Maybe because OP only get one cluster of sample? If OP really want to shut anyone who doubted him, I suggest to bring more samples and also doing it across time and levels. He can also calculate a ratio between "normal" and "bot" Account. We can make average from that, and from that, I think we can start making a good guess of what's going on instead of just bashing each other.

I'm just saying that this is an extremely poor observation to conclude that FGO JP is dying. It's making fast assumption without research that is childish to me.

In that case, let OP do his own research. Let's see what trick he has.

@HappyMN I just made this post to show my frustration when starting the JP app, realistically there's no real way to tell if "ded gaem" or not, sure you can get earnings statistics, social blade numbers and angry Twitter/YouTube comments but that tells nothing about the regular players enjoyment of the game. All we can do really is speculate and that's what I did.

I just think that there's no way someone can look at FGO year one story, with year one enemy animations, with this support list, with lacking gameplay, with optimization that struggles even on an emulator and be like: "Yep, this is the gacha game I want to invest my time and money on", even tho there's so many better games out there now.

A game being alive is all about injecting new blood in the system with new players while maintaining the old players for as long as possible. With how FGO is now, I don't see how it would get any new players to try it out or how anyone on the JP server, who isn't a whale or a giant Fate fan, can continue playing it instead of any other better game out there.

That's why there's a job called "Data Scientist". They basically learn everything about the client and giving them insight about their condition and how they can improve. That's how FGO planned their move and updates, by doing research to determine what is the best action to do, both for game continuity, loyal fanbase, and also money. They can't just randomly make an event or a campaign without long process, even though it looks like something else happening there. Point is, even comments like this that can be used as data to be learned to help Developer updating their game. We all basically a really big data here.

@Stella295B Ok I see how you are thinking. I agree that the game may be harsch and unwelcoming for new players. But I'm not really sure that TM and Lasengle's goal is to attract new players. Type Moon and FGO have a huge fanbase, especially in Japan, and it should be self-sufficient. It's true that a lot of other gacha are more optimized etc. but FGO is Fate/, I don't think they have ever been scared of other game's shadow.

You see more of those at low levels and when your friend list is empy or almost empty. But its still possible to see some bots at high level and your friend list almost full

F/GO has always been infested with bot accounts its just that nowadays actual people log-in less so that makes the bots more visible, I believe. Also some of those could just be alt account of people that want to redo the Main story.

Here is my question. A bit of a long read so bare with me...

In business, they say there is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers. I assume that's sort of true with FGO meaning most of the in-game money the game gets is from the whales, but maybe more of a 95/5 rule.

95% of FGO's in-game revenue from SQ purchases comes from the Whales and Leviathans (Super Whales) while the other 5% are from the 95% of the player base who are dolphins, minnows, or F2P+ (only spend during GSSRs)

So if it's only whales and super whales left... the game can be sustained, right? Since most of its revenue providers are still playing and spending. What would they care if 90% of the player base, responsible for just 5% of the in-game revenue, left?

Relevancy

Less player base = less people talking

Less people talking = less relevancy

Less relevancy = being forgotten by existence

And not to mention, the F2P players play a decently big role in popularizing the game. ESPECIALLY those 👌👈 artist. So, if they left (which considering they work as artists, they'd probably be playing F2P) left, the game will get basically no new players. And you can only milk so much from the same cow

Just opening a level 1 account and regarding it as THE ABSOLUTE STATE OF JP sounds like modern journalism to me. It does get my attention tho.

If you really want to gauge if game is still popular just look at the fanbase. Are people talking about it online, are there lots of new fanarts, fanfic etc. Are there lots of FGO videos still made on the JP server. If there is then new players come naturally attracted to these things. For me, i joined year 3 of FGO and only joined because i was interested in Melt's design(saw some beautiful fanarts by fav artists). Then i just got into it. By then they already finish Solomon but that was none of my concern because im new. I didnt know they were going to continue the story or it already ended. I just played what is currently available, raised and rolled everyone i like.