By: Dave Bouressa
Things are not going well for the Star Wars MMORPG from Bioware. Starting as
one of the largest and most expensive games ever made, to have the game end up
going free to play is financial suicide. However, although this game has had
years worth of anticipation, it has fallen to less than one million subscribers
in less than a year. To keep players interested and bring in new players, EA
has decided to go “free-to-play” with the game, starting in November.
EA stated in a press release that the game will be available for $15
starting August 7th, and that price will include a month of free play. Earlier
this year, the game entered a trial period to allow new players to play for
free up until their character reaches level 15. However, players will now be
able to play any of the 8 story lines all the way up to the maximum player
level-level 50.
To prevent themselves from going into bankruptcy, there will still be some
real-world money involved. Although the game itself will be free to play,
accessing higher-level game content and other new features that will soon be
added to the game such as downloadable content, can be purchased either
individually or through a subscription. Bioware has also promised more frequent
updates and extra features in the coming months.
"Since launch, we've been listening to feedback from our fans and
adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace,"
executive producer Jeff Hickman said in today's press release. "We believe
we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by
continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star
Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the
community."
Here are the two options BioWare has to offer, according to their press
release:
Subscription – A service designed for players who want unrestricted access to all the game features via ongoing subscription or by redeeming a Game Time Card. In addition to gaining access to all game content as our current subscribers do now, subscribers will receive ongoing monthly grants of Cartel Coins, the new virtual currency that will be introduced later this fall. Cartel Coins can be used to purchase valuable in-game items including customizable gear and convenience features that will enhance the game play experience.
Free-To-Play – The first 50 levels will be Free-to-Play, with restrictions on access to new content and advanced player features. Some restrictions can be "unlocked" with Cartel Coins.
If you are already a subscriber (or were in the past) you will receive several rewards for your money: “150 Cartel Coins per paid month; 1,000 Cartel Coins and a “Hero’s Banner” for Collector’s Edition buyers; and extra bonuses for those who sign up between now and the free-to-play launch.
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