How popular do you think sea of thieves is now?

We may never know the true state of the game because Rare is far from being truly transparent and has only shared fuzzy math. Most say the population has been around 200k to 300k out of the millions that tried and passed on it. That fact alone indicts that Sea of Thieves will not have a massive player base like other popular games. Never will. That is ok though.

Why is it ok? Because millions playing does necessarily equal a good game or a healthy state of a game. Sea of Thieves is also a totally different kind of game than the current popular ones that jumped on the Battle Royale fad. A lot of players thought this game was going to be like those games or another kill, kill, kill player shooter. That is why many tried it and either did not like it or understand what kind of game it really is.

Streamers also do not make or break a game. Yes, they can be free advertising and some gamers can make a decision to purchase a game, it is vary far from being a catalyst to keep a game’s player base healthy. We saw how a toxic showboat streamer brought a new influx of players on to the sea. However, it was with the use of a major exploitation and a play style that harasses and trolls players.

It churned up the sea with more toxicity than any benefit it bestowed. Disgracefully the behavior has been praised and given a two faced nod of approval through a sale on the game to draw more of the same into the game while saying bad behavior would not be tolerated. All while taking weeks to address the exploit that was turning the sea and community upside down and inside out and more copies sold. Not a good look or actions that promoted the game and its community in a healthy way.

A few hundred thousand player base may just be the best thing for this game though. As long as Sea of Thieves has the core player base at its heart, the game will survive and sail on. However, that core is very diversed. That diversity makes the game and these forums sway back and forth pulling each other in directions we all do not necessarily want to go. The game is at its best when we sail together no matter what we are sailing for. That core has also been shrinking.

The mega update will undoubtedly be a defining moment in the voyage ahead for many players and the game itself. If it can balance out what every pirate is dreaming for, it will play a big part in a brighter future for everyone. The game also desperately needs new, original content, something it has lacked for almost a year. These two things will mean the difference between staying afloat or sinking no matter what the numbers really are.

@x-crowheart-x No, it is actually quite easy to see the true state of the game by looking at the Xbox One weekly gameplay statistics, where this game placed 26th in the most played game of the week (dropping from 25th the prior week). Placing that high with all the competition there means the game is currently in a very healthy state in terms of player population and the whole "doom & gloom" crowd proclaiming the death knell of the game are off their rocker.

Xbox Gameplay Chart: Week Ending March 3rd, 2019

Apex Legends has dominated the Xbox Gameplay Chart for the last three weeks, but the gap between it and fellow battle royale competitor Fortnite is getting smaller. Is this the week where the games change position?

@dlchief58

Not statistically the numbers and data type necessary to get a very accurate picture of past, present, and future. This data alone shows the game 26 out of 40 trending down. Behind some old titles. Face value it would paint a more negative picture.

Still does not mean there is not enough loyal fans and a core group to keep the sea alive for a long time to come. Even if the game was overall a failure it still does not mean the game will not be available for a long time to come. There are many games out there, including several recent major titles from big companies that have been colossal failures, some even before they got officially launched. They will not be going away either.

The game is here and probably will be for a long time to come. Even if a lot more pirates just sail on elsewhere. The game will not go away even if the numbers in the community dwindle extremely low. What will suffer is the quality of experience due to the lack of a sound diverse player base and what it brings to the game. It takes a lot to kill even the most horrible of games before it may, if ever, go away completely.

Better to just enjoy what you can while you can if you can. The whole truth will eventually come to the surface one way or another. As long as you can find a reason to honestly be happy and still play a game that is all that basically matters in the end. Just do not need to cover up or hide facts otherwise. Do not need it to be the best or defend it that way to justify playing it. Being #1 or #26 does not mean there are not enough players that can find fun playing the game worth the investment. Neither does it mean the game is the greatest or the worse title ever released either.

@genuine-heather said

I don't have anything personally against Summit. I've actually come to enjoy watching his streams sometimes. I appreciate the fact that he's such a Sea of Thieves fan

I found his video enjoyable, and his raids are sensational, but I was disappointed when I couldn't recreate his tactics.

Break-down his video shot counts and his accuracy is off the charts. While jumping around the ship he might hit like 8-10 shots out of 12 in a double gun clip. I tried to replicate it, but I cant even hit skellies 8 times out of 12, when prone on flat ground. that's why I need that sword buff from early February back!

@x-crowheart-x said in How popular do you think sea of thieves is now?:

@dlchief58

Not statistically the numbers and data type necessary to get a very accurate picture of past, present, and future. This data alone shows the game 26 out of 40 trending down. Behind some old titles. Face value it would paint a more negative picture.

Still does not mean there is not enough loyal fans and a core group to keep the sea alive for a long time to come. Even if the game was overall a failure it still does not mean the game will not be available for a long time to come. There are many games out there, including several recent major titles from big companies that have been colossal failures, some even before they got officially launched. They will not be going away either.

The game is here and probably will be for a long time to come. Even if a lot more pirates just sail on elsewhere. The game will not go away even if the numbers in the community dwindle extremely low. What will suffer is the quality of experience due to the lack of a sound diverse player base and what it brings to the game. It takes a lot to kill even the most horrible of games before it may, if ever, go away completely.

Better to just enjoy what you can while you can if you can. The whole truth will eventually come to the surface one way or another. As long as you can find a reason to honestly be happy and still play a game that is all that basically matters in the end. Just do not need to cover up or hide facts otherwise. Do not need it to be the best or defend it that way to justify playing it. Being #1 or #26 does not mean there are not enough players that can find fun playing the game worth the investment. Neither does it mean the game is the greatest or the worse title ever released either.

No, you are completely misinterpreting that, and how do you come to the conclusion that I "need to cover up or hide facts otherwise"? What are those "facts" to which you refer?

If you look at the games above it in the list of 40 most played games for the week, Se of Thieves is only beaten by : Battle Royale games, the normal heavy hitters (RDR2, Call of Duty, FIFA, Minecraft, Overwatch, etc), new GwG titles, newly releases (Anthem), and new additions to Game Pass. So no, this is not bad as you interpret it...it is actually the opposite. And the game only dropped 1 place from the prior week and has held steady the following week. So no, it is not trending downward as you claim - it is holding pretty steady.

Last week's standings:

Xbox Gameplay Chart: Week Ending March 10th, 2019

While the chances of anything dethroning Apex Legends and Fortnite are slim, there's still the release of Devil May Cry 5 and Black Desert, as well as some new Xbox Game Pass games.