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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Should SWTOR Go Free-to-Play?

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  • OzzallosOzzallos Runes of Magic CorrespondentMember UncommonPosts: 35

    Free to Play? Old Republic?  Excuse me while I choke on my laughter.

    But seriously, this game cost what again? 300 million? It'll never see a return on investment if it does. Ever. That and the franchise is ultimately owned by a prima donna director with a ego rivaling Steve Jobs. Don't think its in the cards, frankly, but thanks for playing.

     

  • kinkyJalepenokinkyJalepeno Member UncommonPosts: 1,044

    Originally posted by Grakulen

    If they really have 1.7 million subs (but I don't believe they do) then no they shouldn't. Why give up $60+million in revenue each month.

     

    Oh man your maths is shite  lol

  • nuttobnuttob Member Posts: 291

    Played this game for about a month and a half.  Got one character to lev 50, and really loved all the solo instances.  I am playing a lot of other FTP titles, but when I was subbing to SWTOR, I felt obligated to get my $15 dollars worth ignoring my other titles.  SWTOR is my last sub ever.  There are just too many good FTP titles out there now.  I like the idea of absolutely no pressure to play one game over another, so it's BTP or FTP with no more subs ever again.  If this title goes FTP or BTP I will come back for sure.

  • IllyssiaIllyssia Member UncommonPosts: 1,507

    Mike. The subscription model is exactly what WoW uses, it isn't exactly a strange way for an mmo to maintain itself. The money does allow the game company to develop and patch in new content on a regular basis.  Given that SWTOR sub numbers are likely still healthy then Bioware is likely to maintain the sub model for the rest of the year.

  • DreyderDreyder Member Posts: 25





    Originally posted by eayes



    I don't play ToR or care either way but aren't there enough threads like this without a staff writer making one. What's next, "Is GW2 worth a sub?"

    Well said... but really aren't MMORPG.com articles pretty much forum rants at this point anwyays? This "news" site is more like overdressed troll posts if you ask me.... doomsayer pandering.

    There are tons of servers with decent population and if you expect filled newbie zones after 5 months you don't know anything about MMOs.

     

    I play the 1.2 content on a weekly basis, I'm getting my money's worth... they got tons more content in the pipeline... frankly I'll be enjoying my 5th free content patch before GW2's devs are done fixing their bugs and in the end I'd rather deal with a sub than a cash store.

     

    Can't wait til GW2 comes out so it can all at once act like a giant pacifier AND crush those fanboy hard-ons with a cold bucket of reality.

     

  • Force_FireForce_Fire Member Posts: 145

    Perhaps I'm out of touch, but $15 bucks isn't a lot of money. I spend that much on Lunch everyday. Go see any movie this weekend and you'll pay at least $15.00. You can't even buy a full tank of gas for $15.00. Would Free be better???.....sure. But what does that mean? Will we get More or Less content in the future? Will the game be better somehow because you are no longer paying a fee?

    Personally, I don't care either way. I don't miss the $15.00 each month. I still enjoy the game and have no plans to leave.

     

    So make it free.......or not.  meh

  • blackafricablackafrica Member Posts: 17

    I loved KotOR and when I first heard about SW:TOR I was very excited. I signed up for the beta as soon as I could.  Then I played the Beta and thought "this would be a great b2p game or single player RPG, but I'm not paying a for a sub." It seemed to me that it would be fun for maybe 4-8 playthroughs just to get the different stories, but after that it didn't seem to have much to offer. In the end I didn't buy it and I don't regret it. If it went f2p I would totally play it just to enjoy the stories for the different classes, but I will never pay for a subscription.

  • KorgborgKorgborg Member UncommonPosts: 116

    "it won’t necessarily be because the game isn’t performing well; it would just be an AAA developer making a smart business decision. "

    Whew!

    Good to know it's not because the game is perceived as an MMORPG fail by some if not many.

    Also good to see mmorpg.com is not downplaying expectations or backpeddling.

    /wipe_brow

     



     

    If you cut it too short you can always nail a piece on the end.

    If you cut it too long then what the hell are you gonna do?

  • KorgborgKorgborg Member UncommonPosts: 116

    Originally posted by jdnewell

    Originally posted by Mors.Magne

    I think all sci-fi MMORPG are up against strong opposition with Eve Online on the market - CCP evolve their game.

    Neither SWTOR or Eve Online were that great in the first few months, but SWTOR isn't even trying to adapt.

    No offense against EVE or its playerbase but it is not even a contender for the sub numbers TOR wants & needs. EVE has its niche player base and overall has done pretty well. But TOR will probably be shut down if it drops enough subs to be at EVE subsciption numbers.

    And the TOR fans are pretty much opposite in every way possible from EVE fans. Other than they are humans & are breathing.

    "But TOR will probably be shut down if it drops enough subs to be at EVE subsciption numbers."

    Probably, since they have that huge nut to pay off, 200, 300 million... w/e

    I might play it as f2p as long as they implement it similar to lotr and I don't have loud, annoying popups like EQII "encouraging" me to upgrade.

    Hopefully they'll have enough rich fanboi whales not to have to get greedy with the cash shop so the average person can enjoy playing.

    We'll see.

    If you cut it too short you can always nail a piece on the end.

    If you cut it too long then what the hell are you gonna do?

  • catplaycatplay Member Posts: 71

    Does not matter if go F2P or not, I will not play it personally because is a bad game. End of story.

  • SouldrainerSouldrainer Member Posts: 1,857

    On one hand, 1.2 was a step in the wrong direction.

    On the other hand, if it goes F2P, most people who play it now will quit.  I, for one, will not pay $100 a month to play anything.  That is essentially what F2P means.  Let's not sugar coat it.

    Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.

  • RizelStarRizelStar Member UncommonPosts: 2,773

    Originally posted by Souldrainer

    On one hand, 1.2 was a step in the wrong direction.

    On the other hand, if it goes F2P, most people who play it now will quit.  I, for one, will not pay $100 a month to play anything.  That is essentially what F2P means.  Let's not sugar coat it.

    Can we not exaggerate it either?

    I might get banned for this. - Rizel Star.

    I'm not afraid to tell trolls what they [need] to hear, even if that means for me to have an forced absence afterwards.

    P2P LOGIC = If it's P2P it means longevity, overall better game, and THE BEST SUPPORT EVER!!!!!(Which has been rinsed and repeated about a thousand times)

    Common Sense Logic = P2P logic is no better than F2P Logic.

  • WearacupWearacup Member Posts: 161

    [mod edit]

    Trammies need to stop polluting the MMORPG landscape. They already have enough games in which to emote hugs and sell garbage by the banks.

  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,769

    Originally posted by Deleted User

    Does not matter if go F2P or not, I will not play it personally because is a bad game. End of story.

    So those who say it's a bad game yet want it free to play must be full of it.

    http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2010/QBlog190810A.html  

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    Kyleran:  "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."

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  • TerranahTerranah Member UncommonPosts: 3,575

    Even if it was free to play I still wouldn't play it in it's current form.  $15 per month is cheap.  It's a nonissue in determinging how I spend my free time.

     

    But I think if it went f2p I would be even less inclined to go back at a later date because that model of being nickle and dimed is irritating.

  • ktanner3ktanner3 Member UncommonPosts: 4,063

    Originally posted by Mixxathon

    Bitchers bitch, whiners whine and haters hate - it´s their function in life.

    I would say that those who whine the hardest are those who came to SWTOR seeking a pure gaming experience, spaced through all content to get to lvl 50 and found that it was not WoW at all. And as do all who have an oppinion believes that theirs are the only one valid, they brand SWTOR as Failed - and in their world it probably is.

    Then we have the others, Star Wars fans who relish in walking around on location just for the sake of walking around, taking in the sounds, wielding lightsabers or blasters when needed, getting immersed in the gameworld. For those, SWTOR is nothing less that total Win, and 15 bucks a month is a basement bargain for such a rare treat.

    Then we have the casuals, the vast majority of the paying customers, who perhaps have an hour or two after work or school to play, and this is where the game truly shines. You can put in a short time and still have a feeling that you have accomplished something. When limited gametime applies, every moment playing counts. If one only manages to get into a couple of Warzones a day, they will be memorable, if one can only run a couple of quests, they will stay in memory longer, if one just hangs in the cantina with a couple of buddies, that has more meaning than much else that day. The rare opportunity to partake in an Operation will feel truly epic.

    So, you see, there are so many ways to enjoy a game. You who wait for GW2, SWTOR was obviously not really for you and you should have known that from the beginning and never have visited to begin with. If you now long for pandas, I bid thee farewell. Servermerges will come, character transfers will come, bugs will be squashed - and all that will be left in SWTOR will be those who actually play the game because they like it and not merely uses it as a steppingstone for that elusive "better game" that always seems to wait around the corner.



    [edited - fixed spacing]

    Pretty much sums up my opinion. The only games that go FTP are the ones that can't maintain a sub base of 100,000, and then those games usually end up nickle and diming you to death. No thanks. You people that are too cheap to pay a sub fee, please stick with single player games and leave this genre alone.

    Currently Playing: World of Warcraft

  • ktanner3ktanner3 Member UncommonPosts: 4,063

    Originally posted by Souldrainer

    On one hand, 1.2 was a step in the wrong direction.

    On the other hand, if it goes F2P, most people who play it now will quit.  I, for one, will not pay $100 a month to play anything.  That is essentially what F2P means.  Let's not sugar coat it.

    I agree. There's no way I'll keep playing this game if it goes the route of STO. I don't want to be nickel and dimed for the best weapons or gear.

    Currently Playing: World of Warcraft

  • GoldenArrowGoldenArrow Member UncommonPosts: 1,186

    B2P imho. The game is definately worth the box price.

    But the game just sucks so bad once you get through the story and the endgame starts.

  • Ambros123Ambros123 Member Posts: 877

    Originally posted by Souldrainer

    On one hand, 1.2 was a step in the wrong direction.

    On the other hand, if it goes F2P, most people who play it now will quit.  I, for one, will not pay $100 a month to play anything.  That is essentially what F2P means.  Let's not sugar coat it.

    And let's not lie out our teeth either.  Look at DDO or LotRO, perfect examples that a F2P MMO can be cheap.  Sure you go VIP for a little bit to get TP or buy some TP up but in the end it is very cheap to play there.

  • PanteraRosaPanteraRosa Member UncommonPosts: 35

    Originally posted by eddieg50



    Originally posted by Gruug



    I don't care what game you choose, be it DDO or LOTRO or STO, going so-called f2p is NOT a sucess. Sure, each of the ones I just mentioned above had a large influx of new and old players when they made the switch. The problem is, many of those that tried these games at the time moved on when they realised that they could not obtain the full experience WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY. They realised that the "free" in free to play does not apply. Go to LOTRO right now and you will find a few high level players around. Why? Because most of them are dedicated and most are former Life time or current SUBSCRIBERS. Few (if any) are players that have not spent big dollars as "free to play" players. Free to play is a scam. Wake up.





     

       cant agree less, f2p is a boon for casual and slightly more than casual players cause it lets you pick and choose as you slowly level up

    When you dont have to pay for time you can actually take your time and enjoy the game more without feeling rushed

  • PrecusorPrecusor Member UncommonPosts: 3,589

    Why would they go f2p when they have some decent subs numbers?

  • shaaaggyshaaaggy Member Posts: 1

    if the do f2p then they have a problem and the we (the gamers) will suffer! I have to admit i am not a pro at this but all the mmorpgs i have played that did that went down the drain!

  • jacklojacklo Member Posts: 570

    Even if it went F2P they would need to add a lot of content, a proper space game, re-work PvP, cut down the loading screens, merge servers...

    In fact I don't think I'll bother. They don't have a chance to fix everything this side of 2013. By then I'll be enjoying other games.

  • SmokeysongSmokeysong Member UncommonPosts: 247

    No. No MMOG should have a permanent F2P player base. Give people early-level preview play, but don't keep players who aren't willing to pay for the game and don't recognize the fact that F2P games aren't free.

    That being said, give the subscription players what they are paying for; rich content updated on a monthly basis. Don't give them easy-mode slop, and make Xpaks huge updates on the game engine to keep up with modern hardware and other capabilites, as well as major content updates.

    Turn the orginal devs into Director devs in charge of teams that can accomplish these tasks properly.

    ;)

    Have played: Everquest, Asheron's Call, Horizons, Everquest2, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer, Age of Conan, Darkfall

  • specialNOonespecialNOone Member Posts: 1

    I never actually played the game, but seen many videos about it.  I'm not hating on the game or the company or its players, but i think the situation as a whole is screwed up.  this situation has a number of reasons for why the game seems to be a failure.  I recall how Knights of the Old Republic was as a single-player game with no online connection, and i thought the games were wonderful.  The only thing i did not like was the liner-styled RPG type, because it felt extremely limited (after playing something like Morrowind and Oblivion (Elder Scrolls)).  I had hoped for a more "sandbox" type of play.  When articles of the new upcoming KOTOR 3 (SWTOR) were found in Game Informer (i believe it was), I was amazed and waited many years to finally play it.  This was because i was under the impression that it would be at least something like Starwar Galaxies but 3 times better.  I was under the impression that it was sandbox style in game play, and that there would not be so much of a liner-style storyline.  I was exited because i thought the game would be something like "living life in Starwars universe during the Old Republic Era', and i am not exactly sure how i got that impression (maybe it was my own fantasies dreamed up by expectations of the game), but... when SWTOR finally came out, i watched a video to see how the game would be (because i was about to buy it for my birthday celebration as a decades-old gamer), and as i wiatched the video, i had the most ugly look on my face.  never bought the game, never played it, and i don't truly desire to.

    As a gamer, i would say that Starwars Galaxies was their competition or example, and Galaxies had its good and bad, but lots of people petitioned to keep that game on its servers.  i doubt such would be the same for SWTOR.  I honestly expected more, lots more.  I still would like to play the game (on second thought), but i do not want to pay a subscription monthly for it.  it is just not the kind of game i would pay for.  I rather pay for Phantasy Star Online 2.  that looks a lot more promising than SWTOR.

    In conclusion, i don't think it would matter if this game was B2P, F2P, or P2P, because ultimately (in my opinion), it has failed almost everyone's long awaited expectations.  However, if the game was B2P or F2P at launch, i would have bought the game and probably would still play it right now.  Star Trek Online was well worth my attention, and so was Skyrim.

    To anyone who is offended by my post.  Sorry.  This was not a hate post.  I do think that EA now has a serious problem, because it perhaps will have no choice but to go F2P soon.  in my opinion, SWTOR is a near-complete fail as far as longevity for a MMO.  I honestly don't think it should have ever been an MMO.  I think it should have been more like Skyrim: single-player, online connected for downloadable content, and perhaps with content that might be purchased through the internet, and no need of multi-player whatsoever.

    But then again... i never played this game.  Just its predecessors.  I just hope they can fix whatever problems they see fit and win back their business, because this whole thing is saddening.  Thank you.

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