Statistics of the F2P game

[Piu]

As you all know, the F2P as we know it is currently deteriorating. Realizing so, I decided to look at the amount of F2P players online:

 

[hide=11/16/2011, 2:00 PM GMT]

Total amount of players playing at this time is:

8601.

 

Now, let's look at the total amount of players playing at the moment:

45,844.

 

F2P Playerbase: 18.76%

These numbers are as of 11/16/2011, 2:00 PM GMT.

[/hide]

 

10 HOURS LATER

 

[hide=11/17/2011, 12:00PM GMT]

 

Amount of F2P players: 4971

 

Total amount of players: 25400

 

F2P playerbase: 19.57%

[/hide]

 

Simple math tells us that F2P players only make up 18-19% of the RuneScape playerbase. That's less than 1/5 of the community! If you think that's low, in about 12 hours from now, it can reach down to 10%. This is neglecting the factor where some of the players in the F2P world are P2P players, or P2P players taking a break from the members world.

 

I don't know what these numbers mean, but they're shockingly low to me. With Jagex removing highscores, and refusing to provide updates to the F2P game, what will become of it? What is Jagex trying to do?

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Sees_All1/Sqelt for pointing this out to me a few days ago.

[Fresi]

some of those in f2p worlds are members *plox*

also, i don't see anything dramatic happen due to this change

[Kaida23]

They're using the low F2P numbers after the bot nuke as an excuse to cut the free game back even further instead of waiting for those who quit in disgust over the bots to return.

 

If they had simply been patient for a few months, while continuing to make improvements, they probably would have seen the number of active players go up. Now it's more likely to keep going down. What are they going to to when a large chunk of that 18% quit? Start cutting back on P2P benefits?

[Piu]

I'm not talking about the HS removal. I'm talking about what Jagex plans to do with the F2P game. They could either let it die by it's own and remove it when the playerbase gets small enough, or add more content updates to improve it's gameplay quality and popularity all together

 

some of those in f2p worlds are members *plox*

 

What are you talking about? None of the worlds listed are P2P.

 

 

EDIT: I've read wrongly. And if some of the players in F2P worlds are P2P, then my point is proven further.

[essiw]

I'm not talking about the HS removal. I'm talking about what Jagex plans to do with the F2P game. They could either let it die by it's own and remove it when the playerbase gets small enough, or add more content updates to improve it's gameplay quality and popularity all together

 

some of those in f2p worlds are members *plox*

 

What are you talking about? None of the worlds listed are P2P.

 

He means that you can be member and be in a F2P world (for example for GOP). Also you are not taking in account that many of these players could be normally members but just taking a break from being member. And maybe in the evening more F2P-ers then P2P-ers could be online (for w/e reason) or on saterday and sunday. So you would have to look at a whole week at least.

[Piu]

Yes, I noticed. It's late and I've read what he said wrongly. :P

 

I've been looking at the F2P playerbase for a few days, not just now, mind you. This is usually the peak hour for F2P players (for some reason), which is why I've chosen to make the thread now. If needed, I'll update this thread everyday at 12 hour intervals just to keep the results accurate.

 

Also you are not taking in account that many of these players could be normally members but just taking a break from being member.

 

If so, it just means that the actual F2P playerbase is actually less than calculated.

[Arthu]

What is Jagex trying to do?

 

They're hoping that...

 

 

1. the existing members will introduce enough new people to runescape

and

2. enough many of them will get pay-to-play, motivated by either existing members or the game itself

and

3. enough many of them will get it soon and keep it for a good while

 

 

The action of removing hiscores might make more people

 

1. get it soon

and/or

2. keep it for a longer while

and/or

3. less motivated to keep playing at all

 

 

My answer to the question: They're dicing with people (people as currency, not opponent), just like ANY company.

 

What are the odds? We can't know. Neither can they.

 

~Arttu "I'm paying for members for a good while." H.

[Makoto_the_Phoenix]

The numbers have been horribly low since the Bot Nuke (which isn't surprising), but the bigger issue is that Jagex hasn't shown interest in keeping the F2P fanbase they have.

 

Where do I see these numbers leading? To about another month of research and a gamble with a strictly P2P business model.

[Central_Keeper]

Well, you can't blame being such a low number of F2p player in all the servers because.

 

The bot drove out legimate player and first timer because they overcrowd places

Long term player stop playing or switch to member to avoid the bot issue

Too many servers in the first place to support bots

 

So Jagex pretty much did this to themselves in the first place, and they are trying to cut back the few redeeming point of F2p after they save it.

 

The only thing they can do now is wait for the number to replenish themselves over time.

[Kaida23]

Where do I see these numbers leading? To about another month of research and a gamble with a strictly P2P business model.

That would be a huge mistake and cost them pretty much any new people who might be interested in the game. If there's no free game (or at the very least a demo), then people will simply try another game that has one. No one is going to start paying a monthly fee for a game they've never played.

 

The only thing they can do now is wait for the number to replenish themselves over time.

Exactly.

[Makoto_the_Phoenix]

Where do I see these numbers leading? To about another month of research and a gamble with a strictly P2P business model.

That would be a huge mistake and cost them pretty much any new people who might be interested in the game. If there's no free game (or at the very least a demo), then people will simply try another game that has one. No one is going to start paying a monthly fee for a game they've never played.

 

I never said it wasn't a mistake. I just can't see any uplifting trend out of the situation at the moment. It'd be a horrible move, there's no denying that, but I'm really not sure what other options they'd have beyond this.

[sees_all1]

I think this just goes to show that 80% of the people botting were F2P. The bot infestation really was an open sore on the "most popular free mmorpg". Unfortunately not all the people playing in F2P are all players, advert bots have started to creep back into the game.

 

Whatever, if JaGEx doesn't realize that its free to play business model is why they were so successful, we'll all have to find a new game.

[Bows]

~Arttu "I'm paying for members for a good while." H.

Please God, not another one.

 

Even though I have always been a paying member, I find this a bit hard to swallow. F2P is still an important part of the game and Jagex is effectively working to kill it off. Or so it seems.

[SwreeTak]

Certainly the drop in players in F2P is a problem. I really hope Jagex realizes this soon too, and start to build on F2P instead of deconstructing it.

[pal2002]

As I 've said many times now, all jagex is trying to do these days is extracting as much revenue from the dying game as possible.

They don't giv a damn about new players - only to get more money from the hardcore/loyal players.

 

With the bot removal they have a prime opportunity to revitalize f2p, but they decide to get as much membership out of itas possible. There is no hope for f2p or the rest of the game in general...

[Dire_Wolf]

Those numbers represents how F2P is. ---->boring.

[Crocefisso]

I think this just goes to show that 80% of the people botting were F2P. The bot infestation really was an open sore on the "most popular free mmorpg". Unfortunately not all the people playing in F2P are all players, advert bots have started to creep back into the game.

 

Whatever, if JaGEx doesn't realize that its free to play business model is why they were so successful, we'll all have to find a new game.

This.

[pal2002]

Whatever, if JaGEx doesn't realize that its free to play business model is why they were so successful, we'll all have to find a new game.

This.

+2

[Kaida23]

Those numbers represents how F2P is. ---->boring.

Those numbers represent just how how out of control the bot problem was in the free game.

[Dire_Wolf]

Those numbers represents how F2P is. ---->boring.

Those numbers represent just how how out of control the bot problem was in the free game.

That too. :thumbup:

[BiJay]

These are not all f2p worlds, you missed the other languages...

[sees_all1]

These are not all f2p worlds, you missed the other languages...

 

Unless the French worlds have 4000 people logged in at once, I don't see how it matters. The fact that they're running at about a quarter of their capacity after shutting servers down is troubling.

[Piu]

As I 've said many times now, all jagex is trying to do these days is extracting as much revenue from the dying game as possible.

They don't giv a damn about new players - only to get more money from the hardcore/loyal players.

 

With the bot removal they have a prime opportunity to revitalize f2p, but they decide to get as much membership out of itas possible. There is no hope for f2p or the rest of the game in general...

 

Updates prepared and planned that are mentioned to be released in 2012 during Runefest says otherwise. I don't think they're milking the game before leaving it to die, rather than taking a different approach to how they're treating this game.

 

It could be possible that Jagex is slowly killing off the F2P playerbase by gambling their chances with the game, making them either subscribe or quit. Either ways, I won't be surprised if they remove F2P comepletely by the end of 2013.

[pal2002]

Honestly, jagex's current tactics can only be digging its own grave. Free to play mmo's are all the rage out there, plus the single player games that offer unlimited multiplayer after you buy it. The other subscription only games out there offer much more than what rs does and all offer lengthy free to play time without being haggled to buy membership at every second. F2P->P2P is what runescape is, and how its business runs. Stopping that will surely hurt the game in the long run.

[BiJay]

These are not all f2p worlds, you missed the other languages...

Unless the French worlds have 4000 people logged in at once, I don't see how it matters. The fact that they're running at about a quarter of their capacity after shutting servers down is troubling.

Of course it matters. If he wants to make a statistic he should do it properly. And there are 3 other languages, not only french btw...

 

And since the bot overrun it should be clear there aren't many legit f2p players left. Who would continue playing a game if he already gets spammed in the first 5 minutes? Yeah, not many. There weren't many new players that's why Jagex had to stop it or they would've run out of business quite soon.