SWTOR Free to Play ?

[ssambakd]

I will definitely play SWTOR again if it didn't have monthly subscription fee (even though that means I'd need to buy expansions more frequently, which would replace major content patch updates).
The game would improve socially, because more people would be around playing (since they don't have to have a second thought about coming back to the game because of the subscription fee). Also, with the number of servers that they already have for this game, I imagine it could be good for them to utilize their resources anyway.

On the other hand, I don't think SWTOR will go free until a few months after 1.3 comes out, at which point they probably hope to have juiced some more subscription fees from players. Or, that "a few months after 1.3 comes out" would be when Guild Wars 2 and MoP come out anyway, so that may be the time to go free.

[vizzle]

Yeah honestly I prefer paying for mini-expansion sets for 20-30 bucks or whatever every few months instead of a monthly sub fee. Monthly sub fees feel like such a burden. And even if it does round out the same in the end, I'd still feel better about it.

[Deleted]

Quote for this?

I dont recall Blizzard ever even floating the idea of a F2P WoW except to say they wouldn't do it.

Last years blizzcon, they said that they'll consider F2P model if the subs drop below a specific number.

[zerocarbs]

I imagine they must be expecting to lose a lot more subs before their next quarterly report. Because I can only think that all this talk about them going free to play will cause a lot of people to cancel their payment.

[Xilurm]

Good, I liked it for story reasons but I couldn't pay for both WoW and SWTOR, so I chose WoW.
So it's good to hear that they are talking about this, if it goes F2P it will undoubtedly be the best F2P MMO out there.

[Dreary]

Anyone saying EA will never make an MMO ftp doesn't understand that LucasArts can refuse to renew their leasing out the Star Wars brand unless the game enjoys a certain level of success (read as number of users). Nobody wants to associate their brand with unsuccessful products that diminish it's value. The only hope TOR may have in gaining a significantly larger playerbase at this point is to go FTP.

[Deleted]

SWTOR was only a copy of WoW

Please post constructively.

[Wromthrax]

I'm not sure how anyone can think going F2P would be good for the game. If they lack funds even now when they have a constant stream of money from monthly subs how are they NOT gonna lack money when the game is FREE to play?

Sure maybe there will be more people playing it but simply because it's FREE not because they wanna spend money on the ca$h $hop they will add to the game which is a terrible idea in my opinion.

I played SWTOR in beta and had a friend send me trial invite twice, I liked the single player aspect of it however that was it for me, if it goes F2P I'll definitely try it again and finish the story but I will never ever spend any money on it.

Having all this in mind the only reason a game goes F2P is because they won't have to support it as much nor will they be responsible for lack of content or anything since you are getting it for FREE.

[schippie]

Anyone saying EA will never make an MMO ftp doesn't understand that LucasArts can refuse to renew their leasing out the Star Wars brand unless the game enjoys a certain level of success (read as number of users). Nobody wants to associate their brand with unsuccessful products that diminish it's value. The only hope TOR may have in gaining a significantly larger playerbase at this point is to go FTP.

I would agree with you, if not for the fact that same lucasart granted the permission to a game called star wars kinnect.

[RoninaThorstone]

I would agree with you, if not for the fact that same lucasart granted the permission to a game called star wars kinnect.

LA has two target audiences.

The SW fans who grew up with 4-6.

The SW fans who grew up with 1-3.

Swtor is targeted at 4-6 and fans of the EU.

Kinnect is targeted at 1-3.

A better example of the diverging fan base of star wars is the star wars Lego series and star wars 1313. One is rated E for JarJar and the other is rated M.

[Deleted]

It's quite amazing how a company with the reputation of Bioware and one of the biggest IP's in the world in Star Wars got this game so wrong, its a shame really the developers need to take a good look at themselves.

[Deleted]

If I was painting picture of a cat, but it started to look like a pig, I would stop and start again, How comes no one notice this game just wasn't very good whilst in development- its like that had never played an MMO

I played for a good 2 months, and enjoyed the game play, thought it was a really well made game- it looked nice for an MMO, just the silly little, but game breaking mistakes, the game just didn't have the flow wow has, to many things taking us away from game play.. The game must FLOW to be a good MMO..

They shouldn't make it free to play, they should freeze peoples accounts, take the game off line for 6/12 months and repair it.



Give the game to me and I will get it working.. ;-)

[Dasani]

They all try to do the subscription model first because it makes them more money if they can get the number of subscribers (like WOW).

Then they kick it over to F2P when they fail to reach that number (always happens, as no MMO ever brings anything new or worthwhile to the scene) and restrict so many features and make you buy them separately and make more money that way.

I knew it would go F2P, I mean honestly anyone who has been playing MMOs the past few years at least should've seen it coming.

[Speedy92286]

A good decision on their part.

I'd probably still play the game occasionally if it only had a box price. Same with WoW. But if I hadn't already bought the game, I would almost definitely try it out now since it's free. There's so many games I'm playing right now I probably wouldn't have given a shot if they cost money to buy.

Agreed. If GW2 and MoP aren't released on the summer, I might try out SWTOR if it goes free to play soonish. If not, I might try it when I get a moment during winter break.

[Fencers]

Probably should be F2P honestly. Yes, I know on clarification devs said they weren't going F2P. SWTOR, while a solid game, is a terrible value for $. The game cost a fortune to develop but feel like it was made by the B-team or a AA studio.

Cancelled my sub because frankly EA/Bioware don't deserve to have me as a a customer. Not when other companies are pushing out better content, far quicker and in some cases for less.

[vazar_da_priest]

as long as they continue to pump out content and make sure group making is actually possible

i could give 2 fucks either way

[Rugdoctor]

I would probably head back to ToR with F2P, I loved the game but with Diablo 3 dropping and Planetside 2 on the horizon, and having a family I just couldnt see paying the money every month for something I only had time to play for an hour or two every couple weeks.

[Deleted]

Think its good i like swtor and f2p is the only chanse they have to save swtor at this state

[KrazyK923]

Last years blizzcon, they said that they'll consider F2P model if the subs drop below a specific number.

All of Blizzcon is taped. Find a quote otherwise you're just spouting nonsense.

[Darion]

SWTOR was only a copy of WoW

Please post constructively.

And WoW was only a clone of Everquest 1. I hate people who say MMOs are clones of other MMOs who don't at least refer back to the original source content. Hotkeyed MMOs began with Everquest, WoW just polished the system up a bit and made it more smooth.