I can only guess that they concluded the peak of wow base on something similar to the 5th graph (http://www.worldofwar.net/gallery/sh...php?photo=6308), in which the approximation curve looks like it's heading it's peak, which is a poor estimate since that curve completely ignored the jump in jan 2007, the release of TBC. Unless there is a more recent graph that shows that the wow population went down after that jump, one can only assume that the jump is permanent, if so, who's to say that WotLK won't make a similar jump? Anyways, i think THQ's Warhammer 40k will most likely fail because the only thing they tell the public are BS business crap, meaning the control of the project is in marketting departments' hands and not developers', which means the game is unlikely to match the quality of Warhammer Online (a totally seperate game) to be published by EA, which means 40k will likely be dismissed as a Warhammer Online clone. I would think that is a much bigger problem that they need to deal with than whether or not WoW will be there when they finally release their game 2 years from now.

What complete twaddle from the post above me.

Firstly, there was no jump in JAN 07, what are you looking at? It followed the curve EXACTLY at the beginning of 07, which, when you consider that it was an expansion release means that the game actually HAS peaked and that only those people that want to play now will play.

Secondly, on the curve, the biggest latest peak was the OCT07 jump, which i think coincides with the 2.3 patch, tempting players like me back in to re-level new characters fast.

Finally, you think 40K will fail because only the marketing people are talking. It has barely begun development!!!!! You understand that there are NO assets to display yet.

Yet, in your INFINITE wisdom, you say it will fail..... Jumping the gun there a little pal, don't you thing. OF COURSE its only the marketing people speaking at this stage.

As for Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, you do understand they're from the same company Games Workshop. Since one is fantasy and one is sci-fi, could you explain how you think ANYONE will imagine they are clones of each other?

All this graph shows is that that game IS peaking, because its following the curve pretty much exactly, even with an expansion, and further to that, its only speak can probably be attributed to returning players.

All in all, the above post is the only fail around here

Anomagos, please, calm down. I think you are jumping to too many conclusions.

I think that if you look at the curve, you might be right, SSH83, it does look like a peak in April 2008. Still, when have curves for games ever been able to follow a simple equation such as that - never. And this expansion will bring something the last one didn't - ARTHAS.

No, I don't think the game has peaked, even by looking at the trend curve. The trend curve is relative anyway. With the release of WotLK, I bet ya that the numbers will go up a million or so again over all the regions of WoW. Considering a Russian localization (where you have plenty of people who don't speak English) and a South American one (and perhaps other localization projects not yet announced), I would bet there are yet a few million before we reach the PEAK, and then a year or two (at LEAST) before we see any decline.