Back when DUST 514 launched, one of the arguments put forward by CCP for why create a first person shooter on a console instead of on PC was the fear of cannibalizing EVE to populate the DUST game world. Fast forward ten years and we are seeing the effects of Vanguard's testing weekends on activity in New Eden.
 |
| Average concurrent users, from Jester |
The number of average concurrent users logged in at any one time is still up around 20% year-over-year. But after the second alpha test period, we now see a pattern. The number of players logged in at any one time drops around 1000 accounts. Hopefully the dip in players is providing the Vanguard team a lot of good feedback.
 |
| Data from Dotlan Maps |
Players know from the Director's Letter published two weeks ago that the development emphasis is turning to null security space. I want to note that low sec is still doing well, with 249,202 player-owned ships dying in the security band in January, a 5.8% increase over January 2023.
Even with the dip caused by the Vanguard testing, year-over-year activity is up across all areas of known space. Perhaps the best omen for CCP going forward is the amount of ratting occurring in null sec. The number of NPCs dying in null security space increased 43.3% year-over-year. If revitalizing null sec is now a priority, then the rise of players ratting in null sec to earn ISK is a good sign. If players want to live in null sec, then the developers just need to nudge along an existing trend. I mean, CCP would never do anything to screw up null sec, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment