Recently released, Massively has the info on a poll by the NPD group. Basically the poll is a piece of a larger puzzle of MMO players and their likes (or dislikes). You can check the info here [SOURCE].
The poll is very specific and toward a certain group of players. As noted, the poll is called "What former World of Warcraft Players are Currently Playing". The sample size is rated at 19,000 players. This makes me wonder just how many were polled that were FORMER players (is that 1%, 10%, of actual size of former, etc.), and many other numbers come to mind. We at least know 68% were Male and the age group.
But, there is a lot that is not noted in the article, and I wish to help YOU, my informed readers know what the poll is REALLY telling us (than just what this select group is playing NOW).
- A Large group were once Final Fantasy XI players (thus the reasoning for the title being so high on the list, as most will go back to what they are familiar with)
- The noted need for something else to be either CHEAP or FREE (Runescape, Guild Wars, DDO, Toontown)
- A large number of boys like their Super Heroes (Both Champions Online and City of Heroes/Villains make showings on that list)
- EvE ranks lower on this list, and helps with the debate I constantly have that Sci-Fi just does not rank highly for MMO players, and Fantasy is king (SWG is at the bottom there...but that is more likely a case of a bad game)
- Why is Everquest 2 not on there at all? (either it is usually these players skew older (search Google for "average age of everquest 2 player"...you get 31+), or no one really likes the game like some want to believe)
- Maybe PvP does NOT sit well with MMO players, like many wish to believe? (Aion, WAR, EVE and DAoC ranking so low)
- Dangit people...upgrade your COMPUTERS already... Calculators and Toasters do not good PC's make (Runescape, GW, Second Life, Treasure Hunt, Toontown and more)
- These players are easily entertained with Cartoony Games (playing WoW, Disney Toontown, Champions, Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Hunt)
- A dedicated group of players want some naughtiness to their game (Second Life and AoC having high showings)
I may have missed some, but these are the main points I pulled from this report. Do you have any specific data YOU can pull from this report? Let me know.
PS: This is still part of the fun of analytics, and as such, this is truly in jest...but, you gotta admit, there is a lot there that makes sense. So...enjoy and comment away.
