Some fascinating numbery analysis here:

Ardwulf's Lair: Digging Into Xfire Numbers

Ardwulf is quite clear on the pinch of salt with which Xfire's statistics are to be taken; a self-selecting and possibly unrepresentative subsample of online gamers, mostly in the FPS and RTS demographic. But for want of any better numbers, they make an interesting yard stick.

Specifically, hes out to examine the Sony Access Pass stable of titles in the light of Matrix Online's imminent closure, possibly to determine if Vanguard is next, but the one that got me worrying was second-to-last entry, and now nearest-the-door Planetside, a game that regular readers will know I have an enduring fondness for. With only twice as many players (according to Xfire) as MXO, it has always looked precarious and is nowadays down to two servers from five, and only has that because one is in Europe and ping times matter to fundamental gameplay.

The beleaguered MMOFPS has never been hugely popular, trying as it did to please both MMO and FPS players and not satisfying many of either. I always liked its scope though, and despite being quite a carebear and not much into deathmatch FPS culture as a whole, loved the sheer spectacle of it all, and even in my time, achieved a fair degree of self-respect at my sniper-work and fiendish use of combat engineering.

Trouble is, I'm not currently playing it now, and haven't done for quite some time, which I suspect is the crux of the problem and the reason it may not last the next big SOE belt-tightening exercise. I like it in principle, appreciate it exists and will absolutely be back to play it one day, but right now, I am not giving them any money, and therefore, am an active participant in its destruction, as is everyone else not playing it right now.

Is that right? We live in a predominantly capitalist world with very Darwinian economic principles. If a thing is not popular, no-one buys it. If no-one buys it, it goes bankrupt or is sold off or dismantled, and instead, variations on the things that are popular take its place. Should I feel personally guilty for not putting my money where my mouth is? Is it my fault? I only have so many recreational hours in a week and the fact that I'm choosing to spend them in other games suggests that Planetside is a failure; and that I am a massive hypocrite. I can express all sorts of good-will toward it, but does that all mean squat if I'm not plonking down $12.99/mo, or whatever?

I get cross at myself for feeling the above kind of guilt, which further compounds the ridiculousness of it all. Still, at the end of the day, a company can't live on vague future promises of possible income, on Quantum-Dollars. Perhaps I should simply give up caring, with the rationale that if it was really any good, I'd make time for it; i.e. quit one of Guild Wars, City of Heroes or Lord of the Rings Online. Planetside was always a Sometimes Game, even in full subscription flow - its just finding a good solid block of that 'some time' to devote to it.

I hope I get to play again, before it becomes impossible to do so ever again.