Well, here’s a real sea change in Internet culture: In a quarterly earnings call yesterday, Activision’s CEO revealed that 1.3 million gamers have bailed on World of Warcraft since January.
It’s almost like they all realized they could really use some IRL sunshine!
According to the Wall Street Journal, WoW subscriptions have dropped from 12 million at their peak in 2010 to 8.3 million today. Most of the losses were in “eastern regions of the world,” but westerners are leaving, too. In hopes of stemming the tide, the company plans to “push out more content, such as new story lines and experiences, at a quicker pace.”
CEO Bobby Kotick did a pretty dismal job of sounding upbeat about their prospects:
“‘While we do believe further declines are likely, and we expect to have fewer subscribers at year-end than we do today, “World of Warcraft” remains one of the most successful franchises in the history of entertainment,’ Mr. Kotick said on a conference call.”
Sorry guys, but no golden age lasts forever. (I learned that from Lord of the Rings.)
