops

[Alhanelem]

1) Aion would be a shining example, and any game that has shut down. (which is essentially what is happening here)
2) All data has value.

1) I'm not aware that Aion is being shutdown and rebuilt from the ground up. Also, most games that shut down aren't being reactivated with a new version, so it's not a valid comparison.
3) No, not all data has value. You haven't shown me what useful purpose this data can serve beyond gloom and doom. What will these comparisons tell you? what impact will it have on what decision?

A better question would be:

Pre-Shutdown Server Pops that are actually doing anything other than standing in Uldah looking sexy.

Go.

That data might actually be slightly useful...

More importantly, obtaining the data damages nothing.

Actually, server population data can be damaging to all servers except the one with the highest population. All too often you have people coming in here asking what server to join and they say "Which one is the most populated?" Thus, people gravitate toward that server while the other ones get starved of new players.

[Ingolf]

1) I'm not aware that Aion is being shutdown and rebuilt from the ground up. Also, most games that shut down aren't being reactivated with a new version, so it's not a valid comparison.
3) No, not all data has value. You haven't shown me what useful purpose this data can serve beyond gloom and doom. What will these comparisons tell you? what impact will it have on what decision?

That data might actually be slightly useful...

Yes. All data has value. If you honestly think otherwise I've been overestimating your common sense.

The usage on the data can be something as small as comparison to future data that has been collected, or as grand as a decision maker as to make the speculation whether ARR would be successful.

It could also be compared with early ARR data to compile a statistical graph on the population gain over time.

Or even as a base. All data is valuable.