So apparently SWTOR is on Aeria's launcher now

[Edge-]

http://www.aeriagames.com/forums/en/....php?t=2038521

Just got an email about it as well.

Seems strange and has me curious as to the motivation to have the game on another companies launcher. Though when you try to launch it through Aeria's launcher it just sends you to the SWTOR site...

I have some theories about the move but I'm doing some digging now to see if I can find anything before I start musing on the forums.

[Nurabashi]

Strange.. Why would they do this. I'm also curious about this.

[Parrin]

Clearly, BW is giving away XP boosts and weekly warzone passes under the table for advertisement space. Aeria is just the first to bite.

[Edge-]

So just chatted with an Aeria GM and it's officially a partnership (unless he/she is misinformed), but beyond that there's not a whole lot of work going on between the two. They couldn't say if the game will ever launch through Aeria's launcher either (said they didn't know).

Has me wondering if SWTOR is seeing another player contraction and is looking for "strategic" partnerships to try to expand their playerbase without going for any big/expensive marketing pushes.

Redit: Found an article on it, though it's in French. They seem to have about as much info as anyone else. Kind of a quiet partnership, which is strange. And still nothing on the SWTOR site about it.

http://www.mondespersistants.com/new...games%3A27669/ Google Translate below.

This is the one of Aeria Games. This does not mean that the operating rights of Star Wars: The Old Republic have been sold to Aeria Games attention. Still, the Aeria Games community is somehow biased SWTOR.

Presumably this is a commercial deal on fairly standard model in the free-to-plays where Aeria Games will touch something for accounts that will be created by players from their site. Even consider a second something when buying in store or if subscription.

This deal could therefore bring players on Star Wars: The Old Republic and under to Aeria Games. Where you can ask questions so Aeria Games would advertise for a competitor game? Time of maneuvers have taken it in the publishing industry, free to play? Is it a "simple" partnership?

[Razael]

This is curious. The game seems lively, at least with the few servers they have, its actually playable , as opposed to before the server merges. Doubt its a player contraction. But i could be wrong.

[Armourboy]

Keep in mind though with F2P you can't just go by the way things feel, just because you see tons of people doesn't mean they are making money. If very few people are buying items from the market you can have all the people in the world and it doesn't do you any good. ( Not saying thats the case but can be an explanation )

[Edge-]

Heh, looking through the Aeria SWTOR forum (which has 0 posts from non-employees) and they actually have some pretty cool little event things going on that they're running like a little civil war. I think that's pretty rad.