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EA to focus on Free To Play
Xiaoki
Member EpicPosts: 4,050
For those that don't speak French the relevant section is:
Q - In MMOs, the subscription model is also challenged by free-to-play, a system in which access to the game is free, but additional content is not free. What do you think of this model?
A - In the future, Electronic Arts will be a company of free-to-play, because this model is good for players and developers. Designers did not, for example have three years to reach before being able to measure the effects on their audiences. A free-to-play model allows to test and see what pleases the most. Users can test freely and move to something else if the game does not suit them, without paying $60 beforehand.
Implications for SW:TOR?
Comments
swtor wont go free to play
they poured to much money into the game to have it go free to play.they'll just sit on there hands until the game ends up with no one playing it.then they'll just shut it down
but whatever,im probably quitting anyway when guild wars 2 comes out,watching paint dry is about as fun as swtor has been lately
Yes.
"Forums aren't for intelligent discussion; they're for blow-hards with unwavering opinions."
I think what I am going to do is to create 101 virtual machines. 100 of which will have a script that will log me into these F2P games and re-log me in each time I get booted for having my toon just stand there.
The last virtual machine I will use to surf the internet and find some cycling events to go on.
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
2 replies to the OP. One no, one yes.
I say its a solid "maybe".
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
I wouldnt mind seeing TOR going F2P.
Even WOW has a limited F2P version (up to L20). It is quite clear that people are less and less willing to spend box price $40-60 to try out a game. Plus, when they are plenty of F2P games out there, there is less of a reason to put down $40-60 to get similar entertainment.
At a certian point, when you're subscriiber base becomes low enough, F2P will generate more money then the subs will.
This is why so many sub based games go F2P. The income generated in a F2P system starts projecting more revenue then the number of subscribers that the game reasonably able to retain.
This is a direct correlation to peoples willingness to pay for the content then get. Why pay for the same exact gaming experience if you can get it in a F2P game.
Or if EQ2 offes the same experience for free, the only reasoon anyone would pay to play ToR is because they want to play an MMO set in the SW universe. Even that, at a certian point, of the players decide that the content isn't worth paying for even if it is SW it would be more profittable to go F2P.
You're last comment is pretty evident of that. If the content was worth paying for you wouldn't say it was as fun as watching paint dry, nor would you be leaving to go play a game that will offer you the same basic content without a subscription fee. You'd keep paying to play ToR wouldn't you?
Edit: My nerves are REALLY bad today, I can't fix all the mistakes my hands make. Sorry for the horrible typing.
The decision to make SWtOR free-to-play up to lvl 15 is just a step on the way to F2P. I reckon by the end of the year there will be some sort of F2P model, featuring a cash shop.
I wouldn't even play an EA game if they paid me, they are so bad for the industry, they are all about short term profit. I hope they move away from gaming altogether.
meh,i wouldnt even bother with swtor if it went free to play.the community as it is right now is already terrible,imagine what it would be like free to play
but whatever,honestly? the only reason i continue to log in to swtor is because guild wars 2 isnt out yet.im pretty much done with swtor once guild wars 2 is out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6-u8OIJTE
if EA like it.
further proof there is no such thing as "free" to play
there was probably a bunch of guff about "maximizing consumer revenue streams by micro payment" or something too.
Actually i do not play TOR. Who has time for TOR when Diablo 3 is out?
However, if it is f2p, and when i am done with D3, i may want to check out some of the stories.
Really?
Dead Space 1 & 2 are great games.
Are you really going to give up on fun games just because EA publishes it?
Yes i really am. I have morals and feel dirty giving that greedy company any of my money.
Well loss for you.
I really don't give a sh*t. Fun games are fun games. All companies are greedy anyway.
I'm not really losing out as i have zero interest in console games. EA are not just greedy they are bad for the industry, they buy up small developement studios, fire all the original staff and commence on milking the shit out of that studios original ip's with each version becoming more shallow and further away from the original.
Say what you will. I only care if a game is good .. and so far, Dead Space 1 & 2 are pretty good, and i am pretty certain i am going to play the 3rd one.
Dunno why you don't play console games .. but i guess different gamers have different preferences. There are a lot of fun shooters/action game out there, IMHO, of course.
Most of the big name transitional games mentioned on this website that went F2P didn't. They went HYBRID. That is a big difference and I could totally see EA offering a free account sans inventory, limited AH, limited race/classes...Unlock Sith Pureblood for £5.99! lol, free players won't get ships. They'll have to take the starbus. No companions either unless you stump up. The possibilities are endless.
There is NO miracle patch.
95% of what you see in beta won't change by launch.
Hope is not a stategy.
______________________________
"This kind of topic is like one of those little cartoon boxes held up by a stick on a string, with a piece of meat under it. In other words, bait."
Anything free is good. Worse case, have a little fun, and move on to the next game.
SWFree to play is a better source of revenue. They've already invested the money, they aren't going to just throw their hands up and say oh well. They will move towhats good for business.
You can always Sail to that Bay we all know, then send the Developers(visceral Games and not the publishers EA) some $$.
Just saying
I agree with you man, Ill never buy another game that has anything EA on it. I dont seem to be missing out on anything either. They will never develop the next big single player game series, because there is no innovation, in any EA dev. They just copy and paste, with minor tweaks and gimmiks. They have no vision, they are not gamers at heart, they are business men. The only thing they have innovated is milking their idiotic customers out of their cash. They cheat their customers only to force them to buy DLC in a month after release.
Dont even get me started on what they do to MMO's.
Waiting for:EQ-Next, ArcheAge (not so much anymore)
Now Playing: N/A
Worst MMO: FFXIV
Favorite MMO: FFXI
probably more likely to see these EA mmos go f2p before TOR
Dark Age of Camelot
Warhammer
EQ2 fan sites