BioWare 'looking at free-to-play' for Star Wars: The Old Republic

Tek7@Work

CGA President, Tribe of Judah Founder & President
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As subscriptions for BioWare's major MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic begin to dip, the studio has admitted that it is considering making the game free-to-play.

The Old Republic launched last December, and quickly amassed 1 million subscribers after just three days, eventually settling on 1.7 million after a couple of months.

However, just months later subscriptions for the game had fallen to 1.3 million, as publisher EA said that it was down to the numerous non-paying subscribers who stopped playing after using up the game's 30-days of free game time.
Source: BioWare 'looking at free-to-play' for Star Wars: The Old Republic
 
You don't say! /me not surprised.

Unfortunately I don't think it will work as well for SWTOR as with other mmorpgs. From the reviews it's primary selling point is it is Star Wars and secondly all the plots you experience from playing different sides/classes. It's more like a single player game than other mmorpgs in than you can see it all but still suffers from lack of end game content to keep playing. I've mentioned this on other mmorpgs. If you don't have compelling max level content (forgetting the correct term brain freeze) to keep playing you won't. The problem is exacerbated by there being so many F2P mmorpgs on the market today too. Today's gamer attention span (and income) has been shortened considerably. Having free choices like Guild Wars 2 hitting doesn't help either.

I've said it before and I'll say it again the key to a successful mmorpg is self perpetuating multilayer content. Give the players the tools, impetus and some admin guidance and they will create worlds which evolve and offer endless content. If you don't have strong multiplayer reasons to play an mmorpg it might as well be a rpg.
 
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I'm not really upset that Bioware's game bombed, and as far as I'm concerned that had it coming.

1. Ruining the Mass Effect franchise
2. Making SWTOR instead of KOTOR III.
3. Selling out to EA
 
It's more like a single player game than other mmorpgs in than you can see it all but still suffers from lack of end game content to keep playing. I've mentioned this on other mmorpgs. If you don't have compelling max level content (forgetting the correct term brain freeze) to keep playing you won't.

Committed free-to-play gamers, or those who play a virtual goods-based title more than 50 times, often account for more than 90 percent of a game's total revenue, according to study from GameStop-owned web game portal Kongregate.

The site argues that the key to monetizing microtransactions-based online games is to manage the "end-game" of a title, or aspects essential to long-term players, such as guilds or elements that affect player-versus-player mechanics.

"Too many titles introduce monetization elements without the end-game in mind," says Kongregate COO Emily Greer. "Players often tune out these advances, primarily because they have little long-term value to the user or the player is not yet connected to the game."
Source: Devoted players can account for almost all of a F2P game's revenues -- Kongregate

I think there's a job somewhere in the games industry for you, Gerbil. :)

It's possible BioWare's consideration of moving SWTOR to a free-to-play model represents a failure to listen to players. A shift to a F2P model would most definitely see an increase in player numbers and may even see a short-term increase in revenue, but long-term viability still depends on high-level content.

I've said it before and I'll say it again the key to a successful mmorpg is self perpetuating multilayer content. Give the players the tools, impetus and some admin guidance and they will create worlds which evolve and offer endless content. If you don't have strong multiplayer reasons to play an mmorpg it might as well be a rpg.
I'd love to see a MMO where players can influence and shape the game world in meaningful ways, but SWTOR, like WoW and many other popular MMOs, are theme parks--not sandboxes. EVE Online is closer to the mark, but remains a niche game (though, last I checked, profitable).
 
[toj.cc]phantom;455289 said:
I'm not really upset that Bioware's game bombed, and as far as I'm concerned that had it coming.

1. Ruining the Mass Effect franchise
2. Making SWTOR instead of KOTOR III.
3. Selling out to EA

I think you're exaggerating a bit, but I understand where you're coming from. As far as I'm concerned EA is definitely having a bad influence on Bioware, but Mass Effect has hardly been ruined... ME3 was a really good game right up until the ending, in my opinion. And though I would have liked to see a KOTOR III before they did an MMO, I still like TOR and think it still has potential to be great if they don't give up on it too quickly. The problem is that everyone is comparing it to what WoW has been at its height instead of comparing it to what WoW was earlier on. Almost everyone I've talked to has said that TOR is better than WoW was at its launch, and I think that they could fix the lack of end game content that is leading to the discontent. That said, part of the problem is certainly that the economy now is not flourishing like it was when WoW came out, which means that everyone is fighting for a piece of a smaller pie.

Back on the main topic, I think it would be awfully early to switch TOR to a free-to-play game. I really think the subscription model makes for a better game in the long run.
 
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At first I was all like yay but then I realized it could take months for the switch over and pricing for Legacy System unlocks could be pretty steep. Regardless, still want to play the game. :p
 
I think you're exaggerating a bit, but I understand where you're coming from. As far as I'm concerned EA is definitely having a bad influence on Bioware, but Mass Effect has hardly been ruined... ME3 was a really good game right up until the ending, in my opinion.

I'm just surprised they aren't charging for the extended cut ending. I would have expected them to deliberately fail the end so they could sell DLC and continue to milk a franchise. It seems most successful properties can't stop while it's still good (I don't want to play Mass Effect though).

At first I was all like yay but then I realized it could take months for the switch over and pricing for Legacy System unlocks could be pretty steep. Regardless, still want to play the game. :p

From all I've heard SWTOR does not sound like a bad game it just has the standard mmorpg gameplay that gets boring after you've seen everything.
 
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Free to play = Pay to win
I have yet to notice this in either DC Universe Online or Lord of the Rings Online. In DCUO, the most meaningful purchases are very reasonably priced DLC packs... full of new content, classes, raids, etc; not of yielding superior characters... and only four have been released since the game launched. LOTRO allows you to pay to buff your character, yes, but the buffs I've seen are just paid shortcuts to what you earn in game, so I don't see how this would be considered an edge in end-game. Moreover, you can earn store credits in game and avoid paying out of pocket at all.

Still, regardless if you want to debate whether or not F2P=pay to win has been universally true, there's always the possibility that things will go differently here from the other games that make "F2P" a bad word for some gamers. Perhaps EA/BioWare will actually pull off F2P in such a way that is fair and good for those who want to invest little or lots of cashmoney (though I sincerely feel that DCUO, if no others, has already done this).

It's certainly not impossible, so I keep finding myself scratching my head when we (as gamers in general) are so quick to assume the worst when details haven't even been discussed yet.
 
I'm still loving this game. I hope it doesn't go F2P too soon though. I tend to level slowly (especially when re-rolling on a different server), but I finally have a toon almost to 50. Honestly, I'll probably start working on my BH or another toon and get that to 50, so I probably won't be checking out some of the end game content.

I enjoy this game enough that I could only bring myself to spend about 20 minutes in the last GW2 BWE.
 
Personally I have been a fan of star wars since 1977. I was very dissappointed in the game as a star wars model. It was however the best leveling game I have ever played (the first time). Alting is not so much fun, their is a long list of things I can complain about, as I did in my email to them, but the simple fact is, its still new. I have cancelled my sub but willing to try again if they fix things. Just will not go back in expecting star wars.

What makes me saddest of all I think is the fact that I started a Christian guild for SWTOR, expecting a long term run. But slowly watched the 170+ members we a had gained drop off in chunks. Finally had the guild I wanted but the game didnt hold the interest of the masses. By the time I ended my sub. guild was down to 6-8 active members... So at this point I am not sure free to play will do much.
 
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