EQ Server populations that low?

[Lyion]

In checking server pops on TN this weekend, I noticed there were only around 120 level 70s online. There were less than 500 total people who were not in the Bazaar.

Being TN is in the higher 50%, I'm curious what actual server populations are now, after the releae of EQ2 and WOW.

the merges could be a result of having 10 expansions and much faster hardware and software. I'd be curious to see exact current population numbers.

[labbats]

Frankly, I'm surprised EQ1 exists at all.

[Langston]

Frankly, I'm surprised EQ1 exists at all.

it won't for much longer.

[Kenas]

BS. People are actually returning from other games at a steady pace.

[Langston]

Not at a pace that will breathe life into the game for more than a few months. They'll bore of the "novelty" of being retro-EQ quickly. Regardless, the number of people returning for nostalgia doesn't cover 1/10th of those that left for EQ2, WoW, or just because they were done with it altogether.

This round of server mergers is only the first step... they will continue to collapse servers until they're down to about a half dozen... and those servers will operate until the hardware crashes and Sony says "oops - oh well".

[Gidan]

EQ will probably not be going anywhere. It will exist at about 1/2 the population that it had when EQ2 and WoW released. With the server merges it will be brought down to about 1/2 the number of servers.

SoE is not losing $$ on EQ, it will cost them less to run it to account for the fewer number of players, and with the all access pass option they will have a number of people who play EQ2, EQ and SWG as well as the smaller games included with it.

As long as EQ makes $$ it will be here. Its also not cost effective at all to let EQ goto shit on them. People would be less likely to leave EQ for EQ2 if the product sucks. They would either quit entirely or goto WoW. Its in Sonys best interest to make EQ as strong a game as they can right up to the day it dies.

[Lyion]

Its cyclical. As soon as the novelty of WOW and EQ2 wear off, a lot of people will return.
Especially since both those games are half baked and still have an assload of problems and 1/100th the content of EQ.

[Ciladan]

How many suicides do you think there will be when the plug is finally pulled?

I pin it at 100-200 at least.

[Gidan]

At least one from this board. Will be sad to see you go Garg

~Darc

[Malluas]

i quit so one less suicide here

i say another year or 2 and its gonzo. It started to lose people around the time i quit.. then WoW and EQ2.. which EQ2 won't last very long (at least my opinion which is based on GW and WoW sales nothing else hehe).

Is WoW really losing lots of peoples?

Its sad EQ was great

I do think non-monthly payments is the way to go. Its a nice selling point IF the game is good. if WoW was a non-monthly i think people would stay cause they aren't shelling out money each month, even if the game isn't the greatest

[Lyion]

WOW has heavy turnover right now. All new MMOs do. You can see the ex WOW players on this board just for an idea of that.

EQ won't have the plug pulled in the foreseeable future, if ever. UO is still rolling. EQ still makes cash, and their expansions are profitable. Given they are still raking in the dough, I wouldn't expect them to even quit making expanisons, let alone discuss shutting it down.

[Drem]

i believe somewhere in an interview i read, one of the devs said they had EQs future planned for the next two years already and it was a recent interview.

and if you're basing your numbers off of yesterday, saturday afternoon, when you were talking about this with me, i still can guarantee that the numbers of ppl playing will be twice or three times as high if you log on during the business week and check the population at around the same time. 6~8est. then it will be prime time, not an offday.

[Donnel]

check later. Start 8 EST and count. That's when the large amount of PST log in.

Don't forget there's still a decent amount of TW on the server so they won't be on when you are looking by and large.

[Gargamellow]

EQ will never die, foolish mortals.

[Langston]

You mean you *hope* it never dies...

[Tikker]

Well, if UO is any indication, EQ won't die, jeje


When I moved from UO to EQ, I was POSITIVE that UO had like 1 more year left, tops


that was like, 6 years ago now?

yet, there's still a good chunk of folks that log in and play, albeit more casually than before


Shit, probably once a year my brother still fires up his old UO account

[Drem]

same with me. i reactivate my eq account once or twice a year for a month or two

[belfior]

I will probably at one point log back onto EQ level to 70 and quit for a year again. It's how EQ rolls.

I have to get a yearly training of Venril Sathir to zone or else my year is shit.

[Tikker]

My M.O. for most of my EQ "career" was to log in, kill Dvinn, Dorn, those fag cyclops dudes in EK (jeje broon? droon?) then go pickpocket Naggy and Vox

[Malluas]

lol Broon Droon And Proon

i always made it a habbit if i was around Wk. to go kill all the bandits.. or scarecrows then when in NK kil Grimfeather and the HGs

[Deaus]

The server mergers should be a good thing for the community still playing. More groupages are good.