SWTOR Brilliant marketing

[Daymanmb]

SWTOR has done a fantastic job on so many levels as far as marketing is concerned with the FTP to level 15. Ive heard some negative things regarding end-game content but I have to say, so far, the leveling is surprisingly enthralling! The cut-scenes are numerous and a little annoying at times but Bioware has done a great job so far telling a story.
I think what EA has done with the FTP and its timing to be genius! How many people brushed TOR off simply because of the seemingly, over-inflated hype and all the mundane wow-killer threads we read on MMOC for instance.. I know Im guilty of it..
With WoW in the lull time of pre-expansion, how ridiculously advantageous is it to release this trial now?! I know many WoW players who take breaks during this pre-expac downtime and not to mention its the summer as well.. and I think its pretty obvious that EA sees this as an opportunity to lay its claims on some players.
I wonder how many people this trial will attract? So far the game is amazing from a story telling perspective and the combat feels pretty fun too.

[Xcitement]

Shhh... You'll wake the forum trolls who gets on anyone who says something positive...

[Deleted]

Agree. I think EA both learned from the incredible mistakes they did before and around the launch of WAR and they watched Activision-Blizzards marketing guys doing an excellent job as well with annual pass/free Diablo III, and RAF/free level 80 when WoW looked as if in free fall after the start of Cata.

I wish them well, competition is the best that can happen top the genre.

[Syro]

Well, i was never sure if to buy the game or not, so this trial was right on time i guess. I didnt like it tho so i will not buy it at the moment.

[Hellfury]

Shhh... You'll wake the forum trolls who gets on anyone who says something positive...

too late troll is awake!

Now seriously. The leveling part of Swtor always been highly acclaimed, its been one of my best gamming moments back in December and January. Problem is the end game. Its been worst certainty but isn't great either, Bioware is promissing big things thou I just hope the new planet doesnt match Gw2 and MOP dates

[Deleted]

It is a very good marketing technique. Unlike WoW, 1-15 TOR is actually quite a fun and enjoyable experience, not to mention the fact that it's Star Wars would draw from many casual SW fans who would be far more likely to try if it's FTP than buy it without trying it.

Not sure how else they can bring in WoW marketing techniques. Faction changes are iffy because of the issue of the story, RAF insta-50 for the same reason. Maybe the best paid services for TOR could be in three areas: Racial/Character changes (ie, Chiss Agent to Cyborg Agent, same class and limited to your unlocked races), a store for pets/mounts, that also sold orange armor that is unique, available on all legacy characters and can be used in endgame (IIRC, some orange armor's base stats are low enough to be unattractive in End-game even with top of the line mods, maybe I'm mistaken)

[Deleted]

Its a great move and will probably net them some subscriptions. The problem is that said subs will be cancelled once the players have
reached max lvl and been bored with end game for a few days.

The game has to change drastically for it to even challenge wow or even rift for that matter. They are just prolonging their inevitable faith.

[mrgreenthump]

they would need to change the game so much and promote that change to be successful.. swtor has prolly the most solid questing there is in MMO's, but thats abt it when comparing to other mmo's and they really still miss the end game..

[vizzle]

SWTOR leveling is amazing. Once you spend a few weeks at 50 you'll see what the "trolls" are talking about. Talking about SWTOR before 50 is like a virgin trying to explain how it feels to get pregnant.

[Daymanmb]

SWTOR leveling is amazing. Once you spend a few weeks at 50 you'll see what the "trolls" are talking about. Talking about SWTOR before 50 is like a virgin trying to explain how it feels to get pregnant.

End game is really that mundane? Too easy? Not enough of it? Not enough people doing it? All of the above?

[vizzle]

End game is really that mundane? Too easy? Not enough of it? Not enough people doing it? All of the above?

They tried to mimic WoW's endgame, which is great, but it wasn't enough. Feels like a Chinese iPad -- same feel, same design, but not same quality. They could've done endgame anyway they wanted, but they decided to try the WoW route, but they ended up with WoW Vanilla. Not about quantity.

Maybe it'll be better in a year, but I (and many others) don't have/need/want to wait that long.

[Forsedar]

They tried to mimic WoW's endgame, which is great, but it wasn't enough. Feels like a Chinese iPad -- same feel, same design, but not same quality. They could've done endgame anyway they wanted, but they decided to try the WoW route, but they ended up with WoW Vanilla. Not about quantity.

Maybe it'll be better in a year, but I (and many others) don't have/need/want to wait that long.

I, and many others, love to get content every couple months instead of doing the same couple bosses for 10+ months waiting for a couple new bosses to farm instead for another 7-10 months.

Regardless, Bioware is doing an excellent job marketing their product. They are handing out free game time to those who have been away for a while in order to show the players what has come around the corner that they may have missed. Its a great way to grab the attention and possibly bring back a customer. I'm in favor of all of the free game time and other models because it has the potential to increase the playerbase.

[KvanCetre]

They tried to mimic WoW's endgame, which is great, but it wasn't enough. Feels like a Chinese iPad -- same feel, same design, but not same quality. They could've done endgame anyway they wanted, but they decided to try the WoW route, but they ended up with WoW Vanilla. Not about quantity.

Maybe it'll be better in a year, but I (and many others) don't have/need/want to wait that long.

I dunno, I disagree. It's the most fun I had raiding since BC. But I didn't get to raid Ulduar

[Vynestra]

I feel like update 1.3 is playing catch up where a lot of MMORPG's are right now, LFG/Group finder, realm transfers. They aren't super appealing to me as a wow player even though I tried SWTOR, enjoyed leveling (the first time, got bored of my char, started lvling again and BAM super bored.)

Although these things may be new and shiny to SWTOR, in the MMORPG market they aren't. I am not even playing WoW a lot just sucked in by the annual pass hopping onto beta every once in a while. Yet I am not really drawn into SWTOR atm..Maybe someday I will go back again but it's just meh atm.

[Saravat]

SWTOR leveling is amazing. Once you spend a few weeks at 50 you'll see what the "trolls" are talking about. Talking about SWTOR before 50 is like a virgin trying to explain how it feels to get pregnant.

I found the leveling experience godawful tedious and uninteresting -- never made it to 20, even. I was just sitting here trying to figure out what on earth would be appealing about a free trial to experience 1-15 again =P

Obviously not everyone feels the same way, haha, and if it gives some people something to play that they enjoy, more power to them. The game was most definitely not for me.

[Tackhisis]

That trial is laughable. Not only there is a ridiculous limitation on zones you can visit, and no ship available, there're the same terrible fleet/docs/spaceport zone chains required to simply move from one world to another. The expected group finder also works in unexpected and strange way. And the final drop in the cap is that apparently none from promized performance updates in patch 1.3 made it to a live game.
I cannot see whom they are going to attract with that stupid trial, me, for example, it just made to remove the game completely.

[Forsedar]

That trial is laughable. Not only there is a ridiculous limitation on zones you can visit, and no ship available, there're the same terrible fleet/docs/spaceport zone chains required to simply move from one world to another. The expected group finder also works in unexpected and strange way. And the final drop in the cap is that apparently none from promized performance updates in patch 1.3 made it to a live game.
I cannot see whom they are going to attract with that stupid trial, me, for example, it just made to remove the game completely.

Trials are meant to be exactly what it entails: a trial. They are not going to give you the full version of the game for free. *Other* games don't even allow you to group up with people, let alone do instances or anything worth trying for that matter. Its marketing at its finest. It gives you the bare minimum in hopes of peaking your curiosity.

[Wondercrab]

Now seriously. The leveling part of Swtor always been highly acclaimed, its been one of my best gamming moments back in December and January. Problem is the end game.

This is always how I've seen it, and why I've been waiting for a trial like this (or better yet perhaps a F2P model in the future) to try it out. I'm perfectly happy paying for a story-driven game and having a fun old time playing through the narrative at my own pace, but I hate the idea of a subscription to a many hours-long experience that I might have to end up paying twice as much for depending on how long I take to complete it.

When it comes to subscription based games I'm always looking at one thing; the longevity factor. If it's not there I'll probably just save my money for a single player title and enjoy it at my leisure. I never felt like Space Wars would make for a good MMO if its selling point was going to be the story, because all stories come to an end, and you can't churn out more of it faster than the audience can consume it. Of course it seems like a fantastic *game*, just not a fantastic MMO.

[elitenls]

Meh *shrug*, it got my wife to play.

[Tackhisis]

Trials are meant to be exactly what it entails: a trial. They are not going to give you the full version of the game for free. *Other* games don't even allow you to group up with people, let alone do instances or anything worth trying for that matter.

I cannot lit anyone's curiosity, as it has nothing special and unique to SWTOR in selected level range. And I know no other game whose trial has no grouping or instances. Other games also allows you to post on official forums, unlike this one. And why limit the world exploration, if a trial game client is an exact copy of retail one? In its present state, it is not fun or interesting, as it shows none of SWTOR presumingly original features.