Pure speculation.. Surprise expansion at Christmas?

Yakamomoto · September 2012

Bioware is really slow with content updates, could it be the majority of the team is finishing a surprise expansion pack for Christmas?

With space combat and minigames perhaps?

Because on top of the F2P content, they need a truckload of cool premium content to make sure many people will stick to the subscription model. At the moment there is no real reason to keep a sub after they pull the F2P switch in November.

I mean look how long they need to add one single mini warzone, it is impossible that the whole team is working on this ridiculously small content updates.

So my wild guess is 1.5 in November with F2P, fat expansion pack with a lot of surprises in December for Christmas.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Yakamomoto · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

We don't know how big Makeb will be.

In fact we have very little information. If they drop something big... it would be a nice surprise which would invigorate fan base, no question about it.

Edit. But you are right. looking at light content of updates, they are probably working on something big...

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Maybe this secret space project?

Leoghan · September 2012

Originally posted by Yakamomoto
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

They don't have many people to be twiddling their thumbs they have laid off a huge chunk of the team in the last three months or so. Not completely unheard of for an MMO, but generally not a sigh that big projects are still being worked on.

Kakkzooka · September 2012

Don't bet on it.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

I was wondering when haters will innundate this post /grin

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Indeed there are still players playing SWTOR (shocker).

DeltaFrc670 · September 2012

I doubt this game will see an expac before 2014..

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Originally posted by Leoghan
Originally posted by Yakamomoto
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

They don't have many people to be twiddling their thumbs they have laid off a huge chunk of the team in the last three months or so. Not completely unheard of for an MMO, but generally not a sigh that big projects are still being worked on.

Nobody knows how many people they fired. There were never any numbers stated. They said that they have still very big team of devs working on the projects. Other statements are pure speculations.

Facts:

1. They fired some people, notably from community managing - which was noted.

2. There is no information how many employees they fired. At least I could not find it.

3. There is no information how many employees are still working in BioWare Austin on SWTOR. At least I could not find it.

AxiosImmortal · September 2012

I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW. The last available information about subscriptions is that it's somewhere between 500k and 900 k.

AxiosImmortal · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

AxiosImmortal · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

AxiosImmortal · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

Ya its going to work that way, it's a gamble to use more money on the game to release expansions, they haven't been having success with swtor. like you said there was a big thread about it, that just means that we can discuss this for a thousand years and not agree or even make any progress of agreement.

Sevenstar61 · September 2012

What I would like for a Christmas Gift in SWTOR is:

Nar Shaddaa transformed into full blown casino with all kinds of gambling Pazaak, slot machines... and more:)

I love the city... it is so... just created to become a center gambling Vegas of Galaxy

I hope that Lucas does allow that...

Leoghan · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

It's not working what way? MMO's need to make a profit. If they haven't made what they spent, they have not not made a profit. Any business operates that way, it is plain and simple. Nothing posted on any forums will change that. Do I think SWTOR made a profit, maybe, but not the profit they thought they were going to make, hence the server merges and free to play move.

AxiosImmortal · September 2012

My wish is a change of engine and make the game 90 percent open world and 10 percent instanced. This is for the sake of OPvP. I'd be suprised if my wish will come true. I mean....they would have to start from scratch.

superniceguy · September 2012

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game except WoW. The last available information about subscriptions is that it's somewhere between 500k and 900 k.

They said it was above 500K and below 1 million. I would think that if it was above 600K or 700K they would have said so, as they did not, it implied there was between 500K-600K

That was before the 6 month subs ran out, and before the server merges which lost quite a few players due to name changes and shoving all characters on same server stuffing up different Legacies. Plus some are quitting whilst waiting for F2P.

Now it is more likely to be below 500K

As for anothe expansion, will not happen by Chistmas, they are working on F2P. If F2P is a success then maybe there will be one, if not it will be lucky the game stays active let alone get an expansion

tawess · September 2012

Sad to say but the space-game is sort of locked in to what it is. To make it anything else woudl take a complete rewrite of the engine as it doe snot have that kimd of 3-d movement. Honestly people you are better off playing EvE for the space content if you can not stand the rail-shooter.

As for a big expansion... Would not hold my breath, before the F2P conversion have proved a wise move i think they will be in cruise mode. And they can still go the way of City of Heroes even after a F2P conversion.

But either way i am willing to bet money on that the space game will stay the same.

fenistil · September 2012

There will be big patch / mini-expansion when f2p will start or shortly (up to few weeks) after. ]

Almost all f2p / freemium conversions do that - to sweeten the pot and to have new content to convince players to come back.

If you check hisotry of f2p / freemium conversions most of games did that. In example Lotro was totally starved, no new content for like 1 or 1,5 year (don't remember) and then new content with freemium change and another not so long after.

Swtor team - well at least that team that survived cuts - are propably concentrated totally at readying conversion (all technicalities, shop, new systems, game mechanics alterations for shop sales) and doing some content to bring it with conversion.

That's why you haven't saw almost anything new and that till f2p conversion you won't see much.

ktanner3 · September 2012

Originally posted by Yakamomoto
Bioware is really slow with content updates, could it be the majority of the team is finishing a surprise expansion pack for Christmas?

Bioware's biggest problem is the slow updates. When an MMO asks for a monthly fee the expectation from the player is not only server stability but content updates. It's one of the biggest reasons their subscribers are quitting because players are running out of things to do.

Eletheryl · September 2012

Originally posted by Yakamomoto
Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

When you ask about makeb, they dont talk about it as an expansion is pretty much an huge content update and is coming this year. But i believe that the ¨space combat secret proyect¨ will be the that expansion, but is a secret so far and we know nothing about what they are doing, rumours say, space PvP and Guild capitals ships will be there.

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Pure speculation.. Surprise expansion at Christmas?

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