Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free to Play Option Coming This Fall

SBFord

EA and BioWare have announced that a new free to play option will be added to Star Wars: The Old Republic beginning this fall. New and returning players will be able to play all eight character classes and progress to level 50 with some restrictions.

According to information released today, players will be able to purchase content and features that are available to subscribers.

In preparation for the move to add the F2P option, the box price for SWTOR will be reduced to $14.99 and will come with a free month's subscription.

Current subscribers will be gifted "Cartel Coins" that can be used to purchase special items. Former subscribers who renew their plans will also receive some incentives for doing so.

Find out more on the new free to play teaser site on the Star Wars: The Old Republic main site. Also be sure to check out Bill Murphy's interview with Jeff Hickman and Matthew Bromberg!

garrett

first...

kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

MikeB

Originally posted by garrett

first...

Wow. Really? I hate you. :P

WhiteLantern

Originally posted by garrett

first...

Seriously, dude?!?

 

 

Queue Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and watch the fires burn.........

MikeB

Originally posted by kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

Enough to learn that subscriptions (exclusively) are going the way of the dinosaur. They should have set up the game this way originally. Better late than never!

Konner920

called it. the boring republic has flopped as expected. cookies please.

kadepsyson

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

Enough to learn that subscriptions (exclusively) are going the way of the dinosaur. They should have set up the game this way originally. Better late than never!

I tend to agree with you that they should have set it up that way from the start.  An IP like Star Wars seems like it'd be full of opportunities to monitize small cash transactions.

niceguy3978

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

Enough to learn that subscriptions (exclusively) are going the way of the dinosaur. They should have set up the game this way originally. Better late than never!

But then they wouldn't have gotten 60$ a pop from 2.5 million people.  Of course if you meant 60$ with no sub then, that would have been a better idea for them, I think.  They wouldn't have gotten nearly as much flack as they did.  If they would have made a game with more than 2 months of content (for a relatively slow player like myself) then they could have gotten even more money.

gaeanprayer

It is with phenomenal, cosmic-level self-control that I didn't simply write a post filled with laughter (I'll just let Iori do that for me). I am impressed, I didn't think I could do it.

But damn, that's hilarious. Not because it's going F2P, mind you; I think that's an excellant choice and will drastically increase this game's population and profit, which it needs and will benefit from. But because of all the people that swore up and down it would never happen.

Oh, I am tickled so.

jusomdude

Nice, I've been wanting to play lately but haven't because of sub. I It's not just this though, I haven't wanted to play any game with a sub. I juse hope they don't totally gut the ftp version like some games do.

MikeB

Originally posted by niceguy3978

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

Enough to learn that subscriptions (exclusively) are going the way of the dinosaur. They should have set up the game this way originally. Better late than never!

But then they wouldn't have gotten 60$ a pop from 2.5 million people.  Of course if you meant 60$ with no sub then, that would have been a better idea for them, I think.  They wouldn't have gotten nearly as much flack as they did.  If they would have made a game with more than 2 months of content (for a relatively slow player like myself) then they could have gotten even more money.

I think ultimately either way would have worked. B2P with a shop/sub option would have worked for this particular game, sure. Selling boxes clearly wasn't an issue.

terrant

Only goes to prove my current theory about the current developer mindset:

 

1. Launch with a "standard" box price and sub to drum up initial capital.
2. Once the initial rush dies off, switch gears to a f2p+microtransaction system
3. Rake in the REAL cash, slowly but surely.

 

Mark my words, right here and now. TSW will go F2P within a year, WoW will within 3 years.

gravesworn

I feel bad for those of us that wasted our money on this garbage.

Zefire

if they add pay to play for 2 days dungeons etc they are going to fail badly.

If they dont add permanent content purchase im not touching this game again.

Of course fps issues has to be fixed.

Paragus1

Hopefully the massive unmitigated failure that this game has become will send a resounding message to anyone else thinking about making another terrible clone game with an IP stamped on it.

gaeanprayer

Originally posted by terrant

Only goes to prove my current theory about the current developer mindset:

 

1. Launch with a "standard" box price and sub to drum up initial capital.
2. Once the initial rush dies off, switch gears to a f2p+microtransaction system
3. Rake in the REAL cash, slowly but surely.

 

Mark my words, right here and now. TSW will go F2P within a year, WoW will within 3 years.

I doubt TSW will take more than 6 months to go F2P. The kind of content in that game that people REALLY like isn't the kind of easy-to-make crap that we see regurgitated nonstop in other mmos, the grindy quests and the endless gear/dungeon grind. It's the storyline and the investigative quests that make it interesting, and I promise you they won't be able to keep up with the demands of players for more of it, for very long. People will start bitching they're out of content (if they haven't already), they'll start leaving, then whoosh...f2p. Just like SWToR

Xthos

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by kadepsyson

I do wonder how many subscribers they've lost to have to switch to this model so quickly.

Enough to learn that subscriptions (exclusively) are going the way of the dinosaur. They should have set up the game this way originally. Better late than never!

 I got my moneys worth (played the free month, I compare the money I payed to what you pay to go out to drink or to the movies etc..)...It was not worth the sub.....That said, if it was worth the sub, I would of been more than happy to pay it.  I actually prefer paying a sub, with no cash shop, but that is the real dinosaur...So if it has to have one, i'll take a sub with cosmetic only cash shop.

 

As long as something isn't p2w, I don't hate on it though.

 

Ktara

omg...14.99 for the box??  ROFLMAO  that was quick!

Kuppa

And the pressure keeps mounting for the sub MMOs out there...

Reizla

Perhaps now it's time to buy a key on eBay (to claim my pre-order goodies), play a month and then wait till November ;-)

terrant

[mod edit - it doesn't. don't feed the trolls.]

AutemOx

Lol, I am proud to say that I completely predicted this 1-3 months before the games release saying that 6-18 months after release the game would go F2P.  This was what their plan was in the beginning I am sure!!

GamerUntouch

Originally posted by terrant

Originally posted by kertin

The same players drop will be in GW 2  after few months. You think its amazing game but trust me you ll realise its not that great game. Remember my words gentlemens! Only advantage is GW 2 is B2P so they wont need to do f2p:).

I played SWTOR beta and I said its not good game. Why? Because I was bored very quickly. My friends laught to me when I told them SWTOR ll be fail. And what happened? They stopped playing SWTOR after 2 months and now its gonna be F2P! Wow, so unexpected. 

Today every1 laughs to me again when I say  GW 2 is not that good and you ll see I am right:)...PVE will die and ppl ll stay playing GW 2 only bcs of PVP:)...why? its simple...PVE is pretty bad in GW 2, well not sure if "bad" is the right word, maybe boring is what I am looking for.

And...a GW2-trashing post has what relevance in this discussion? Just curious.

Deflection.

Lobotomist

Hehe

Anyone remembers my predictions ?

It turned even worse. At least I thought they are going to have one expansion before going F2P

GeezerGaz82

Never played SWTOR yet, I'm going to give it a go tonight and see for myself how good it is or isn't.