Study: MMOs bringing in $1.4 billion a year
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 26th 2009 at 11:00AM
If America's bankers want to get back into Moneytown, apparently they could do a lot worse than designing a hit MMO -- a study by a group named Screen Digest says that the MMO market is hotter than ever. After dropping down to a total of $701 million in 2008, games like World of Warcraft are seeing their revenues rise again, up to a total of $1.4 billion. And not surprisingly, WoW is still leading the charge -- while their overall market share is dropping very slightly, from 60% of the market down to around 58%, they're still making more money than ever. And while other games are picking up some numbers, according to Screen Digest, they're not really stealing players from Azeroth -- they're actually pulling new MMO players in.Which is understandable -- during times of economic downturn, online games like MMOs are actually positioned to do very well. Why spend $15 on one night at the movies when you can spend it on a whole month of entertainment? World of Warcraft may have brought the MMO monster to the surface, but according to numbers like these, this is a game genre that's going to be extremely popular (and profitable) for a long time to come.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Economy, Making money
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Lolikins Mar 26th 2009 11:09AM
I would be curious as to what kind of numbers WoW pulls in from people trying other MMO's and finding their way to WoW. I'm guessing that one's a lot harder to substantiate.
Pyornthe Mar 26th 2009 11:46AM
Well, they've got me in that boat at least. I started out on Guild Wars, and eventually moved to a paid version of WoW after doing the free trial.
In my opinion, WoW is much better suited to me. More of a roleplaying emphasis, ability to wear different skins of armor, mounts, etc. It would be interesting to see how many other people came to WoW after other games though.
Kylenne Mar 26th 2009 11:50AM
I'm also one of them. I started off on Final Fantasy XI ages ago, and found my way to WoW through someone I was dating at the time. The only reason I still even have my FFXI subscription is loyalty to Squeenix and the fact that I still have a lot of friends on my linkshell who don't have WoW.
And I just lured two RL friends away from Guild Wars the other day.
Speedmonkay Mar 26th 2009 11:09AM
Are they serious about second place ?
Club Penguin ?
Really ?
Lolikins Mar 26th 2009 11:11AM
What the hell is Club Penguin?
smiley Mar 26th 2009 11:14AM
obviously its lies and propoganda put out by other mmo"s for competition, they are trying to knock Hello Kitty Island Adventure outof the #1 spot... but no friends, Hello Kitty shall forever reign supreme!
Dreadskull Mar 26th 2009 11:31AM
Now if only most MMO producers would actually -try- to make an MMO better than WoW instead of overhyping stuff or using cheap money-making tactics like "zomg this is an M rated MMO it has bewbz and blood!" so Blizzard can get some real competition.
Bigfish Mar 26th 2009 11:38AM
A serious competitor for WoW would suggest a team re-thinking how virtual world entertainment works. Good luck with that.
Pyornthe Mar 26th 2009 11:48AM
They could make an MMO with penises and pus if that's what you'd prefer.
Eew god, forget I said that. That's disgusting.
opeth Mar 26th 2009 11:39AM
Club Penguin is run by Disney and is a kids online playground
Macbook Mar 26th 2009 11:43AM
$1.4 billion is chump change.
But seriously, MMO's are a very inexpensive alternatives to many things. I used to go out on the weekends and easily spend a couple hundred bucks, and now I often find myself WoW'ing it up on the weekends instead for the same $15/month.
Macbook, http://Moonkin.info
Isah Mar 26th 2009 11:48AM
You're also not catching as many STD's these days either are you?
;)
Macbook Mar 26th 2009 11:56AM
Nope, only debuffs!
Kylenne Mar 26th 2009 11:47AM
This really isn't surprising at all. Video games are one of the few things people are spending money on right now. Netflix also saw a huge boost in subscribers, fast food is doing fine, and low-mid range cosmetics are also selling like hotcakes.
It's a truism that during times of economic hardship, people love escapism and little things to keep their minds off their financial troubles. People flocked to the picture show during the Depression and are doing the same thing at the local multiplex today, despite the absolute crap that's out right now
Pyornthe Mar 26th 2009 11:52AM
You're completely right there, and MMO's make a perfect form of escapism since they're so in-depth and one is easily absorbed into them.
I'd take [Bolvar] Fordragon over a foreclosure anyday.
Apophis Mar 26th 2009 11:50AM
MMO's are profitable, but they cut in on profits of other games.
Instead of buying a regular game every 2-3 months, many play MMOs for years and ignore most of other games completly.
Aggrajag Mar 26th 2009 12:46PM
^^ this.
I have been an avid gamer for 30 years (yeah I'm 40) and used to buy a game a week or a month depending how good it was.
When I discovered The Dark Age of Camelot I stuck with that for 3 years. I moved to WoW two weeks after it's release and have only bought one other game since. (GTA4 if you're interested!)
Speedmonkay Mar 26th 2009 1:11PM
Yeah I dont agree with you there.
Really any game that comes out can cut into another games profits. When RE5 came out some people who use WoW game cards may have not bought them for a few months so they could get RE5, so Capcom could have cut into Blizzards profits there.
Everytime a big new game comes out a good bit of people in my guild are talking about it. Many went and got RE5 when it came out. They always talk about stuff coming out for 360 or PS3.
I still get games for my Wii and PC.
We even play them while waiting for raids to form or during AFK periods or whenever we dont feel like doing the WoW grind.
I think it really just depends on how much of a gamer you are, how much you like variety you like in your game genres and how devoted you become to one game.
smiley Mar 26th 2009 12:44PM
I'll agree they cut into the mediocre-bad game segment, but lets face it, gemers are gamers, I may not buy as many console games as i did before MMO's , But I knwo me and most of my friends still pick up other titles on about a 1 a month basis. I love WoW, and have multiple 80"s , but i still enjoy my Wii and 360.
I still love to play DMC4 or Portal sometimes, or Mercenaries 2 cause its so much fun blowing everything up.
In fact i'm looking foreward to picking up a copy of the last remnant soon as i get a chance to pop by the local gamestop
So MMO's might knock sales off some crappy no name game that gets put on the $20 or less rack 3 weeks soone rhtan it otherwise would, the powerhouse titles still have great numbers
Candina@WH Mar 26th 2009 1:46PM
I looked up the other day and realized I had not bought a new video game since guild wars, 3-4 years ago.
I was never an MMO gamer, hate FPS, thought Everquest was a stupid idea... etc.
Then a friend of mine BOUGHT me WoW and a 60 day game card so he had someone to learn the game with.
He has long stopped playing WoW. I'm still here, 5 years later.