I don't know that I necessarily agree with the assessment that age is the deciding factor here. I think Wizard101 gets a big boost from the continuing popularity of books and films like the Harry Potter franchise, which appeals to all ages and the theme of magic has been visited again and again by other authors. Magic is magical.

Pirates are not as popular as they were when Pirates of the Caribbean movies were first in theaters, AND pirates have a much more negative connotation for a lot of people than wizards do. Other than Pirates of the Caribbean, there is not a whole lot going on with the genre. I do agree that Pirate101 is slightly more complex a game than Wizard101, but that alone doesn't turn kids away from it - on the contrary, many teens are looking for greater complexity.

Which games any kids or adults choose can vary widely. There are plenty of teens who do not like the "mature" console games, and plenty of adults who have time on their hands after retirement or due to disability.

While I agree that Wizard101 is less complicated than Pirate101 and probably appeals to a larger age group, there is also one huge factor that ultimately decides it all. Wizard101 has been around for a LOT longer than Pirate101, and has had a much longer time to settle with players. Most people that play Pirate101 only play because they liked Wizard101, so they thought that Kingsisle would make another really fun game (which they did).

"Just because a game is grounded in gritty realism doesn't mean it's just for kids."

That made me laugh, Darkwolf. Thanks!

-Indigo

Willowydream on Jul 3, 2016 wrote:

I don't know that I necessarily agree with the assessment that age is the deciding factor here. I think Wizard101 gets a big boost from the continuing popularity of books and films like the Harry Potter franchise, which appeals to all ages and the theme of magic has been visited again and again by other authors. Magic is magical.

Pirates are not as popular as they were when Pirates of the Caribbean movies were first in theaters, AND pirates have a much more negative connotation for a lot of people than wizards do. Other than Pirates of the Caribbean, there is not a whole lot going on with the genre. I do agree that Pirate101 is slightly more complex a game than Wizard101, but that alone doesn't turn kids away from it - on the contrary, many teens are looking for greater complexity.

Which games any kids or adults choose can vary widely. There are plenty of teens who do not like the "mature" console games, and plenty of adults who have time on their hands after retirement or due to disability.

For me, the historic negative connotation of pirates was an issue... because I wasn't thinking about stories like 'Captain Blood' (in Rafe Sabatini's novel, Captain Blood is an honorable hero) or 'Le Corsair' (a silly, delightful plot; but the pirate hero is definitely a good guy!) When I saw the game, however, it was love at first sight.

Pirate101 is not so much about piracy & plunder as it is about high adventure, in the tradition of the best adventure novels. This is borne out by so many players readily stating that the story is the best part of the game, even considering its beautiful graphics, clever animations, engaging combat system, sailing ships, and more. This might be shown in an advertisement like "seek out high adventure sailing the skies of the Spiral" (or something like that) to engage new potential players.

The family-friendly nature of Pirate101 is also very important. Not only to parents who might wish to play with their children, or be sure that their children are playing safely, but for many adults who do not want to see/hear swearing and bad language. There's enough of that in real life. Adults and teens can also best appreciate the historic & literary angles & jokes that give so much flavor to this game. The historic angle was a main draw for me!

I also appreciate the art style of our characters - I prefer the semi-realistic style rather to an exaggerated Manga style, and I really, really appreciate that our female characters are not, uh, (how to put this?) given anatomical features that would make Barbie dolls embarrassed, as I see in so many advertisements of other games. I really love that in both Wizard and Pirate, boys and girls are on the same playing field, in appearance and abilities, and you know, I love too the gender specific pronouns used in Pirate to describe a girl captain. It really makes you feel that yes, this young woman captain did save Mooshu, or aided a hero, etc. Pirate101 is thus also a great game for women and girls.

ValkoorTheVictorio... on Jul 5, 2016 wrote:

As Willow alluded to, I don't really think there is a nutshell thingy going on. To me it seems more like a grab bag of nuttiness that has lead to what appears as P101 being less popular. You can look at a lot of things & see reasons as to why P101 isn't quite at full sails (or sales...).

Lack of advertising/marketing/promoting- Haven't seen anything new hyping the game (outside of P101 related "venues"), in quite awhile. A new wide-reaching commercial or promotional ad may work here. Increased commitment to making P101 "available" to more potential players would possibly do wonders. And as Max stated, showing that this game can be enjoyed just as much by a 19, or 26, or 38, or 53, or 87 year old, as it can be by a 13 year old-- yeah, that would help a bit.

Lack of regular updates and addition of new content- No need to harp on this one, as that tune has been sung a'plenty & a bit out of tune at times. But I'm hoping that the blockades have been removed & that we pirates are in store for much smoother sailing & more frequent, new adventures.

Needing some type of infusing of the two games- They're made by the same company, share common themes, play similar in some aspects & are linked together via accounts. Make wizzies excited & eager to lay down their bibbity-boppity-boos & instead pick up a clinkity-clank...or a boomity-bang...or a frazzle-foo-fizzle. Let wizards know that they can still get their "magic fix", but instead in a hoodoo-y form. Make it enticing to be on-board both games.

Less draw to the days of pirating and plundering- Another thing that Willow noted...wizards, magic & sorcery always seem to be in the mainstream spotlight. I mean who wouldn't want to pull a One-eyed Jack out of their hat? Again, highlight that Hoodoo in P101 & all of the mystical elements that can be found in the Spiral.

Less side content & activities to draw in more players & keep them there- I think P101 is getting there on this one. Stay tuned, we've got more fun stuff to come

Paragraph 4 = Genius

Many good points here.

However, while Wizard101 has been around for 8 years compared to Pirate101's 4, Wizard101 took off much more strongly than Pirate101 did. This is obvious in the lack of updates for three years. You don't do that, unless the game is lagging in projected participation. It isn't a matter of W101 being around longer.

I do love the idea of enticing W101 players to play P101. Perhaps an occasional quest, much like The Professor, or The Lost Pages, where your wizard has to help out some pirates, plus a joint W/P membership drive? Didn't they try a reduced membership for P101 if you already had a W101 membership? They do both share crowns, so, that is a good thing.

Or, another possibility, is a short quest on W101, that flips a switch on P101 for the same account in the free area. You go to P101, and near the end of the free area, you get the special quest from W101, that, once fulfilled, gets you some cool item you can use on W101? That would get more W101 players to give P101 a try.