You would think that with EA’s SWTOR entry into the MMO space, Activision’s aging World of Warcraft franchise would see significant declines. Not so, says Activision in their latest corporate financials. Apparently, following release of The Old Republic, World of Warcraft only saw a slight decline in quarter over quarter subscriber figures, according to the transcript of Activision’s recent earnings conference.
This might come as surprise to some, as it’s no secret that World of Warcraft has been on the decline from the franchise’s lofty heights. The slight decline in subscribers appears to be in-line with the downward trend that the game has been experiencing for several quarters, and less to do with competition from other MMO’s.
Blizzard has been looking to keep players involved (and paying) with World of Warcraft. Recent updates have brought about better functionality when it comes to partying up with people in other Realms, and their Mists of Pandaria expansion is sure to spark interest from the community once it launches later this year.