Was at the pub the other night, and got into a fight over subscription-based MMO growth. Some bloke said the market wasn't growing, I said it was. Researchers Screen Digest have proven me the winner.
Having conducted a study on the finances of the (*breath*) subscription-based massively multiplayer online gaming market (which excludes games reliant upon microtransactions instead of a flat monthly fee), Screen Digest have found that the market grew by 22% in 2008 over 2007's figures.
That means $1.4 billion was spent on MMOs in 2008, 58% of that going on World of Warfare subscriptions alone. No wonder Blizzard can, in a time when other studios are sacking workers, go out and commission a giant false idol.
Interview: Screen Digest On Subscription MMO Growth, Blizzard's Next [Gamasutra]