Twelve Million Gamers Still Play Black Ops 2 Online
You might be wondering why AAA studios like Activision continue to port their latest games to decade-old consoles like the PS3 and 360 despite the increasing amount of sacrifices they have to make to get them running. This latest survey released by the company should give you a hint: they still register at least 12 million players per month on Black Ops 2, which is not available on current-gen systems.
Activision comments that this is an “unprecedented level for a game that is three years old and only available on old-generation consoles.” And they’re not wrong. A console older than five years was once declared an old hag and sent out to pasture (or the flea markets). The 360 and PS3 are now twice that age and still have games with 12 million-sized userbases, which tells you the rules are changing.
Even still, nothing lasts forever. As the shiny new consoles continue to drop in price, their cost will no longer be a barrier and their install bases will rise. It’s inevitable that AAA studios will eventually see a decline strong enough to cut off support. Maybe Black Ops 3 is what it’ll take to get people off Black Ops 2 — it arrives in two days.