MMO Trends: ArcheAge nach World of Warcraft meistgespieltes MMO im Oktober

The sandbox MMO ArcheAge consumed as many hours in October as no other MMO besides World of Warcraft.

The Raptr numbers are in. They reflect how much time PC users with an installed Raptr program spent on individual games. The numbers are a “reasonable” approximation, as they indicate a trend and are relatively constant. They are not absolutely valid. It is important to note that hours are counted, not logged-in players or revenue, as is common with other statistics.

World of Warcraft increases, ArcheAge sensationally in the top 5

World of Warcraft has settled in at position 2 in October, the month before the release of Warlords of Draenor. The hours increased by 16.8% compared to September. In November, the numbers are expected to take another significant jump, maybe even explode. Whether that will be enough to close the massive lead of League of Legends is another question, especially since the “hype” around the release will spread over two months.

The release took place in the middle of the month. And in December, many will be playing WoW less again. In MMOs, the leveling phase is particularly time-consuming, as players want to reach the maximum level as quickly as possible and therefore invest significantly more time than in “normal” mode.

ArcheAge has shot up after a strong September. October was the first “full” month for the game. Certain game mechanics surely contributed to players spending so much time in ArcheAge. The Asian import has some Korean game elements in its DNA. These significantly increase the hours per person. Players receive more labor points when they stay logged in. After the controversies in November and the commotion around the game, it would be a big surprise if ArcheAge could hold a place in the top 10 in November. After 6 weeks, the invested playtime of gamers usually declines a bit anyway.

Nice success for the Jedi: Star Wars: The Old Republic benefits from huge EXP bonus

Star Wars: The Old Republic records a nice success. There has been an upward trend observed in recent months, which is certainly somewhat related to the upcoming expansion “Shadow of Revan“, but much more with a clever move. Before the expansion, pre-order players were given a twelvefold experience bonus. Many probably took advantage of this limited-time “too good to refuse” offer and therefore spent more time in Star Wars than in previous months.

However, this is a trick that can only be used sparingly; eventually, everyone has every character at max level, and then something new has to be thought up.

In November, things remain relatively quiet in SWTOR; only in December will there be some action again.

Final Fantasy stable, Guild Wars 2 not so much

Final Fantasy XIV is relatively stable, just before entering the top 10. The game not only focuses on PC but has long extended its feelers to other platforms, although this is still difficult with the Xbox. The next major patch has now been released, and the numbers could rise again in November. With trial versions, free days for returners, fan festivals, marketing campaigns, and trailers, Square Enix is definitely stirring up the promotional pot: They are proud of FF XIV and want to attract as many people to the game as possible, hoping that the quality will convince them.

The future for FF XIV is clearly outlined, with the next patch 2.5 in the works and the next expansion 3.0 announced.

Guild Wars 2 had a calm phase in October. Little was felt from the last patch, which was supposed to influence the experience of newcomers. These changes are expected to show more of a long-term effect. In November, the Living World will kick off again. A PvP patch is expected in December.

Whether these measures can halt the slight downward trend that the game is experiencing, which is also supported by official numbers, is an interesting question. The Living World is interesting for many, but it is not really time-consuming content. The changes in PvP scheduled for December will likely only interest a part of the player base. Nonetheless, there is still the popular battle between servers, which is more for the “mass” of players.

Overall, GW2 is probably the game that urgently needs an expansion.